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| Waiter Training Newsletter |
Team Atmosphere and Camaraderie
This is a topic that is talked about and much sought after. It’s always in the back of my mind. How does an owner/manager create that atmosphere of unity and “we’re in this together” attitude? Some of it comes down to charisma, I’m sure. And some of it is culture, I’m convinced.
There are cultures in which this phenomenon is natural and flows as such. I’ve seen Mexican and European restaurants succeed at this goal, seemingly without thought or preparation.
All I can give is my observations. Years ago, in my fine dining stage, I helped out in a local European restaurant, which required tuxedos and proper “fine dining” service. I helped during the holidays when I was off at my other restaurant job and whenever they had large wedding parties, etc. Their regular, full-time staff was all from Europe, including the owners. They were “affectionately” called Mr. and Mrs., no surname, just their titles.
I recall setting up and polishing silver and glasses for a party and someone dropping a delicate wine glass on the plush carpeting. It would break and you might imagine that no one from across this large restaurant could possibly hear it break. Mrs., from across the very large room, would shout out, “That’s coming out of your paycheck!” That was one of the reasons I chose to only fill in on occasion; they had asked me to work regularly and I politely declined. Who needs that kind of stress?
However, before every shift, the kitchen plated up food for all the staff and we all ate together. It was the same food that would be served to the guests; it wasn’t just leftovers from another shift. At the end of the shift, we all got a “shift drink” and we would sit around and enjoy our drinks with the owners and joke and laugh about the evening. It was at meal time and at the end of the shift that I understood the loyalty of the regular staff. True, they made excellent money; they also had a “family” at work. They knew what to expect. They knew the idiosyncrasies of the owners and they also knew they could rely on them. I was in my early twenties when I filled in there and was easily intimidated by the brusqueness with which the owners ran their restaurant. It wasn’t until later that I came to respect what they had built.
Earlier this year, I was hired to go to Singapore to conduct a training for a Brazilian Churrascarria. I am most excited when I learn something from people. I learned a great deal from this group. The owner knew he had a great team; he simply wanted to improve on what he had. I didn’t know what to expect. His staff had been with him for two to eight years in length, unheard of in the restaurant business. His staff didn’t view their jobs as just a way to make money while they figured out what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. They were there for a career in hospitality. They knew they were good; they didn’t have a problem learning something new. They were open to almost anything. And, according to them, they learned quite a lot, mostly in communication skills and how to up-sell.
One of the things that fascinated me the most was their team attitude. They didn’t necessarily know each other well and hang out together. They just worked together to reach a common goal; it wasn’t something they pondered. I helped personalize them a little bit in their team work and their attitudes toward each other. They were from varying cultures. There were a few from India, a young lady from the Philippines, some people from Malaysia and other parts of Asia, and others who were natives.
I asked the owner, David Gabriel, how he managed to hold onto a staff for so many years with very little turnover. His reply was simple: “I treat them like people.” At first, I thought it was too simplistic. Then I observed.
During our three days of training together, we met in a hotel banquet room and at mid-morning we had a snack with tea and coffee. After training, we all had lunch together in the hotel restaurant. The servers had to go to the restaurant to set up for dinner; they don’t serve lunch. It was understood that the owner was paying them to be present at training and he was buying lunch every day. During breaks, he didn’t disappear or get on his phone; he took a break with his staff and got to know them better. They didn’t feel as if they were with “the owner.” And they weren’t afraid to say what was on their minds. Our training sessions were fun, interactive and most everyone felt they came away richer. The owner learned a lot about his staff and what was actually going on in his restaurant.
In the restaurant, their usual routine is to set up, have a group meal and then dress for the evening shift. No one worried about being hungry while working; they knew they were going to be fed before they started.
Their pay system is a little different than ours, too. They don’t necessarily rely on tips. They are paid on a point system and a percentage of the tip on the bill, based on how long they have worked there and their overall performance. Tips are automatically added onto the bill and they have rarely had a guest complain about that procedure. In effect, their individual performances affected not only themselves, but their co-workers, as well.
My final observation on this elusive subject, teamwork, is that it is an integral, natural part of your business. It can’t be faked; it is what it is and it starts from the ground up. I would say it’s an innate quality that an owner brings to the table, so to speak! It comes from the heart.
Training and information is the key! Contact me, Susie, at Waiter Training, either by phone or email. My business number is (720) 203-4615, and web address http://www.waiter-training.com.
©Waiter Training 2005
Excellence is an act won by training and habituation.
We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.- Aristotle
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