A recent survey by Guest Experience Management Expert HGEM has reported that the customer experience is what keeps people coming back for more, and also stops them from coming back for more. In fact the research shows that just one bad experience from a hospitality brand and 82% of customers would dump that brand, never returning again.

So what do customers want from hospitality brands? The research shows that customers value brands that focus on brands that on things like honesty and reliability, as well as a willingness to go above and beyond. Customers prefer these values twice as much as brands that promotes themselves as ‘fun’ or ‘social’.

There really is value of having good quality, well trained and welcoming front of house staff too. This is because the research found that 72% of customers feel that one single team member has the power to make or break the dining experience. The influence for a customer to fall in love with your hospitality brand, or dump it immediately is solely down to the treatment from one team member, in many customers’ cases.

It is essential that, as a hospitality and catering business owner or manager, you are aware of them and your team are too. By ensuring that your team know how important their role is in your business, you can help improve their service quality and the customer experience.  Take the time to train your front of house staff members so they offer the level of customer experience you would expect.

Interestingly, the report found that 30% of customers are willing to overlook a bad review on line if they feel they are already invested in the hospitality brand. However, this doesn’t mean that as a restaurant owner or manager you shouldn’t worry about bad reviews. These still need to be dealt with accordingly.

The research also shows that the older generation are more forgiving that millenials. 66% of millenials have said that they would not overlook slow service. In fact 66% of millenials have said they would not return to a hospitality brand if they experienced slow service on their last visit.

While it is not always easy to understand why and how customers fall in love with your hospitality brand or what they love about your hospitality brand, this survey clearly shows us just how important the customer experience is. A positive customer experience can drive customer loyalty and strong brand engagement. This in turn leads to repeat visits and sales.

If you are a catering or hospitality manager or business owner hen you need to remember that your front of house team are often the ones that are making your customers fall in love with your brand.

Why not look at potential staff training and reward schemes to ensure all front of house staff members are offering your customers the best possible level of experience?