smc Pam Simos (above), keynote speaker and founder of Five Star Training, says training your team to adopt effective communication skills will add to your guests’ overall experience.

When dining out, how often have you heard restaurant employees say things like:  
“That’s how you ordered it.” “You arrived at 6:00, and I told you the wait was going to be 45 minutes.” “No, I can’t replace your meal – you ate most of it.”   

How did it make you feel? You probably haven’t been back to those restaurants and likely discouraged friends and family from going. Perhaps you wrote a letter to the manager or owner alerting them of this poor service. Maybe you reflected on your own operation and wondered if such poor communication has happened on your watch.

From a foodservice operations perspective, training your team to adopt effective communication skills will add to your guests’ overall experience. While you train your staff how to sell menu items, set up and maintain equipment, operate the computer system and practice safety and sanitation procedures, you often forget to teach them how to communicate effectively.

Make No Assumptions
Don’t assume that your staff knows how to speak properly to your guests. Most people – particularly those without foodservice training – are unaware and must be trained.

Your guests will judge your operation by the degree of “care” that is conveyed in the words and the messages your team members send.

Choosing the right words and positively conveying messages can make the difference between repeat business and a one-time stop at your establishment.
    When training your staff to communicate effectively, teach them to:
•    Speak with an upbeat, well-modulated voice that conveys energy.
•    Use positive gestures and open body language.
•    Maintain effective eye contact.
•    Use animated facial expressions.   

Use team words that build partnerships such as everyone, we, together, our, let’s/let us. Avoid using the word “you” in a scolding or blaming fashion, which places the receiver in a defensive position.  

Case in Point
To illustrate this point, recently, my sister and I visited a nearby Italian restaurant that my neighbor recommended. We were seated promptly by a friendly, upbeat hostess – the beginning of what we thought would be a pleasant evening. When the server arrived, we ordered a pizza with extra sauce and light cheese.

When the pizza arrived, it had light sauce and extra cheese—the complete opposite of our request. When we realized the mistake, we mentioned it to the server in a very diplomatic way. She placed her hands on her hips, rolled her eyes, and replied in a tense voice, “You didn’t tell me you wanted extra sauce.” We were confident that we had ordered the pizza correctly but even if we were mistaken, we certainly could have done without the scolding. We maintained our composure and just ate it since we were on a tight time schedule.

The entire situation could have been handled more professionally if the server had said:  “I’m sorry for our mistake. Why don’t you go ahead and start nibbling on this one, so you will have something to munch on … in the meantime, we will remake the pizza for you.”

There are many operations that are on track with training staff how to communicate effectively and courteously with guests. Louis Pappas, president of Louis Pappas Market Café, headquartered in Tarpon Springs, Fla., says, “We teach our team to take the time to think before they speak. A little more effort on their part in choosing the right words creates a caring culture in our restaurant that encourages guest loyalty.”

Say it Another Way
Rephrasing sentences and rewording thoughts to convey a positive message to your guests may take seconds longer, but the outcome is well worth it. As a result, you will stimulate repeat business, encourage positive word-of-mouth advertising and add more money to your bottom line. Consider the following examples:
•    Instead of: “We ran out of…” Try: “We sold out of…” “Ran out” conveys lack of preparation, while “sold out” suggests your item was popular.
•    Instead of: “I don’t know.” Try: “That is a great question, I will ask my owner/manager/co-worker and let you know.” The majority of the time, someone will know the answer.
•    Instead of: “Your credit card is bad.” Try: “I am sorry, we are having some trouble getting authorization on your credit card – do you have another form of payment? We accept …”
•    Instead of: “No.” Try: “I’m sorry, we don’t have ABC on the menu, but the XYZ has a very similar taste/is very popular tonight." Don’t focus on what you don’t have or what you can’t do, turn it around and tell your guests what you do have or can do for them.
•    Instead of: “You forgot to sign.” Try: “Mr. Doe, would you please provide me with your signature?”
•    Instead of: “You need to show me your I.D.” Try: “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, would you mind showing me your I.D.?”
•    Instead of: “I don’t know, I’m new.” Try: “I want to help you, but I’m pretty new here. I will check with an associate who knows the answer and get back to you right away.”

Pam Simos, keynote speaker and founder of Five Star Training, has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Her company specializes in reducing costs and driving profits through training. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , call 800-385-7827 or visit www.five-startraining.com.