10 Quick Tips On Upselling

I just finished coming back from a road trip all across Florida and was actually able to visit various different promising looking restaurants. I also inquired some great information and content from some interviews I hosted with some of the top performers in these establishments. You guys should definitely be looking forward for that.

I figured I’d like to offer a brief snippet of some of the tips I’ve gathered and throw out a quick but very useful 10 bullet point post on Up-selling.

10 Trusted Quick Tips on Up-Selling!

1.

Never up-sell merely to build the check. Do it to improve the dining experience always.

2.

If your restaurant permits it, ask If you possibly can Assemble an appetizer platter and serve it family style. If your establishment doesn’t do it, recommended that they do. You’ll sell much more appetizers that way.
3.

If 2 or more individuals are drinking exactly the same wine by the glass or wine by the bottle, and one or even more of them gets a little low on wine during the middle of the entree meal, offer to split one glass of wine for them “to be able to finish your meal”. You’ll most likely sell that last glass 25 – 50% of the time whereas, in the event that you ask them should they desire one glass of wine, chances are they’ll say no.
4.

If the guest has been drinking alcohol and they also order coffee, ask always, “Are you interested in Bailey’s or Frangelico with that”? You’d be amazed how frequently it is possible to start to see the guest think, “I wish I had thought of that idea”. Furthermore, when soliciting coffee, try out this – “Would you be interested in coffee, espresso, cappuccino, port or an after-dinner beverage”?

5.

Point out specifics. Don’t ask, “Are you interested in an appetizer”? Rather, ask, “Would you like the crispy hot, sizzling Mozzarella sticks along with the house made marinara dipping sauce”?

6.

Don’t allow a selling chance pass you by. If it’s a wedding anniversary, question if they’d like champagne. Should they order pie, inquire further if they’d enjoy it ala mode. If they do not purchase a salad and proceed right to the entree, Question them if they’d prefer to split a soup or salad “just to offer you something to munch on while we prepare your entree”.
7.

Whenever a customer orders a mixed drink, suggest a few name brands always. “I’d just like a screwdriver, please”. “Are you interested in using Absolute, kettle one or do you have a favorite”?

Along those lines, an excellent approach would be to limit the selections. Rather than adding “do you have a preferred option?” simply say, “Kettle One or Grey Goose”? Make them choose. This is known as a common product sales technique that functions very nicely. Men and women sometimes rather take the road of least resistance.

8.

If someone requests a brand name that provides upscale variations, know them & ask the guest if they’d like that instead. For example, Tanqueray has their normal brand and many other more expensive brands (Tanqueray 10 and TanquerayRangpur are some i can think of). Jack Daniels provides their Single Barrel and Gentleman Jack brands. So, my regular reply when somebody orders Jack and Coke is usually, “Jack, Gentleman Jack or Single Barrel”? When somebody orders Tonic and Tanqueray, I always inquire further Tanq or Tanq 10″? In the event that you employ this plan, you’d better know very well what the distinctions are between them all and also articulate them.

9.

This works for many people but you have to practice it and craft it like an art. Tell them, “Allow me to get you some of our fantastic nachos for the appetizer”. If you’re feeling comfortable with stating this, I’d say, go that route, because it’s about the confidence and assertiveness that you instill in the customer that they are allowing you to tell them what they should order. It’s rather tricky at first but wonderful once you get a feel for pulling it off. I personally know servers who can do that flawlessly (including myself) – possibly you’re one of these individuals. The beauty is if you’re not, you can practice and train yourself to be overtime.

10.

Going full circle from tip #1, become an counsel to your guest. They don’t usually know your restaurant’s strong points. Play to those strengths. And don’t hesitate to recommend something more costly. Just don’t apply it because it’s more costly. Always consider the guest while you’re up-selling.

Hope you enjoyed that. If you are interested in delving deeper into the whole concept of up-selling and actually discovering the science behind proper up-selling along with receiving in-field tested examples CLICK HERE NOW.

Also, for all types of exclusive content, and for the FULL Fine Dining Toolkit make sure to sign up below to receive everything straight to your inbox.

Talk to you soon!

Building and Designing The Ideal Dining Experience

We will discuss the parallels amongst waiting tables and architecture.

To construct a prosperous building, the builders and architect need to have a plan. They have to possess the requisite training in order to work raw resources into a finished form. They have to know how the aesthetic can be used not only to provide a pleasing display but also how it could be tied to the utility of the building itself. They also have to possess a positive relationship with their clients and also end up being an advocate for them. Finally, they need to comply with stated codes along with other civic considerations.

Well, serving tables highlights on Every one of these concepts.

We’ve discussed the training element already in previous posts in the past. A waiter or waitress needs to know the menus and the beverage offerings in the restaurant. A waiter has to know how to input orders and deal with things such as discounts, coupons, guest complaints, outages (86es), and being in the weeds properly.

This actually also integrates in with possessing a plan. When serving customers, an excellent waiter includes a plan of attack. They’re able to be attentive to the distinctions in a collection of situations, for example coping with a guest when there is nothing going on vs. while the restaurant is now being flooded with visitors at 7:30 on a Friday night. Furthermore how they shall cope with a guest who exhibits signs of frustration or unreasonable expectations.

Must Know….

