While trying to get Mise en Place Solutions off the ground and running, I have started a new job as a server. I won't name the restaurant, but it is a higher end chain Italian restaurant. Being a server, right now, works well for me and my family. It affords me the opportunity to work part-time so I am able to do things like take my daughter to swimming lessons, take my nephew to soccer practice and take my niece to gymnastics. Plus, because shifts run from 10:45am until about 2:00pm, I can take the extra time to work on starting my business (business plan, competitive analysis, website, etc.).
Anyway, the restaurant is corporate, with about 60 or so restaurants around the nation. Because it is "corporate," the training is very corporate. There are certain things that need to be covered at each training shift and certain things that need to be covered at each server follow shift. There are quizzes each day and there is a final at the end of training. A server needs to pass the final in order to work shifts alone. Don't pass the final and you have to take it again until you do pass.
Overall, the training at this restaurant is good. They understand that the menu is large, difficult to understand and hard to grasp. There are many different items that go into each dish and there are many dishes on the menu, plus the menu changes dramatically from lunch to dinner. Another difficult aspect is that there are a lot of items that can cause allergic reactions and servers need to know each and every one of them. I liken trying to understand and retain all of this information to having a Dixie cup's worth of retention and a waterfall's full of information.
That said, here are some general ideas as to how restaurants can improve their corporate training:
• Understand there is a lot of information to retain so do not expect a new server to know everything. Focus on what is important.
Menus have expanded and there a re a lot of ingredients that go into each dish. Do not expect each new server to know each and every ingredient in each and every dish. Rather, expect that servers know what goes into the dishes you sell the most. Do you serve a ton of BBQ chicken pizzas? If so, make sure the servers know everything about it. Is the foie gras served only once or twice a week? This is an item that can be discusses at training, but not imperative that new servers know everything about it.
• Let new employees try the food. For that matter, let everyone try the food.
New servers, make that all servers, need to know what the food tastes like so they can recommend specific items to each guest. Most times during training, a new server is offered tastes of popular menu items. This is good because it gets them familiar with what is on the menu. However, once training is over, these servers may never get a chance to try the food again. There are many reasons for this, but the two that stand out are that they are too expensive for the server to order (the item is not discounted enough to encourage them to order it) or the item is not allowed to be ordered by a server (i.e. servers can't order steaks). Thus, a server has to draw from distant memory how a menu items tastes. My advice is for restaurants to have a discount policy that encourages employees to try all of the menu items, not just ones they can afford. Also, do periodic re-tasting for employees. Ensure that everyone, not just the new servers, know what all of the dishes taste like.
• Make sure servers get plenty of practice time on the POS system.
It does not matter what system you use, make sure that the servers get plenty of practice time ringing in food and drink on the POS terminal. Make your training "real world." If many guests like to have the salad dressing on the side, make sure new servers know how to ring it in properly. Make them spend good quality time in training using the POS system so they do not have to spend good quality time becoming familiar with the system on a Friday night. The sooner they are comfortable using the POS the faster they will be on the floor.
• Make training constant.
Even though they have worked in your restaurant for a while, do your servers really know what goes into each dish? Make it a regular practice to go over your menu with your staff. They may not have seen or sold a certain menu item in a while and may not remember what sauce goes on it or what veggies accompany it. Show them the food and let them taste it. Not only will they be happy that they got to eat, but you have reinforced their food knowledge.
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