Psychotypes of guests

The psychology of communication with a client is something that every hospitality worker should understand in one way or another. This knowledge is especially important for restaurant managers, hostesses, waiters and all those whose work is directly related to live communication.

Psychologists identify a set of universal traits of the human psyche - such character traits and its enhanced traits are called “accentuations”. Almost half a century ago, they were classified by the Soviet psychiatrist Andrei Lichko, and based on his works, we described the main psychotypes of visitors to cafes, bars and restaurants. Familiarize yourself with them, and in the future it will be easier for you to approach guests.

Eccentric

An eccentric always strives to be the center of attention. He is easy to recognize by his clothes. Such a person may appear in an incredibly tasteless outfit or, on the contrary, dress in a particularly elegant manner. An eccentric will also stand out with his behavior. Don't be surprised if he speaks too loudly, uses a strange accent, is over-familiar, or reacts inappropriately to the situation. For such people, a restaurant is a theater stage with a large auditorium, a place where they can show the public all their talents.

Egocentrism can manifest itself especially clearly in those eccentrics who sit alone. Because they don't have a group of friends or family around, all their energy will be focused on the staff and other patrons. In such a situation, the eccentric’s impudent behavior may displease other guests. The manifestation of any, even negative, emotions will become an incentive for the eccentric to continue provocations. In this case, it is worth switching his attention to something else.

An eccentric is very susceptible to compliments and flattery; he will like it if you ask whether he liked all the dishes. He may be pleased by your words that he is very similar to some celebrity. Eccentrics are very easy-going, so it will not be difficult for you to return him to a good mood. When communicating with such a guest, pay attention to your intonation and follow your gestures: the eccentric perceives every detail as a reaction to himself, and he can interpret your accidental sigh as demonstrative disrespect. If you didn’t hear what drink the eccentric ordered, ask him again. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that it is your fault: “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear...”, otherwise there is a chance that he will think that you are hinting at his poor diction or too quiet voice. Eccentrics visit establishments that match their own.

The most popular or newly opened bars, cafes and restaurants are especially popular with them. An unusual design solution, serving and cuisine is the main request of such an audience. The unique concept of the establishment is very important to them, so themed restaurants and bars are of particular interest to eccentrics.

Pedant

Despite the fact that the word “pedant” sounds problematic, guests of this type try to avoid conflicts. They are prone to self-criticism and scrupulous analysis of their own actions, and therefore are rather indecisive. They experience any stressful situation again and again in their heads, which causes pedants to be in a depressed mood.

Despite their dislike of quarrels, they react violently to disturbances in order. An error in serving, the wrong choice of glass for wine, inappropriate treatment by staff will cause indignation in such a person. Even if the pedant is wrong in his remarks, meet him and don’t start an argument. Most likely, the guest will not have time to find the words - he will spend too long choosing arguments, will end up feeling humiliated and, perhaps, will never return to your establishment.

The goal of a pedant is to find an establishment in which everything would suit him. When he finds this, he will become a permanent guest there. Guests of the pedantic type tend to choose a few favorite dishes and drinks and constantly order only them. They are not inclined to experiment. This same quality explains their love for the classical style. Pedants prefer “understandable” establishments, for example, fish or meat specialties. In serving, they may like the laconicism and obvious combination of the dish and its serving. For example, steak on a wooden board.

Conformist

The conformist is the exact opposite of the eccentric and the pedant. Such a person strives to look and behave like everyone else: he can rarely be seen alone in a bar or restaurant, he feels more confident in company, and he leaves communication with the outside world to the leader of the group. His tastes and preferences also depend on the opinion of the group. A conformist very rarely comes into direct contact with service personnel; he is characterized by the phrase “I’m like everyone else.” If he takes part in the conflict, he plays a passive role in it and remains in a position of support. The main difficulties arise when a conformist is in forced solitude - without the control of his group and its leader, he becomes unpredictable.

TOThe conformist does not see the behavioral model that he must conform to and plunges into a state of stress. His reaction becomes sluggish, which irritates him even more. The best way out of this situation would be your advice: recommend to the conformist dishes that ALL your visitors like, who ALL CONSTANTLY order.

Loner

A loner will never come to a noisy establishment where the tables are too close to each other. He prefers deserted cafes, where he has the opportunity to calmly think about his own things. He is withdrawn into himself because it is very difficult for him to be in a place where people can come at any moment. Such a guest is asocial and cold; he will ignore any attempts to establish communication, so you should not be surprised at the gloominess of a loner and take his unsociability personally.

Without further ado, just bring him his order and pay on time. The guest will be grateful to you for not pestering him with conversations and questions about whether he liked everything. If single people come to a cafe, then they have only one goal - to eat, that is, they were really hungry and were forced to come.

Optimist

An optimist is characterized by a consistently good mood, energy and uncontrollable activity; he is focused on communication. He is characterized by active gestures, a fast, sometimes confused pace of speech, jumping from one thought to another, spontaneity, talkativeness, and constant reassessment of his own capabilities.

This is the type of guest who always orders more than he can eat - he even measures the capacity of his stomach with his energy. In general, he is friendly, not prone to nit-picking, conflicts and scandals. He will accept any mistake in service or presentation with understanding and allow the staff to correct it.

The problem may be his impulsiveness and frivolity. Optimists can change their order several times or refuse dishes when they have already been served. You should be cautious about the fickleness of their decisions.

However, an optimist can express his energy and love of adventure not only through communication, but also through immoral actions. Such a person must find an outlet for his energy, and when he does not have such an opportunity, he begins to behave indecently. Be attentive to the mood of such a guest: if he goes wild, it will be almost impossible to stop him.

Optimists find it very difficult to be alone, so they may sit at the table with other people or talk obsessively with staff. Under no circumstances should you ignore such a guest; try to exchange at least a few words with him while serving the dish.

Guests of the optimistic type love bright accents; they often find a reflection of their own personality in them. The shape is not so important to them as the color: a brightly colored plate will easily satisfy this request.