- Be a Role Model for Them
How you act and portray yourselves to the staff and customers is mostly how your fellow staff will react as well as they look up to the way you behave. It is important to portray yourself at your best, having the ready-to-serve attitude, positive mindset, being professional – strict but approachable, and delivering good customer service for all customers. No staff would like to have a supervisor/manager that is always gloomy and comes to work with a bad mood and attitude the entire time. It demoralises the team spirit and they would not feel enjoyable working in your restaurant. The negative vibes radiated may lead to them portraying the same negative mindset and unprofessional behavior towards their colleagues and customers, which would cause your restaurant’s reputation to suffer.
Imagine this – you badmouth a customer that was fussy and hard to please. Your staff overheard it and he/she may also feel that it is okay to do so since you, as the manager or supervisor, is doing it. With many staff following the same footsteps, it is harder in the future for the team to change their negative mindset as they get used to it. This will lead to a bigger problem for your restaurant with the staff having a negative attitude towards customers. Therefore, you should act as their role model and portray yourself as the most customer-oriented person they have ever seen. Impress them with your skills and tactics, give them helpful pointers and train them to be a professional customer-service personnel as you are.
- Be Respectful to Them
It is very common to see supervisors/managers reprimanding their staff. There are hierarchies in many workplaces including restaurants, but that does not mean one can abuse his/her position and treat the staff disrespectfully. We are all human and everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Always keep your words in check and ensure that they do not contain hurt, humiliation or vulgarities to the other party. Hierarchy is to determine the different roles and responsibilities of different staff according to their level and position in the organization and working environment (eg, restaurant). Thus, it is important to not abuse the privilege of being in an upper hierarchy level.
- Listen to Them – Staff is not always at fault
It is inevitable to not be forgetful or make any mistake in the Restaurant scene. Staff have many on their plates and they might also make common mistakes such as forgetting to key in certain orders and spilling drinks etc. It is important to hear them out and not dismiss their explanations. Due to some reasons, they may also have been complained about by some customers. Instead of scolding them on the spot, allow them the chance to speak and let them elaborate on the situation. The saying “Customers are always right” does not necessarily mean that your staff are always at fault. It is essential that you hear both parties, assess the situation and provide the best solution possible. If it’s really a mistake made by your staff, alert them to be more careful in the future and train them on what they should do next time to avoid the same problem from arising again. Your tone should be professional instead of coming off as loud and harsh.
- Reward Them
Staff will feel more happy at work if they know there are certain rewards or incentives that they are able to achieve daily. They are more likely to perform better, always having the positive mindset and delivering good customer service to the customers. For instance, you can include a monthly score-board for Staff of the Month who attain the most number of compliments from the customers and reveal the prize (eg, Movie tickets, Food & Shopping Vouchers etc.) for the respective month. It is an effective way to keep your restaurant staff engaged as it motivates them to achieve winning the attractive prize. This spurs the restaurant’s team spirit and always ensures that they deliver good customer service to all customers at all times. Customers who think the waitress/waiter that is deserving of the positive feedback will be more than glad to write a feedback for the respective staff who have served them nicely. This helps you to gain more insights of your restaurant staff through the various feedbacks made by the customers and nurture your team’s progress as well.
- Treat them more than just a staff or employee
Another trait of being a good superior to your staff is to get to know them, their background and hobbies. By doing so, it shows that you are a good supervisor/manager who regards them as an important asset to the team, knows them beyond just their name and forging strong relationships. It is highly likely that they can feel free to approach you should they need any help or assistance. As the bonds grow stronger, they are more likely to perform at their level best for you and your restaurant.
- Address conflicts between staff promptly
There are bound to be conflicts at every workplace. Some staff may feel that they are being picked on by another senior staff member or some may feel that another staff is competing with them for shifts. As a manager/supervisor, it is your responsibility to address the conflicts and resolve the issues between the parties involved peacefully. Get them to sit down with you and step in to provide the best solution possible after hearing both sides. Otherwise, staff members may hold grudges in their heart and it promotes negative feelings and vibes in the workplace. This causes displeasure and demoralises the staff’s morale and mood to work well, which may lead to the resignation of either staff if they are still holding grudges over the unresolved issues.
- It’s okay to joke around
It is okay to joke around with your staff members as it boosts the team morale and spirits especially during the long, dreadful busy hours. It brings them smiles on their faces and makes their day a whole lot more enjoyable while dealing with many customers and having many on their plates. Jokes and smiles radiate positive vibes as they encourage staff to continue delivering the best customer service possible.
- Include their option in decision-making
Make them feel involved in a part of the decision making process as they belong to the team. It gives them a sense of belonging and boosts their morale. They will also feel respected when their opinions are heard. Being in the front-line operations, they know what is going on in the restaurant and more often than not, their ideas would be very effective and helpful to the restaurant. Be open to incorporate their ideas to make a difference to your restaurant.
- Be appreciative of their efforts
Always remember to thank your staff for the little things and their hard efforts at the end of the day after your operations. The team’s hard work and dedication contributed to the success of your restaurant and its operations. Let them know that you are thankful for their hard work and efforts every now and then. Should there be any extra items left after the operations, be generous and allow them to pack them home for their loved ones instead of throwing all leftovers away. They will feel highly appreciated that their hard work has been acknowledged, rewarded and paid off. At the end of the operations, send a thank you message and appreciation to all team members for their efforts who have helped out and encourage them to always keep the good work up, thus further encouraging and reminding them to deliver good customer service consistently as a team.
