Back to Business…………Not as Usual

What will you have to do to thrive in this new game?

Manage your time wisely

There are so many business owners who have been a part of this major shut down either because of Covid-19 or becoming a victim from the violent destruction in the streets.  And it is devastating, both financially and emotionally.  The hospitality industry has been the hardest hit, unsure of their future and some have sadly boarded up and filed for bankruptcy.  I personally feel sorry for the sole proprietor who is hanging by a thin thread with no answers from their local government.  He needs to make a blind call to either use all his savings or just shut down because the downtime might continue indefinitely.  Using the entire savings is risky because that may not be enough to survive or maybe the economy would get shut down again. Unbelievable.

Our entire family was involved in the total operations of our restaurant but it was many years ago.  At that time people loved going out to dinner, spending money was not that much of an issue and we loved serving the public.  Those were fun and exciting times!  Had we gone through what restaurants are going through right now I have no idea what we would’ve done; our whole family would’ve suffered substantial loses.  We lived on a small lake in upstate New York not near a major city with additional job opportunities. 

So what can be done to help this significant and treasured industry?  Well we know that when private clubs, hotels and restaurants reopen that sizable changes will take place.  According to the current phase, businesses can operate at fifty percent which is nearly impossible to cover all costs.  And the dream of earning a profit will have to be just that for now, a dream.

And what is the major expense in the hospitality industry?  Yep, labor costs.  They may not be able to afford in-house staff but need some vital duties performed.  Managers and owners need to figure out how to navigate this new trend and shouldn’t have to struggle with time consuming tasks.  This is where businesses can uncover and utilize the boomers, you know, us old folks.  Believe it or not most of us are still quite viable and resourceful with an unbeatable work ethic that will never diminish. 

But that is not the best part about us.   You know those nasty benefits that some of these businesses must pay?  Guess what?  We don’t need them!  Most of us are on Medicare, collect social security or have a spouse still working with family benefits.   We are not interested in your health insurance, 401k, uniforms, you do not need to feed us, we don’t need paid time off because we would be temporary, part-time and working from home.  And the chances are slim that we would need maternity leave.  It’s a digital world, it doesn’t matter where we reside.  Here is just an example of the duties I am talking about:

*  Daily check-ins for updates/changes in duties

*  Customer/Member services as in reservations, confirmations or any return calls

*  Signage for table tents, place cards or any monotonous, time-consuming duty

*  Menus – create or update

*  Excel spreadsheets, input of inventories, staffing schedules

* Zoom meetings

Some of us boomers live with pets and plants, burn essential oils, still rise early (we cannot afford to miss one minute at this age!) and take pride in our time management skills.  Use us, we’re here for you.  Whether you are an existing business or a start-up, temporary assistance is available until your business gains the strength needed to hire that perfect employee.

For further details email me, thesuev@gmail.com

How Are Your New Employees Really Doing?

And how are your long-time employees relating to them?

Food and beverage managers are busy people who contribute massive hours to keep a restaurant/club moving in a successful direction.  If you are lucky enough to work in a seasonal business there will always be occasions to train new employees with proper amount of time for onboarding.  And if not then you have your work cut out and time management skills are crucial.  

A question every manager should be asking themselves is what are the existing employees telling the new employees?  To gain that knowledge, intermittent walking around, observing and listening carefully to all employees will get you closer to the truth.  It is the best method to finding out how your company’s culture is being fostered.  You may not have that kind of time to investigate your current culture and how your employees effect it.  On the other hand it would be well worth your while if you did. 

What your workers say on the job and what beliefs are being communicated to new employees can be an ideal benefit or the object of your repeating nightmares.  Your veteran workers who are happy people and grateful to have a job are never the issue and always stand ready to mentor new staff members.

But every business has their share of “sacred cows” or functional miserable people who feel insecure when new employees enter the scene. The most dangerous seasoned employee is the cunning and clever low self-esteem person. They know exactly when to behave appropriately in front of a supervisor and how to deflate a new employee behind a supervisor’s back.  Management may never see the damage and then wonder why the new employee did not work out.  I have mentioned in my blog how important an exit interview is to seek the truth when someone unexpectedly throws in the towel and quits.   

