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[mattm]

It really doesn’t matter if you are talking about a department store, a shoe store, or a restaurant, if the people that are talking to your customers are trained sales people they will increase your profit!

I am starting this thread because I believe this is the number one way restaurants can improve their bottom line. This is a large topic and I will continue to add to this thread over the next month or so. But, it would be great to have some input from restaurant owners/operators that have practical experience.

The first thing to teach your wait staff is that they are sales people. Not cheesy used car sales people, but they are sales people and they affect the survival of your business.

More and more, the tendency of your customers is to look down the menu and find the items that are the cheapest and decide between them. This can hurt in two ways; first, the customer will be spending less and second they may not be getting the meal that will make them want to come again soon. A good waiter knows the items that make good money for the restaurant and bring customers back.

To break the customer’s habit of just looking at the price a good waiter will engage the customer in a conversation that makes them stop and think. Just asking customers if they have any questions about the menu doesn’t make them think. Asking questions about how adventurous they are, or what their favorite spices are makes a customer stop and think about the meal. Once the customer is thinking about how good the meal can be instead of how cheap it can be your waiter is able to discuss the items that would appeal most to each customer.

I know that a many of your waiters/waitresses think of sales in a negative way. But, I guarantee you that your customers will go away happier if they choose the meal that is best for them instead of the cheapest meal. And, the customer will feel that the waiter really cared about them so they will be back. And, they will probably leave a larger tip.