A restaurant is only as good as its waiter
November 7, 2007 2:32 PM
How many times have you tipped someone for their service when in truth their service was well below par? I am sad to say I am guilty of rewarding poor service far too frequently. The 'couldn't care less' attitude of some staff is so commonplace nowadays. It reflects so badly on the business they are representing. But all is not lost. There is hope...
I was in a restaurant having a birthday lunch for my daughters 5th birthday on Sunday with family. Food was good but what made the day was the service we got from our waiter. His customer care was terrific. He made our experience what it was - great. This restaurant had struck gold with this guy that's for sure. The customer doesn't forget it when the service is so good. If the food was ordinary or even downright awful this waiter would have still made the difference between us coming back to the restaurant or forever striking its name from our little black book.
In my office we are working with recruitment agencies and contractors everyday. It was a reminder to me to highlight again to my own customer care team the importance of them setting their own high standards and then living up to them. My staff is the shop window to the business just like the waiter in the restaurant. As an employer I try to keep my staff motivated and therefore enjoy their jobs by making them feel part of the development of the business. I want them to know how important they are to the success of the business. By doing this I hope they will go the extra mile for me. You would have to ask them if I do a very good job of this by the way.
The way an employer communicates with his staff is only part of the equation though. The search for those individuals that are self motivated and have pride in their work continues. The old adage remains as true as it ever was - your business is only as good as your people. Just like in that restaurant.
Comments
A very valuable point, well made. Thank you Trevor. It's easy to forget sometimes that people are the moving parts of an organisation's engine. When they move in synch, productivity and performance are at their highest.
I often use 'the reception test' when I'm invited into an organisation. What you see, sense and feel in reception is so often an early indicator of what you will find beyond the swing doors. I've rarely, if ever, been surprised by it. However, the holy grail of performance management still remains how to keep staff motivated and have pride in what they're doing, however lowly they might be. As much as any leader can ignite or extinguish that flame, it is from within that each individual must draw their own inspiration to be as good as they possibly can be. Just like your waiter in the restuarant, I suspect.
Charlie Helliwell - November 8, 2007 7:48 AM
I really like the points you both make. Trevor, in South Africa most of the waiters and waitresses do not get a set wage per hour and it shows through in their service. When you work on tips you make sure your clients want to come back and tip even bigger! Not tipping a bad waiter/waitress is a great learning curve (although you may not want to go back again!).
Charles, spot on as always. Two months ago I started working for this fantastic company, unfortunately it is only a nine month contract. I absolutely love the place, so much so that by the end of the day my face hurts at smiling. Hopefully if I look happy and incredibly motivated, which I am, they will try extend my stay with them.
Bianca - November 12, 2007 10:01 PM
Bianca
A word of guidance. You don't need to try quite as hard as you might think, when you really enjoy your job and the workplace you're in. It will shine out through the quality of your work and your persona. If your current employers are only a fraction aware of the impact you're having on their business, then you will continue to work there well beyond your contract period. However, just be aware that they may not remember quite as clearly as you do, when your contract expires, so there's no harm in reminding them after 7 months or so. That way, you will give them the option of acting ahead of time and will give yourself sufficient headroom to look elsewhere if you need to.
Charlie - November 14, 2007 11:11 AM
Always appreciate Good service, either in kind or in words will help to motivate the service provider .
Abubakar P.H.
Abubakar P.H - December 23, 2007 1:22 PM