Until recently, we couldn't imagine it. Guests having to register, being asked questions about their health and compulsorily sitting at a distance from each other. Preferably with as few physical contact moments as possible, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Sounds impersonal and inhospitable. As a restaurant, that's the last thing you want. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way! In fact, by being smart with digital tools and communicating well, there are plenty of opportunities for a personalised restaurant experience, despite safety and distance rules. In this article, we give you tips and get you inspired!
Opportunities through digital touch points
Where physical contact moments diminish, more digital contact moments are coming in return. That creates opportunities! Because hospitality is instilled in restaurant owners, but often it starts and stops at the door. While there are many more moments when you can put a smile on the face of your guests.
Extend the restaurant experience with more touch points
Now that restaurant visits are less spontaneous because of the reservation requirement, this is the perfect time to delve into these contact moments and get more out of them. By communicating with your guests at multiple moments, you prolong the restaurant experience. Your guests are also engaged with your restaurant outside the actual dinner. This makes dining out more than just a dinner and makes guests feel more engaged with your restaurant.
Create pre-booking fun
Start creating previews as soon as your guests book. Especially with digital reservations, there are plenty of opportunities. Think about sending a personalised thank-you e-mail. Completely in your restaurant's tone of voice and of course with the names of your guests in it. This may seem obvious, but too often people still receive standard thank-you e-mails.
An example of a thank-you email for a homey and casual restaurant:
Hi Jeroen and Kim,
How nice of you to join us for dinner! We have sent our chef straight away to gather the most delicious ingredients. We'll give the seat cushions a final polish and we'll pull out our finest crockery especially for you.
Without exaggerating: we look forward to seeing you!
Until 20 September at 7pm.
Sincerely,
Kevin and Danielle of Restaurant the Full Buyk
Warm up your guests ahead of dinner
Then warm up your guests further in the run-up to the actual dinner. For example, show them the menu a few days in advance, send a video in which the chef talks about the seasonal dishes and send an app or text message a day before dinner in which you say you are looking forward to the arrival of your guests. Want to go the extra mile? Let your guests choose a welcome drink digitally in advance! This will be ready as soon as you sit down. If that isn't a personal welcome.
After dinner tip
A restaurant experience then doesn't have to stop as soon as your guests leave the premises or terrace. You can also continue the experience at home. That's why this after-dinner tip: thank your guests again for coming by sending them a message, ask if everything was to their liking (a good time for a review), tell them a fun fact about the wine they drank and wish them a good night's sleep. In the period after that, you can also e-mail a news item, a piece of information or the new menu once in a while. The more personalised your approach, the better.
Give contactless ordering a personal touch
Next, the restaurant visit itself. Here, too, you can use digital touch points. A fully contactless restaurant experience is not a requirement, by the way. After the health check, your guests may simply be served, even within 1.5 metres. Still, some guests do like to order digitally. And with a still uncertain future in mind, it is not crazy to experiment with this. At least it doesn't have to be impersonal. Think of a so-called e-ober, including a photo and a personal welcome message.
Be creative in full-contact operation
Even fully contactless, your restaurant doesn't have to look like a fast-food or take-away. With a little creativity, a handful (or a bit more) of technology and a pinch of imagination, you can dazzle guests with an unprecedented experience. How about little robots or steerable cars that come and bring you food, a food variation on the mailbox system, or, slightly less futuristic: a 'conveyor belt' like you know from sushi restaurants.
Small adjustments for a personal touch
Less spectacular: but effective. Small adjustments that make dinner just a little more personal. Because eating out may be less spontaneous now, but this gives personalisation a chance. Also remember that once you start doing more with the aforementioned digital contact moments, you will have a better idea of who your guests are. You can then better respond to this.
Place handwritten nameplates
This starts with something as small as a nameplate on the table, instead of the standard reserved sign. Small gesture, big effect! By the way, this also works fine if you work on a wait-to-get-seated reservations basis with registration. After all, a nice sign is written in no time.
Make the one and a half meter rule work for you
Personalisation options are also available when assigning a table. Especially now that the 1.5-metre rule ensures not only distance but also privacy. Create romantic double seats for couples and cosy nooks for families. Don't forget the nameplates and welcome drinks already chosen at home 😉.
Let guests choose dishes already at home
One step further is to let guests choose their dishes already at home. Admittedly, this will not work for everyone and for every restaurant. But it does offer the opportunity to put special dishes with long preparation times on your menu for once. Plus, you waste less. Besides: a change of food makes you eat, so it is definitely worth considering.
Deploy wait softeners
Finally, one more tip that is about improving the experience while waiting. Because do you work according to the wait-and-seat principle? Then you can't escape the fact that guests sometimes have to wait outside. That doesn't make anyone happy, so don't forget the wait softeners! Amusement parks are masters at this and always come up with something new. Now, you don't have to whip up a whole Efteling theme in front of the door, but it certainly helps to start your restaurant experience while waiting. Tastemakers here are scent, music and a pleasant temperature.
On top of that, there are again digital opportunities to enhance the restaurant experience. Let people in line already scan a QR code and show the story of your restaurant on their phone. Or offer entertainment in the form of a wine knowledge test, a welcome message from the chef or information about your dishes. Depending on what suits your restaurant concept.
Keep it simple and safe
Whatever solutions you deploy: keep it simple and secure. Give guests an experience they go through effortlessly. For instance, people often drop out when downloading an app, but scanning a QR code is easy. Furthermore, take a good look at the contact moments within your restaurant and how you can make them safer. Because with everything, the main reason is of course to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But in a guest-friendly way, without compromising personal service.
Can we help you?
With this article, we have hopefully given you some tips and inspiration on how to give your guests a personalised restaurant experience despite the measures in place. Want to know more about digital options or just spar about what works best for your restaurant? Feel free to contact with us! Send an e-mail to contact@thefullybookers.com or call +31 (0)85 048 80 58.
