6 Ways to Earn the Trust of Your Restaurant Diners

FoodFindsAsia | 6 Ways to Earn the Trust of Your Restaurant Diners | Starting a restaurant business and having it grow and thrive for several years is an incredible feat. According to statistics provided by CNBC, as many as 80% of all restaurants fail before their fifth anniversary. While location is often cited as a top reason for a restaurant’s success, there are many other factors that play into this—and one of the most important is diners’ trust and loyalty.

If you run a small or medium-sized restaurant, you’ll know that earning the trust of your diners takes effort and dedication. Unlike large restaurant chains, you can’t afford national ad campaigns like those that run on TV and radio commercials. Much of the time, you rely on happy customers to put in a good word for you to their friends and family. Nowadays, you’ll also find yourself hoping for good online reviews on platforms like social media to drive up your sales, given just how many people decide which business to support through its reviews.  

To help your restaurant gain the long-term trust and satisfaction of your diners, here are a few approaches you can consider:

1) Make Customer and Staff Safety a Priority

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the point home about how important sanitation and hygiene are in restaurants. In general, diners want to know that they can enjoy a delicious meal without compromising their health. To earn their trust, you should be able to demonstrate that you prioritize customer and staff safety.

In terms of hygiene and sanitation, make regular disinfection part of your standard operating procedure. Even if many consider the COVID-19 pandemic to have passed, so to speak, there are still harmful microorganisms around that can make people sick. Maintain impeccable hygiene standards in your restaurant, especially in the kitchen, bathrooms, and dining areas.

For you to successfully execute your sanitation procedures, train your staff to fully understand and follow these safety protocols diligently. It may be worth it to invest in staff training programs that can impart them with advanced knowledge on this matter. 

In addition, let your customers know about the health and safety standards you observe in your restaurant by posting about the subject on your official social media pages and websites. You may even utilize your restaurant’s signage to let everyone know that you maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

2) Invest in Contactless and Pay-at-the-Table Solutions

Credit card fraud is one of the most serious causes of trust issues in restaurants. Customers may fear dishonest servers handing them their bills and using unauthorized skimming devices to gather sensitive information from their cards’ magnetic stripes. You can ease customers’ worries and prevent the issue altogether by using a pay-at-the-table solution like a wireless credit card terminal.

Restaurants in the Philippines can consider getting a Maya Terminal or Maya Terminal Lite. Either can serve as an all-in-one credit card machine and portable payment terminal for cashless payments. Developed by Maya Business, one of the leading financial technology or fintech solutions providers in the country, the Maya Terminal is more than a simple debit and credit card swipe machine. The units are also designed to accept digital wallet payments, such as those made through Maya e-wallets and QR code payments via QR Ph. 

Thanks to these card machines’ easy integration with existing point-of-sale systems, there’s no need to make duplicate entries on cash registers. Customers can also watch their payments being processed, which will enhance their faith in the honesty and integrity of your restaurant personnel. 

3) Consider Updating Your Kitchen Display System (KDS)

The heart of any restaurant is its kitchen, and a modernized kitchen display system (KDS) can significantly drive up customer satisfaction by improving kitchen and front of house operations. 

In terms of efficiency, a reliable KDS will help you ensure that your customers’ orders are prepared quickly and accurately, which in turn will lead to faster service. Moreover, the enhanced communication between the kitchen and the front of the house staff will reduce confusion and errors when it comes to your customers’ orders. In the end, when their dishes are served promptly and correctly, your diners will leave with a positive impression of your restaurant and trust in their next experience at your establishment. 

4) Utilize Social Media for Effective Communication

Social media is a powerful tool for building trust and connecting with your audience. Encourage your customers to like and subscribe to your official accounts, and from there, share engaging and visually appealing content on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Some examples of content you can post on social media are your menu items, behind-the-scenes moments, and customer stories. These can also double as marketing tools for promoting special events and menu updates.

Your official social media pages can also be used as venues for customers to communicate their thoughts about your restaurant. To make them feel valued and heard, respond promptly to their comments and messages. 

5) Conduct Regular Employee Training

Well-trained staff can make or break a diner’s experience. Knowing that, make an effort to regularly conduct employee training and sharpen your service.

Your staff should possess in-depth knowledge of your menu, and they should also be able to provide recommendations and answer diners’ questions confidently. That ensures that customers’ orders are fulfilled and that each dish meets their expectations.

Also encourage your staff to be attentive, friendly, and responsive to diners’ needs. Invest in training to improve their problem-solving skills so that they can handle difficult situations gracefully and renew customers’ trust in your brand despite inevitable mistakes.

6) Encourage All Types of Feedback

In general, feedback is a gift that can help you improve your standing with your diners. As such, provide multiple channels for diners to share their thoughts, such as comment cards, online surveys, and social media links.

Whether your restaurant receives positive or negative feedback, pay attention to it and take it seriously. It’s important to acknowledge both positive and negative comments to assure diners of your honesty and genuine commitment to excellence. 

When trust is the foundation of your restaurant, you’ll find diners returning not just for the food, but for the exceptional experience you provide. Implement the strategies listed above, and watch your restaurant cement its place in the ever-competitive dining industry.