Guest Services Essentials: Practice The Basics

By Cole Swanson
12/14/24

It’s not always easy, especially during days when your energy is completely depleted, but as a tasting room associate your goal is to provide guests with the best experience possible. After all, you have a great amount of influence on each guests’ perception of the tasting room atmosphere and if they would consider returning. 

Like it or not, by signing up to be a server, you have become one of the faces of the company. Therefore, customers are evaluating the quality of the brand based on your service. Draining to consider, I know, having to remain poised for so many hours. But that’s what makes a tasting room experience positively memorable, and what creates repeat patrons. 

Those with a background in customer service are familiar with the “customer service voice,” a tonal adjustment one octave higher that projects excitement and understanding. It’s true, the tone of our voice and the inflection matter as much or more than what we say. But, what matters the most is what actions we take to ensure a positive experience – it is called guest services after all. That’s why the fundamentals are so important. 

The Little Things Are Impactful: Water, Wine, and Clean Tables

We want customers to feel cared for, like we would a friend, and that starts with the little things, such as maintaining water levels, bussing tables, and ensuring people are not sitting with an empty glass in front of them for too long. Believe it or not, but paying attention to these small details subconsciously makes a great impact on the guest’s perception and psychological comfortability of the tasting room’s brand. It may not seem like a big deal, but if guests are continuously asking for more water or feel claustrophobic by drained stemware that should have been refilled minutes ago, they have now been removed from their sole purpose of visiting your establishment: to have a good time.

When a guest visits, they are hoping to enjoy themselves – why else would they be there? If it helps, think about this: out of all of the tasting rooms or places they could go to drink wine or spend an afternoon, they decided to step into your space. That’s a level of trust you don’t want to break, because while attempting for a reputation, being remembered for a negative atmosphere is a death sentence for success and customer retention.

Anticipation: A Magical Craft

Being one step ahead of the guest can feel like a magic trick to them. It’s as if you know what they need before they need it. This is undoubtedly one of the most important attributes that can take guest services to the next level.

Anticipation means understanding, and if you want to get cheesy about it, all anyone really wants is to feel understood. I’m most definitely pressing upon the subject of psychology because an experience is a feeling. 

When chatting, remember the customer’s palate preferences. What do you have behind the bar that can put a smile on their face? Bring it to them without them asking and watch as that singular gesture will inflate their mood. They are likely out and about for the afternoon, so think about suggestions of where they can go next. Be prepared for wine questions, assuming they are not familiar with your brand or possibly even wine. Additionally, just as they are assessing your body language and tone, do the same. Utilize empathy and wonder to best understand them without them having to say anything.  

Anticipation is not only about what you can do in the moment, but how you can give them a well-rounded experience that can affect their entire afternoon.

Attentiveness: Find a Balance

Attentiveness can be nuanced because it requires reading the room and then asking the question, “is what I am doing best for the guest or for me?” It is important to tend to the guest’s needs or when they want to chat or when filling waters and wine and cleaning up messes. But be careful about how much time you spend in their space. 

Most people who work in tasting rooms are outgoing and great at creating connections – that’s much of the job. But, watch how long you are talking with a table and how much you, personally, are speaking. 

Firstly, if you were to dedicate much of your time to a select number of guests, other visitors will notice and may feel neglected or like you are avoiding them. Additionally, talking too much takes away from your ability to do other tasks that are needed, such as clearing tables, watering, and helping guests and your team. There can be a fine line between ensuring a connection and socializing. 

Secondly, be friendly, not overbearing. If you are speaking with a guest, be aware of how much they are reciprocating and if you are dominating the conversation. As a customer, when a server talks and talks and talks, it can become incredibly annoying, because, unless I initiate the conversation or seemingly want to engage, I likely am more interested in spending time with my friends or enjoying my wine than I am listening to a 10-minute long story. The guest’s visit is about them, not you.