If a new employee attempts to report the bad situation by talking to management it may not go well.  The longtime, deceitful employee will usually be forgiven or a get a slap on the wrist because of their lasting service.  It’s apparent that they were never made accountable for their actions.  More times than not, the members or the most esteemed customers love that longstanding employee and never witnessed the intimidating behavior.  So new employees either navigate a way around the abusiveness or look elsewhere for employment.

When management finally gets to observe the ugly behavior of the seasoned employee, are they willing to step up and do the right thing?  If the owner of the restaurant, CEO or president of the private club does not agree with the offenses then it will maintain business as usual.  The fear of losing a management position might stop any further corrective action.

As a successful and respectable manager you must not add to the spreading cancerous activities of the long-time employee.  A supervisor should never be afraid of repairing negativity or reporting abuse of an employee because they face risk of losing their job.  If proper documentation was recorded each time an injustice occurred then there would always be back up which protects you.  Guidance should be provided for the troubled employee along with repercussions if no improvement is achieved in a specific amount of time.  Do the right thing, your finest employees are watching to see what you do and waiting to perform their best.

Interview Questions

Hiring the most appropriate person is not an easy task. We tend to hire servers, bussers and bartenders based mostly on experience. It’s just as important to hire based on their ability to embrace your company’s culture. I think we’ve all had at least one experience where a knowledgeable employee was let go not being able to adhere to your club’s/restaurant’s values.

Finding good food and beverage employees has been such a task with a small sampling to choose from. We should see a change because of our current economic situation and people looking for work. Hopefully there will be an abundance of applicants for a wider selection.

Server training is more than just having the energy and ability to perform the duties. How can we zero in on an applicant’s abilities and cultural beliefs to see if they’ll be an asset? Here’s a sampling of questions to ask that can assist you with better decisions about who to hire.

1. What is your favorite and most productive atmosphere to work in?

Their answer will state if they will be a functional part of your team.  If they say their most successful arena is quiet and low key and not in a crowd of people you need to pay attention.  Will you hire that server because of their great smile and awesome list of experiences only?  You may be setting yourself up for disaster when you realize you cannot make them adapt to a team setting.  Instead maybe they can have an integral part by placing them in a back of the house or secretarial position.  Who knows, in time they may want to come out of their shell and want more action. On the other hand if the candidate loves to be around people with various backgrounds and ages then you are closer to having a star on your team. Look for a good energy vibe and the training should be a breeze.!

2.  Once initial orientation and training is complete how would you feel about paring up with one of our successful servers for continuous and in depth learning about proper procedures, our culture and awesome Members?  

This should be an immediate yes answer.  It indicates the new employee’s desire to truly learn about the entire spectrum of how your Club operates with a long time, respected server.  If their body language reads more negative they may feel that being part of a successful team is meaningless and that they can run solo with preconceived notions of their own. And it’s not like you want cookie cutter employees but there should be standards and procedures in place for everyone to follow.

3.  Can you name a time when you had to adopt a new set of behaviors/values to fit your circumstances (e.g., live outside your country, move in with a family more diverse than yours, a new job)?  How did you do?                                                                      

The answer to this question would tell you how flexible the candidate will be learning about the Club’s culture.  We all have witnessed a brilliant, talented server lose their job because they find it difficult to adhere to different set of behaviors.  Listen for clues of either acceptance or resistance. If they had no such experience but have a desire to learn then it’s up to the managers/trainers to take the time to assist them along the way. Let the new employee know that changes are evident throughout our lives and how we master those changes will make the difference between our successes or failures.

4. State the Club’s values and ask the candidate which value(s) they easily connect with.  Why?   

You will see how well they accept and appreciate the values and maybe the applicant has a different set of values that were instilled at an early age. Let them tell their story. If pride in their work is important then make sure the Club showcases instances when employees take pride in what they accomplish.  You can share a story about how you came to accept the values as they may have been different from your last job or your previous life.  Sharing a short personal story will help them relax and stay open for more detailed answers.

5.  If you could open any business, what would it be?  And why?                                                           This reply could tell you if there is a sense of leadership or entrepreneurship on their horizon.  They could have new, effective ideas that nobody thought of.  Sometimes we get caught up running an operation so long that we could use a new set of eyes for inspiring new suggestions.

