Pizza Today - May 2018 - 22

At Your Service

PAUL PAZ

Meet and Greet
Do your servers know who to turn to?

W

aiting to be
acknowledged when
dining out is not just a
mood killer -- it's fatal for a business.
Diners' expectations for service is
completely different than other retail
transactions. Diners expect service to
be brought to them unlike a grocery,
clothing or sporting goods store, where
it is common to roam around to find
staff to get some service. When dining
out, guests expect the staff to initiate
contact and service. Guests get very
irritated if they must seek it themselves.
There's a timer in all diners' minds

2 2 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / M AY 2 0 1 8

that automatically starts a countdown
as soon as they enter your business.
They expect to be greeted at entry
and at the table within less than a
minute. The longer the wait to be
acknowledged, the faster that mental
clock ticks. We go from hungry to
hangry in a heartbeat!
Even counter service business
models need to train their staff on the
critical nature of an immediate greet to
all guests. As soon as the door opens,
staff (at a minimum) must say "Hello!"
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Greeting

guests sets the emotional connection
for the business experience. It connects
the guest to an individual that's going
to help them with their questions
and specific dining needs. This is
important for new guests, as often
they'll need guidance on the menu and
the "flow" of the restaurant. It is critical
for your regulars in that the staff
acknowledgement reflects how much
the business appreciates their return
patronage.
The tone of the greeting reflects how
much the business values all guests.
In addition to the basic "hello," the
greeting must have a sense of urgency.
The opposite is the classic service with
a shrug. The "hospitality game face" -
a smile - is an invitation to service
and a core element of hospitality.
All staff should face the front door
and be ready to greet guests as they
arrive. Even during a rush period,
teach staff that even eye-contact and
a wave is a legitimate greeting as it
still provides a personal welcome.
Mouthing "I'll be right with you..."
works too.
A COMMON ERROR OCCURS WHEN
STAFF MEMBERS CLUSTER AMONGST
THEMSELVES and become more focused

on their own conversations than the
needs of their guests. This happens
quite often at the start of the shift
and at shift change. It also helps to
find out if their guest is new to your
establishment, as the employee can
anticipate providing more time and
attention with their order.
Initiating the greeting puts the house
in the driver's seat of controlling the
service experience. If your guests must
ask for service, you are automatically
put on the defensive to recover the
service misstep. Remember - it's
many times cheaper to retain a regular
than to acquire a new guest!
Keep the greeting a priority.
"Hi... may I help you?" is all it takes. n


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Pizza Today - May 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - May 2018

Pizza Today - May 2018
Commentary
Contents
Contributors
Expo Spotlight
Interact
Conversation
Man on the Street
Tony’s Trending Recipe
At Your Service
Destinations
Knead to Know
First Impressions
The Classic Red Sauce
Mix It With Mozzarella
Delivery Mix-Ups
Pizza Today on the Road: Topp’t Handcrafted Pizzas + Salads New Albany, In
Pizza Expo 2018 Wrap-Up
Product Showcase
Pizza Today Yellow Pages
The Marketplace
Reader’s Resource
Mike’s Monthy Tip
Pizza Today - May 2018 - CT1
Pizza Today - May 2018 - CT2
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Cover1
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Pizza Today - May 2018
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Commentary
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 4
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 5
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Contents
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 7
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 8
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 9
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Contributors
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 11
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 13
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Interact
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 15
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Conversation
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 17
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Man on the Street
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 19
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Tony’s Trending Recipe
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 21
Pizza Today - May 2018 - At Your Service
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 23
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Destinations
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 25
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Knead to Know
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 27
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 28
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 29
Pizza Today - May 2018 - First Impressions
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 31
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 32
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 33
Pizza Today - May 2018 - The Classic Red Sauce
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 35
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Mix It With Mozzarella
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 37
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 38
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 39
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Delivery Mix-Ups
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 41
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 42
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 43
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Pizza Today on the Road: Topp’t Handcrafted Pizzas + Salads New Albany, In
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 45
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 46
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 47
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Pizza Expo 2018 Wrap-Up
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 49
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 50
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Product Showcase
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 52
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 53
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 54
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 56
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 57
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 58
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 59
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 60
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 61
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 62
Pizza Today - May 2018 - The Marketplace
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 64
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 65
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 66
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 67
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 68
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 69
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 70
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 71
Pizza Today - May 2018 - 72
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Reader’s Resource
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Mike’s Monthy Tip
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Cover3
Pizza Today - May 2018 - Cover4
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