5 Traits To Look For In Your Food Truck Service Staff

Unfortunately more and more people know what it is like to walk up to a food truck and have a bad experience. You had to wait thirty minutes before placing your order, you had to wait twenty minutes to get your order then you had to ask twice for the bottled water that came with your meal and on top of it all you were treated rudely. Aside from these obvious mistakes and oversights, what can a successful food truck service staff do to rise above mediocrity and provide a great food truck experience for the guests?

5 Traits To Look For In Your Food Truck Service Staff

Know the menu

When a customer asks a question, they want a concise and instantaneous answer. To do this, the server needs to do their homework. Have them taste all of the dishes and beverages on the menu and if allergy or other dietary restrictions prevent them from doing this, ask a coworker for information for taking notes.

They should always be able to provide menu information when it is requested. Customers expect your staff to know more about the menu than they do, and appreciate a bit of guiding to make the choice for their preferences.

Be perceptive

If your staff is going to be good servers, they must have a knack for reading people. Some groups will appreciate a few jokes and a little chit-chat; others will want them to make be as invisible as possible. Look for body language and listen for verbal cues and cater to each customer’s preferred ordering style.

Be adaptable

In addition to being able to adapt to the different personalities of your food truck customers, your staff will need to adapt to situations as they arise. Although a server cannot control everything that happens in the food truck, a smart server knows that quick thinking makes up for most unforeseen problems. Did the kitchen staff forget to leave out the onions from a guest’s burger? Offer a free drink while they wait for the replacement to arrive.

Keep cool

Sometimes the staff of the food truck kitchen makes mistakes. When this happens, a successful server should be able to keep a calm and collected demeanor throughout the ordeal. The key is to not allow the issue to affect the service. You can’t win them all, but when things go wrong it is essential to not let them grow worse.

Be courteous

Seems obvious, right? But what about if a customer is already upset when they walk up to the service window? The quickest and truest remedy to this is using a few friendly words. For example, on an extremely busy night customers are likely to arrive at the truck overly-hungry, out of patience and looking for fast gratification. Approach the window with a smile and acknowledge their disparagement with a simple, “I’m sorry about the wait” and move on to collecting their orders.

The Bottom Line

Above all else, your food truck customers want to feel that your staff actually cares about their experience at your truck. Keep hospitality in the forefront of your food truck service staff actions so they help to create an exceptional experience for each and every one of your guests.

Do you have an opening for food truck service staff? Fill your food truck jobs with Mobile Cuisine.

Did we miss any key traits to look for in food truck service staff members? Share your thoughts in the comment section below or on social media. Facebook | Twitter