6. What is your favorite hobby? Why? If the applicant has a hobby they absolutely love, you will not have to ask them why.  You will be able to hear and see the passion from them.  As mentioned in my blog, if the candidate collects a specific kind of item you’ll realize they already show qualities you’ll want on your team, paying attention to detail, patience in collecting only the best and passion for the hobby.

Thank you for reading this blog and email anytime with questions.

Reopening of Restaurants

What will it take for you to return to your favorite restaurant?

Covid-19 has placed us in an unpredictable set of circumstances.  It’s been over a month of distancing ourselves and it’s hard to think about our world ever going back to the way it was.  What will it look like for food establishments when they reopen?  And which ones will never be able to open again?  Will it be a matter of how much money restaurants have and how long they can survive without revenue?  If they open what will it take for customers to come back?  I have lots of questions.

There are so many inquiries about the future of restaurants because they do not have the captive audience like private clubs.  The revenue of a restaurant depends solely on bringing customers into their establishments.  So what is going to take to accomplish such a feat?  Let us go back in time before the virus and remember why we frequented those restaurants to begin with.

Of course I can only speak for myself in knowing why I have my favorite places to eat.  If you have read my blogs then you already realize the importance of restaurant employees making me feel like I’m at home with friends, that beautiful warm welcome.  The menu items aren’t as crucial because I can always find something that I will enjoy.  Cleanliness is essential because I will be ingesting what employees will be touching.  Paying attention to detail, proper serving techniques and safety procedures also have significance.

Out of the many reasons to trust restaurants again I believe the most important will be safety.  How are restaurants going to make me feel safe in their care?  I certainly did not quarantine myself for weeks staying healthy for a restaurant to have the ability to take me down in a couple of hours.  I want to feel their protection as soon as walk in the door.

Perception is of the utmost importance because what I see goes hand in hand of how I’m going to feel.  How I feel will alert me to either returning to that restaurant or decide to cook at home.  One practice could start out with something as simple like an employee opening the door (so I don’t need to touch the handle) to enter the restaurant.  There’s my moment of truth and hopefully sets the scene for the remainder of my stay.  I still want that warm welcome just not as close to my face as in the past.  And it goes without saying that cleanliness of the entire restaurant is critical.

 I would be looking at the servers and their behaviors to see if I’m really going to remain in my chair and eat what they serve me.  The servers will be the conduit for the restaurants’ success.  I used to tell the employees that they were on stage and being watched constantly, so it was important how they conducted themselves.  During and after this virus servers will be scrutinized with every move they make until customers feel safe and retraining will be vital.

Maybe the tables are no longer preset because they are not protected if someone decides to sneeze walking by.  Okay, in that case my mind would be set at ease with a server handing me a warm roll up using tongs; again it’s a feel like the employees are sensitive to my concerns.  Or when I’m finished with the washable menu I witness someone sanitizing them before being used again.  As far as the kitchen prepping your meal, you’ve trusted them before and there is no reason why not to have faith in them now.

Proper table service can make a customer have the sensation of being protected or cringe and ask for the check and fly out the door!  Servers’ elbows should not be brushing close to a customer’s ear when serving them.  Fingers cannot be touching anything where someone is putting their mouth and customers enjoying their company shouldn’t be aware of the server’s presence half the time.

Managers should be walking around and available constantly for questions or concerns from the customers.  To guarantee the evening was nothing less than exceptional managers must do one last check as they open the door to walk customers out.  As usual these standards are my opinions only.  When it’s finally safe to go out to dinner give your favorite restaurants a chance as they desperately need our support. 

Onboarding

It shouldn’t be your “business as usual” orientation or fast track training

When I think back at the times when some employees were thrown into their positions (and I’m guilty of being a part of it), it appalls me!  In the food and beverage industry there are many occasions when under-staffing does occur.  It’s usually at the busiest time of the season and it was acceptable to toss the new employee right into the deep end of the pool. You know what I mean, give them a handful of knowledge and let them sink or swim at that busiest time and see how they fair. I’m quite certain that I was responsible for some innocent server’s hate of the industry, therapy sessions and nightmares. 

