Week Four: August 1st, 2011
Management's Role in Service
Service Standards
- Establishing Service Standards
Standards vary from fine dining to casual. The text discusses typical full service standards but each operation must interpret what will best suit their guests.
- Management Functions
Organizing
Staffing
Leading
Controlling
Motivating Servers
- management is responsible for seeing that all servers are motivated and that they work in a motivating environment.
- People are motivated to work by a number of factors
Motivated employees can often be detected n the interview
People must possess self motivation to work hard and serve enthusiastically
Creating a motivating environment
One of the most important things managers must do is to motivate emplyees
A positive environment fosters team work and cooperation
Good motivators vs motivation destroyers
- Empowering Employees
- There are many ways to motivate employees toward doing an even better job
- Rewards as Motivators
Monetary rewards and prizes
Employee of the month and year rewards
Bonuses for longevity
Vacation days, dining credits, tickets, passes and trips
Achievement is traditionally rewarded with advancement
- Evaluation as Motivators
It is essential that all workers be treated fairly in scheduling
Dining Room Arrangement
- The dining area must be planned properly for good service
- Kitchen Arrangement
A smooth, one way flow with pick up arranged in sequence of courses is best though some stations may be responsible for multiple courses and/or multiple
stations may be responsible for the same course
Training Servers
- Servers must be trained in what to do, how it is to be done and the professional standard expected.
- The effective trainer
- The training session
- The training space, tools, and equipment
- The "magic apron" is not an acceptable training technique, although it is common
Reservations
- Management is responsible for establishing the reservation system and seeing that it operates as desired
- It is not unusual to overbook by about 10% due to no-shows, cancellations and slow walk-ins but it can be problematic when there are more guests with reservations than there are tables.