Predicative analysis and emotional intelligence are becoming the new buzz words in using technology and people to attract and retain customers to improve their service experience. In consumer product industries and financial services these principle are apply over a longer period of time and results can be accumulated, analyzed and better decision made to retain customers because you get to know them better from their purchasing behavior. This information can then be used to offer more products and service when, where and how to increase purchases. In other words to cross sell, up sell or re sell.
In Food Service and in particular Restaurants it happen in an instant when the customer makes the first contact and walks in the door there is not much time to predict anything and the churn in customer returning is low because there is so much competition to choose from, it makes the moment so very important that everything they see, hear and touch, smell and eat makes up for six months in other consumer product categories. Our predictive analysis is very simple like the chef observing what's left on the plate returning to sanitation, the ability for your employees to read facial expression, body language and applied the appropriate service treatment. Give more or less attention. Do your customers walk in as a stranger and leaves as a friend, are your employees have answers to all their service request. These are just some clues you are meeting their expectations and their intent to return.
Restaurant is so labor intensive, what other industry takes raw ingredient and turn into a finish product from an order you just received from a customer waiting at a table in your dining room or bar to consume. It's instant gratification or deflated expectation. No shelf life, no recall notice, before it gets in the stomach and the brain is delighted. It game, set, match point all wrapped in one. The customer can walk in at anytime feeling hungry and expect to be served like they were expected and just in time to get back to the office for a meeting. There is no algorithm to predict that behavior and only a robot without emotion can do.
However, it is based on this unpredictive behavior that restaurant thrive on. To make the impossible happens. It's your employees who must have a thick smooth skin to be calm and make it happen. That where emotional intelligence comes in to play to decipher whether the couple who just got seated in your station is on a first date, a business meeting or celebrating an anniversary. Another example is, can they will hold their emotions in check when a party of eight left insufficient tip or none at all and it does not affect their simile and service at the next table. That's where screening the right candidates must be chosen for orientation and continuous training. It will give them the confidence to deliver the service experience you expect and expose their other great qualities such as resiliency and self motivation. And they know how to pay attention to their customers and not be distracted by the small talk that often occurs during service with other employees and even worse leaves the floor to use personal devices.
Manager's leadership style must be adaptive to the life cycle stage of the business and employees personas. He or she must be able to choose a style of leadership that matches the present situation from Pacesetting, Coaching, Team building, Visionary to Command and Control. Although he or she may have a dominant style, if the manager cannot adjust, then, his shelf life as a leader, will be dated on completion of the stage in the life cycle of the business where his style is most suited and for which he or she were hired.. To say it differently his usefulness will be limited to his style. Today's business environment being a well rounded leader is invaluable to the sustainability and success of any business especially restaurants.