Have you ever been to a restaurant that serves respectable (or even amazing) nosh, but somehow fails in providing you the overall desired dining experience? Listen up restaurateurs, we (the guests) have got the gold.
Here are 10 things restaurants can do to enhance the overall dining experience.
Have you ever served in a restaurant before? Or wondered what is it like to be one of those wait staff with big trays? How long are they on their feet each day, and do you think they have it easy?
Waiters are very noble beings. They wake up each day with a common purpose – to bring their best service to your table. Many times, we may have taken them for granted, and they really deserve more appreciation and respect; appreciation from customers, and respect from their employers.
We spoke with a few friends in the industry, and have them share with us some hidden messages they wish to share with customers so as to help make their workplace a better one, and for them to be motivated to serving you better.
Here are 5 things your waiter wants you to know:
When we were in the US, one of the daily happenings that we noticed is the stark difference in service and professionalism displayed by most of the restaurants’ waitstaff as compared to that in Singapore. We can’t help but wonder if the poor service standards in Singapore is due to the lack of a tipping system.
Waiters, by and large, is not a respected profession like doctors and lawyers. In recent years, chefs are starting to get more recognition due to media publicity of celebrity chefs around the globe. Waiters? Not a chance. And the irony is waiters are the frontline staff in the restaurant and they have the ability to make or break your dining experience.
What do you think? Would tipping improve service standards in Singapore? Here, we look into tipping in Singapore, as well as the pros and cons of tipping.
What ruins our mood most when we dine out is not the food, nor the ambience, but very often the service and attitude of wait staff. All it takes is a smile to set things straight; similarly, an unfriendly staff can spoil things with her rudeness, and an unhelpful staff can affect the overall dining experience.
Some time ago, we shared about what everyone can do to expect better service, and while more often than not, we complain about poor service when dining out, diners should also reflect and think about how we play a part in making the whole dining experience memorable.
Service is not just about the workers, but it also involves employers and customers. In this day and age, more is expected, thus more has to be given. As NTUC’s Labour Chief Lim Swee Say puts it: “The globalized world thrives on mutual dependency, mutual support and mutual acceptance. Good services beget good customers, and good customers beget good services”.
Today, we will like to elaborate with five more ways on how diners can be better customers.
In our line of work, we meet people from the hotel industry a lot – Marketing Managers, Rooms Managers, Housekeeping staff, F&B staff… and while people in this industry are generally more exuberant, it is actually by no surprise that more often than not, they speak of their lethargy, unhappiness and lack of motivation too. And why is that so? Because only they are unsung heroes working hard behind the scenes. Their working hours are longer than usual, weekends and public holidays are always sacrificed; on the corporate side, promotions can be slow and remuneration is not very much better.
So what it takes to stay on is the sheer passion and love for the industry. But everyone gets worn out someday, somewhere. And can employers improve the situation for these staff, and up their happiness level to improve the overall productivity and sense of satisfaction?
Yes. They can. They sure can. Today, we look at five simple ways Hoteliers can refer to and reflect upon, to be better employers and to create a better workplace so as to keep your employees happy at work, and to attract more talents in to your property:
Singapore always scores global rankings, but when it comes to service (and happiness level), it is safe to say that we are nowhere near the top.
Eating is Singapore’s national hobby, and it is not exaggerating to say that Singaporeans is obsessed with food. According to statistics, there were about 6,700 establishments, with total operating receipts of the food & beverage (F&B) services industry at S$7,836 million in 2012. There is no denying that the future of Singapore’s F&B industry is bright, and it will continue to grow at a dazzling speed to become a food mecca in Asia, if not the world. Yet, service in the local food & beverage industry leaves much to be desired. It is not unusual to know of complaints about poor service when dining out.
Service is something that involves three parties – workers, employers, and customers. It is definitely not a one-sided affair when it comes to providing good service; employers and customers contribute to the eco-system and have parts to play, too. Here are some pointers on what everyone can do to expect better service.