When dining out, fewer things can sour the experience more quickly than a table’s sudden tilting, resulting in a spilled drink or entrees crashing to the ground. Sturdy, well-grounded tables are one of those “little things” that really aren’t so little in customers’ minds—it’s essential to have reliable, stable tables, lest the restaurant’s reputation be affected. In other words, having an unstable, uneven table can be as much of a turnoff as a dirty restroom, inaccurate wait times or bad lighting.
No matter how good the meal is otherwise, a wobbly table can leave a bad taste in the guest’s mouth—guests are paying for an experience, and when it doesn’t live up to what they expected, they may think twice about coming back—even over something as seemingly harmless as a slightly wobbly table.
In fact, according to a YouGov survey, 86% of consumers believe that sitting at a wobbly table is irritating and distracting, and 75% think that tables propped up by coasters, wadded-up napkins, sugar packets or matchbooks is unsightly and unprofessional looking.
Beyond instability, wobbling tables cause waste
Unbalanced tables can cause food to spill, which is not only a safety hazard, but also an operational expense. Spilled beverages must be replaced, and staff resources are required to clean up the mess, refill the cup, and shim up the table legs. Worse, a spill may damage a customer’s clothing or cause a guest to lean under an unsteady tabletop to help solve the problem. Wobbly or uneven tables can tilt dangerously when a guest or employee leans on them, and they can even interfere with wheelchair accessibility.
Self-stabilizing FLAT Table Bases and new Equalizers (for your existing tables) ensure that wobbly tables don’t distract from the incredible food and outstanding customer service operators work so hard to provide. FLAT products stabilize and level tables, and allow multiple tables to be aligned seamlessly to create larger guest-seating groups.
“I have worked in the restaurant industry since I was a teenager, and wobbly tables have been an issue in every restaurant I have worked in,” says Adam Rinella, Director of Development at Burger Lounge, a San Diego chain that specializes in grass-fed burgers. In the past, says Rinella, “we relied on unappealing, makeshift solutions to stabilize our tables,” which had a negative impact on the overall dining experience.
“We embrace the opportunity to correct any problem that directly affects our guests,” he says, from offering healthy sustainable food and prompt service to the ambience to the attention paid to guest comfort. “We currently use FLAT table bases on the outdoor patios in several Burger Lounge locations.”
These bases use patented hydraulic technology to automatically adjust the table’s legs to meet any surface and lock into a stable position. For operations where it’s desirable to use existing tables, FLAT Equalizers are an ideal solution—using innovative technology to take out the wobble in a convenient, screw-in replacement format.
Considering that, according to a YouGov survey, 56% of consumers say they would reconsider returning to an establishment where a wobbly table spoiled their experience, tabletop stability should be on the same checklist for success as consistently tasty food, attentive staff and a clean, attractive dining room.
With over 40 styles of self-stabilizing table bases and FLAT Equalizers for your existing tables—there’s a solution for your restaurant’s wobbles!
Visit FlatTech.com for more information and buying options.
This post is sponsored by FLAT Tech