Thank God we’ve learned what NOT to do anymore.  It’s an unpleasant experience for the new employee to feel like they just got pushed off The Empire State Building.  But it’s also quite frustrating to the seasoned employees and members/customers.  There are unfortunate stumbling blocks managers experience when hiring, onboarding and training.  Even though intentions are good issues can get in the way.

For instance if the business is seasonal then attention to the labor budget is critical.  This states exactly how much time you’re able to spend with the new employee before revenue streams in to justify the labor costs.  If thoughts are given to the long-term effects of how it either benefits or damages your business or deflates the new employee, you may want to rethink your labor/training budget.

Hiring the right person for the job is also a first critical step for making sure you create and grow a successful employee.  I know we’ve all heard this before that “anyone can be a server” and I’ll be the first one to tell you that’s not entirely true.  Some individuals are not “people pleasers” but instead they thrive successfully alone in an office setting.  Lowering our standards to hiring just warm bodies is unacceptable and not fair to anyone in the building.

A potential employee may have the skills needed to perform all the necessary duties but are they a good fit for the culture of your business?  Some of those concerns can be lessened during the interview process by asking specific questions.  Just hiring someone because they’re experienced is not the answer if their behavior falls off the spectrum of whatever’s normal for your particular organization. 

Another stumbling block occurs after the technical part of the training is finished.  During the busy time nobody has a moment to answer questions that the new employee may have.  Either they make a judgement call (and hope they have good moral sense) or ask another employee who may not want to give out the most accurate information.

Adequate time is needed to make sure we’ve provided enough of a comfort level to put the new employee at ease so continuous learning is successful.  Here are a few suggestions to start:

1.      Every new employee needs to be introduced to all managers and employees and know what everyone’s function is.

2.      Give a complete tour of the facility including all restrooms

3.      Give specifics how you’d like members/customers to be addressed

4.      Go over all procedures for normal front of the house food and beverage operations. Also address safety concerns e.g., emergency procedures (including major disasters, violence in the workplace, 911 procedures, broken glass in the ice bin).  Knowing such techniques can put a new employee at ease and keep everyone protected.

Anything that can be done to create a level of confidence for a new staff member is always a win-win situation. Onboarding and training are important topics that lay the foundation for success and there will be additional content posted soon.

The Art of Dining Alone

Find a restaurant that makes you feel like family

It’s very normal to take something for granted and we all do it at one time or another.  When you spend years with a significant other doing your favorite things together life can toss you an alternate plan.  Whether the loss is divorce or death it makes no difference, a loss is a loss and you’ll need to carry on.

I can recall remaining quite functional in my time of loss but there was definitely something missing and it was entertainment, having fun, going out, meeting people.  It took me a while before the thought of dining alone in a restaurant would seem normal to me.  Let’s face it, years of conditioning and habits make it challenging to spring forward into an altered behavior.  But like anything else a situation can suddenly occur turning your life upside down and a change of mindset is mandatory.

There was a seafood restaurant in Delray that we used to frequent.  The first time walking in there alone was a little heartbreaking.  That feeling immediately dissolved when I was greeted with familiar faces welcoming me with open arms.  Once I made it through the first time dining solo it eventually got a bit easier.  As one of their regulars I would instantly be escorted to the bar where my favorite glass of chardonnay would be poured, place setting arranged and menu handed to me.  I wasn’t alone I was with family.

I moved closer to West Palm Beach and will still take myself out occasionally for dinner.  That same warm, welcoming feeling can be found in Oceano Kitchen in Lantana.  Every time I passed by this restaurant it would be loaded with customers every night it was open.  After searching their website I realized how specialized they are with a new, limited menu daily with the freshest ingredients.  That really got my attention and I was as good as there!

They open at five and I was excited and waiting to be seated.  When asked if I’d like to sit at the Chef’s table I immediately said yes and knew I was in for one awesome experience.  It was like being part of the show and watching how they operated their kitchen and the care given to each order.  The Chef and his crew treated me like I’ve been there a million times and made me feel at home with light conversation and smiles.  Dinner and the service were out of this world and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

That wasn’t the end of my amazing experience.  A single woman came in and sat next to me at the table, smiled and asked me if this was my first time here.  When I told her yes she looked at me with a sincere smile and said, “welcome to the family.”   Wow!  What a remarkable feeling. 

