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Articles
Training Your Customers?
September 1, 2007
Originally published in the QSR Side Order Newsletter
You see it everywhere - a Chipotle regular ‘training' a newbie on how to order; customers showing others how to use the new self-service kiosk you just added; a Which Wich? customer showing someone how to fill out the bag to order; in line as customers talk about the new shake or LTO ‘you have to try' and so on. Customers training customers.
Unfortunately, many restaurant managers and owners don't ‘train the people that train the people' - employees or customers. If you don't have quality trainers and managers, you cannot have quality training. Those who train do so in the manner they were trained. Therefore, train both the employees and the customers.
Customers are your marketing weapon spreading good will not only for free, they pay you do so! Training them (and making suggestions to them) on deals or unique items will provide them the tools they need to help market your business and train other customers.
Therefore, train your regulars to become better trainers - they'll bring in new business and better train those around them. If they do not know about LTO's, signature items or meal deals, chances are, they cannot spread the word to others. Yes, your regulars want ‘the usual'. However, if you just added shakes, desserts or other items, drop them a free sample - it will be paid back tenfold. Spread the ‘gospel' and let your disciples go forth and spread the word.
This approach leverages your time and effort. A small amount of training can provide huge results. We're all too crunched for time and looking for ways to connect to the masses. Enlist those already dining here today to help your efforts to recruit more customers by training them!