Hello!
We decided to dedicate today's post to one of the most effective tools that allows you to systematically study the situation with a service. It is known as “Secret Guest”.
Who is a secret guest in restaurant?
The essence of the tool is the visit of disinterested persons to the restaurant to record the quality of service and dishes.
A large number of parameters (or standards) require daily monitoring by the restaurant, here are just a few of them:
If you decide to use the “secret guest” system in a restaurant, it is important to remember that it only makes sense if clear standards of work are developed for the staff. After all, in the questionnaire that your “secret guest” (aka agent) fills out, it is the fulfillment of standards that is evaluated.
With the help of the tool, you prioritize service by simply increasing the points for this or that question. Each of the questions in the questionnaire has its weight in points, affecting the overall result. Here's an example. It is important for you that the waiter should tell the guest about a special offer, so for this period you increase the weight of this question in the evaluation.
As a rule, the sum of all points is 100. The questionnaire is filled out according to the principle of done/not done. Each question (or standard) is scored:
This rule is decisive! Otherwise, you will have to dive into exploring the nuances of the situation and related staff issues. Believe me, there will always be an explanation for non-compliance. Let's say that the guest to the table was escorted not by the hostess, as it should be, and the bartender. Formally, the standard “escort the guest to the table” is met, but it was violated, so it should be rated at 0 points. It is important that the standards were thought out and provided for all possible situations in the process of work.
Usually, the questionnaire consists of 30-40 questions and this is enough. In order not to give oneself away, the “secret guest”, as a rule, marks the main questions in a notebook, and then, after checking, transfers them to the questionnaire.
Ideally, we recommend at least one restaurant inspection per month.
A large number of parameters (or standards) require daily monitoring by the restaurant, here are just a few of them:
- how a guest is greeted;
- how the menu is served;
- how they serve;
- wait time for food and bill;
- whether the restroom was stocked at rush hour;
- whether the dish looked the same as on the menu (if visualized);
- whether the taste expectations were met.
If you decide to use the “secret guest” system in a restaurant, it is important to remember that it only makes sense if clear standards of work are developed for the staff. After all, in the questionnaire that your “secret guest” (aka agent) fills out, it is the fulfillment of standards that is evaluated.
With the help of the tool, you prioritize service by simply increasing the points for this or that question. Each of the questions in the questionnaire has its weight in points, affecting the overall result. Here's an example. It is important for you that the waiter should tell the guest about a special offer, so for this period you increase the weight of this question in the evaluation.
As a rule, the sum of all points is 100. The questionnaire is filled out according to the principle of done/not done. Each question (or standard) is scored:
- maximum number of points in case of its fulfillment, or
- 0 points in case of non-fulfillment.
This rule is decisive! Otherwise, you will have to dive into exploring the nuances of the situation and related staff issues. Believe me, there will always be an explanation for non-compliance. Let's say that the guest to the table was escorted not by the hostess, as it should be, and the bartender. Formally, the standard “escort the guest to the table” is met, but it was violated, so it should be rated at 0 points. It is important that the standards were thought out and provided for all possible situations in the process of work.
Usually, the questionnaire consists of 30-40 questions and this is enough. In order not to give oneself away, the “secret guest”, as a rule, marks the main questions in a notebook, and then, after checking, transfers them to the questionnaire.
Ideally, we recommend at least one restaurant inspection per month.
What advantages does the "Secret guest" tool offer?
There are several:
1. The ability to see the level of service and guest satisfaction in real time. By analyzing the situation on a month-by-month basis, you will find problem areas promptly.
2. The ability to use the rating as a key indicator of your work as a restaurant manager. Determine the critical values of points, at the achievement of which the manager is rewarded. This way you will form the basis for a motivation system.
3. Opportunity to form a bonus system for line staff. If you achieve the highest scores, you can financially reward the staff involved in guest service. This shows employees the transparency of their work and a real opportunity to earn money through quality service.
