Three Ways Your Policies and POS Impact Guest Experience
What three things go wrong before the guest opens your menu?
As we opened our menus for a pre-theatre meal at a fine dining establishment, one line of copy caught my eye. Little did I know it would foreshadow our checkout experience and haunt us more than two weeks after our evening out.
“20% gratuity automatically added to checks. No more than two checks per table. Tax included in all item prices.”
On this particular evening our party consisted of two couples — so we didn’t give it much thought —until our check arrived.
Why Your Management Policies Turn Your Guests Away
Your Policies Turn Diners Off
- A “20% gratuity automatically added to checks” policy sends a signal to guests that you expect them to tip handsomely, regardless of the quality of service. That type of policy makes guests nervous about the experience, even before the server takes their order.
- A “No more than two checks per table” policy also sends a signal: “We’re going to do what’s convenient for us, not the guest.”
I can’t think of a quicker way to encourage guests to not return.
You Make Guests Wait for Their Check
The checkout process is the last – and at times the most memorable part of a guest’s dining experience – for all the wrong reasons.
We were presented with one check which the server left at our table before dashing off to another table. After a few minutes, we looked at it and realized it wasn’t split.
When the server returned, we requested that they split the check, to which they reluctantly agreed. Then we waited, and waited, and waited…
Your POS Can’t Split Checks
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the server standing at the POS for several minutes, obviously struggling to split the check.
At first one, then a second manager joined the conversation, all struggling to find a solution.
Guests expect that you can split the check, by seat, and at times by item. Diners want the convenience a modern POS can offer, from split checks to other flexible payment options for customer-first service.
Over 15 minutes later the server returned apologetically with our check, presumably split. The split wasn’t quite right, but it was close enough and by now were running late to the show.
The checkout experience is the last experience your customer has when they visit your restaurant. What impression do you want them to leave with?
You Won’t Believe What Happened Next
Two weeks later, our credit card statement arrived. We were surprised to find a double charge on our card, for twice the amount of our meal. We think it was the other couple’s meal charged to our credit card!
What could have been a great night out was now a series of bad memories about the restaurant and the checkout process.
It could have been so much better for the restaurant manager and our party if they had made a different choice for a point of sale system that’s designed with the customer in mind.
Your choice of a restaurant point of sale system can help delight your customers when your policies and checkout deliver a positive experience with no surprises.
Total Touch Can Help You Deliver Exceptional Dining Experiences
If you’re looking to give your restaurant an extra edge, Total Touch Point of Sale can help you increase sales, manage your restaurant, and avoid creating unpleasant customer experience like I had.
Learn how Total Touch helps you sell more and deliver the best dining experience when you schedule a demo today.
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