BAR SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
Standard Training Manual for Bar Service Excellence onboard Princess Vessels
PRINCESS CR 17317l115r UISES QUALITY SERVICE - INTRODUCTION.
As an employee of Princess Cruises, it is necessary for you to provide outstanding and attentive personalized service to our passengers at all times.
The quality, professionalism, warmth and sincerity portrayed by service personnel (you) is the standard by which our passengers measure Princess Cruises against other cruise lines. In order to achieve a high standard of service, it is required that you learn and adopt the following guidelines which will become second nature to you in your daily work routine.
Always cheerfully greet our passengers.
Use a pleasant tone of voice.
Acknowledge the passenger by name if you know it (i.e. Mr./Mrs./Ms.)
Ensure that your uniform is always immaculate.
Quickly respond to any special requests.
Remember and anticipate passenger needs.
Be an ambassador of your ship at all times in and out of your work place.
Always display a positive attitude.
When on duty, always wear your name badge and
Cruise pin.
Being polite and courteous at all times is the cornerstone of our product. Give your full attention to the passenger and listen with patience and understanding. Always use courtesy words and phrases such as:
PLEASE.
THANK YOU.
YOU ARE WELCOME.
MAY I HELP YOU PLEASE?
THANK YOU FOR WAITING.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO FOR YOU?
Always greet passengers warmly and introduce yourself. If you know the passengers name, you should use it. Smile and make eye contact. Listen carefully and explain to or assist the passenger as needed.
Be enthusiastic. Remain enthusiastic and positive. Don't burden passengers with your troubles or problems. Passengers are on a cruise to have fun and relax.
Never express negative opinions (especially about the ship or company).
Never direct jokes at passengers.
Never interrupt passengers.
Never argue with passengers.
Never refuse passengers service.
Help Passengers.
Do everything you can to meet a passengers request. Passenger satisfaction is your top priority and can only be achieved by providing quality service. Examples of such service includes escorting passengers rather than just pointing out directions and readily displaying knowledge of all shipboard information (i.e. Princess Patter).
Besides providing excellent service, there are actions that you can do to assure satisfaction so that your passengers will tell their friends how much they enjoyed cruising with Princess and come back and cruise with us again. These special actions include:
Becoming known to your passengers by name.
Making a special effort to help your passengers on the last day of the cruise.
Let's look separately at each action:
When passengers know crew members' names, a bond is formed and passengers are more apt to feel better about the cruise overall. If problems do arise, passengers who know the names of crew members are more likely to bring those problems to the crew members' attention early in the cruise so the problems can be corrected. So it makes sense to help the passengers get to know your name.
Many passengers have commented that they feel invisible on the last day of the cruise. Crew members no longer greet them or are unavailable to help with questions or problems concerning disembarkation.
The last experience a passenger has onboard the ship can be the impression that they remember most vividly and relate to friends and relatives when describing the cruise on a latter date.
It is to our benefit to help make that last impression a positive one of their Princess Cruise experience. Therefore, on the last day of the cruise, don't forget to focus on the little things - such as providing extra assistance with baggage or taking the time to answer any questions that they may have.
If you are not providing service directly to passengers, you will most likely be providing service to someone who is.
Therefore, it is important that all service standards covered in this document are followed by everybody at all times.
Attention to detail at all times, from the first day to the last day, tells your passengers that you care about them, and that commitment to their satisfaction keeps them coming back, and keeps us all in a job.
Remember your job depends on passengers leaving the ship with a positive feeling. Their repeat business and referrals to others will secure your continued employment and mutual success.
ALWAYS REMEMBER
Our passengers are the most important people onboard and the purpose of our work.
Our passengers must be assured that every effort will be made to provide for their comfort and pleasure.
Our passengers and their satisfaction are the main reasons for our continued success.
Our passengers are deserving of the most courteous and attentive service we can provide. It is our job to let them know we care about them and are grateful for their business.
Quality service requires your close attention. A little extra effort will help you make the cruise a truly outstanding experience for our passengers and ultimately may well see you rewarded financially.
SEVEN
STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BEVERAGE
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
The importance of product knowledge cannot be stressed enough. Having good product knowledge will enhance your sales and ultimately gain you more money. It will also give you confidence in your job and portray you as a professional person.
Gaining good product knowledge will ultimately put you in a better standing to gain promotion as it is essential for you to have full knowledge of recipes, preparation methods, garnishes, quality tiers and price tiers, etc. to be considered for promotion.
