Let’s return to RestaurantRockstars.com’s Roger Beaudoin again for inspiration, this time for how to maximize profits and create an overall superior customer experience through good sales practices and quality options.
To begin, we can see in another video podcast with RunningRestaurants.com that Beaudoin describes the difference between salespeople and order-takers. He compares this to the old iceberg analogy, that most of an iceberg’s mass is below the surface, unseen. For the visible part on top, that’s the domain of the order-taker. It’s the obvious, easy stuff that often takes care of itself.
In Plain Sight
Consider the all-too-common experience for most diners. The host seats them, hands them menus, and the server shows up to take their orders. The staff just lets the sales’ chips fall where they may, and ultimately leaves numerous opportunities unrealized. This kind of order-taking requires only the bare minimum of skills: be polite, take down orders accurately, visit frequently enough to make sure the diner isn’t in need of anything, and thank them when they’re done. This should be considered the low bar of performance.
Beneath the Surface
But the true salespeople take a far more proactive approach. Continuing with Beaudoin’s iceberg analogy, the majority of the mass is below the surface, unobvious. Servers who are also salespeople exist there, and they understand that increasing the guest check doesn’t just mean more profit for the restaurant, it also means a larger tip for him or her. After all, most diners tip based on a fixed percentage in their heads (18%, 20%, etc.), and they only deviate from their fixed percentage if the service is exceptionally poor or fantastic. It may seem obvious to put this in writing, but servers who want a larger tip should sell more. Nevertheless, most servers do not operate this way, falling back into the easy confines of the order taking.
Beaudoin goes on to explain some of the ways servers can increase the check average, even doubling it:
– Up-Sales and Add-Ons
First, there need to be up-sell and add-on options. If a customer wants to order a mixed drink, the server should offer a top-shelf liquor. Or perhaps if the diner wants a soda, the server should offer the large size. A bottle of wine is a fantastic conversation starter and a wonderful way to kick off a meal.
Suggestions are key. But owners should take note: the server can’t maximize profit if these aren’t opportunities on the menu. Salads should come with the option to add grilled shrimp, for example, or burgers the option to add sautéed onions and mushrooms. Just remember that add-on choices can show up almost anywhere. Even coffee can have add-ons: servers should ask diners if they want their coffees with Kahlua, Bailey’s, Jameson, or whipped cream with shaved chocolate.
– Menu Design
Speaking of all these menu design opportunities, restaurant owners should take the time to dive deep with their head chefs on what their restaurants are offering anyway. If your menu has a large number of low-cost items that result in poor profit margins, it’s time to make a change. It’s entirely possible to design your menu in such a way, balancing our portions and prices, to develop consistent profit margins throughout the entire menu. Do that, and you won’t have to worry about encouraging your servers to push any specific entrees. Let them worry about those add-ons and up-sells instead.
– Retail Merchandise
Lastly, retail offers an opportunity to open up another source of revenue. Merchandise can become a significant profit center for your restaurant: you can sell packaged food-to-go, branded t-shirts and hats, keychains, flasks, and so on. Diversifying beyond food and drink can really present your staff with even more opportunities to sell.
Branding in general is a powerful force. Guests who wear your clothing items will effectively act as living, breathing endorsements of your business. If your restaurant is the cool place to be because it has really great atmosphere (with, say, clever menu items and live music), then all the better. Then your business’s reputation will precede itself and drive in even more diners.
Development and Training
When most people think of mystery shopping, they think of how it’s used to gauge the quality of customer service. They don’t always consider that there are other important dimensions we measure, including salesmanship, attitudes towards product offerings and options, and opinions about the overall atmosphere of a business.
Insight from unbiased, genuine eyes can help direct the way you develop your business (what menu items you offer, what upgrade options you need, and so on), as well as lay out a clear path for training. Servers who find themselves on the order-taking side of things will be easy to identify and to help transition from passive to active participants in your diners’ decisions.
It’s time to really get to know what the view is like from their perspective. Reach out today, and let’s develop a culture of the kind of salesmanship that will lead to enhanced profits and a superior customer experience.
