Points of Profit NewsÓ

Points of Profit News-the newsletter that promotes service excellence, leadership building and enhanced profits in the restaurant and hospitality industry. This monthly resource provides quick tips, tools and solutions you can use right away to instill a passion for service in your business, build real and lasting profits and help develop your managers into leaders. 

February 28, 2002

Issue 22

Ron Yudd, Editor, www.ronyudd.com

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Welcome to our new subscribers and those readers that have been with us since the beginning. We continue to hear from many of you about your mentoring commitments and the value you received from those that mentored you. Keep it up! You really are making a difference in our business. Remember leadership has always been about what you leave behind for others!

Thought of the Month. Last week, I completed a three-day training project for a private club in the Washington D.C. area and I received much more from the experience than I gave. I was totally re-energized by the young people that make up the core of the service staff. We talked about the talents that they bring to the team and how they contribute to the experience of the guest in their dining and banquet operations. It seemed that it was the first time that they had thought about their job as a place to share skills and talents so everyone could have the opportunity to succeed. The lesson learned from this enthusiastic group of young people was that it comes down to making others feel good about what they are doing, building their confidence and giving them the tools to succeed. Telling young employees that their unique skills contribute to the success of the operation turns out to be the best retention and motivational tool you could ever invest in.

For those of you that are just joining us-previous issues of the Points of Profit NewsÓ can be found on our website on the resources page at www.ronyudd.com.

“50 Points of Profit Audio Album”

The Fifty Steps to Build Lasting Profitability in Your Business

An audio album that explores 25 Points of Profit in the Back of the House and 25 Points of Profit in the Front of the House and gives you the tools to enhance your profitability. Keep in mind that the sales from all our audio tools goes to support our Leadership Cares Foundation’s initiatives. Go to www.leadershipcares.org and see the two press releases about our recent activities.

Learn about our full line of audio tools by clicking on www.ronyudd.com/products.php

On the Front Lines of Service

We’ve been exploring the Five C’s of customer service over the last couple of months. We agreed that these five things had to be in place as the foundation for any successful business. The five C’s of customer service are:

Comfort-They want to feel at home, relaxed, not pressured. They want to feel safe and looked after. They want you to care! Consistency-They want to see the same plate presentation, experience the same flavors each and every time they visit. Confidence-They need to feel confidant and assured that they will receive the same level of service each time they visit. Convenience-They simply want to have it their way and when they want it. See if your policies are guest driven or house driven. Courtesy-They want someone to look them in the eye and treat them with genuine kindness and concern.

This month’s focus is consistency. As mentioned above the first thing that comes to mind in this area is plate presentation, but the concept of consistency encompasses so much more. We have to greet the guest the same way and in the same amount of time each time they visit. The butter pats can’t be frozen on one visit and easily spread on the next. Here again the mission for the operator is to walk the operation and check out each juncture where we need to be consistent. What we discover is that in order to deliver a consistently positive experience we have to focus on the details from the time the guest enters our operation until the time they exit the parking lot. Yes—this means checking light bulbs, dust on the sneeze guards, junk stored at the host/hostess desk and fingerprints on the mirror in the lobby. Real consistency equals a focus on details and the consistent checking of those details!

Next month we’ll take a look at confidence.

Building Leadership Skills

We challenged our readers last month to pretend that they were construction managers working on roads and bridges that bring their people together to create a more effective work team. We explored the concept of leader as builder of relationships.

This month the leadership ingredient is Hands on Leadership. We could explore this one for several pages but let’s just say that hands on leadership means that the leader actively participates in running the business by rolling up their sleeves and fully immersing themselves in getting the job done. The item that tops the list of reasons why employees respect certain managers is that some managers help out when things get rough. The employee feels that when a manager goes “hands on” that the job at hand is important and needs to get done. It also shows that you as a manager are not above working along side your staff. The reward for going “hands on” is respect and also knowing that you have created the atmosphere where teamwork can flourish.

There is much more to hands on leadership---being prepared, follow through, problem solving, and learning to prioritize. We’ll explore this list in the coming months.

Profitability Plus

This month’s Point of Profit continues to explore the things we should be doing after the food has left the kitchen.

Top Five Questions to Ask:

1. Are we tracking and checking our point of sale information related to quantity sold?
2. Are we reconciling quantity sold to quantity consumed?
3. What follow-up mechanism is in place if the figures don’t match?
4. Have we established a process to track back and find out the reason for any discrepancies?
5. Are we checking portion sizes of the center of the plate items periodically to ensure consistency and cost effectiveness?

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. We recommend tracking (at a minimum) the ten most expensive food items from each of your menu categories. This also sends a very important message to your staff. The security and accuracy of these items is important to your profitability and at the same time you trust them to self-monitor the consumption and keep an eye on these as part of their own accountability and responsibility.

Do you have a Coach? Take a look at our One-on-One Success Coaching Programs. Increase the chances that you will reach your personal and professional goals. Check out this popular way to stay on course for building personal and professional success. Click on www.ronyudd.com/1on1.php. We have three levels of personal coaching services available. Email for information and to schedule a free ½ hour tele-coaching session that will help you get to the next level in your career and improve your effectiveness in your business. coach@ronyudd.com.

Take Home Idea of the Month

How are you doing on last month’s take home idea on “uniqueness”? We talked about identifying what was unique about your business, club, dining room or menu and showcasing it for your guests so they can sing your praises to potential customers. This month consider how you can go about showcasing your uniqueness. For example---featuring your signature entrée as a foundation of a set price meal, providing your guests with a recipe card for your signature salad dressing, or even a fun neighborhood cooking class during down time would create some excitement. Create an annual festival focusing in on your one-of-a-kind desserts. Showcase your wonderful staff and their talents. Let them and the food be the stars of the show once and a while. Have fun—be proud of what you have created and celebrate why guests visit you in the first place.

One “take home idea” as a reminder----let us know what your doing on our mentoring challenge. This is the year of mentoring a young person on your staff with the goal of sharing your wisdom and experience. Remember young people are not our future---we are their future.

Web Site of the Month-This month’s site to explore is www.onerestaurantplace.com/tools/business_man.php. This site is a fantastic place to start as you learn about opening and operating a restaurant. It has great links and resources in the areas of education and tools to use in effectively operating your business. Have fun, explore and be a life long learner.

Points of Profit Leadership Inc. helps companies develop their managers into leaders. We are a “one stop shop” for resources and tools for enhancing customer service levels, increasing profitability and developing leadership within your operation.

Points of Profit News is an online means of sharing information of interest to the restaurant and hospitality community. You are encouraged to send questions, make observations and share items of interest. E-mail your ideas, thoughts and contributions along with your name, address and phone number to: ron@ronyudd.com

Ron Yudd is a recognized expert on developing profit strategies and customer service solutions. Ron provides his clients with the tools for their success. He accomplishes this through keynotes, seminars, workshops, facilitation, consulting and personal coaching. His keynotes and seminars- Leadership Legacy, Leadership for the Bottom Line, No One Escapes Customer Service and Mentoring Today for Leaders Tomorrow have helped business operators focus in on building leadership skills, improve customer service and enhance the profitability of their operations. He combines a motivating style with practical “take home” ideas. You can reach him at www.ronyudd.com or email him at ron@ronyudd.com. His office number is 301-540-5791. Copyright 2002 by Ron Yudd.