It is highly likely that there is a reason why we often hear about “the art of hospitality”. As it goes without saying, this should apply to any kind of dining venue open to the public, from the humblest to the most lavish, from the small bar to the large hotel, including pizzerias and restaurants. In short, any place where you can think about the idea of a guest. Right from a semantic point of view, the first difference that immediately jumps out at you is precisely that between “guest” and “customer”. It is most definitely obvious that welcoming people to a suburban bar or to a five-star luxury hotel might sound like a different profession, but actually, both the merchant who works pretty much alone and the employee of a large organization should have a very simple concept in mind. We are talking about the heart of what should be basic training for those who every day relate to people and their expectations – that vary according to the quality they imagine – but that is also absolutely strategic for achieving the ultimate goal: to make those who enter “my house” feel good. Guest then, even before being a customer, with the understanding, of course, that no one questions the economic value of the relationship that is created. We are well aware that this is not an easy time for the restaurant world in general; after emerging (hopefully) from the pandemic, we immediately entered an extremely complicated situation in which a severe shortage of staff overlap with a worrisome increase in operating costs.
Going specifically into our topic, however, which is the dining room and its rules, it is worth remarking that a crucial step in the success of the guest experience is already taken at the entrance. This is related to the way the welcoming is perceived. It only takes a moment to start off on the right foot. Or on the wrong one.
First impact: the power of a smile
Nothing can be at once more inviting (or more disarming) than a beautiful smile. Those who arrive at a restaurant expect to be welcomed in the best possible way. Even in a hectic time, during the busiest hour, when the guest will perhaps be forced to wait his turn, he must feel taken care for. It must be said that not finding a proper welcome is just as important for the starred restaurant as it is for the pizzeria or trattoria; moreover, although it may appear (and perhaps even is) more serious in the former case, the result is always the bad mood of the person who starts the evening this way. It is therefore crucial to assign the right people to stand at the entrance and to make sure to properly train them, without assuming that all employees are equally predisposed.
Professionality
It is a macro-rule that in fact encompasses all the others, a concept that is by no means easy to define because it combines technical and experience aspects. First of all, a professional attitude implies knowledge of the basic rules of a dining room management (they should be taken for granted, but often are not); these in turn are linked to a combination of essential technical skills and on-the-job learning, which is affected by those characteristics that each operator makes his or her own over time. It is then about making those who sit at the table comfortable, getting into your own part just as in a play. Of course, it is not easy to 'leave out' all the problems and troubles of everyday life, but dining room management requires calmness, since stress can be transmitted irremediably, compromising the success of the experience.
Cleaning
A clean environment is in itself an early indicator that the same can be expected behind the scenes, that is, in the kitchen. So is the bathroom, another indicator of the care with which a venue is run. And then there are the people: in fact, too many times we witness sloppiness on the part of the people in charge. This does not at all mean that the service personnel should show up plastered, even in suit and tie, because it is much better to dress informally and cleanly than to show up with slapped shirtsleeves, dirty shoes, unkempt nails, and stains here and there on clothes. Another issue involves jewelry, bracelets, rings: here the matter becomes more subjective and has to do with the mood of the venue. It's not so much a question of cleanliness in a hygienic sense (for the dining room, because in the kitchen, trinkets should not be allowed), but in an aesthetic sense.
Attention to details
Once again, it doesn't matter what kind of venue it is because details can make the difference. First thing, the menu should be properly written, without the blunders that unfortunately often happen to be found. It is not that complicated to do a check. The same thing applies to the beverage list, whether it is wine or beer, in which too many times there are obvious mistakes. They may seem like minor details, but actually these too are useful for understanding the amount of effort invested by those who manage the dynamics of the dining room. Other kinds of details have to do with aspects related to consistency among type of venue, prices, and features such as furniture, table linens, furnishings, glassware, and so on. For example, it is difficult to accept a patched-up menu in a venue that wants to be considered high-level.
Listen before talking
You never know who the people sitting at the table are; therefore, those in charge of service must put aside the belief that they are always better prepared than their interlocutor. In fact, very often you hear reciting a litany full of inaccurate if not downright wrong details, whether in narrating a dish or explaining a wine. It is therefore always good to get an idea of who you have in front of you, so that you do not commit any blunders that could make the conversation ridiculous. Similarly, arrogance in front of a guest is always and in any case a mistake, especially if it is the guest himself who is being arrogant. It is better to put on a good face and pretend nothing is wrong, especially when dealing with someone who is convinced that they are right no matter what. In fact, it might even happen that a customer might complain about a screw-top bottle because of the corky smell. Likewise, it is best not to intrude into a discussion, except if requested by the guest, whose privacy is always unquestionable.
