During weekends, one of the biggest agenda for me is to decide where to eat and what to eat. This weekend also a decision is made to try out newly opened fine dining restaurant. As we reached, it turned out to be that restaurant was full. It was not only full but waiting period was of 45 minutes. The person in charge standing outside informed us about waiting time and asked us to come and try after that.
Well, we decided to whack our brains again and decided to check out another eating place in nearby market. After reaching, we saw lot of people waiting outside this restaurant too. As we approached the gate, people were sitting outside on chairs waiting for their turn and waiting time was 30 minutes. Manager asked us to sit outside and wait. After few minutes, while we were still waiting, we were given lemonade and that too complimentary.
I was impressed by second restaurant as they made me feel special while I was waiting to get in. This got me thinking on how their gesture of treating their prospective customers goes a long way in earning a customer. While the first restaurant was a fine dining restaurant situated in a mall and their target customer is upper middle class but their treatment to their prospective customers was pretty ordinary.
In this age of cut throat competition, it is not enough to give special treatment to existing customers but it is also important how prospective customer is treated.
After all everybody wants to feel special.What say?
by A journey called Life , on July 28, 2009 12:10 PM
absolutely.. just basic curtesy and the second restaurant has earned a prospective customer and free word of mouth publicity as well..
i hope the dining experience was as good as the welcome
by Whats In A Name , on July 28, 2009 5:30 PM
100 percent agree with this!!!!
I feel that more than the food its the ambiance and the service which one enjoys in a hotel!!
by Sid 'Ravan' Kabe , on July 28, 2009 7:29 PM
Wow...you got free lemonade...i sat for 1/2 hour outside the famous 'vaishali' in Pune and did not get anything. The chai-wala next to the shop served better tea than them...and cheaper too...:D
by Dhiman , on July 28, 2009 8:12 PM
I must say the 2nd restaurant was unique in its way to handle a prospective customers as most restaurants behave like the first one...
by le embrouille blogueur , on July 28, 2009 8:54 PM
Agreed ... but you also have to keep in mind that Res 1 may not be treating waiting crowds well ... but since they are really good .. they have a bigger wait time .... we have to wait and see how the food in Res 2 was
by shilpa , on July 29, 2009 7:18 AM
well even if the restuarent in the mall have the priorities they should think that will never make a new customer but always stick to what they have.
by Ramesh , on July 29, 2009 9:56 AM
As le embrouille blogueur says, maybe the first restaurant had very good food and good service once you got in !!
You Delhiwallas are incorrigible foodies :) No wonder every restaurant has a long waiting line :) More power to you guys !!