For those of you who’ve read my blogs know that it’s not always about the food that attracts me to a restaurant.  It’s how the employees make you feel and Oceano Kitchen happens to be one of the unique restaurants that possesses both qualities. 

If you’re single for whatever reason don’t think twice about dining alone, Oceano Kitchen is waiting to offer you an experience you’ll always remember.  My personal thanks to Chef/Owner Jeremy Bearman, his wife Cindy (whose desserts are to die for!), the Chefs and wait staff for removing the stigma of dining alone.  I’ll be back!

Documentation

Why do some managers believe that documentation makes them the bad guy?

Employee write ups are never popular but it can save your job and the company you work for

Employee documentation is necessary for a couple reasons and some managers can completely miss the boat on this subject.  It’s that fear of becoming known as the “bad guy” who’s famous for dragging employees in the office for punishment.  I’m quite certain you were hired for your skills and experience and not to become best friends or popular with the employees.

There is a much bigger concern to look at when we talk about keeping documentation on employees. As a manager the first responsibility is to protect yourself, your organization, club, restaurant, etc.  Another responsibility is to your employee to guide their way to success. When all those concepts are cemented down in your gut you will realize that documentation is vital to everyone’s wellbeing. 

There will always be a few employees who need guidance and just talking sometimes doesn’t work.  Let’s say a new server (we’ll call her Linda) started training and everything seems to be going well. Then you’re hearing some under current from other employees and witnessing that Linda isn’t performing side work procedures correctly. When you bring Linda into the office and first ask her if everything is okay she says that all is well. When you mention that her side work isn’t acceptable Linda comes back with an apology and says that she’ll be more careful. It’s a good idea to follow up and have Linda continue training with a seasoned server and with someone you trust. Document what happened and state your solution to resolve it.

There could’ve been a hundred reasons why all the sudden Linda took a bad turn. It’s very important to stay on top of this situation. Hopefully it was an isolated incident and Linda is back on track, becoming successful and one of your super stars. But if the negligent behavior continues and worsens Linda needs to return to the office for a write up.  It’s mentioned again how important proper procedures are and that her standards are not up to par.  Give Linda time to explain but after that her signature is needed on the documentation.  If she refuses to sign then it’s time to bring in another manager to sign instead, stating that Linda refused to.

Linda’s behavior is now cancerous and the employees are looking to you to fix it.  By now it’s clear that Linda will be signing her way out the door and this should not be a slow process.  If you’ve done everything possible for her then there’s nothing to worry about if Linda decides to sue you personally and the company.  Your decision for continued training and further valid documentations will keep a lawsuit at bay. There may be a boat load of meetings with her attorney(s) but completing your due diligence will eventually pay off.

Now that’s how you protect your company and yourself from possible lawsuits and spending thousands of dollars. And your job is saved because of taking the time and the uncomfortable effort to document and do the right thing.  It’s not a far-fetched story; it happens more than you realize.  Do not get caught up in something that will follow you to your next job interview.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that write ups are great tools when you employ someone who just needs guidance in the right direction.  They may get one write up and when their light bulb goes on you never have another issue with them again!  Not only do they become your super star but they thank you for taking the time to direct them properly.  That’s one awesome employee who was lucky to have you as a manager.

Manager Meetings

Short and Sweet

We should remember that how we communicate in a meeting with employees is powerful enough to drive a business into the ground.
It also could allow a business to succeed to amazing heights. Clarity from the sender to the receiver is imperative.
A manager needs to be aware of a few things when conducting a meeting with employees. Most of the time the communicator is focused on sending out information with little regard of clearness to the receiver. It’s important for employees to understand the content; they need to understand what is being said. Giving examples about a subject is effective because it allows the employees to associate with something or relate to.

Also note that everyone learns differently. For instance if I’m going to acquire new information effectively I will be most successful if I hear it, read it, and write it. I’m amazed at the people who can learn new information instantly, retain it and recall it at will.
Another suggestion is to take notes at a meeting so there is something to refer to when the manager is not available to help the new employees. And it doesn’t usually do any good to ask a coworker because they may have heard the wrong information and didn’t bother to ask for a clear explanation. Now there’s a potential disaster!

