Meet, greet and seat guests

The greeting ad seating of guests is one of the main gestures to differentiate fine dining from casual dining. I have learnt that it is crucial to make the customers feel welcomed from the very beginning of their journey. Taking the coats (and remembering who they belong to), seating the guests and breaking the napkins for each of them will make their experience personalised. A brief introduction of the service and some personalised discourse will make the guests feel special. At Gleneagles I was told that using the surname of the guests (or even their forename in case they suggest) will make the guest feel like they are being appreciated as a person and are being remembered.

The first impression is a lot more important than many think. It is necessary to impress the guests directly when they arrive and start the series of “WOW experiences”. When this is achieved, the customers’ attitude will be positive and they will be likelier to overlook minor errors (if relevant) in the future.