ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - August 3, 2007

I am off to Tucson in the morning to attend the summer conference of the Council of Hotel & Restaurant Trainers. CHART is comprised of most of the multi-unit trainers from the hospitality industry and is a terrific resource. If you have multiple units and would like to know more about the group, drop me a line and I'll fill you in.

I admit that the Arizona-in-August part had me a bit worried, but the temps are only supposed to be in the high 80's during the day and the low 70's at night ... in Arizona ... in August. Go figure!

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE
I received this bit of wisdom from long-time subscriber Tom Martin in Clovis, NM:

Recently I overheard an older man instructing a younger man in the three stages of dealing with people. He described them as Telling, Yelling and Asking.

He suggested that we tend to start out telling people what to do. Then, when they don't respond favorably, we yell. When we find that doesn't work, we begin asking. People tend to respond better to asking than telling or yelling. The advice given was to move to the asking stage quickly to save everybody a lot of frustration and grief.

A Note From the Doc:
Much of our management style was developed, consciously or unconsciously, by modeling the managers we worked for in the past. However, some of the folks I worked for in my first jobs would be in jail if they tried to operate that way today!

Not everything we learned is relevant, even if there was a time when we could get away with it. "My way or the highway" will not play with today's workers and only raises everyone's stress level.

If you are not getting the response you want, start asking questions to understand how the situation looks to your crew. They are not responding because that makes sense to them ... and you need to understand why.

The more respectful you are of them, the more respectful they will be of you. When you talk less and learn more, the next steps will become obvious.

WHO’S RUNNING THE JOINT?
Words of Wisdom from The Doc
I have been appalled at some of the behavior I see from (alleged) service staff, not only in restaurants but in businesses of all sorts. From surly "greetings" to downright nastiness, there appears to a general lack of service consciousness out there ... but that is not my point.

It got me wondering: why would an owner or manager, who allegedly should know better, allow such behavior to exist in his/her business?

I suspect that perhaps it is related to the difficulty in finding staff. Could it be that people are putting up with such destructive behavior because they are afraid that if they fire these misfits, there will be nobody to replace them? Have they effectively allowed the inmates to run the asylum because they are scared of what will happen if they exert some authority and direction?

My point is that if you do not run your business, someone else will . . . and they will probably run it into the ground! There is no "reason" compelling enough to entrust your most valuable asset -- the goodwill and trust of your guests -- to untrained, uncaring staff members.

If your crew doesn't know what to do or how to do it, train them. If they are not suited for the job they are in, find another one where they can shine. If they are not right for your business at all, free up their futures! But you cannot accept less than what you know is right or you are not a manager, merely a babysitter for a terminally-ill enterprise.

I appreciate that the job market is tough, but so what? If you have been guilty of accepting substandard performance because of fear that there will be nobody available to work if you fire the slackers, it is time to rear up on your hind legs and take your business back ... while you still have a business!

Of course, if you can truly say that none of this applies to you, then you stand to inherit all the patronage from the folks who still don't get it!

THE AUGUST SURVEY
Grocery prices have increased substantially over the past several months and many areas have seen increases in minimum wage. This forces operators to face some tough decisions. Do you absorb the extra cost? Do you raise prices? Can you tighten up your cost controls enough to compensate? What to do?

This month we look at how operators are responding to this double-whammy ... and how their changes are working for them.

As usual, I will send copies of the survey results to everyone who participates. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collections.

Add your thoughts to this month's survey.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
"What did you learn from your staff today?"
We have learned a great deal during the chat time that comes with our training sessions. Recently one issue reared itself with several menu items.

Despite recipes and other quality control safeguards we may think we have in place, when the executive chef with the educated palate is away from the kitchen for any length of time, the taste of a menu item can change.

If called on it by the waitstaff or a manager; the cooks will say, "it tastes the same as it always has." That may be true to the young cook, but the waitstaff hears, "I'm not listening to you."

We were reminded that if the taste of the menu item is not consistent or the taste is not what it always was, the staff has an answer to those in the kitchen who do not listen -- they just blackball your famous soup!

Unfortunately how they steer the guest away from the offending item, even while trying to be diplomatic, never reflects well on the restaurant. -- Chuck Clarke, Chef Daniel's Seafood Cafe, Kamuela, HI

When you quiet your mind and learn to listen, not only will you learn things you never expected but you will also start to see how those insights relate to the larger picture of what is happening in your business.

Never doubt that the most important (and profitable!) skill you can develop is your ability to truly listen.

What did you learn from YOUR staff today?

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question until they put me in the ground. Just click on the link above and contribute your insights for the common good ... and your own as well!

LIGHTEN UP!
A Noble Experiment
Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten myself up by 50 pounds:

This Week: -5
Since 7/27: -5

One subscriber noted that I did not give a total starting weight. Very observant of him! This exercise is about is losing 50 pounds, not true confessions! Suffice it to say that if I lose much more than that, I will start looking unhealthy!

Several people wrote to say that I inspired them to do the same. If they are serious, I invite them to share their goal and report their progress weekly. I will add it to the report so they will be on record as well.

We all work better when there is someone or something to hold us accountable and my theory is that "going public" with such a personal project will effectively hold my feet to the fire. It would certainly be embarrassing if it turned out that I couldn't follow my own advice!

If you are interested in how it's going, scroll down to the bottom of the EHC each week and check out my progress. If you could care less, don't!

© 2007 Restaurant Doctor