But there are a lot of roadblocks to staying on course. Maybe you’re having a tough time keeping your employees motivated. Maybe you feel as though your competitors have left you in the dust and are miles ahead of where you are.
It has often been said that success is a decision away. What this really means is that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals, no matter how difficult the path ahead might be.
So, if you’re committed to taking your restaurant to the next level, here’s what you need to do.
Don’t rest on your laurels. Be on the lookout for ways to raise your standards and quality of service.
When business is steady, it’s easy to get comfortable. But if you relax too much, your business will stagnate, and it might even begin to backslide.
Instead of coasting in “default” mode, keep learning. Ask more questions. Look for ways to innovate. Monitor your competitors proactively.
You might be good, but there are always ways to improve. Stay hungry for new knowledge and strategies, and surround yourself with people that also aspire to excellence.
The technology landscape is changing fast, and if you don’t keep up with it, your restaurant could start lagging behind competitors.
It has become easier than ever for customers to book a reservation on their own using an electronic system, or even pay their tab using a tablet instead of waiting for a busy server to come around to their table to process their payment. Ordering could also be handled with an app, before the customer ever arrives at your restaurant.
This does not mean that tech is the answer to everything. A human touch is still necessary, particularly if you want your guests to keep coming back to your place of business. Servers should still know what’s on the menu (and not just hand customers a tablet with the digital menu), and they should also make their rounds to ensure that everything is okay with food, drinks, and so on. Technology is no excuse for poor service.
But there are likely some aspects of your restaurant that could be made more efficient with the use of technology. Stay abreast of new developments so that you can seize opportunities as they arise.
What are your customers saying about you? There are many ways to collect feedback, and if you’re already using tablets in your restaurant, or if you’re planning to, there’s no reason why you can’t collect comments using a survey app.
With the proliferation of social media and review sites, however, you also need to keep an eye on online feedback. Building a positive reputation takes significant time and effort. Unfortunately, just one negative comment can have a harmful impact on your status.
If you want to bring your A game to your business every single day, you not only need to pay attention to what people are saying, but also make changes and improvements to your restaurants based on the feedback. Don’t let spammers and trollers get you down, but if the reviews you’re reading seem genuine and authentic, be willing to delve deeper into what your customers are saying, and see what you can do to resolve pending issues.
Strategies are plentiful. It’s not about the exact tactics you use as much as it is your dedication to staying focused on your A game. It’s much easier to identify areas that you can improve when you’ve already made the decision to remain on a path of progress.
Beware of unnecessary distractions, and keep pressing ahead.