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Customer service is sometimes overlooked in many industries. In the restaurant business, usually the main focus is on the food, which is correct, however customer service is extremely important and must not be neglected. A good customer service experience combined with scrumptious food will leave an everlasting impression on the customer.

Here are a few tips on impressing your customer.

• Train the waiters well. In many cases waiters are just told that they must take orders and serve the customer. Rather focus on training the waiters on how to take orders, what questions to ask, and how to be friendly. The way they take the orders and the information they get from the customer is important as this information must be relayed accurately to the kitchen. Also, train the waiters to mention the dish of the day or the specials for that day when the customer is seated at the table. This will give the customer an informed choice when ordering their meal.

• Have waiters pre-empt customer requirements. If you listened to your customers then you would probably notice that they ask for the same things often. Customers tend to ask for wet wipes before and after a meal, enough serviettes, salt and pepper, tomato sauce, and toothpicks. When the waiter brings the cutlery to the table, take a basket of wet wipes and serviettes too. This will impress the customer because they were probably planning on asking the waiter for some of these items. Be prepared.

• Serve food on a hot plate. The food has taken some time to prepare and it could start getting cold while the waiter takes it to the customer. Heat up the plates in an Anvil Plate Warmer and serve the food on hot plates. This catering equipment will keep the food warmer for longer thus giving the customer a longer enjoyable meal.

• Serve a free jug of water. A complimentary jug of water is a wonderful way to welcome your customers to your restaurant. They will appreciate the free gift. Such an easy way to impress your customers without it affecting your bottom line.

• Give larger portions. When a customer orders a certain meal, give the customer a larger portion than what they expected. They will be surprised and very pleased. Although larger portions cannot be eaten by all customers, customers want to be able to take the leftover meal home with them. When they enjoy it the next day, they will remember the good experience they had the previous day.

Such good gestures lead to superb customer service which the customer will appreciate and certainly return for more.