A new travel survey from airport parking specialist Purple Parking has revealed that 24% of British travellers feel they receive worse service when dining alone.
Keen to understand how and why the British public travels, Purple Parking surveyed over 1,100 British travellers with questions about business and leisure travel. The Purple Travel Report 2015 analyses what the British public considers to be important when travelling, whether that’s being digitally accessible, working, or spending time with loved ones.
Do more for lone diners
Almost exactly the same number (26%) also mentioned that dining alone was their biggest concern with regards to travelling, making this the biggest fear for solo travellers.
Oliver Inwards, Head of Online at Purple Parking, said: “This correlation shows that this is an area that could see dining establishments do more for lone diners. Making the customer feel important and wanted should be a priority for tourist or business-traveller friendly restaurants and hotels, especially considering several sources report seeing a rise in solo dining in recent years.[1]”
Hints and tips for improving the experience of solo diners
There’s no need for solo diners to feel they receive worse service – by paying a little attention to the customer’s needs and requirements, restaurants can ensure they leave feeling as important and special as larger groups.
- Give them a nice seat. Your customer will be happy if they feel they are being offered the best and that you seem proud to have them in your restaurant. Do not usher them into some hidden corner. Perhaps seat them beside a window, so they can gaze out if they want. Or facing the main area of your restaurant so that they can enjoy people watching. Seat them near a wall with their back to the wall, rather than floating in the middle of the restaurant. Feng Shui has proven that we feel anxious and unprotected if our back feels exposed, or we cannot see the main activity of a room.
- Do not rush the solo diner. If it seems the customer is treating themselves, or is there for an intense culinary experience, or making an evening/lunchtime activity out of dining out, there is nothing worse than making this customer feel as though you cannot wait to free up their table. Often, the process of actually eating what is on the plate is over too soon, compared to our expectation of the time it takes to dine in a restaurant, particularly when not talking to anyone. Slow down the solo diner’s order. Don’t take away their plate as soon as they have finished eating. Do not bring them their bill immediately, or appear too quickly to collect their payment.
- Keep your eye on them. While not rushing the solo-diner, it is important that they do not feel as though you have forgotten about them. If they have to wait longer than they would like, or feel as though they must go to a lot of effort to get your attention, you are communicating to this customer that you think they are less important.
- Keep this customer company (If you feel they appreciate your conversation). Some solo diners have purposefully chosen to eat out alone to have some quiet time or have a dining experience that is intensely focused on their food, but others may appreciate a bit of conversation and company. Your waiters should use their skill to gauge what they would prefer, and not assume either way!
- Enter into the spirit of the occasion. If someone is clearly treating themselves to a nice meal out rather than eating at home alone, enter into the spirit of this and enjoy being part of their choice to spoil themselves.
- Cater for your solo diner. Ensure your restaurant has Wi-Fi & a selection of newspapers/ magazines. Perhaps create (or increase) seating at the bar and offer food service there.
- Attention to detail. It is often the case that people feel awkward or at a loose end if they have no activity to occupy themselves with when sitting alone. If you see the customer has a handheld device, ask them if they would like the Wi-Fi password, rather than making them ask for it. Small details like this communicate to this customer that you are happy they are there, you are happy for them to stay, and that you are not expecting that they will be joined by someone else or assuming they have been stood up.
- Shed your own social stigma. Perhaps most fundamentally, make sure your private attitude to solo diners carries no stigma. Understand that it is not strange to eat out in a restaurant on your own and that it is, in fact, even a desirable experience to have. The customer may sense your judgement, no matter what you do at the level of service.
Further information included in the report shows how many holidays Brits intend to take in 2015, where they plan to visit, how much they spend on overseas trips and which travel apps they prefer to use.
For more information see the full report here
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