How to make sure your restaurant is full every night

Its easy, but not simple! Don't ever lose a customer!   Do whatever it takes to never lose a customer, if they are expecting 90% give them 120%! I know you think I'm joking here, but what if? What if every one of your customers was absolutely delighted with your food, your staff & your restaurant every single time they came... if you never gave them a reason to leave... then every customer would become a regular & you'd be packed to the rafters every night.Sounds impossible doesn't it? But imagine for a moment what that would look like. Picture how you would feel walking through the doors each day knowing that you don't have to worry about how many empty tables there are. How much better would life be? What about for everyone else around you? But why is this such an impossible dream? Why do we all assume it can't be done? Better yet, why do so many restaurateurs believe that attracting new customers is the Holy Grail, the key to improving sales, increasing profits and generally making life less stressful? In truth, it is the people that have already found you & that have already dined with you that you and your staff need to focus time and effort on. If you wow the customers you already have, if they can't wait to come back, if they totally enjoy the experience of your restaurant then they'll come back again and again. And with the word-of-mouth that generates, you'll never have to worry about getting new customers they'll take care of themselves. Great! I hear you say... But how do I do that when my staff are late, or quit as soon as they're trained, or the ordering system breaks down again!?!? Two things:What's in it for them? Have incentives to reward staff for a job well done. Have big incentives for a job very well done! If you only notice (and tell them) about what they do badly, they wont be around too long. A system. A consistent, visible system to determine who receives those awards and prizes is key to get your staffs buy in. Favouritism won't wash, but a little bit of competition will work wonders.Put these things in place and your staff will love serving with a smile and your customers will love you... and keep coming back for more.The above article was supplied courtesy of Grant Lewers from Restaurant Marketing. Previous blog posts in this series are: Pricing your Menu Menu Planning Serving more Customers How good is your customer service Finding the Best Location for your Cafe Impressing your Bank or Finance Provider Hospitality Industry Business Plans