Restaurant Visitors Impression on the Customer Service - Term Paper Example

 DINING EXPERIENCE; ANALYSIS OF SERVICES OFFERED BY A RESTAURANT Contents Contents 1 1.Introduction 2 2.Service analysis 2 3.Conclusion 7 4.References 8 5.Appendix 9 1. Introduction The day to finally experience dining in a restaurant was finally here; 28th October 2014, 1.30 PM was the agreed reservation time and we arrived early enough at 1.20 PM equipped and regimented for the occasion. My friend and I were fully prepared for the occasion and were here to intermingle with the real world of hospitality that has for ages been sophisticated for us. The staff was quite simple and organized. There were two receptionist, a male and a female, one waiter and two waitresses. All the staffs were well groomed with each wearing the appropriate attire, specified by their roles in their restaurants. The gorgeous decor gesticulated to us how fascinating the dining will be and jubilation was well written all over the servers’ faces. 2. Service analysis The welcoming attendants we found at the front door were well dressed and addressed us from a cordial perspective inquiring on where exactly we wanted to go. We were directed to the right where we were served from. From a distance, the environment could easily reveal that the attendants were full of sound knowledge of special diets and proficient in nutrition (Pizam, 2005). From our dining location, we could seize a view of the entire restaurant and were predominantly hooked to the attendants at the front door. All incoming guests were received tenderly and directed to their various rooms or dining tables. The restaurant had a great customer service. When inexorable grumbles occurred, thre staff knew how to handle it well and often portrayed professionalism in handling customers who had drunk too much thus ensuring that the contentment and safety of all customers in the restaurant was guaranteed (Federation of Dining Room Professionals, 2012). It was an important way of customer appreciation that cost less while leaving the customers feeling special. Moreover, they could supplement their oral statements with facial expressions that were inviting and candidly indicated what they were describing or illustrating. Nodding nad winking was not unusual. A clear coordination between the receptionists and servers was evident from the way they regularly communicated and consulted each other to ascertain that every client’s expectation is fully met. A clear look at the restaurant clearly revealed that its turnover rate could be as low as 5% since the staff always appeared to be happy and contented with the work environment and their particular roles. Apparently, we took several minutes to survey the restaurant atmosphere before dessert was served. While construction was underway outside the restaurant, the inside was still quiet, no music, only some slow talks going on from various corners. The Westside highway outside the restaurant was also quite, and there were generally not much going on. The light in the restaurant was sufficient, not too bright and not too dark. The stackable settee and dining tables completely transformed the void space into a distinctively inviting destination (Stringam & Jr, 2012). Fascinatingly, there were two menu options; Taste of Autumn Menu and Regular Lunch Menu. The names on the menu told stories about the dish and we could easily make a decision on what to order. It was a chance for us to control our destiny. We cherry-picked the Taste of Autumn Menu as it was considerably inexpensive, and we could certainly meet the cost while relishing the occasion. It only costs $28 for a 3-course meal including appetizer, entrée and dessert. This was far from my expectation as I had hitherto approximated it to be $100 or more; this further decked the circumstance. The calm environment was fascinating, and we decided to start sorting ourselves. For appetizer, my friend ordered King Oyster and Avocado Carpaccio while I ordered Salmon Sashimi. Afterwards, sandwiched bread was served, and the attendants were always there to clean the table once we were done with any eating session. The appetizer was quite scrumptious and we got sedate with the occasion. It was then time for entrée, and the graced tables and the Chinese napkins were to be messy momentously. After a critical look at the menu, my friend ordered Bouchot Mussels while I settled for Perry St Friend Chicken. My friend was supplied with entrée knife, entrée spoon and entrée fork for the mussel while I was offered a fork and entrée knife to aid in the consummation of the chicken. After entrée, all the tables were cleared, and only the beverages were left on the table. The food was delicious; the smile on our face was an evidence of total gratification. The trained dining room employees properly supervised the plate presentation and service delivery exercise. We took around 30 minutes admiring the soviet tissues that were on the table and then ordered dessert. Outrageously, dessert was not on the menu but Valrhona Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Trio of Sorbets with Pear, Raspberry, and Strawberry were on offer that day. We took this opportunity to explore the world of desserts by ordering all of them. The taste of the chocolate was quite fine as the level of sugar in it was well regulated; we liked it and could not hide our joy after swallowing some chunks of it. However, the Trio of Sorbets were disgusting; they tasted like pear and we could hardly stomach the uncanny taste taking into consideration the sheer fact that we both hated pear. While there was wine and many customers were enjoying it, we declined