Archive for Training

Article: “Lehndorff: Spell-check those menus” (Aug.2006)

August 4, 2006 at 2:07 pm · Filed under Advice, Article, Customer Feedback, Customer Service, Manager, Training, Waitstaff

excerpt:
“I should be relaxing during these dog days of summer, but big questions plague my overheated mind. I get picky, picky, picky and wonder:

Why don’t people who write restaurant menus use spell-checker or have someone proofread them before they print them? I constantly catch spelling and grammatical errors among the starters and entrees. When I see “prosciutto wrapped shrimp,” I wonder why there isn’t a hyphen connecting the modifiers, i.e., “prosciutto-wrapped.”

It makes me think there are other details that have slipped below the management’s radar…”

source: “Lehndorff: Spell-check those menus” by John Lehndorff (Rocky Mountain News, Aug.4,2006)

related link:
Resource: Customers list their restaurant pet peeves and annoyances [WaiterBell Blog]

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Web Site: Tip20! – Waiters, Waitresses, Bar Tenders and Service Industry Professionals Resource

July 18, 2006 at 9:22 am · Filed under Advice, Internet, Resource Site, Training, Web Site

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“Tip20!com is the internet’s number one resource for service industry information, tipping practices and industry standards. Please select the category below that suits your needs. Please feel free to browse all categories and give yourself an education in all of the different pieces that make up restaurant and bar industry.”

link: Tip20!com

Article archive includes the folliowing titles:
Scheduling Basics for Restaurant Managers
Scheduling for Slackers
Office Romance

link: Tip20.com Article Archive

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Article: “Dishing up careers – Restaurants in need of skilled help put staff on fast track”

June 29, 2006 at 3:51 pm · Filed under Article, Training, Waitstaff

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excerpt:
“The average employee turnover rate for the food service industry ranges from 45 percent to 63 percent annually, according to the National Restaurant Association. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, turnover within food and drinking services hovers around 20 percent in Montana.

Unfortunately, entry-level employees tend to abandon their jobs at the beginning of the summer, just as restaurants are gearing up for the busy tourist season.

In answer, many restaurants have replaced their career ladders with escalators, offering fast-track training programs and promotions in a bid to earn loyalty from top-level kitchen staff while inspiring those further down the chain.”

source: “Dishing up careers – Restaurants in need of skilled help put staff on fast track” by Tyler Christensen (Missoulian)

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Advice: Sullivision.com’s Free Monthly E-Newsletter

June 21, 2006 at 12:34 am · Filed under Advice, Newsletter, Training

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"Every month you'll receive the absolutely best info-nuggets on how to improve service, selling, training, costs, team-building and leadership in your company.

If you want to get a taste of the great content we're known for, just go to our website at http://www.sullivision.com and click on "Archives" for all the past E-Newsletters. Read 'em and reap!"

link: Sullivision.com's Free Monthly E-Newsletter

Taken from the most recent issue:

excerpt:
One of the most popular topics is how to shave costs without sacrificing speed, quality, accuracy and service. Here’s the top ten most popular cost-control tips: Reward and recognize “waste-watchers.”

Remember that all money is not created equal; $100 in sales is $100…less taxes and expenses. $100 in savings is $100. If a team member contributes an idea that saves you $100, why not reward them with a $20 “commission”? Make it a habit to recognize and compliment your crew members who stick to the proper specs, portions and recipes. If you see it, say it…"

source: Sullivision E-Newsletter (Sullivision.com, May 2006)

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Article: “Ditch the old methods and keep your staff by investing time and money in retention” (May 2006)

June 16, 2006 at 12:42 am · Filed under Article, Financial, Training, Waitstaff

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excerpt:
"We know three things about staff retention:

1. The cost of replacing a staff member is typically at least $2,500, and the cost of replacing a manager generally costs upward of $15,000.

2. The average turnover rate in the industry is 165 percent per year.

3. The favorite lament about staffing is, "You just can't find good help these days."

I've been hearing the same story for 30 years. Enough already. You can find and keep good help if you stop investing in turnover and start investing in retention. So forget the cliches. Here's how to radically improve retention with a Six Sigma approach–the quality-oriented philosophy that drove GE for years–to personnel management…"

source: "Ditch the old methods and keep your staff by investing time and money in retention" by Rudy Miick (Nation's Restaurant News, May 29, 2006) [via FindArticles.com]

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Article: “Pop the Cork on Wine Training” (Jun.2006)

June 13, 2006 at 1:08 pm · Filed under Article, Beverages, Training, Waitstaff

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excerpt:
"As a restaurant operator, if you asked your servers to explain the differences between Syrah and Petite Syrah, would they be able to tell you? It has always been a continuous struggle for most restaurant operators to keep everybody on their service staff capable of recommending, describing, selling, and serving everything on the wine list that management used many hours and resources to create.

…As mentioned, most restaurant operators face a challenge when it comes to implementing an effective wine training program in order to get their servers educated and their wine sales on the rise. There are several reasons this can be difficult for an operator (corporate and independent alike)…" 

source: "Pop the Cork on Wine Training" by Jorge Castillo (Hospitality Net, Jun.9,2006) 

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Reference: “Restaurant Staff Service Tips” (2003)

May 27, 2006 at 8:26 pm · Filed under Customer Service, Free, Reference, Training, Waitstaff

excerpt:
"This guide has been developed by Visa in order to provide service staff with guidelines and suggestions aimed at increasing service standards and gratuities.

This guide runs through a series of service techniques and standards, and makes useful suggestions that are easy to implement and may increase the level of ‘fun’ you have during your career. While the guide may seem a little weighty, any one of the suggestions offered, once implemented, could have an immediate impact on the quality of service you offer and the financial benefits you may receive."

source: "Restaurant Staff Service Tips" by Douglas P. Fisher (Visa Canada, 2003)

This is a free 31 page reference guide for restaurant waitstaff that was sponsored by Visa. Here is some information about the author:

"Doug was the 1997 and 2001 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Management Advisory Services from Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI), an organization representing the leading foodservice consultants from more than 39 countries."

Here are additional free waitstaff resources.

Note: In addition to their free content, many of these sites also promote waitstaff training services and instructional materials.

Read the rest of this entry »

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