When we dine out, especially in the finer restaurants, we have come to expect superior service as well as exceptional food. In fact, a good portion of what we pay for is clearly the quality of food service. There are few customer-business relationships where overall customer service is so carefully scrutinized and critiqued.

Customer service in restaurants begins with the first contact, whether it is making a dinner reservation by telephone or walking in the door to request seating from a Maitre ‘d. Treating customers with tact, diplomacy and friendliness really begins at the front door to the establishment. We expect to be seated as promptly as possible and if there is a reasonable delay, to be kept informed of the status of our table’s availability. Being kept waiting for longer-than-expected periods without host contact has driven many diners out the door and on their way to a competitive eatery.

Once we are escorted to our table, the key player in the customer service scenario is the waiter or waitress. Their performance during the meal may determine not only the size of the ‘tip’ they receive, but the customer’s overall impression of the restaurant and the desirability to return for future dining. And marketing statistics clearly indicate that earning repeat business is the key to restaurant success.

In better restaurants, the modus operendi for food service people is often expressed as “be there when you’re needed or wanted, but vanish from the scene when you’re not.” They know all too well that your dining experience is about the food and the service, not the server, so ‘hovering’ about the table and making small talk is discouraged. In addition, the time between courses is also important, which demands that the server keep a sharp eye on your progress without conveying the feeling that you’re being rushed in any way. Conversely, long waits between courses is also a contributor to negative customer feelings and is discouraged in both servers and the kitchen staff who prepare the meal from behind closed doors.

It’s a long way from the high-class eateries to the local diner or fast-food restaurant, and there is, of course, a marked difference in the customer service one can expect. These ‘eat and go’ establishments are more concerned with daily ‘turns’ of each table which is transformed easily into numbers of customers served and the dollars that result. Generally, the waits are longer, service is faster and less personal, small talk from servers can be common and the menu is smaller as are the prices. To a degree, that’s what customers expect in these restaurants which they patronize with a whole different set of expectations.

Nevertheless, there are still expectations of good customer service within the limits of where one is. Having to wait ten minutes for a water or coffee refill doesn’t go over well at the local eatery and more than it does at at top-of-the line facilities. They, too, must pay attention to a reasonably efficient level of customer service if they want repeat business.

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