Business plan

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to provide a business plan for marketing purpose in order to outline how Bistecca Restaurant can attain an improved customer service. It shows the importance of training the Restaurant’s staff in good customer service so that the firm can improve on its sales and overall profits, and become competitive in the industry.

Bistecca Restaurant customer service

The environment of Bistecca Restaurant is quite remarkable although the restaurant lacks the best customer cares service that should be provided to its client. The firm does not provide the best atmosphere that will make the clients to feel comfortable and appreciated and this is a factor that makes the restaurant not to perform at its maximum level in terms of sales and profit making. If the restaurant can provide thorough customer service, it will be able to capture many of the customers in the area and thus have a competitive advantage over its rival businesses. Though the restaurant manages to an extent make the customer feel appreciated there are areas that are wanting and should be improved. Due to weather pattern that are harsh especially at night the clients arrive late at their lodging, when markets and most restaurants are closed. They thus need the services of the Bistecca Restaurant but are not given the best treatments in terms of communication and available products. Some of the staff including the waiters lack good communication skill seen their looking down and appearing disinterested while speaking to clients while at times no introduction is made. In addition, some staff members use robotic and rushed gestures, which may seem effective but in essence they appear discourteous and can easily dismiss any welcoming feeling. Whenever there lacks a feeling of appreciation and welcoming, the clients feel uncomfortable and start questioning their choice for the hotel. They end up being uninterested in spending more money and coming back to the restaurants, which makes it impossible for them to refer other customers.

Though the restaurant staffs are punctual in serving customers meals and drinks, many a times they are made to wait for long. Though the meals are good the clients are already hungry irritated by the time they are served. The bartenders are sometimes not enough to serve the clients on time and those present fail to inform the clients early enough in case their meal takes longer to prepare and cook. Some of these customers end up being disappointed and this makes it very difficult to win them back. 

Even where there is adequate communication with the customers, there lacks a good mechanism or system of dealing with customer complaints. Though it’s hard to avoid things goes a miss times , there lacks the understanding  among some of the restaurants staff fail to understand that no matter how hard it becomes , the goal is please the clients and make them feel comfortable. They seems to lack the knowledge that working out solutions immediately and having not to waiting to managers results to clients anger and frustration. Most of these problems are caused by failing to avail enough information to the clients in the menu, failure to frequently use comment cards for customers which would show them that their opinions are valued. The customer complaints also arise from failure by staff to possess the information about all the meals or drinks available at specific points. Thus when the clients such bartenders, they end up getting into arguments or leave out of disappointment. This makes it hard for the staff to market the restaurant as a good brand upon which the customers can rely and better than other restaurants from the locality. The staff while trying to market the restaurant and its products fail to understand the need to pay keen attention to the customers’ needs who mostly want to be pampered and made feel important.  Though the sales are relatively high, absence of strong personal touch with the clients makes it hard for the restaurant to utilize it market potential and thus obtain high sales and profitability. Servers who can manage to obtain the highest sales are those who will maintain a good personal touch with clients through understanding their needs, products available and the best way to offer the service.

Recommendations

This report is meant for the management of Bistecca Restaurant on whom all the responsibility for the business rests. They wait staff should be trained to attain great communication skills so that they can attentively listen to the customers , and to seem interested in whatever the clients have to put across. The training on communication should extend to accommodation of customers’ requests the best way possible. Appearing detached or distracted amounts to poor customer service and will finally be rewarded as such (Vanhamme, 2016). Of more importance is the need of learning how to use the power of understanding as a key strategy of the business and more specifically for service delivery. To do this will involve recognition of ways to make the customers feel welcome. By use of eye contact and sincere words at the various points of contact, emotional responses that are positive will be generated and customers will instantly feel comfortable.  The introduction part is very important specifically by use of name, since it gives welcome by itself, and makes the guest feel relaxed and comfortable. There should also be constant devising of ways to make customer welcome before their arrivals, which is possible through team work between the servers, general staff and the restaurant management (Hayward, 2000).

In order to serve them better, the restaurant has to make the customers feel that their opinions are valid, they should ensure that comment cards or customer notes are used. Being given an opportunity to leave comment on the services offered makes the customers feel that they are cared for. The comments can provide information on where the restaurant is supposed to improve on foods, drinks and the overall services and exactly where the services offered are excelling. Use of polite language and showing the willingness to provide solutions to customers’ complaints will make the customers feel that their services are worth the payments and this will improve on sales (Vanhamme, 2016).

Conclusion

If Bistecca Restaurant want to achieve maximum sales and thus profitability, it has to come up with ways of challenging the industry norms through good customer service. It has to result to creative application of welcoming power an aspect that has the potential to make customers coming back and making referrals. Customer service has to be at the highest notch for the firm to be the leader locally.

References

 Vanhamme, J. (2016).Memorable Customer Experiences: A Research Anthology .CRC Press.183-185

Hayward, P. A. (2000). Leisure and tourism: Compulsory units. Oxford: Heinemann.123-125