OBSERVATION
It is extremely important to observe everything in your area of responsibility closely. From the area that you position yourself, behind or in front of the bar, you should be able to monitor and act on passengers buying signal. Such examples of buying signals are when passengers are holding/reaching for their Cruise Card, their glass is nearly empty or when passengers are looking around for service. When a buying signal is detected, you should make contact and move in on your potential customer.
Failure to react to a buying signal will result in a lost sale and, ultimately, a lost tip. Special care should be taken to observe your areas of responsibility when the lounges are quiet as this is the time when people tend to become lazy and most complaints are received.
CREATING A NEED
Techniques in communicating - The power of persuasion and the ability to describe a product in the most tempting way will all play a part in selling drinks to your passengers and create a need for your passengers to buy from you.
Once a prospective customer has been detected, YOU must get your act together to figure out the situation and act upon it straight away.
Taking the time of day into consideration, START a conversation about an appropriate subject in order to "WARM UP" your passenger. (This kind of small talk can be about all sorts of things such as the WEATHER, the ACTIVITY currently in progress, a COMPLIMENT to the passenger about DRESS, GOOD TASTE etc).
From here you should find it EASY to bring your CONVERSATION around to beverage SUGGESTIONS - you should by now have decided which of your beverage suggestions would be the most appropriate.
Think of appropriate WAYS to describe your suggestions in order to entice your passenger and make them FEEL good. - REFRESHING, THIRST QUENCHING, COOLING, etc.
Following these simple steps and guide-lines should lead to a sale and remember every sale means a TIP.
THE POSITIVE APPROACH
At all times, we should approach passengers with a positive attitude using as many "open ended" questions as possible. You should always assume that your passenger wants a drink. Avoid questions that can be answered with a Yes or No answer.
For example:
A) Would you like a drink? OR B) WHAT would you like to drink?
A) Assumes a MAYBE WHERE B) Assumes a
BE POSITIVE... remember, the more specific the question- the more specific the answer will be.
UPSELLING
NEVER MAKE A CUSTOMERS DECISION FOR HIM/HER!!!
When making a sale, you must always offer choices.
When a customer orders a generic drink without specifying a brand, you should offer the top brands (premium) for them to CHOOSE from. For example: Passenger: "Can I have a scotch and soda"
Server: "Will that be a Chivas or Johnny Walker Black sir"
Making this a permanent habit will allow you to effectively generate 30% to 40% more revenue from the same number of customers and is perhaps the most lucrative method of generating additional revenue and tips from the same customer base. It is also immediate!
Other ways in which to upsell is by size. When a passenger asks for a cocktail, always offer which size they would like to order, (i.e. regular, medium or large). Again this is instant and will generate you more revenue; thus, generating more tips.
Another form of upselling is to ask the passenger if they would care for a large drink in the case of drinks such as vodka and tonic, scotch rocks etc.
Always remember to offer the specialty drinks on the cocktail menus such as the Martini zone and Margaritas. When passengers order a Martini or Margarita, offer them something off the menu at a higher price.
IN SUMMARY, UPSELLING IS AN IMMEDIATE AND INSTANT SELLING TOOL BY WHICH YOU INCREASE SALES AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUR TIPS!!
THE SECOND EFFORT
This moment is critical because within this time frame, it is easier to make a second or third sale. It also keeps the customer in the same activity without causing disruption.
For this very reason, you should always ask the customer if they would care to run "a tab" in order to avoid the constant disruptions of settling a check every time a drink is ordered.
Keep a constant eye on your customer's glassware, seek out the timing from your last service and train yourself to look out for this very important detail.
Remember: this customer has already been sold a drink and it is easier to sell again to this person than to a "cold" new customer. Furthermore, you already know what this customer likes.
GOAL SETTING
It is important to set yourself Goals that are achievable.
Without Goals, you will have very little motivation. Successful
people set themselves Goals that can be, Daily, Weekly,
Annually or ALL of them together.
Different people set themselves different kinds of Goals.
For example, your goal could be measured in financial terms, such as increasing your tips from the previous Cruise or measured in Units sold by setting yourself the Goal of increasing the number of Medium & Mega Drinks of the Day that you sell from one day to the next. Whatever Goals you set, you must make sure that you track them carefully and take pride in yourself when you achieve them.