The meeting should be brief, have a comfortable atmosphere to enable questions (and yes, there are NO stupid questions!) and have a manager who is approachable for further explanations. It doesn’t matter how many times the manager asks if everybody understands. If the atmosphere is not conducive to a level of comfort a shy employee would rather “wing it” instead of taking the chance of looking like a fool.

I’ve learned to take a chance and ask questions in a meeting rather than look like a fool on the floor in front of customers/members or worse, the general manager!
That nauseated feeling of looking inept is something I will avoid at all costs; asking questions in a meeting has become minor.
When employees are well informed and perform well it reflects on them, on the management team and ultimately the general manager. Let it be a wonderful domino effect not a disastrous one.

I’m certain we’ve all had that feeling of satisfaction and contentment at work.
It’s when everyone is at the top of their game with the information needed to be successful. It’s when body language is fitting, the atmosphere is light and pleasing, everyone is walking with a sense of purpose and helping each other.

And before you realize it your shift is over and you’re looking forward to tomorrow.

Sanitation

It’s not a pretty subject but vital in preventing food-borne illnesses

Food-borne illnesses are caused by consuming contaminated food or beverage through various bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and harmful chemicals. Paying attention to some simple rules and keeping your senses alert can prevent someone or you from getting seriously ill.
Many people depend on the expiration dates to let them know if a food item is still good enough to digest. And I’ll tell you that date should be used as a guideline only; it should not be taken seriously.

Have you ever poured a big, cold glass of milk and as soon as you were ready to take a big gulp it smelled like cheese curls and you gagged uncontrollably? What if you poured that same glass of milk and never smelled it and it was for someone else instead? Huh.
As a server you would look very negligent to the customer/member and you can bet that the manager will find about it. As a side note remember that incident can easily make the customer/member have very little faith in anything else you do for them.
It literally will leave a bad taste in their mouth for a long time. In fact that newly acquired lack of trust can trickle down to the entire organization.

Look at those expiration dates but use your God given senses that you were born with. Your eyes can sense when an item is no longer edible and needs to be discarded. When a product changes texture or color you should see yellow flashing lights go on in your head! Milk is not chunky, the color of mold does not belong slathered all over your bread, layers of thick mucus-like slime have no business napping on your fresh fish, beef or pork. And neon green is the color of a sign and should not be seen on potatoes.

Thank goodness we also have a nose for back up when we just can’t believe our eyes.
It’s appalling to me when I forget something in the fridge and the item gets shoved in the back for weeks.
Oh boy does my nose ever take over what my eyes couldn’t see. Thank you Jesus!

The sense of touch is necessary if you don’t own a keen nose for smell
or didn’t have your contacts in to see the disgusting slime on the fish. But you sure could feel any sort of slippery gunk.
The subject of sanitation is immense and I’ll be covering more in another segment.
We will go over the simple rules to follow in keeping all of us safe from severe illnesses including the flu.

Practicing good sanitation creates habits that we can use in our daily lives and teach our families.
I’m not certain that I’ve ever had food poisoning because it mimics other health disorders.
The people who’ve told me they experienced food poisoning makes me turn green just thinking about it. It may have happened years ago but their experience is still raw
and I have zero interest in ever finding out what that feels like.

In the meantime, wash your hands a million times a day and don’t put your fingers and hands where somebody will be putting their mouth.
​That should be easy, right?

Proper Verbiage

Habits are Hard to Break

It may not seem fair but how we speak to people is how we’re looked at, stereo-typed, profiled. Being appropriately dressed for a job interview without the proper use of language will not necessarily get you hired.
​
Nobody acquired the use of slang better than I did especially in high school way back then.
​ It was the way to talk and most of us did what everybody else did to be cool.
How I spoke became a habit and every once in awhile I’d get the stink eye from my Dad.

And then you wake up one day, must work for a living and learn how to speak all over again. Some of those habits were very hard to break. It’s not always about using slang words it’s also using words that are correct but don’t have a positive vibe. There was no YouTube back then and the best way to learn something was to go to the library and read about it, go to a seminar or find a successful role model.
With today’s technology you can teach yourself anything without leaving your home.

