Did you know that approximately 14 percent of your customers will not return to your business due to food quality and 68 percent due to service quality? So doesn’t it make sense to train your waiters and waitresses to provide superior service to win back your customers every time?

To gain a competitive advantage today, you have to do a lot more to get your restaurant on the “favorites” list. One way is through the personalization of the service for each type of customer that comes to your business. For example, the sales and service techniques employed for a family with children are different from those that would be delivered to older customers. The same is true for business clients versus tourists. It’s never safe to think that your restaurant’s wait staff will inherently understand these differences. Unless they are trained, they are more likely to offer a one-size-fits-all service.

Teach your waiters and waitresses to be observant and use the following tips to help assess your customers’ needs:

• Time limitation (pausedly or restricted in time)

• Mood (holiday, romantic, stressed)

•Age group (children, adolescents, baby boomers, seniors, geriatrics)

• Purpose of your visit (social, private/intimate or business)

• Gender Male Female)

Since approximately 80 percent of communication is conveyed through facial gestures and verbal and nonverbal body language, as opposed to actual words, teach your service team to focus on the following areas:

•Verbal language (tone of voice, speed, inflection, speech, pronunciation and grammar)

•Body Language (eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and movement)

Look for telltale signs of a customer who is in a hurry, such as looking at his watch, looking around or making a rubber band gesture, speaking rapidly, crossing his arms, or drumming his fingers. Also, take a close look at the image of your customers (for example, clothing, accessories, hair, makeup, etc.). This can also provide you with a lot of clues about your dining needs.

Here’s an exercise to share with your service team. It lists various types of customers and ways to customize the service for each category of customer. During a pre-shift meeting or company training session, review this exercise with your restaurant service staff.

Types of customers and service suggestions:

1. Celebrating

-Since celebrating customers often have larger budgets, suggest higher-priced items along with holiday-inspired food/drinks and a cake to recognize the occasion.

-Congratulate the celebrating client and focus on your main event

– Be sociable unless serving a couple who want privacy.

2. Elderly

-Since many older customers are on limited income, steer them toward value-oriented foods and recommend light, bland, and less spicy foods.

-Be patient and speak slowly, project your voice and listen carefully

-Refrain from acts that can be interpreted as condescending or treat them as children

3. Family (with children)

-Offer high chairs and booster seats

-Be ready to make kid-favorite suggestions and easy-to-eat snacks

-Offer something to occupy the child’s attention (game books, pencils, cookies)

-Be patient while the family orders and give the children the opportunity to place their order themselves

-Sincerely congratulate the client on their children.

-Ask the child child-friendly questions

-Place drinks where they are least likely to spill and remove obstacles (eg, vases and centerpieces)

-Quickly clean up spills and keep area tidy

-Hand out extra napkins

4. Romantic couple

– Lead the couple to a booth or secluded area for privacy when seated.

-Suggest higher-priced items along with wines, champagnes, and exotic desserts, since romantic couples and people on first dates often have larger budgets.

-To deliver a highly organized and efficient service.

-Minimize their conversation and allow them privacy, without hovering over them

5.Business

-Suggest higher priced items as many business people have business accounts and assign allowances

-Suggest items that are prepared quickly and inform them if their selected order requires a long preparation, if they are at a business lunch.

-Provide a highly organized and efficient service and ensure your order is delivered promptly

-Minimize their conversation and allow them privacy without hovering over them

Please note: When serving alcohol, train your staff to watch for signs of intoxication and avoid overselling alcohol. Teach your staff to refuse the sale of alcohol to minors.

Other types of patrons include patrons dining alone (the solo patron), patrons with disabilities, teen patrons, patrons in a hurry, first-time patrons, and patrons dining in large groups/gatherings. Again, each different type of customer has “specific” service needs. In addition to recognizing the category to which customers fall, the service suggestions above are recommendations and are not set in stone. Always be sure to fully assess each diner customer by closely watching their verbal and body language to determine how to positively interact with them. Mike Owens, general manager of Brick Oven LLC, located in Topeka, Kansas, says, “Using the above examples in role-play scenarios is a very effective method of properly training your service teams…it helps them fully understand the importance of tailoring your service rather than offering the same canned service to everyone.”

“Service” is not just about bringing food and drinks to the table, it is about giving the customer much more than they expect. Implementing a strong training program that focuses on service personalization will set you apart from your competitors. Exceeding each client’s needs with personalized service requires a little extra time. However, it is worth the effort. When the customer wins, everyone wins and it’s a triple game: more money for you, more tips for your service staff, and satisfied customers who become loyal customers and refer their friends to your business.