Without setting yourself Goals, you have nothing to motivate
yourself to achieve. Always set goals that are within reach. You will only become unmotivated if you set Goals that you will never achieve.
SEVEN
STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BEVERAGE
STEP 1... PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
A good salesperson MUST be very familiar with the product that he or she is selling. You should know your product range, recipes, flavors and prices. This is the key to successfully selling with confidence.
STEP 2... OBSERVATION
Observe everything in your area of responsibility. Position yourself where you can easily observe your passengers activities and movements. Look for those strong buying signals, such as...passengers holding/reaching for their Cruise Card, empty glassware, passengers looking around for service. When a buying signal is detected, you should make contact and move in on your potential customer.
STEP 3... CREATING A NEED
The power of persuasion and the ability to describe a product in the most tempting way is essential. Think of ways to describe your suggestions in order to make your passengers feel good i.e. ...REFRESHING, TALL, COOL, SMOOTH or FROZEN. Consider the time of day, start a conversation to 'warm up' your passengers. You could talk about the weather, an activity in progress or a local port or shore excursion.
From here you should find it easy to bring beverage suggestions into the conversation - you should already have decided what is the most appropriate.
STEP 4... THE POSITIVE APPROACH
It makes a BIG difference if you ask a passenger:
A) Would you like a drink? OR
B) WHAT would you like to drink?
A) Assumes a MAYBE - WHERE AS
B) Assumes a
BE POSITIVE... remember, the more specific the question, the more specific the answer will be. When approaching a passenger, ASSUME that they will order a drink.
STEP 5... UPSELLING
When making a sale, you must always offer choices. For instance, when a passenger orders a generic drink, (i.e. WITHOUT SPECIFYING A BRAND) you should offer a choice of two premium brands for them to choose from .e.g.
PASSENGER: "Bring me a Scotch and Soda please"
SERVER: "Will that be a CHIVAS or JOHNNY WALKER BLACK LABEL sir?"
Using this successful sales tactic and by making it a permanent habit will allow you to effectively generate 25% to 30% extra revenue from the same number of customers.
STEP 6... THE SECOND EFFORT
Timing to sell a refill and to maintain a passenger in a consuming mood. Never allow a glass to become empty. An empty glass signifies a finished transaction, at which time a passenger is embarking on a decision to either leave or continue. REMEMBER...this passenger has been SOLD and it is easier to sell again than it is to sell to a "COLD" new passenger.
Furthermore, you know already what he/she likes to drink.
STEP 7... GOAL SETTING
SUCCESSFUL people set themselves goals whether they be DAILY, WEEKLY, ANNUAL GOALS or ALL of them. Goals can be measured in financial terms, they can also be measured in units sold if this can be tracked more easily- or you can set yourself goals in selling a particular product at certain times. Without setting yourself a goal, you will never set out to go anywhere!
Accept rejection...rejection is part of a Salespersons job description.
If you make a sale...you EARN from it!
If you don't make a sale...you LEARN from it!
BE POSITIVE, BE SUCCESSFUL.
COMMUNICATION & BODY LANGUAGE
We all communicate every day. There are a number of different ways to do this:
Words: This is what we say
Para-linguistics - How we say something
Body Language
Of these, Para-Linguistics and Body Language are the most important. Words are only labels. We have all heard a "Good Morning" and known that it isn't meant. However, if it is said enthusiastically, it is a very pleasant greeting.
Even with an enthusiastic "Good Morning", if the person is looking at something else, the greeting is lost. Have you ever experienced someone speaking to you, but they don't look at you? This is rude and annoying.
It is said that 55% of understanding comes from facial expressions, where as Para-Linguistics account for only 38% and the actual words, only 7%. It is, therefore, very important to communicate clearly and concisely with both our passengers and fellow colleagues. This means using good body language, which can be split into six groups:
P Postures & Gestures - How do you use hand gestures? How do you stand?
How do you hold your tray? Standing is very important as a Bar Steward.
E Eye Contact - Very Important. Eye contact gains trust.
O Orientation - How do you position yourself in a group? At the back or in the front? This can say a lot about people.
P Proximity - How close you stand/sit next to someone. Do you get in their "space"!
L Looks/Appearance - Do you take pride in the way that you look? Do you dress well? As you know, appearance stands for a lot.
E Expressions of emotion - Do you use facial expressions to give away your emotions? Most people do, but do not like to admit it.
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