We live in an age where everything is available at any price suitable for any budget. So you can get the same food that costs a fortune at one restaurant and for a fraction of the price at another. Price is often the top factor when it comes to competition, followed by taste and presentation of a meal. These factors are what every restaurant owner takes into account when running their restaurant. Customer service is a secondary order and is usually not the main factor. But can customer service be the number one factor in giving your restaurant a competitive edge?

For many people, if the customer service is bad, they won’t go back to that particular restaurant. They will rather find another place to eat and avoid bad service altogether. Noticing that kind of behavior in customers could be used as a major factor in making your restaurant more competitive. So customer service would come first, followed by price or food taste and presentation. In other words, the prices of your dishes should not be the cheapest in your area as long as your customer service is better than the others.

Train your servers in the way of good customer service. Encourage them to greet and smile at each customer. They should treat each customer as if they were special. People want to know that they are special and they want to be treated well. The idea behind this is that a customer may have had a very bad day and being greeted by a friendly waiter who is interested in making your dining experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible will instill a sense of calm and joy. Or a customer may not have someone in their life who makes them feel special at home, so if your restaurant can make people feel good about themselves and their experience, they will come back for more.

Give customers special treatment for visiting your restaurant. This could be anything small like candy. Or you can treat them to a free basket of mini rolls. A complimentary mini cupcake also makes a wonderful gift. Customers will appreciate these gestures and associate your restaurant with a positive experience. Naturally, whenever someone has a positive experience, they tell their friends about it. This creates a ripple effect where more people come to visit your restaurant.

Use the best catering equipment such as the best cutlery and crockery. People know quality when they see it and this will make them feel special. The idea is that specialty cutlery is generally only used for special occasions in their own homes, so being treated to quality cutlery at a restaurant can go a long way towards your reputation.