Motivating Employees in The Restaurant Industry

When it comes to motivating and keeping employees happy in the restaurant industry or any other business is in making them feel as if they have a vested interest in “their” restaurant’s continued success and reputation.  Doesn’t that sounds legitimate after all? How would a business grow without its employees? How would you gain repeat clients without your employees? Doesn’t your business successful depend on your employees, hard work, being responsible, their devotion, being on time every day and unconditional commitment to the success of your business? Sure not all workers are all like that but, isn’t all about the workforce? Don’t they make or break your business? Easy enough to say, you may think, but how do you put that into practice?

Motivating your staff is a fairly straightforward matter; it depends entirely on giving them something to be proud of.  Emphasizing the quality of your customer service and bragging up your staff to your clients will give the staff something to live up to, and will instill a sense of loyalty and pride.  This can be done in many different ways.  Leading, mentoring, educating, motivating and rewarding your staff will determine your long-term success. Restaurant open and close every day. What steps do you take to make sure you won’t be the nest restaurant to close or to be impacted because new restaurants open in your neighborhood?

Customer Service & Social Media Feedback

One of the realities of social media feedback from your customers  is the fact that they can leave harsh criticism about their bad experience. It would certainly feel much better if you could avoid receiving that nasty feedback in an open forum.

It’s much better to have your customers voice their complaints to you directly rather than voice their anger via  social media. So, one way to avoid your customers to use social media feedback to voice their dissatisfaction is to allow them to reach you any other way.

Why should customers address issues to you indirectly via Twitter, Facebook, Yelp or their blogs when they can use email, an toll-free number, or a feedback form on your website and know that it will be answered, immediately, with more efficiency and with empathy? With the ease off access( 24-hour a day) to social media, make sure that the first impulse of customers is to reach you any other way and anytime of the day so you can resolve their issues.

All Restaurant Owners, Associates (Employees) & Partners Want to Grow Their Profit

The problem is that when most of them get serious about creating more sales, they focus on attracting NEW business and ignore the single greatest asset they have, their EXISTING customers.

99% of the most profitable and outstanding restaurants we work with have the following characteristics:

  1. They are in a local market where there are a sufficient number of people who enjoy what they are offering (great food and great service.

  2. They have differentiated their restaurant from the competition.

  3. Their primary marketing focus is on encouraging more repeat visits from their       existing clients.

  4. They don't spend much, if any, money on traditional advertising.

To get more repeat business these restaurant owners use birthday clubs, customer newsletters, loyalty programs and other low cost marketing activities. They also, without exception, have a near fanatical commitment to consistently creating quality dining experiences for their guests.

Andre Plessis

Hospitality Consultant

Tel: 310-266-9463

email: AndrePlessis@gmail.com

Where Can You Find The Best Meals?

I was watching Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel and I completely agree with his statement on the episode "Ecuador". Andrew says: "Na matter where you travel on the planet, the best meals are always those you spend with friends".

That is such a true statement. People just don't go out to eat food, they go out to" eat and have fun". People go out with friends, family, co-workers, business associates and loved ones. No matter how great a chef is, it's all about the diners and how much fun they'll have when they dine. It is important that frontline employees make the diners feel good and give them the best experience of their lives. It is up the the staff members to deliver memorable dining experience to guests.

If the service doesn't follows the food the chefs' efforts are  in vain. You are as good as the weakest link. Food is just a way to go out and have fun with friends. People work hard and deserve to enjoy life. Restaurants provide a plateform that allow people gather and enjoy life outside work and their stressful life.

Chefs provide the food and the frontline staff provides the fun necessary to get the best meal of their life. In his episode about Ecuador" Andrew Zimmern really enjoyed his food and time he spent there. Amazingly he was not even at restaurants but in the Jungle eating big Larva. So what are your thoughts?

How to Foster Ownership Among Your Restaurant's Workforce

A restaurant with employees who have an owner-minded mindset will go above and beyond expectations for the benefit of the restaurant objective. This maybe rare today, but a truly business owner dream come true.

Here are some important ideas to foster ownership spirit among your restaurant staff members.

1. Create safe environment where your employees can share their concerns without fear of retaliation.
2. Share your restaurant's objectives and help your employees understand the importance of going above and beyond in today's tough economic time and increased competition.
3. Share your restaurant's vision for the future and make them part of the dream.
4. Collaborate ideas with your employees who will be more inclined to support ideas they had  helped create.
5. Make decisions and debates transparent.
6. Reward employees who go beyond the expected.

  Your first objective should be to primarily hire individuals who are responsible and business-minded. They can adapt easier and faster to change and develop innovative ideas that can lead to new opportunities.