The Problem with Problems – Restaurant Management
In one of our restaurants a Floor Manager comes to me and states, “We have a problem. The servers are not selling appetizers and desserts like they should”. Abandoning my “savior” complex that many owners have, I quickly responded, “Are you asking for help to solve YOUR problem”? The Manager, not used to me quickly giving him a solution and directions, looked a little perplexed and admitted it was HIS problem.
The exchange quickly placed the responsibility for the solution at his feet. The next part of our conversation dealt with how to solve his problem systematically. Getting managers to accept responsibility is challenging for any business. Training managers to work through the methods of solving problems is even more difficult.
In the restaurant business, owners ultimately have an instinctive obligation for all solutions to issues that affect the customer’s experience in the restaurant. That means everything from fixing the dishwasher to cleaning a toilet. Training mid-level managers to think through problems and find solutions can take a burden off the owner and ultimately end up with a better restaurant.
Once you can get a manager to understand that problems are their responsibility, you can start to offer methods to solve problems, rather than constantly just finding problems. One training exercise that has worked for me over the years is the crossword puzzle solution system.
A crossword puzzle has many parts that lead to the goal of solving the puzzle. If you break down a problem like a puzzle, into parts, the solution will appear. Most people can find problems easily, but people who can couple a problem with the solution can be your most valuable staff members.
In the example above, breaking down the problem may look like this;
- Are all servers in the same category or do some do better than others?
- Are the servers who upsell making more tips than the servers who don’t?
- Have we trained servers to understand the impact on their income by upselling?
- Do we track appetizer and dessert sales accurately to provide servers with reports?
- Are some servers not doing their job and need replaced?
- Are our appetizer and dessert menus attractive to guests?
- Do we have consistent ongoing training to remind servers to sell?
Once you have the pieces to the puzzle identified, it’s time to start putting the pieces in place. By using the answers to the questions above, little parts become the solution. For instance;
- If some servers do their job and sell appetizers and desserts, you may do a comparison of tips between their average check and other servers’ tips.
- You may want to ask servers why they want to work for less than others.
- A chart posted weekly to see the top to bottom producers may inspire others to stay off the bottom. A free bottle of wine for the monthly leader may be a training reward, while permanently altering habits.
- If needed, reprinting or adjusting appetizer and dessert menus may enhance the efforts.
- Should we replace those servers who refuse to learn?
- Tracking month to month sales over previous periods will tell if the little puzzle parts have solved the problem.
Problems are rarely as dramatic and drastic as they may initially seem. Some of the parts of the solution can be implemented immediately and others may take time. Crossword puzzles are solved the same way. Some answers to the “across” and “down” little parts are easy. Others may take some thinking and research.
Training managers to solve problems like a crossword puzzle will make your life easier and your business run a lot smoother.
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