How to nail customer service for families

Families are a big part of restaurant revenue, and children often pick the table. How to serve them properly, from the floor plan to the kids’ menu.

A kids' menu of chicken nuggets and chips tells parents exactly how much thought went into serving them. Families are a big part of restaurant revenue, children often have a real say in where everyone eats, and today's seven-year-old choosing Saturday lunch is next decade's regular. Cater well for the kids and their parents reward you with loyalty.

Standing out in a crowded sector

Chains regularly get accused of being too samey, and there is truth in it: plenty of brands share near-identical menus and price points. So how do venues targeting the family market actually differentiate and win family diners away from competitors?

The obvious answer is to take the time to understand and serve these customers better. The little things really do make the difference.

Lisa O'Keeffe, senior brand and content manager at Day Out with The Kids, told us that nailing customer service is the key to family loyalty. She knows what UK families look for when they dine out, because she hears it from them constantly.

She said: “Dining out together is something our families do together up to four times a month, with a large percentage regularly heading back to tried and tested favourites for one simple reason: the service. There’s nothing more stressful for parents than heading to a restaurant with the kids that simply isn’t geared up for the real and honest side of family dining, even if they advertise themselves as family-friendly.”

Make children your focus

You can run kids eat for £1 or even 'kids eat free' to get customers through the door. But as Lisa explains, it is not all about money. Gearing up properly to serve child visitors and putting parents at ease makes it easier for them to spend their cash with you.

“Our families tell us they’re often worried about their kids being too noisy, or too messy,” said Lisa. “Any restaurant that can help to put parents’ minds at ease and be totally accepting of both these things is certainly likely to be a hit.”

“Play areas, activity packs, bringing the kids’ meals out first and space around the table for things like pushchairs are all simple things to implement, but are so often overlooked.”

Parents notice those small investments. An activity pack waiting on the table says more than a family-friendly sticker on the door.

A pushchair-friendly floor layout, plenty of high chairs and kid-friendly cutlery and cups are practical ways to serve this group before anyone sits down. These initial moments, before your guests even browse a menu, are crucial in reassuring families that they are in the right place.

Use Wi-Fi marketing

At Stampede we work with venues to make sure their Guest Wi-Fi is set up to help them serve family customers better. Context is everything when it comes to understanding guests' dining priorities.

If someone signs into your Wi-Fi, you can ask whether they are visiting with children and show them relevant offers. That answer joins their guest profile and feeds into your wider service strategy, so you can build personalised marketing campaigns around it. Knowing what proportion of your covers come from families, and when they visit, helps you make informed decisions instead of guesses.

Staff who make a visit special

Your floor design, menu and entertainment can all be family-friendly, and the visit can still be won or lost at the table. That takes customer service training, because your staff need to understand the context and priorities behind each visit.

Is a family looking for a quick, convenient bite after school, or a stress-free trip to celebrate a birthday? Encourage waiting staff to build personalisation into their service approach so they can signpost useful information quickly. In practice that means doing things like:

• Asking about the reason behind the visit

• Offering high chairs before parents have to ask

• Mentioning activity packs, crayons or your Wi-Fi

• Offering to bring children's food out first, letting parents know how long dishes will take and updating them if that changes

• Knowing where the toilets, baby change and play areas are, and saying so

It can also help to let parents know the kitchen can pack food to go. It might prompt a dessert order for later at home, and it gives everyone an exit with dignity if a tired toddler has other plans. Above all, be attentive and offer fast, efficient service without rushing diners.

Make your menu flexible

A kids' menu with good value on it signals that you are set up for younger guests. However, despite what the adverts would have you believe, not every kid wants chicken nuggets or spaghetti in tomato sauce. Some do. But others want exactly what is on Mummy and Daddy's plate. A balanced menu that encourages little ones to try new things is great, and it is also smart to cater to what kids actually want to eat. Plenty of restaurants are starting to pick up on this.

Lisa told us: “When it comes to the menu, we’re also seeing a growing number of chain restaurants implementing a ‘pick your own’ approach to help meet the needs of fussier eaters.”

“The ability to create your own pairings makes it much more likely you can rustle up a meal for every child. But it’s also great when kitchens can be really flexible or even something as simple as plating up. Carrots stood in hummus rather than on the side can, and has, been the difference between a meal a kid will or won’t eat.”

Letting diners mix and match starters and sides keeps kids happy, and your serving staff should know which requests the kitchen can accommodate. Get it right and parents get to snatch a few extra minutes of conversation while the kids keep munching. They might even order dessert.

The test is simple: walk your own venue as a parent with a pushchair, a toddler and an hour to spare. If that visit would run smoothly, your family service is working. Get in touch to find out more about how Stampede helps venues succeed with customer service for families.