How to use your 'sequence of service', once all the food has been served, to drive more revenue, increase loyalty and get reviews.
If you don't already have a sequence of service, I'm referring to the sequence of customer touchpoints that you have specifically engineered to give your customers a great experience and maximise upsells.
Example:
Welcome
Seat, drinks menus, water choice
Drinks order and explain menu choices / upsells
Deliver drinks and take food order
Deliver food, check drinks
More drinks
Clear plates, drop dessert menu
Dessert / digestivo order
Deliver dessert then clear
Farewell + more value
The final step, the farewell, is an opportunity to drive more value from the customer. Simply saying "thanks, have a nice night" is a wasted opportunity and leaves money on the table.
Examples
Get more 5 star reviews
"Thanks for dining with us tonight, I really enjoyed looking after you. Please enjoy these complimentary macarons which will be lovely with your coffee tomorrow morning."
Then, the 'thank-you email automation' asks for a review
Get more return visits mid-week
"Thanks for dining with us tonight, here are a couple of free drinks cards that you can use on your next visit, any night Mon - Thurs."
The 'farewell' can be so much more than just a polite goodbye. Use this step to create the most value possible, whether it's accelerated word of mouth, more loyalty, more reviews or sign-up to the birthday club.
Having a structured service sequence creates the framework to align your entire FoH team around a culture of revenue growth.
Your sequence of service is just one example of how small operational decisions can drive returns. This is the way we use across every venue.
