Forms of Address

Greeting guests the right way as they arrive at your restaurant is no small detail. It's their first impression of what their dining experience will be like, and we all know how important first impressions are.

One of the biggest challenges of running a restaurant is making it stand out from the crowd. Having good food is no longer enough, you need to orchestrate excellent overall service for your guests and give them a memorable experience.

Restaurants spend hours of effort to train their servers to provide impeccable service, yet they forget that good customer service begins as soon the guest enters the door.

A good greeting also helps guests feel more welcome and at ease at your restaurant. A polite “Hi, how are you doing today?” instead of the usual “How many?” can make a world of difference, especially if it’s their first time. 

You can see images with useful phrases for different restaurant situations:

Making a reservation/ Being seated at the restaurant /Ordering meals /Dealing with problems/ Asking about the menu/ Getting the bill

Let's translate them into Ukrainian.

12 tips for greeting guests the right way

• Don’t make them wait. Try to attend to the guest within 30 seconds of their arrival, or four rings if they're on the phone.

• Be polite. This goes without saying, be kind and sincere and greet them with a smile. Make sure to use a soft tone, half of the message is in the tone.

• Focus on the guest. Don’t be distracted by other things while greeting them, make sure they have your undivided attention so that they feel important.

• Don’t assume the party size. Even if only 2 guests have walked in, ask them what table size they are looking for. Especially if it’s a single guest, asking “Just one?” might make them feel insecure or uncomfortable. 

• Avoid negative language. Instead of saying 'Unfortunately, I don't have any available table right now,' say 'I can have a table available in 30 minutes. Would that be ok?'

• Don’t use the same greeting every time. Following scripts can be helpful but can sound robotic. Make sure to use a few different greetings and add a personalized touch whenever possible. 

• Personalize your greeting. Refer to your CRM system to keep track of your regular guests so that you can acknowledge them with their names and welcome them back to the restaurant. This will make diners feel special and improve their experience.

• Commenting on a guest’s outfit, jewelry, hairstyle, or some genuine compliment lets the guest know you are truly glad they are here. But be careful to not make it too personal.

• Don’t use their first names. Always stick to using a guest’s title + surname to refer to them instead of their first name, as this creates a more formal conversation. 

• Use appropriate language. The tone of your greeting is dependent on the restaurant style. The more sophisticated the restaurant, the more formal your greeting should be. However, it should never be too informal or chatty.

• Find the balance between efficiency and warmth. Even during busy shifts when you may not have free time, make sure to take a minute to give guests a warm welcome instead of just saying “Table for two?” and taking away from their entire dining experience. 

• Say goodbye. Finishing the guest’s journey on the right note is equally as important as the initial greeting. Don’t disappear once the cheque is cleared, make sure to acknowledge them with a polite goodbye as they leave.

Before Leaving The Table

• At this stage the hostess or host or greeter should leave the table at this stage and return to the reception desk to welcome and continue seating procedure for other guests.

• Server may be busy in other table. Before leaving the table host or greeter should let the guest know that server has been, informed and will come very shortly.

• A very good gesture from a server should be come to the table and say “I am very sorry Sir, We are very busy at the moment.I will be with you in XYZ (required waiting time).

• Prior to leaving the table, wish the guest (by name).

• At this stage, a service staff like waiter or server will take over the table to complete next steps.

• Be friendly but very polite and courteous all the time.

• Always speak with a clear and confident tone.

• Keep smiling throughout so that guest feel comfortable.

• Guest with reservation should always be given more preference than walk-in guests.