ordering it as we perceived it to be crippling from an economic perspective. Remarkably, the staff was always around the place ready to clear the table and would not hesitate to ask whether we were okay and if they should clear the table; they were copiously committed to serve us as well as the other customers who were in various sections of the restaurant (Federation of Dining Room Professionals, 2012). Overall, apart from the cost of the tips, we spent $61 for the whole meal. The closing and opening of the food service operation was well coordinated by the dining room staff. Moreover, before leaving the restaurant, we decided to visit the bathrooms. Apparently, there were two simple but clean individual bathrooms. The environment in the bathroom was amiable and one could easily be tempted to overstay in the place. Despite the partial darkness and soft light that created a serene environment in the bathroom, some soft music was playing to augment the composure of the place. The level of sanitation in the bathroom was satisfactory and we felt as though we were just in our home bathrooms. One could hardly believe that these elegant and sanitized bathrooms belonged to the restaurant. Noteworthy, the restaurant effectively managed the ‘moment of truth’. My friend’s previous wary and skeptism about the restaurant was proximately transformed when the waiter approached us. His emotional driven behavior made the few interactions that we had with him a whirling point in my friend’s life. We had invested a high amount of emotional energy in the outcome and the waiter easily realize this, became instinctive, and became smart enough to put our emotional needs ahead of those of the restaurant or his agendas. It was service with quality and pledge (Baum, 2011). Evidently, the restaurant had devoted a great deal of resources to retaining its customers by ensuring that the services offered met the tastes, needs and preferences of the diverse customers that it was serving. The cost of acquiring new staff is higher than the cost of retaining current customers and the restaurant was not ready to lose its customers through puerile mistakes such as delivery of substandard foods or distasteful dining environment. According to Marc, Jonathan and Stacey (2006), “The success of this strategy ultimately depends on expanding the breadth and depth of customer relationships and on translating the resulting loyalty into higher sales of goods and services, as well as a healthier bottom line”. Manifestly, the restaurant comprehended the importance of this strategy and this is the predominant reason why its staff always endeavored to serve customers with perfection and aptness, leaving a permanent effect in them and always making them want to come back for another share of the food and services. The restaurant’s management supported and developed the forefront emotional intelligence of its personnel, a factor that made us happy after meals despite having to take some garish and obnoxious Trio of Sorbets as part of the dessert (Stringam & Jr, 2012). The restaurant ambiance significantly affected us in many ways. This ranges from reliability and responsiveness, the amount we spent, the duration we stayed in the restaurant, the amount that we consumed, our eating speed and instilled in us the sense of wanting to return to the restaurant any time we think of dining in a restaurant. The restaurant was evidently using ambiance to create an inviting environment and establish an enduring connection with its customers. According to Baum (2011), this complete and memorable dining experience helps a restaurant strengthen its customer base and increase its profitability since word of mouth recommendations become common resulting to an upsurge in sales. 3. Conclusion As clearly elucidated above, the restaurant was successful in planning its dining room operations. It had well-trained receptionist, waitresses and waiter. The in-house and back-house of the restaurant was also significantly perfect, a factor that created a perfect dining environment. Ambiance had a perfect setting with a lovely atmosphere. The highly proficient staff were capable of providing superb food and brilliant services that one would only anticipate from a 5 star restaurant and managed to do this at a very realistic price. The vital elements in menu designing and table presentation were taken into consideration. This, coupled with the welcoming nature of the receptionist and the entire frontline staff, makes a customer create a positive impression of the company immediately they get into its compound. Conclusively, it was stimulating dining in such a restaurant that endorsed all the critical elements of hospitality and customer satisfaction. 4. References Baum, T. (2011). Hospitality management. Los Angeles: Sage. Federation of Dining Room Professionals. (2012). The Professional service guide: Federation of Dining Room Professionals. Fernandina Beach, FL: Author. Marc, B., Jonathan, D., and Stacey, M. (2006). The ‘moment of truth’ in customer service | McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/the_moment_of_truth_in_customer_service Pizam, A. (2005). International encyclopedia of hospitality management. Amsterdam: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. Seo, S., & Shanklin, C. W. (2007). Drives for Behavioral Intentions in Dining Services. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 2(3), 92-232. doi:10.1300/J369v10n04_06 Stringam, B. B., & Jr, J. G. (2012). An Investigation of the Traveler Rating Lexicon Across Hotel Segments. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 1(2), 128-273. doi:10.1080/1528008X.2012.692281 5. Appendix Read More