On the Front Lines of Service

Service Goals-Creating Your Own Theme of the Month Program-As the new year begins consider brainstorming what you really want to accomplish in guest service. Where do you want your service levels to be a year from now? I know what you're thinking---hey Ron--I'm just trying to cover the next shift--let alone think about service levels a year from now. Of course, what's urgent will always be there, but what's important is making an attempt to build sustained and incremental improvement in your operation. Consider creating a monthly theme around your key service standards and gearing your line-ups and training during that month to the particular theme. Here a short list to get you started: 

• Proper Greeting and Checking for Comfort 
• Learning Like and Dislikes of Your Guest
• Taking the Order
• Tableside Sales Techniques
• Check Backs-How and What to Check

This month's Point of Profit is the "Daily Quality Checklist". This simple concept is something that should be part of your daily SOPs. You and your team create a checklist that identifies specific things that will be checked at very specific intervals during the shift. Example: At 10am, 3pm and 6pm such and such will be measured and recorded. This is not about signing the little card on the back of the guest's rest room door--this is about actually measuring something at a very specific time to ensure it's quality. Tasting the soups, checking and recording food temps, ensuring that there are cold plates for the salad bar and on and on. Each operation will have different items and areas that should be checked. 

Training Tip: Have your staff in each area of the operation determine what should be measured and when and then challenge them to implement their "Quality Check" plan themselves!  

Leadership Cares 2005 Events and How You Can Get Involved: MentorCares™ Workshops begin this month. If you have an interest in mentoring a young person, learning about our 12 Leadership and 12 Life Skills or would like to get involved in preparing young people for the workforce just drop us an email at: ron@leadershipcares.org. 

Special Request-We are currently seeking a venue for a special MentorCares™ Breakfast event in April 05 where we can bring all our young people and their mentors together to celebrate their accomplishments and share some of the lessons learned during the school year. We are looking for something in the Washington D.C. area. Please let us know if any of our hotel, club or restaurant friends can help us out! Thanks!!!    

We always have a need for volunteers, sponsors and supporters that really want to make a difference in the life of a young person. Visit www.leadershipcares.org to see our progress and learn how you can help! 

Developing Your Personal Brand   

Seven Career Building Steps to Consider in 2005: Remember what we've said about developing your personal brand--it's about working on yourself and how you project yourself to your employees and guests. 

• Read-1 and 1: Each month read one book for professional development and one book for pleasure.
• Join the local chapter of your industry's association and volunteer to do something!
• Speak at the local high school culinary program-your time in one class can have a huge impact. 
• Master one new skill directly linked to your job. Life long learning is the key to advancement. 
• Give away one skill each week to those you supervise. Be specific-Teach and share your talents. 
• Write the resume you want to have two years from now. Identify what you have to do to really get there.
• Practice "Real Life" Networking--consider what you can offer the other person before you think about what you can get gain from them. They will remember you and thus you will be part of their network!

Next month we'll talk about how to create a plan to help you actually begin to take these seven steps!