Restaurant Training Manuals

The restaurant training manuals are detailed and comprehensive in scope, while maintaining a universal quality.  The rules can be applied to almost any restaurant training program; you can also supplement with your own specific rules.

Following is the table of contents for each individual manual:

Bus Manual
- Introduction
- Cleanliness (detailed FOH cleanliness knowledge)
- Appearance and Professional Behavior
- Job Duties and Expectations
- Tips and Reporting to the IRS (from the NRA site-official information)
- Tips Reporting Agreement Form (tear-out page for employee's record file)

Host Manual
- Introduction
- Cleanliness (detailed FOH cleanliness knowledge)
- Appearance and Professional Behavior
- Job Duties and Expectations (includes telephone etiquette)
- Tips and Reporting to the IRS (from the NRA site-official information)
- Tips Reporting Agreement Form (tear-out page for employee's record file)

Server Manual
- Introduction
- Cleanliness (detailed FOH cleanliness knowledge)
- Appearance and Professional Behavior
- Job Duties and Expectations
- Server's Script
- Tips and Reporting to the IRS (from the NRA site-official information)
- Tips Reporting Agreement Form (tear-out page for employee's record file)

Below you will find excerpts from each manual:

Excerpt from the Bus Manual

Basic Responsibilities
You are expected to be able to fulfill many different tasks for several people, including your servers, hosts, managers and guest.  The following checklist includes many of the required tasks and could include more or less:
- greeting guest when you approach a table
- serving bread and water
- pre-bussing
- clearing tables
- re-setting tables
- maintaining tables and floor appearance
- cleaning and re-stocking service stations
- overall floor maintenance
- re-filling beverages and bread baskets
- cleaning spills
 -taking out garbage
- wiping down high chairs and boosters with clean bar towel

Table Setting Guide
Before service, make sure that each table in the restaurant is set correctly.
1.    Check that all tables are stable and do not wobble.
2.    Wipe the chairs and be sure they are clean and set at an appropriate length from the tables.
3.    Check that the tables are clean on the top and edges.  If plants or ledges are nearby, they should also be free of dust and dirt.
4.    Examine the salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl and any table tents/promotions.  The shakers and bowl should be full and clean; sugar and sugar substitute should be stocked.  Position these items at the centers of tables according to your restaurant's procedures.
5.    Inspect the table settings.  Be sure everything is clean and aligned properly.
6.    Be sure the floor is clean around and under the tables.  Pick up trash.

Excerpt from the Host Manual

Greeting
It may seem elementary and basic; however, there are better ways to greet than others.  Speak in full sentences; curt phrases are ones that are so short they make you sound cold and impersonal.

Examples:
    "How many?"
    "Smoking or non-smoking?"
    "Enjoy your meal."

Guests feel better treated when you take the time to speak with them.  Use full sentences or longer phrases.

Examples:
    "How many will be joining us for dinner tonight?"
    "Do you prefer a smoking or non-smoking section?"
    "Enjoy dining with us today!"

Avoid slang, company expressions and restaurant lingo.  Avoid uncommon expressions when speaking to guests, such as "deuce", "four-top" or "bullet."  Instead, refer to a party in one of the following manners:
    "party of two"
    "table for four"
    "the Johnson party"

Always use a greeting and parting phrase, just as you would with friends, when dealing with our guests.  "Two for dinner?" is NOT a greeting.

Start with:
"Good evening (afternoon, morning)!  Welcome to ABC Restaurant!  How many will be joining us for dinner tonight?"

Excerpt from the Server Manual
  
Communicate With the Bussers and Hosts
Ask politely when you need help; "please" and "thank you" go a long way to getting what you want and need.  Understand that there are times when you may have to get what you need for yourself; bussers and hosts are not always available to help you.

Anything you can do to make a guest's visit more enjoyable will mean more money for you, the other staff members and the restaurant.

Side Work
Side work is work that is done on a daily or other routine basis.  Side work for servers usually consists of some or all of the following aspects:
    - salad/salad bar prep and storage
    -cutting lemons
    -polishing silver/glassware
    -filling/cleaning salt and pepper shakers/sugar caddies
    -coffee and iced tea machine maintenance
    -sweeping and mopping service areas
    -cleaning service areas/shelves
    -table set-up
    -stocking/re-stocking items

Correcting a Problem When a Guest Complains
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a guest will have reason to complain.  This can be either our fault or the person came in with a problem.  The point is, the guest has chosen to give us his/her problem.

The saying "the customer is always right" is true because we're dealing with that person's perception.  A better way to say it might be, "We have to let the customer win."

We have to be sincere in our handling of an unhappy guest.

An unhappy guest will tell an average of 10 other people about his experience.

Remember, most guests won't tell you if they are unhappy; be sensitive to non-verbal signals of displeasure.  The main focus of your job is to ensure that the guest has had an enjoyable visit and has left with a positive impression of our establishment.
 

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