by Lynn Clark

Created on: January 04, 2009

So how do you improve restaurant service? There are lots of reasons that can contribute to bad restaurant service. The staff are usually low paid, over worked and have to deal with difficult people most of the time. There may be low esteem among the team, creating an unhappy working environment. Generally, a lot of waiting staff feel under privileged in their position, and have a lack-lustre approach towards their position thinking of themselves as unprofessional and have the "I'm just a waiter" attitude. There are several vital steps which must be taken to tackle these issues as they can emanate themselves onto the restaurant floor and ultimately the atmosphere will be felt by customers too.

Regular staff meetings should be held, both individually and as a team. Any underlying grievances can be addressed with a manager and measures put into place to solve these problems.

Staff need to be trained. Many waiters feel incompetent in their job, as they have not been given the correct training and knowledge to sell their product confidently and effectively. This makes them feel nervous and inadequate in their role. .

Goals and incentives should also be introduced. This will provide the staff members with an aim to improve their knowledge and gain a certificate and recognition. Specialized courses will boost a person's confidence and give them pride in their job. Attending training courses will also show that the management is willing to invest in them and shows they feel they have potential.
Staff should also be encouraged to get involved in the business and submit any ideas or improvements they believe will benefit the restaurant or the service.

Staff should be reminded that they chose to work in the hospitality industry and the pay is not a good as some other jobs but they can boost their income from generous tips if they work at providing exceptional service. They should also be reminded that it is the customer who pays their wages - not the employer.
Teach them how to up sell to their customers, the more money the customer spends the bigger tip and as the restaurant reaps the benefits so will they.

Long hours are normal in the industry, but management should try to minimize this as much as possible and make sure staff have appropriate leave time. Rotas should be planned in advance as not to interfere too much in their personal life and to keep them working productively.

Ultimately, staff should be reminded that they are not just plate carriers, that food service is a profession that takes a person with a lot of stamina to deal with the public on a daily basis, work long hours on low pay and still be smiling at the end of a double shift.

Informing staff of any good service, guest comments or letters is essential to boost team morale.

Team building days out and down time together also creates a feel good factor among the team.

Finally, it is easy to hire someone as a waiter, but it is very hard to hire someone who has the right attitude towards the job. A manager is responsible for his team, and if his team is not working to the right standard and service is suffering, it is his duty to rectify the problems as outlined above. Staff who are not willing to promote a professional, positive attitude should look for another job. Their negativity will affect the other members of the team, the restaurant and it's customers.

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