What customers really want: key factors for choosing a restaurant

How do people tell the difference between great and substandard restaurants? Is this restaurant good enough to attract and hook customers? These are some of the most fundamental questions every restaurant owner should have in their minds.

Generally speaking, dining out is a great way to chill out, break the monotony and enjoy a sumptuous meal in a great environment. While this is what the majority of consumers look for when they opt to eat away from home, it’s not what they always get.

Well, 4 star restaurants exist, but unfortunately, they are few and far between. The more the customers enjoy their dining experience, the more advantageous it is for the restaurant. Here are some pointers to a great restaurant experience.

Offering first-rate services is the only sure way of maintaining customer satisfaction. Guests want to feel welcome as individuals, not as a group. Sadly many dinner places don’t offer personalized services and this squeezes the life out of them briskly.

Making a real and sincere contact with customers is a great starting point. They want to have a human experience in your facility. Start by giving them a hearty greeting as you maintain eye contact.

To personalize their experience:

It’s easy to have a good restaurant and still fail to attract many customers. People are always concerned about whether the eatery they choose is located in a secure place. Moreover, restaurants that are near tourist attraction areas are likely to attract more consumers.  Before opening an eatery, think about whether it’s convenient for both the visitors and the local people.

People love catchy things. A well thought out interior design with unique and outstanding features, therefore, gives an upper-hand over the restaurants  competitors. This can be enhanced by using well-combined wall colors and eye-catching authentic paintings. It creates an incredibly beautiful ambiance that will remain etched on the customers mind.

Customers want that extra reason to bring them back for more. Why? Selecting a new restaurant every time is not only irksome and boring but also time wasting. Any restaurant that gives good service and good food but remains too analogous to all the others barely stands out. 

Why not give a unique touch of that distinct edge that is exclusive to your restaurant?  Good lunch places have one or two features that make them different from others. 

Attaining perfect lighting can be a challenging balance to strike because people have varying tastes for color. However, investing in professional and striking lighting never disappoints. Additionally, Background music should be barely noticeable and tables spaced far enough not to overhear the conversations around you. 

Nevertheless, people preferences vary from one person to another.  And of course, it depends on whether the restaurant targets the youth or the elderly.

A neat, tidy and comfortable restroom is absolutely non-negotiable as far as clients are concerned. More so, people use the restrooms to determine whether a restaurant particular is worth their money or not. Great restaurants go beyond cleanliness. To get more (both new and returning) clients, food restaurants must be clean.

Customers are likely to return to a restaurant that offers a broad variety of delicacies to choose from. No person will choose restaurant if they feel that it limits them to taking certain type of foods only. So, checking the menu is among the first thing visitors to a restaurant consider. Before opening a restaurant, make sure you improve the menu first.

All restaurants should price their food and services reasonably. People pay for the overall experience, not just the food. That is why prices vary depending on the restaurant and the services offered. While people want to go to affordable restaurants, they also want to get exactly what they pay for.

Customers will not complain when they feel that they are getting value for their money, and a reputable restaurant will go all-out to strike a balance with their prices.

High quality and tasty food is the magnet that attracts and keeps customers coming back for more. It’s also the major ingredient in attracting new customers and keeping the old ones at the same time.  For that reason, best restaurants invest in employing competent and well-experienced chefs.  Consider the quality of meals before resolving to eat out. Also, restaurant owners should always focus on the quality of foods before considering other factors.

Regardless of whether people want to order to go food, or to eat in the restaurant, promptness is crucial. Has this happened to you? You’re out for a meal with a group, everyone gets their food except for one person and they have to wait for thirty minutes? That’s an awfully bad experience. It does not happen in good restaurants. People look for places with swift and well-organized waiters and waitresses.

Perfect timing is a key component to winning customer’s souls. Delivery of meals in between courses should be well-spaced and consistent with enough time for conversation and appetite-whetting. Consumers can tell whether a restaurant is well run by looking at how the servers do their job.

People are so busy these days, which means sitting around after the meal just because there is a long queue at the point of payment, is the last thing they want. So, how fast a restaurant processes payments may seem like a minor issue but for busy consumers, it a critical factor to ignore. Prompt payment is critical for the success of every business.

Finding restaurants that are full to the brim while others remain empty night after night is not a new thing. Most people look for popular brands because they know deep down that all those people flocking there cannot be wrong. It all boils down to the quality of hospitality and definitely, the customer experience. If you are looking for a fine place to dine for a special occasion, be sure to do your research. Reading customer reviews and restaurant ratings come in handy to make the best choice yet!

You should also read: ''Enhancing the dining experience: key restaurant features''