Ghosting the Guest
Going out for a nice dinner is a pleasure, a treat, a delight. And when one works in the hospitality business it is all the more delightful to be a guest and have the attention lavished on you for a change (can I get an “amen!”). So, it’s all the more disappointing when you are having a wonderful meal, enjoying yourself and connecting with the person serving your table when, towards the end of the meal, he or she disappears. You’ve just been ghosted…by your server.
A few weeks ago I was ghosted. I went out to a restaurant with two dear friends; we were looking forward to celebrating the holidays and sharing a good meal. Our server was a pro: confident, warm and knowledgeable, he knew his stuff and was attentive to our table and needs. We were having a great time together… until we got our entrees and our server went AWOL. Which changed our experience at this restaurant into one that was caring and positive into one that felt somehow unbalanced and unfinished. We weren’t feeling the love.
Of course, i understand that servers work different shifts and when things slow down it’s best to cut the early employees and get them off the floor. But sitting in the guest seat this practical choice didn’t feel so hot. I knew that our positive experience at the restaurant could have been preserved while, at the same time, the server could have left early and the manager could have controlled payroll. All it took was one easy action: to make an introduction.
When I was a server at Balthazar I learned an early lesson on the importance of continuity in the guest experience. During service, when the early servers would depart for the night, we had a ritual of introduction. The early server would escort the late server (who was taking over this section) to each table and make an introduction: “this is Kate, she’ll be taking over your table for the rest of your meal. Thanks so much, and enjoy your evening.” Then, the server who was leaving would transfer the check and share any information about the guests at the table with the late server. This tied up the guest experience with a bow.
This simple introduction is an example of guest continuity that serves two purposes:
• Introducing the guests to their new server (and demonstrate continuity of service)
• Ensure that the server taking over (the late server) actually takes ownership of these guests
The ownership piece is important. If the early server was simply to transfer the checks to the late server, the guests would reduced to a number, a table or a check. But the table is comprised of people; people who have started a relationship - no matter how brief - with the original server and representative of the restaurant. By being transparent in this moment of shift change, it demonstrates to the guest that their specific experience is acknowledged and that the relationship they started with the restaurant through one server will be continued through the next.
The end of the meal is so important because it creates a lasting memory of the restaurant and brand. As a hospitality manager you must set up systems to ensure that your guests feel valued throughout their entire experience. No one likes being ghosted. Training your team on the importance of transparency will turn them into a fleet of thoughtful, caring servers. Who doesn’t love that?
