Regular Customer

The “Regular Customer”

If you have ever worked in a restaurant, or have ever known anyone who has worked in a restaurant the probability is high you have an understanding of the expression “regular customer”. Let us look at the words included in the phrase The word regular, is generally interpreted as; usual, ordinary, or customary. The word customer is understood to mean patron, consumer, or purchaser. In the setting of a local restaurant the noun customer is accepted as the common interpretation, where as the adjective normal is assumed to be anything but the simple translation.

I manage a casual dining restaurant located in Fayetteville Arkansas. Let’s consider some of the patrons considered to be regular customers at this location. To present a clear vision of the examples I will provide it is necessary to inform you of a few the outside influences that contribute to the types of people that visit us. Fayetteville is a college town with an overwhelming amount of support of its residence. It is located well into the center of the “bible belt” of the south. Tyson’s and Wal-Mart both claim North West Arkansas as their home base. We have a lively night life arena generally referred to as Dixon Street.

It occurred to me that more often than not, our regular customer description is used in reference to a very diverse and unique set of individuals. Monday through Friday in the first few hours of operation your regular customer is usually a single person carrying the early edition of the local paper. The most common order consists of only coffee or a light low maintenance

breakfast such as a bagel. They seldom initiate or participate in social conversation and prefer to be seated away from activity. This customer has no real preference as to any particular server and would probably not notice any change in personnel.

As the day progress into morning the change in the regular customer is apparent. The senior patron is now dominating the restaurant. There are some couples but most are a party of one. The level of conversation increases and the majority of these guests expect to be in the care of a specific server. There are more “exceptions” to menu items requested. The presence of management in the dining room is now a necessity. If for any reason the manager is not in view, an explanation will be expected by the regular customer. This customer notices the slightest deviation from what they believe to be the norm. Personnel changes are usually rejected with force until such time as they decide the new employee meets their expectations.

As the noon hour approaches your regular customer becomes a well groomed party consisting of both men and women. They usually order something quick and do more conversing on the way in and out of the restaurant than they do at the table. The sound of cell phones blend into the background noise and everyone is in hustle mode.

The afternoon brings a slower pace accompanied often by the college student carrying books and ordering appetizers or just beverages. This is also the time period you’ll be re-visited by some of your senior a.m. regular customers. The conversation usually consists of their observation of either how slow the restaurant is or how overworked the afternoon server is. This is especially true if someone else is occupying their table.

The evening brings yet another type of regular customer. This one is often blue collar construction or trucking industry employed. The menu item is usually hearty and complete. There is a lighthearted and less formal report between the