| www.hospitalitysolutions.ca | ISSUE 4 | September 2007 |
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Do you know the difference between an order taker & a sales person? Generally about 25% in added sales…. Ten Tips for Increasing Sales & Customer Satisfaction 1) The Greeting & Spill Drinks – "Hi, my name is Rick and I'll be your server tonight." Is not what I want to here as your guest — Talk to me — engage me — Ask me how I'm doing — Ask if I've been here before — Thank me for coming - anything to engage me & make me glad that I chose your restaurant! 2) The Beverage Order & Tips – DON'T ask — what would you like to drink — Offer me a beverage — Would you like a cocktail or a glass of wine while you check out the menu — If I ask for water — don't say sure — DO Ask "will that be flat or sparkling"! (This is one of my personal favourites — more opportunities missed here than anywhere else...) 3) The Appetizer – After bringing my beverage — DON'T ask if we are ready to order — offer me a specific appetizer or starter — if I hesitate, offer something that we can share… 4) What's Good Here? – never say EVERYTHING — give me a couple of real suggestions — what is your favourite? What is the Chef featuring tonight? What did your last table rave about? 5) "How's Everything?" – DON'T ever ask this when checking back on food - Be specific — Is your steak cooked to your liking? Does anyone need more sauce? Have you tasted the chicken yet? Don't forget to mention to save room for dessert — "the chocolate cake here is to die for…" 6) Drink Refills – This is the easiest sale of all — and quite often overlooked — Be alert — don't miss the opportunity to refill our drinks — Don't make me chase you for it. 7) After Dessert & – thank me for coming — invite me back — and DON'T ask me if I need change — if you have done your job well — you will get a tip — a good one if you have earned it! 8) In General – Know your restaurant — It goes without saying that all wait staff should have an intimate knowledge of the food & beverage menu — In addition Always ensure that everyone knows - what time do you open & close, how long have you been established, how do I make a reservation, do you offer group menus or packages, when was it remodelled last — All the little things that create a positive impact on curious customers. 9) Pre Shift Meetings – Never, Never begin any shift without a pre-shift floor staff meeting — everyone needs to know what is happening — what are the specials, what do they look like — what are they served with — what beverage or wine should be suggested with them — Coaching is critical — Always & Continuously! 10) Training, Training, Training – It never "just happens" It must be a conscious effort on the part of management & ownership — It must be intentional — focused - & repetitive, as necessary - When guest \ server interaction improves - everyone wins — customers feel appreciated, they return more often, sales increase, tips increase, staff turnover decreases… We have all heard the old adage about the cost of training; What happens if I spend all that money training someone and then they leave? What happens if you don't train them and they stay? You decide...
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The Southern Cross For the past 16 years The Southern Cross restaurant at 404 Queen Street at Bay, in the heart of downtown Ottawa, has dished up savory Mexican and Canadian cuisine to public servants and other locals, as well as visitors to this hotel district. Currently lodged in the Radisson Hotel, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week to its expanding and varied clientele, as well as full-service event catering on and off site and room service to hotel guests. This comfortable restaurant specializes in providing signature Mexican dishes, such as fajitas, burritos and quesadillas, to the bustling crowd of public servants that arrive Monday to Friday for lunch. Reservations are recommended for any seating but are absolutely essential for lunch if you want to compete with the hungry crowds that have come to rely on Joe Piovesan, his partner Ron Spirito and their friendly staff for efficient service and great food in a relaxed Tex-Mex ambiance. The Southern Cross seats about 100 people inside, 54 outside, and accommodates meetings and other larger gatherings in banquet rooms for up to 60 people in the hotel. This award winning restaurant, recipient of the 2006 Platinum Plate Award, the highest honour of excellence from the Best Independent Restaurants Association, boasts a menu that includes an abundance of excellent traditional Tex-Mex fare and an extensive array of complementary wines, beers and other beverages to enhance your meal. Breakfast ranges from $8 to $12 and lunch and dinner range from $15 to $25. A side of excellent service comes with every meal.
I guess I'm not your typical restaurateur now. I'd have to call myself an absentee owner, and I love it. I come into the restaurant one day a week, sometimes half a day. Last year I took 20 weeks of vacation. All this is possible because I know the experienced staff and the excellent inventory controls and management practices I have in place will safeguard my interests and my investment at The Southern Cross. But it wasn't always this way. Like most restaurant owners, when I started out 16 years ago I worked well over 40 hours a week. I tried a number of different inventory control programs and manual systems, all of which were time consuming and inefficient. They were also potentially subject to manipulation by staff with a vested interest in outcomes that might conflict with my interests as an owner. When I decided to pull back a bit from day-to-day management of the restaurant, I started looking for an objective third party who could reduce the amount of paper and time I spent on inventory controls and management. No other inventory manager came close to Hospitality Solutions for reputation, convenience and efficiency. Rick provides me with timely, efficient, pertinent information in reports that are highlighted for easy interpretation. The reports used to come directly to me for relay to my staff, but after a few years I realized that was an extra step I didn't need to take. Now the highlighted reports go directly to restaurant management and we discuss the points that require attention as they arise. The highlighted information and analysis contained in the reports have allowed me to grow my business without sacrificing my personal life. And, I can do a better job of high-level management and business planning when I'm not bogged down with inventory paperwork. Hospitality Solutions has had a major impact on the efficiency and profitability of my business, to the extent that I hardly have to be there in person now. I can spend more time with my family and travel extensively, secure in the knowledge that the inventory controls I've set up, with the assistance of Hospitality Solutions, are helping to make my business the best it can be. The money we spend on the services Hospitality Solutions provides is one of the best investments I've made and I would recommend them to anyone. –Joe Piovesan, Owner and Operator
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HOSPITALITY SOLUTIONS
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