Order accuracy is always a critical element of delivering exceptional service, but it’s even more important when your staff is taking to-go orders over the phone or fulfilling orders placed online. When customers take their food to go or have it delivered, it’s even harder for you to make it right for them. Train your restaurant staff to follow these five important steps to ensure order accuracy.
Error-Free Orders in 5 Steps
No matter how obscure a guest’s order may be, getting it right is paramount. Sure, sometimes guests are just extraordinarily picky eaters. Often though, guests make special requests because of an allergy or sensitivity to a particular food. Allergic reactions can be severe, even life threatening. Order accuracy isn’t just about providing great service, it’s also about protecting guest safety.
Listen (or read) carefully. This may seem like an obvious one, but active listening is a skill too often taken for granted. Hearing something and really internalizing what was said are two separate activities. Train servers or front-counter staff to lean forward and maintain eye contact, looking away only to write down the order or press the right buttons on the register.
Clarify and verify. Staff members taking orders should ask questions if they’re unclear about anything the guest says, and read the order back to be sure it was taken correctly — every order, every time. For online orders, encourage staff members to call customers if something about the order doesn’t make sense. Customers will appreciate the extra effort!
Train on technology. These days, P.O.S and online ordering systems take care of communicating orders to the kitchen. But even the best technology is only as good as the people using it. Be sure staff members are thoroughly trained in using the machines and aren’t so caught up with trying to be speedy that their fingers press the wrong keys on the sending side or mis-read something on the receiving side.
Check it twice. Everyone who works to prepare the order should double-check it against the original ticket – at every production stage – before it reaches the customer. Make it a requirement.
Recognize and reward. When you observe staff members doing these steps correctly, recognize them. To show your staff how important accurate order-taking is, create incentives and contests to keep them focused and reward those that set the best examples.
Restaurant Server Training
When order accuracy improves, so does the entire guest experience. Click here to check out complete Cycle of Service online training program.
