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                 Restaurant Report E-mail Newsletter

        For Hospitality Professionals and Food Connoisseurs

                      Issue #112  July 17, 2000

                    http://www.restaurantreport.com
                 mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com
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    (This publication may be freely redistributed in its entirety)
               (Back issues are archived on the website)

In This Issue

*   Reader Feedback
*   Bulletin Board
*   Subscribe - Unsubscribe Info.
 
 
 

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                           READER FEEDBACK
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**Next Post - Re: Employee Handbook

In a small operation, such as a restaurant, the employee handbook must
be written in a manner which will achieve different
objectives.  It can be used as your:

(a) Policy manual  (management and human resources)
(b) General information and orientation tool for employees to cover
industry, industry and employment trends, marketing goals,
management goals, and more.
(c) Communicating and sharing company objectives
(d) Clarifying House Rules
(e) Communicating employee reward strategies and company employee
social events and activities
(f) New employee orientation training tool to be used by Trainers
(g) Motivational Tool
(h) Educational tool as far as Customer Service and Team Work are
concerned
(i) Guideline regarding local laws and regulations
(j) General technical guideline regarding security, safety and food
safety
(k)  Reference tool to be actively used by all regarding the above

The employee handbook must succeed in becoming a "living tool", to be
regularly referred to and help create team work and sharing of company
objectives.  The details of laws and regulations affecting restaurant
operations and labor conditions (union agreements etc.) can be
mentioned in general terms and be easily accessible but not form the
brunt of the information contained in the handbook.  When companies
write soulless handbooks which mainly carry facts and figures their
handbooks are never read in detail nor used to guide employees'
behavior and performance.  A handbook should be written in a way
comprehensible to employees, treating them as intelligent adults,
telling them what the industry and the company are about and which
performance and behavior are expected from them in order to better
serve the client and help the company succeed.

The employee handbook should set the tone of how the operation will
function and how employees will perform.

Actually, I did this for a medium-sized hotel in only 32 pages.  For a
small, family-owned catering operation, I did it in 5 pages. It does
not have to be voluminous.  It is hard work and demanding a lot to
produce a handbook which will fit your restaurant's goals and fit in
with the type of operation, but the results are worth it.  Moreover,
with such a handbook you do not need to compile a Policy Manual or
issue constant memos regarding the different issues.

I hope the above guideline will help pave the direction, with kind
regards,

Claire Belilos - chic@easytraining.com
CHIC Hospitality Consulting Services
http://www.easytraining.com
 

**Next Post - Re: Tip Pooling with Kitchen

Why...in the name of all that's holy...would an owner want (or think
that it's expected) to include the kitchen staff in the server's tip
pool!????

Does the kitchen staff work for the same low rate of hourly pay that
the servers do?

I don't know who determined that the servers should be some kind of
Charitable Trust...but it's absurd!  In some places, it seems,
everyone's got their hand out for a piece of the server's daily tips
earnings...the bartenders; the busboys, the hostess, the bar backs,
the parking valets, etc. etc.  It's no wonder our industry can't
attract enough good people to be eager & motivated waitstaff!!

And now, Mr. Perez, you want to add the kitchen staff to the Handout
Line!!??

That would be fine if you pay EVERYONE the same hourly rate of pay.
However, I don't think you'll keep much of a wait staff in either case
if they have to "tip out" to your kitchen staff as well as the usual
recipients of their expected generosity.

Then, of course, it would only be fair that the Kitchen Staff (and
some of the others, too, for that matter) should be required to give
up part of THEIR pay when a waitperson doesn't get a decent tip or any
tip because the kitchen staff screwed up a party's meal...and how
about those "slow" days, when the waitstaff come in and stand around
for 6-8 hours only to go home with a few tip dollars for their time?
Make the cooks cough up $10 or $15 apiece to compensate the servers on
those days!

On the other hand, I don't know what part of the world you're located
in nor what the local customs are.  I think that in parts of Great
Britain, they all work for a part of a tip pool; but I don't know
where else it's a standard practice.

