When your customers are hungry and eager to sit down at your tables, the last thing they want to do is stand around waiting. Even a short wait can feel like an eternity to an impatient patron.
While long lines can be a sign of popularity, they’re also a fast way to lose customers. By optimizing staff, streamlining service, and making your waiting areas more comfortable, you can keep patrons happy even as you handle large crowds and crazy rushes. Boost your satisfaction ratings with these ways to cut customer wait times at your restaurant.
Take a Deeper Look at Scheduling
When it comes to optimizing restaurant operations, clever scheduling is your best friend—especially during busy periods like weekends and holidays. Instead of marking down a random assortment of whoever is available, think about who your best employees are, who works well together, and where everyone shines the most.
Think beyond the overall shift and assign specific tasks with each employee’s skills and needs in mind. Doing so will create a more competent and efficient team that will keep business moving throughout the day.
Another scheduling tip is to err on the side of overstaffing. Lean staffing might temporarily save money, but the longer wait times and burnt-out employees will lead to unhappy customers, lost business, and low worker retention, all of which cost you money in the long run.
Revolutionize Your Wait Area
If your customers feel like they’re being pushed to the side while they wait in a crowded space or a cold entryway, they won’t think twice about leaving. However, if patrons feel like they’re already in your restaurant, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the enticing smell of your food, they won’t mind waiting for a while.
Keep your wait area comfortable with plenty of seating and space to stretch out or move around. Make sure your restaurant’s atmosphere extends to the waiting area by using matching furniture, decorating with art or posters, or playing music. You can also use digital signage to your advantage in your waiting area. Advertising the day’s specials or showing off mouthwatering images of your best-selling items is a great way to keep customers hooked while they wait.
Streamline the Check
The faster you get the check to patrons after a meal, the faster you can clear that table and seat the next guests. If you’re using manual checks, train staff to drop them off sooner rather than later. A polite check drop keeps things moving; patrons don’t have to wait on your staff, and lingering guests get a subtle nudge that can send them happily out the door faster.
Another idea for streamlining the check process while cutting customer wait times at your restaurant is to use self-serve kiosks. A tableside screen allows customers to review their checks, pay, and print their receipts without waiting on staff. This frees your employees to serve other guests and allows patrons to wrap up their meals as soon as they’re ready.