Here are just a few easy examples of how to change the “feel” of what you’re trying to communicate to a customer or member:
It makes a difference when you switch the word “can” with “may” but sometimes it’s easier said than done.
When saying “Can I help you?” Use “How may I assist you?”
When saying “Can I get you a drink?” Use “May I offer you a beverage this afternoon?”
When saying “Can I take your plate?” Use “May I remove your plate?”
When saying “Can I get you another drink?” Use “May I freshen your beverage?”

You can hear how different the word “may” sounds, it sounds softer, more polite and caring. When I’m dining out I do not like when a server asks me if I want another drink or cocktail.
It makes me feel like I have a drinking problem, like I’m on drink number seven or something. But if they ask if I’d like my beverage freshened it sounds better to me.

Here are more easy switches that will have additional positive effects:
When saying “How is your lunch?” Use “Is everything to your satisfaction?”
When saying the word “What” Use words like “I beg your pardon?” or “Pardon me?”
When saying the word “Yes” Use words like “I’d be happy to,” “Absolutely,” or “Certainly.”
When saying “Thanks for coming.” Use “Thank you for dining with us this afternoon.”

Boy, I hate to admit it but I really believe my ninth grade typing class and English class were very instrumental in how I talk and email today.
I thankfully learned how to discriminate ​when using my slang lingo (Thanks Dad).
​When texting I still like to use a capital (yes, upper case) letter to start a sentence.
Habits cam be hard to break but it's possible
​

PASSION VS EXPERIENCE

 Dare to look beyond experience when interviewing potential employees

A manager is asked to hire only the best which typically revolves around experience, appearance and manners for the given position. I understand how important experience can be especially if there’s little time spent on training.
It’s equally important to hire someone who has compassion and a passion for something, anything.

If a potential employee mentions they have a love for collecting rocks and they own two million of them they may be someone you need on the team. There are specific abilities and traits that are needed for this passion. Paying attention to detail and patience in collecting only the best rocks are abilities that not everyone has or cares to have.
Detail would be essential for doing inventory, charging the proper guest the accurate amount on their check or making sure hot food goes out hot.
Patience is key when working with the public, employees and multiple personalities.

Additional skills that can be beneficial from having a passion is learning, growing and keeping an open mind to thinking outside the box.
It’s healthy (both mentally and physically) to have a project/hobby that can be explored outside of work unlocking unlimited creativity.
The best kind of sideline is one that takes us away from daily routines, keeps us present, costs little to nothing to accomplish and creates a satisfying smile.
And let’s face it we all need a special place to go to release life’s stress.
There’s nothing like breathing in fresh air walking the beach, strolling through the woods listening to all nature’s creatures or the smell of a cool night’s flickering campfire.
All our senses deserve to escape daily repetition and indulge into whatever our hearts desire.
We just need give ourselves permission.

Let’s compare an experienced server with a server who also possesses compassion. The experienced server waits for everyone to sit down before taking a beverage order.
The compassionate server takes a couple of minutes to assist the people getting seated before taking the beverage order. The guests immediately develop an impression that they are in good capable hands with their second server.
I should also mention that if the compassionate server should make any errors
while waiting on those guests, chances are those mistakes will be forgiven and forgotten.
People will always remember how someone makes them feel, not so much how they perform.

I’ll never forget the time I was interviewing a gentleman for a server position who had zero experience and I was supposed to hire experience only.
He had everything else ​in his favor that can’t be taught, sincere smile, animated, energetic, grateful for my time.
I finally had to ask him why he’d interview for a position he had no knowledge of.
He told me that he had a strong desire to try something different in his life.
I hired him on the spot; he had me at strong desire.
He turned out to be an awesome employee and I learned to listen outside my brain when interviewing.

Be the Requested Server

Paying attention to detail

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME SO GOOD THAT PEOPLE REQUEST YOU?

It doesn’t take what you think to become the best server on the floor. Think about the times you’ve gone out to dinner. Why is a certain restaurant or club your favorite? Consistency in the food and drinks are very important and not an easy task. But it’s also important to have someplace where the servers are just as reliable with amazing attitudes.
A well-educated server may know all the specials, able to rattle off every kind of vodka and wine on the menu and delivers exactly what you’ve ordered like a robot.
That server isn’t necessarily the best if they have a know-it-all attitude or they're not hospitable.

