Strike The Right Balance

A couple of summers ago, I spend three months working in Newport Rhode Island, USA. Sea, sunshine and stunning sunsets, needless to say - it was amazing.  

I had an experience of a lifetime in this small seasonal town. The restaurant I worked in was a family style American grille house. It had a reputation within the local community for great customer service – this is where I learnt all my tricks of the trade.

 

Come on Irene!!!



You see, for those of you who haven’t been to the States, or those of you who don’t understand why American servers shoot you daggers for giving them a miserable tip. A server can earn as little as $1 an hour (before tax) their income is based solely on tips. This works out pretty well in a seasonal town like Newport. Come June you could be walking away with $300 in your back pocket on a busy Saturday night.  Not so great when you get caught in a hurricane as I learnt the hard way when Irene struck and I lost out on a week’s income. We enjoyed the weather though, three tough Irish women in America - we were well able to brace the elements!

The most rewarding thing I walked away with from that restaurant wasn’t the lavish tips when a cruise ship docked. It was learning the ability to deal well under pressure and to think on my feet. This was a necessity for survival in this line of work. Every member of staff was the same we payed such high attention to detail and treated our customers like royalty because without them we had nothing.

When I began working there I thought – this is so different to back home. In Ireland, customers are more understanding, less demanding and altogether easier to serve. I came back to Ireland and discovered the reason why, it is because Irish customers have lower expectations– service here can be sloppy. You are guaranteed a pay cheque whether you serve a dish with a smile or not – so why bother??

Why It Matters

From my last post we saw the power of ‘the word of mouse’ -the importance of good online reputation. The protection of a restaurant’s online status begins with front of house and the waiting staff.

Getting the most out of your staff is the key to success. I have a number of suggestions of cutting down labour costs by implementing simple tips for servers:

1.       Be in action: Always stay busy there will be natural breaks this should be spent paying attention to detail, wiping down menus and salt and pepper shakers for example. It is the small things that customers include in bad reviews.

2.       Multitask: Never leave a service area empty handed. When fetching something for one table think what you need on all the tables in your section.

3.       Manage time: Rate tasks in order of urgency. Prioritise them in order of importance and assign time suitably.

4.       Team work: Have a look around and see what your co-workers need a hand with. If you are filling water in your section do the same for your neighbouring section. This works both ways.

5.       Problem solve on the spot – If there is a problem at a table make management aware and ensure that the customer is given an apology and explanation. This will reduce the bad online reviews.

Strike the Right Balance

Where do you cross the line on multi tasking? Is it acceptable for a manager to strut through a restaurant with a headpiece making reservations like a zombie - only there in body and not mind? Is it acceptable for a hostess to prioritise phone calls rather that an actual customer? What do you think where does multitasking and customer service collide – how much can you do without damaging a customers experience? We’d like to know what you think!

Stay Tuned,

Aisling