They also have to know how to utilize the system of the restaurant, the menu and the expertise of the team to craft the dining experience in to the most ideal one possible. They know very well what the kitchen can and cannot Accomplish. They know that it will be impossible to obtain a well-done 20 oz ribeye out in five minutes when it’s tranquil however the broiler person could possibly move up a steak that’s already at medium for another table once the entire restaurant has been seated. They understand that garlic can’t be excluded from the dish if the guest desires a dish with marinara. This is actually the rough equivalent of a builder understanding that a particular sized girder simply won’t work to aid the hoisting system of an elevator even though the architect has mistakenly specified just this type of girder. These examples are identical to “knowing your materials”.

In addition they know when it’s time to direct the guest who orders a Caesar salad with the dressing on the side because you believe that the dressing is simply too thick for the guest to include in the salad and it’s vital that you learn whether they’re likely to try to do just that since they want “light dressing” or whether it’s actually okay for the reason that they like to dip the romaine in to the dressing piece by piece as if you would dip a carrot stick into some ranch sauce (the latter is merely fine and the former will in actuality likely make the guest use more dressing than if the pantry line cook tosses it in a bowl). They recognize that not butterflying a 16 oz filet cooked well-done will assure an almost inedible piece of meat and they have to be capable to explain that obtaining the middle of this type of thick piece of very lean meat to well done will demand the outer inch of the steak to end up being so dry and rough that it would be awful (plus it may possibly take 45 minutes merely to cook). They furthermore understand that when the guest requests the clams to be “on the side” for a linguine with whitened clam sauce, this compromises the dish past the stage of usefulness and simply won’t appear or taste right. All of these factors relate to the idea of aesthetics and collaboration with the client.

Final Thoughts

It is within the ability of the waiter to utilize the conceit of creating to greatly help them create an ideal dining experience for each and every visitor (difficult but a worthy objective). All you as a server need to do is think just a little outside the box and become much less of a laborer and much more of a tradesman/craftsman. However, remember that a tradesman/craftsman requires laborers, so always bear in mind the basics.

Lots of equivalent factors between the two occupations huh? Anyways, definitely make sure to sign up for the latest updates and be part of the first people to receive the news of the new FINE DINING ADVISING book when it’s released. Just put your email below. Talk to you soon!

How to Deal with Angry Customers and Upset Guests

Since there are lots of moving parts that keeps the restaurant running there will come a time that something will go wrong. Such occurrence means an unhappy customer. Handling concerns of angry guests is one of the stressful parts in food service but it’s also a very important matter to resolve effectively. What keeps a customer coming back isn’t because of the smile the food servers’ show but it’s the quality of service they receive from the establishment. Neglecting a furious customer’s complaint will have a domino effect that can make or break the relationship with them. Since it’s the customers’ money that helps keeps a business running, it’s a good thing to keep them coming back and have them as a repeat customer rather than losing them to the competition. Although customer care is one of the most challenging part in any business, it’s also the most precious department since it help save the establishment lots of money when it comes to the loss of sales due to a negative customer feedback. The solution to this problem is to handle guest-related problems as early as possible to keep things under control.

Listen

Everybody wants to be heard. At this point, it’s wise to just let them do the talking especially when there is a concern regarding the problems encountered in the dining table. Knowing all the details firsthand will help solve the problem itself by having enough knowledge the very root of the problem. Its only then that you can offer alternatives and suggestions to calm the angry customer whether it was cause by a wrong order or just simply a water spill over the guest’s lap.

Apology

You cannot fight fire with fire. When saying sorry, it should be in a genuine way. Although it’s not your fault, still, do apologies for the inconvenience and say sorry in behalf of the chef or who it is to blame for the action. This will calm a furious customer down. A conversation can only be effective when everybody is calm enough to be ready to resolve it. Saying the apology first shows that they are the VIPs and for such, it is the food server who should initiate the magic word. Some restaurants offer free food or beverage to help calm a guest especially if the problem is cause by the food or the drinks. It’s one of the best tangible gestures for saying sorry. It’s best to refer it to the managements first, otherwise, you might end up paying it yourself later.

Action

The listening and apologies completed and it’s time for some action to those words. This also shows that you actually listening to them. Always remember to keep your posture and have a calm approach of the problem. May it be a major or a minor problem, it has to be addressed anyway or else it will escalate. Although you let them do most of the talking, don’t forget to keep your ground and help resolve it with the intent to have things be resolved.  The guest will sense if you are saying just saying an excuse. It’s also best to do this entire thing discretely because nobody would like to be humiliated in from of people who do not have any business with you.

All customers in a restaurant started as a curious guest looking for a restaurant that fits their need of a satisfying dining experience. As time passes, these once curious customers will become patrons of the establishment.  Listening and doing some efficient action will dictate whether that customer will ever come back again. A positive perspective towards the cause of the problem does help sustain a happy customer. Giving them the feeling of such security and they know that the promise will be fulfilled, you will certainly make them keep coming back for more quality dining moments.

Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool and don’t let the restaurant have one. A good rating is not accomplished overnight. Each service crew or waiter has the power to help project and manifest a fun and exciting restaurant that people would love to visit. This, of course, can only be accomplished by giving them the sense of security that they are looking for.  Making them feel that no matter what problems and mistake the waiters and Chef may make, there is always a warm and beguine helping hand willing to take the extra mile just to meet and exceed the needs of the customer.