If I were a restaurateur, my answer may be a little more complex, but as it stands I am not; so I think my best, most genuine advice would come from my perspective as a consumer.
Here's a list of my top complaints based on actual events:
- Grimy bathrooms...yuck. If I'm at your restaurant, and your bathroom is gross, I am going to go out on a limb here and assume your kitchen is 10 times grosser. I expect gas stations to have dirty bathrooms, not restaurants.
- Noise...no big deal, right? But please, don't seat my wife and me next to a 16-year old's surprise birthday party when there are perfectly good (quieter) seats elsewhere in the restaurant.
- Unappetizing food...A good rule of thumb, if it doesn't look good to you, it probably won't look good to me either. If it's overcooked or undercooked, your customer doesn't want it. And they sure as heck don't want to have to tell you they don't want it! This makes you look like an amateur.
- Slow, inattentive wait staff...with unemployment at an all time high, I am sure there has to be someone out there that needs a job and has the hustle and attention necessary to be a skilled server. Industry experience means nothing without delivery as we all know.
Listen to your customers, feel their pain, address their grievances. And most importantly, be consistent...ly good.
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