For A Successful Party Catering Business, Focus On Service
Entering the party catering business can be exciting for people who love to prepare and serve food. But making your business stand out from the other, more established caterers in your area can be difficult.However, there are a few simple things you can do (that don’t cost any money) to help jump start your business.Make Your First Impression A Memorable OneThey say customer service is a dying art, and in the party catering business, this is true, too. Many business owners, unfortunately focus on just the money or just the food, and they forget that their real job is to make the client’s event a memorable experience.Top-notch customer service is a must, and it starts with you, the business owner and runs all the way down to your clean up crew.The first time a customer gets an idea of the type of customer service your party catering business provides, is at your fist client meeting. If you come prepared with your own ideas but do not listen to the client, learn about their personality, preferences, and their own plan for the party, you won’t make the sale.Of course you should come armed with questions, sample menus and ideas of your own, but listening is the most important thing you can do at the first meeting. Get to know the client and their dreams for the event. People like to be made to feel important, especially during milestone occasions like weddings and graduations, so the more important you make that client feel, the better.Provide Excellent Floor ServiceOnce you’ve landed the job, ensure that your staff provides stellar service on the floor, as well. Your name may be on the catering truck, but for the guests being served, the waiter is the party catering business. Reward employees who go the extra mile, or to whom a guest gives a compliment. Handle and correct situations of poor service swiftly. Guest are more likely to get over an incident if they feel their concerns were heard and dealt with.Assemble A Talented Support TeamSooner or later you’ll discover that other party catering businesses provide more than just food and beverages but also provide party planning services, floral arrangements, props, bar service, banquet facilities and more. This can overwhelm someone just starting out, as these services cost money. But through forming strategic partnerships, you too can provide these services without affecting your own bottom line.Find local businesses to pair up with: florists, party planners, bartending services, etc. You can add these strategic partnerships to your website and sales sheets so that people know they can use you as a one-stop shop.When you think it might be beneficial, bring these strategic partners on appointments, and work out discount deals when a client books more than one service at a time. This is an excellent way to grow your party catering business without any outlay of cash.