The server who doesn’t know everything but approaches the table with a warm and sincere smile and asks how everyone’s day is going can easily surpass the well-educated server and I’ll tell you why. This is someone who genuinely loves her job, people, learning and loves life in general. This server is human enough to say she doesn’t have an answer but excuses herself to immediately obtain one. When she returns with the answer it’s with efficiency and an enthusiastic smile.

How about the next time you visit that restaurant/club and that same server calls by name? That feels very welcoming like you’ve just walked into your best friend’s house. You already know that server’s attitude, table side manner
and you recall that server being attentive (but not overly obnoxious). Now you feel like your guests are in good, capable hands. And that’s how a server can become a requested one.

Servers are important people who possess the ability to enhance your business or tear it down causing a customer to never return. Some customers or members won’t say anything about the dreadful service and you’ll never know what damage was done. Unfortunately it may eventually come out in the open when that server waits on your top customer or the president of the club. Now you’ve got real problems when you must answer to them and that’s when heads can roll, including yours as a manager for hiring, training and retaining that server.
A few of my favorite places to go will usually have one or more of the servers who make me feel at home. I love walking in and hearing my name with a sincere smile and feeling like they REALLY want me there! And honestly the food doesn’t need to be the best in town; it helps but it’s not the number one reason why I go there.
It’s about the whole experience to be shared with family and good friends.
I know that I’m about to embark on an enjoyable evening ​and that is what keeps me coming back asking for that same server.

Communication

IT’S WHY YOUR DAY RUNS FLAWLESS AND IT’S WHY YOUR DAY CAN BE A DISASTER

The sharing of information passed from one person to another would appear to be easy.
And yet more times than not something is going to get misconstrued and we wonder why. There are a variety of reasons why this happens. If it occurs more than you’d like it to then let’s see if we can figure out which one of these puzzling concepts sound familiar.
Communication comes in a few varieties and I’ll use the food and beverage industry as examples but this content goes across the board to all industries.

Lack of communication is when information is not completely provided or worse yet, when the information isn’t provided at all. It either can have an effect that’s irritating or it can have a serious life or death consequence.
​Either way it’s preventable when proper two-way communication is exercised.
Example – Sally takes an order for ten people and eight of them ordered their favorite
sweet potato fries. The kitchen never told anyone they were out of them.
Sally not only needs to go back and rectify that order but a few of the people are disappointed.
Reordering needs to happen fast and Sally has three other tables waiting for her to take their order.
Can we guess how the remainder of Sally’s shift may go?

Miscommunication is when the information is delivered incorrectly or received incorrectly. Bits of information expressed sometimes slip between the cracks. And sometimes that sender is accurate but the receiver fails to get it correct. The clarity of the message sent is just as important as making sure the receiver is actively listening.
Example – A member orders a vodka on the rocks with a splash of soda. The server didn’t repeat back the order, heard incorrectly and brought vodka on the rocks and a separate glass of soda water. Yep, another trip to a very busy bar to correct the order. As usual, other tables are patiently waiting to order.

Too Much Communication – is when the vital information gets lost in the sea of too much talking, too many unnecessary words (a sure case of logorrhea, my word of the day).
Instead of the receiver asking for clarity he/she must invent what makes sense of it all.
This is never a good thing and can have damaging results.
Example – A server is attempting to deliver an order for another server and asks where it needs to go. The directions are so vague and masked by an enormous amount of words that not only was much time wasted but the order was delivered to the wrong table; cold food and a return to the kitchen.

Non-Verbal Communication – is my most favorite type of communication and it’s the largest percentage of communication! Wouldn’t you think we’d pay better attention to this one?
Case in point, how does a manager expect employees to be effective, happy workers
when they see their manager has a slumped posture, doesn’t show up for work on time,
has zero eye contact, chews gum like a cow with cud and consistently
wears facial expressions of contempt or distress?
Another example – A bartender is being trained and the trainer (who has seniority) has an appalling attitude, speeds through the side work inadequately, talks down to the servers and hangs on the bar
​with feet on the rail. We all know that one coworker with seniority filled with entitlements
(that’s a loaded subject all by itself!!).
We need to be careful who’s conducting our training and what monsters we create.
Communication is the key ingredient in every relationship and in everything we do.