Upselling Consumer Behavior

People like being told by others what they want. Simple as that. How many times have you been out at a restaurant, scanning the menu for what seems like hours, only to reach the conclusion that you have no idea what the hell you actually want? Maybe this doesn't actually happen to you. Maybe you always know what you want, and don't need someone to hold your hand and help you choose. But believe me, I see it happen all the time. Usually, I'm the one doing the hand holding...

My name is Olivia, and essentially, I get paid to hold people's hands, influence their behavior, and help they make decisions. That description makes me sound like some sort of a high school guidance counselor, but I'm just a server at a restaurant in town. A lot of our customers are pretty familiar with the menu; what they like, what they don't, what they'd be willing to try, etc. However, I never fail to work a shift where a customer is completely at a loss for what they want. Insert hand holding here.

"What's good here?"
"Well, were you thinking about a burger, a salad, a sandwich...?"
".....um....I don't know. What do you recommend? Item X or item Y?"

Ryan Gosling gif
(I'm pretty much the Ryan Gosling in this case) 

If I had a quarter for every conversation I've ever had at work that has followed this same basic format, I probably wouldn't need to work anymore. 
When a customer is in doubt, I always try to upsell. Essentially, all upselling means is that I'm trying to get him to spend more money than he was probably planning to originally. And since he didn't know what he wanted to begin with, upselling will more than likely be successful.  

Examples of upselling attempts that have proved to be successful in the past:
1. Would you like to add guacamole with your nachos? 
2. Do you have a preference in vodka for your martini? Nikolai is our well; we also have Grey Goose, Belvedere, Absolut...
3. Would you like to add a soup or a salad to your entree?
4. Would you like to try our creme brulee or tiramisu for dessert?

In short, some people just need to be told what they want, at least in the food industry. When there are many products from which to choose, many consumers get overwhelmed, and lose sight of their preferences, and would rather have an outsider help them choose. Asking others for their opinions or recommendations about a product gives validation to the customer that that product is a good choice. Receiving confirmation about a potential purchase from someone else is who is more well-versed with that product instills more confidence in the consumer, so that they are able to make a decision, and be satisfied with it. 

Being in the service industry can be frustrating, because consumers' behavior is so unpredictable that you never know who can make a decision alone, or who needs a good hand holding.