I'd also suggest that you ought to check the LEGALITY of requiring
someone to give up part of their earnings.  In parts of the USA, it's
illegal to have such a requirement...and even if you're located in one
of those parts of the USA which doesn't specifically prohibit such a
practice, you never the less run the risk of a disgruntled wait person
complaining to the IRS. That will bring you a whole lot of nasty nasty
trouble that you really don't want (i.e. audits because of unreported
tip income -- from non-waitstaff).

By the way, I am a MANAGER not a waitperson...even though the tone of
this reply, I'm sure, is decidedly on the side of the tipped worker.
Think about it...your waitstaff are your most valuable assets...do
they really deserve to be shortchanged in their ability to retain what
they earn out there on the floor servicing your guests?!!

I don't care how good your chef is nor how good your line cooks are,
one or two disgruntled wait persons can turn every diner's experience
into mediocrity any day/evening of the week and/or they can
(literally) DESTROY a restaurant's reputation...practically overnight.
THEY are the ones (and more often than not, the ONLY ones) talking to
your guests.  Does that provide you with any food for thought? Hhmmm!?

You better hope it's "Happy Talk" that your staff is communicating!
My advice is to REVERSE your thinking on this question by 360 degrees.
Go to the opposite extreme to enable your service staff to make MORE
money and you'll ALL prosper.

John Brotchie, Exec. Director
Hotel And Restaurant Professional Servers' Co-Op
 

**Next Post - Re: Tipping Tips

We have been in the trade for many years and here is a suggestion that
may help some interested parties. Our philosophy has always been to
retain the best help and to provide optimum service. Hiring another
waitress to provide better service is not always the answer. but
providing help for your key people is essential. Food expiditors and
floor helpers are the key for us. We contact the guidance director at
the local high school and ask them to refer deans list kids to come
see us as soon as they may be starting to look for part time work.
These kids are highly motivated. easy to train and are very happy to
work for minimum wage and minimum tip outs. They also have parents who
are willing to push their kids in the direction of responsible hard
work.

An additional waitress means that the tip pie will be split by another
person and therefore highly impact your current waitstaff's income.
Granted the helper concept will cost management more labor cost but it
has had a stabilizing effect on our staff that is worth its weight in
gold. In short, consider hiring a helper instead of a competitor for
your waitstaff.

Good Luck!!

Restaurant Solutions 101
George Lair - wtibbetts@cybertours.com
Limerick, Maine
 

*****
Send newsletter feedback and comments to us at
mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com
 

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                           NEW COVER STORY
_____________________________________________________________________

Below is a link to the new cover story on the web site...

Up-Selling vs. Overselling
http://www.restaurantreport.com/features/ft_overselling.html

All restaurateurs want their wait staff to increase sales by higher
guest check averages where the average check/per guest ends up higher
if you use these suggestive selling techniques. Good operators
understand that if you put the needs of your customers first, the
money follows. The real bottom-line goal is to form long-term
relationships with consistently satisfied customers encouraging sales
and repeat sales to ensure long-term growth...
 

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                          BULLETIN BOARD
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**Next Post - Re: Screening Reports

In light of the shortage of finding 'good' help in the
restaurant/hospitality industry, I am interested in finding out if
anybody is aware of any companies that do profile screening reports
for the restaurant industry employees. If so which companies, if any,
are recommended.

Stacey - mailto:sfarabi2@aol.com
 

**Next Post - Re: Unique Tableware

I am in the process of opening an establishment, but I am having a
problem finding the resources to locate unique tableware.  If anyone
has a listing or some source for more than the mundane, I would
appreciate your assistance.  Mail me at mailto:jonescp1@gateway.net

Phil Jones
Pres. Phood Co., Inc
The Globe - Detroit

**Next Post - Re: Animals in Restaurants

Where would I find information regarding the laws about allowing dogs
in restaurants?

 - mailto:nicole_evon@hotmail.com
 

**Next Post - Re: Quality Management

I am writing a Master's thesis on "Hospitality Quality Measurement and
Management" looking at the various Quality yardsticks - ISO9000,
"Hospitality Assured" and "Malcolm Baldridge".

I would appreciate observations, comments and stories (attributable or
not) from anywhere in the world from hospitality firms that have
undergone accreditation

Kind regards,
Esperanza Martinez-Zurita - mailto:emzurita@altavista.net
Managing Consultant, Zurita Hospitality Consulting
http://www.zurita.hemscott.net
 

*****
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