4. Achieving high scores is a great reason to praise staff at a team meeting. The personal rating of each employee will allow you to hold, for example, quarterly competitions within the team or competitions among the restaurants of your chain. This creates not only an atmosphere of positive competition but also a team spirit among the staff of each location if you have more than one.
1. The ability to see the level of service and guest satisfaction in real time. By analyzing the situation on a month-by-month basis, you will find problem areas promptly.
2. The ability to use the rating as a key indicator of your work as a restaurant manager. Determine the critical values of points, at the achievement of which the manager is rewarded. This way you will form the basis for a motivation system.
3. Opportunity to form a bonus system for line staff. If you achieve the highest scores, you can financially reward the staff involved in guest service. This shows employees the transparency of their work and a real opportunity to earn money through quality service.
4. Achieving high scores is a great reason to praise staff at a team meeting. The personal rating of each employee will allow you to hold, for example, quarterly competitions within the team or competitions among the restaurants of your chain. This creates not only an atmosphere of positive competition but also a team spirit among the staff of each location if you have more than one.
Some disadvantages affect the effectiveness of the "Secret guest" tool
The main disadvantage is that personnel can realize that an audit is being conducted by such indirect signs as:
“Secret guest” is also usually revealed if they don't have enough money to order. This happens if the company allocates a small amount of money for the agent's expenses, wanting him to observe and evaluate rather than taste the food.
In general, to minimize the possibility of an agent being detected, we recommend changing the order structure, number of guests, time of arrival, and format of communication with the staff more often.
When you see in the report perfectly high indicators of the “secret guest” questionnaire, it makes sense to modernize the system of inspections or to conduct them more often to get an objective assessment of the situation.
It should be said that there are also opposite situations when the “secret guest” finds those violations, which, according to the assurances of the staff, did not happen. If he fixes something that the waiter or manager did not do, it is necessary to review the video footage from the cameras (if available). It should be remembered that agents can also make mistakes, for example, not noticing the manager and writing in the report that he was not there, or forgetting about some details. After all, the “secret guest” has to keep in mind a lot of nuances and details. Therefore, for the results of the inspection to be objective, it is necessary to understand each situation thoroughly. Only then will the tool be truly effective.
It does not matter whether you will create a “secret guest” service yourself or turn to a third-party company and how often you will make checks. The main thing is that a restaurant needs to be monitored and the "secret guest" evaluation system is one of the most effective tools.
- the amount of the bill;
- time of visit;
- the choice of food;
- by how the "secret guest" orders, what questions they ask about the menu, and so on.
“Secret guest” is also usually revealed if they don't have enough money to order. This happens if the company allocates a small amount of money for the agent's expenses, wanting him to observe and evaluate rather than taste the food.
In general, to minimize the possibility of an agent being detected, we recommend changing the order structure, number of guests, time of arrival, and format of communication with the staff more often.
When you see in the report perfectly high indicators of the “secret guest” questionnaire, it makes sense to modernize the system of inspections or to conduct them more often to get an objective assessment of the situation.
It should be said that there are also opposite situations when the “secret guest” finds those violations, which, according to the assurances of the staff, did not happen. If he fixes something that the waiter or manager did not do, it is necessary to review the video footage from the cameras (if available). It should be remembered that agents can also make mistakes, for example, not noticing the manager and writing in the report that he was not there, or forgetting about some details. After all, the “secret guest” has to keep in mind a lot of nuances and details. Therefore, for the results of the inspection to be objective, it is necessary to understand each situation thoroughly. Only then will the tool be truly effective.
It does not matter whether you will create a “secret guest” service yourself or turn to a third-party company and how often you will make checks. The main thing is that a restaurant needs to be monitored and the "secret guest" evaluation system is one of the most effective tools.
Taking care of you and your business,
Bill&Tip (Bill and Tip) Team.
Want to learn more about how Bill&Tip can help your business or request a consultation from our team, simply follow this link.
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Bill&Tip (Bill and Tip) Team.
Want to learn more about how Bill&Tip can help your business or request a consultation from our team, simply follow this link.
powered by studio351.pt