rest114

Restaurant Report E-mail Newsletter

For Hospitality Professionals and Food Connoisseurs

Issue #114 July 31, 2000

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(This publication may be freely redistributed in its entirety)
(Back issues are archived on the website)

In This Issue

*   Talk About It -- Guest Behavior
*   Restaurant For Sale -- Charleston, SC
*   Reader Feedback -- Re: Tip Pooling, Service, Increasing Sales
*   Bulletin Board
*   Subscribe - Unsubscribe Info.

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TALK ABOUT IT -- GUEST BEHAVIOR
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Guest Behavior...

Where should a manager draw the line? When a male guest asks a female
server, "Do you have any German in you? Would you like some?" Or
perhaps when a newly wealthy guest brings his entourage of friends and
prostitutes into the restaurant, and midway through the evening you
find a pair of lady's underpants on the floor near the host stand.
When a guest asks his server his/her age and they politely say "that
is my personal business", does the guest then have right to say "Come
on your tip is counting on this". Does the guest have the right to
inquire about a server's marital status?

Is a guest paying for a dining experience or the right to be rude?

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

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RESTAURANT FOR SALE
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CHARLESTON, SC

Four star, totally renovated, turn key operation in downtown
Charleston's historic district.

Real estate and Business $975,000

E-mail jclark3706@aol.com or call 1-800-259-9713.

*****
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READER FEEDBACK
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**Next Post - Re: Tip Pooling With Kitchen Staff

Having been both a chef, server, bartender and owner/GM, I have always
made certain to tip part of my tips to the support staff. By support
staff, I mean bar staff, kitchen staff, busser/server assistant and
host. I watched my tips steadily increase to 25 - 30% on the average
and my workload decreased. All support staff knew that I always
"shared the wealth" so they made certain that anything my section
needed, it got immediately. I had more time to play with my guests
and their service was great.

I still made great money, had a wonderful time working and staff that
normally didn't get tipped, got extra money. Amazingly, morale and
service increase when you tip out to all staff.

Michael Jensen - sierra@taseniorliving.com
Director of Marketing
Sierra Place Assisted Living Community
www.transamerica.com/seniorliving

**Next Post - Re: Tip Pooling With Kitchen Staff

At most places I have worked, the kitchen was rarely tipped, with
exception of banquets or parties, which of course, are extra work for
everyone. There are exceptions but not many on an ordinary day of
business. When someone goes into the restaurant business, they enter
knowing which jobs are "tipped" and which or not. Most customers do
not know that the tip they leave for the waitress is going to be
split, the exception being the busboy and bartender. They leave a tip
according to their service and food. Of course, excellent food is
expected but when it comes to service, GREAT service that is, you
never know what you're gonna get. While I DO voluntarily tip the
kitchen on exceptionally good nights or when a particular customer
asks me to, it's not a regular occurrence. Let me point out, the
kitchen is not taxed on tips, the waitstaff are. Also, in many places
the waitstaff is paid a minimal $2.00 or $3.25 an hour. On top of
that hourly wage, we do cleanup and set up for that wage...pretty
cheap janitorial work. I suppose if we were all working at a very
upscale establishment and our tips ex ceded the norm, we could afford
to tip the kitchen. But most of us are working in a mom and pops
establishment and only making a "get by" living. This is just my 2
cents worth...

Crystal Hillstrom

**Next Post - Re: Service

Every restaurant is different. However, there are servers out there
who are exceptional. I was working as an assistant manager at a
restaurant and I had one server, Natasha, absolutely amazing. She was
a comedian with the customers. Once, two customers came to me and
told me that although they were waiting for over an hour for a simple
order (due to the rush of customers and too little servers working)
they didn't care. Because Natasha was serving them. They commented
that they could have been served cornflakes and it would not matter
because she brought them such exceptional service. So, I followed her
one night to see what she does to make the customers so happy and how
the other servers can learn. Depending on the age, she characterizes
her personality to fit the clientele. For example, a group of young
kids, she spoke with a New Yorker accent, making them fall of their
chairs. I have to say, I was so impressed that I realized how
important it is to be able to make a customer smile throughout their
stay and knowing how to handle the situation when it becomes extremely
busy.

K.V.

**Next Post - Re: Increasing Sales on Saturday Night

Basic sales training for all your waitstaff will be a big plus! Do
your servers ask the right questions of your patrons, or do they ask
questions designed to elicit a "No" response. Let me explain.

One of the greatest sales trainers of all time, Tom Hopkins, points
out that by giving customers an "alternate of choice" conditions the
customer to buy something...either 'A' or 'B', while the open ended
questions are really closed questions.

"Would you like some dessert" probably gives rise to more "No" answers
than yeses. But put another way, you can see the greater opportunity
for a getting a "Yes" instead: "We have six different fruit and cream
pies for dessert this evening, or were you thinking about having a
slice of our cheesecake instead?" The likelihood of selling either a
piece of pie or a slice of cheesecake just went up 100%.

Questions. It's all about questions. Ask enough questions, and
you'll discover what the customer is interested in. Don't give them a
choice between "Yes" and "No", because we are conditioned to answer,
"No". Give them a choice between "A" or "B", and you'll probably sell
one or the other. Not 100% of the time, but often enough that your
bottom line will improve!!

Max Herr
D'Oily Boid Cafe Catering

**Next Post - Re: Increasing Sales on Saturday Night

Distribute gift certificates or reloadable gift cards that are only
redeemable on Saturday night. Or, make those gift cards good for
drinks only. Example: take 50 gift cards, load them each with $5 in
value. Include them with a flyer and distribute them to area
businesses (preferably in the sales industry - extroverts tend to be
the socializers). Sit back and watch them come in with their Card to
get their free $5 worth of good cheer. THEN - and this is your
absolute duty - upon redemption, offer a discount to reload
the card with more value, say, get $50 worth of private labeled "VIP
Club Card" value for just $45. If his friends have come along,
and they opt to get a "Club Card", offer the person that brought them
an additional $2 for each referral, and so on. You have a captive
customer that has had a few - they are VERY likely to accept your 10%
discount if they've had a good experience. You now have a new "member"
of your establishment, advertising your brand around to his/her
friends just by opening their wallets.

B.W.

*****
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mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com

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BULLETIN BOARD
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**Next Post - Re: Menu Inspiration

As a food writer I'm curious to know how chefs/restaurateurs get their
inspirations for new dishes. Does it come from travels; sampling food
in other restaurants; experimentation or a combination? What magazines
do most chefs read? What are the most popular cookbooks?

Bev Bennett - mailto:Bevben@aol.com

**Next Post - Re: Server wages in different states

I would like to find out which states pay minimum wage to servers as
well as tips.
- mailto:jel1228@hotmail.com

**Next Post - Re: Steak Ideas

In the near future, if I can somehow solve the city code parking laws,
I will be opening a small casual steak house. I have been looking,
with no luck, for a commercial cookbook that would have some first
class ideas on jazzing up the steaks and the rest of the limited
menu. Any help you could send my way would greatly be appreciated.

Thank You Very Much,
Jack Canny - mailto:electric1@home.com
Sarasota, FL

*****
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