The restaurant brigade - the infantry in a hotel
One of the articles we carried last February was “The room attendant - The navy SEAL in a hotel”. It described the room attendant in the housekeeping department as holding one of the toughest jobs in a star class hotel – especially the rigueur of cleaning several guestrooms every single day, where he/she changes body position every three seconds, totaling over 8,000 different body postures during a shift.
If the room attendant is the navy SEAL in the hotel, then, the service staff in a reputed restaurant; engaging with customers at close-range, working alongside others in diverse environments, from informal to formal settings, in various types of operations, ranging from the repetitive and unexciting during set up or a slow day to harried and frantic activity at the height of a dinner rush – must surely be parallel to the army’s infantry. Frontline restaurant staffs are the ones who keep doors swinging, the plates spinning, the tables turning and the customers happy.
For many people, the restaurant is a familiar place to sit and dine and the restaurant industry may seem like all fun and meeting a lot of people, but that’s not always the case. While it does have its fun moments, it's a very stressful work environment with a lot that goes on behind the scenes, including the delivery of seamless service which is more physically taxing than might be expected. A typical working day (or night) of a frontline restaurant worker involves a variable mix of physical, mental, and interpersonal duties.
If a simplified job explanation of someone working in the restaurant was to be re-written, it would perhaps read like this; “Employees must move constantly for the duration of the shift, which may involve going up and down stairways or moving between inside and outside sections. The work involves bending, reaching, leaning, and carrying objects that can be heavy, fragile, and breakable. Service must be fast-paced and employees will take pains to hide any discomfort and speed from the customer, who should remain blissfully unaware of the frenzied energy exerted whenever required, to provide a pleasant service for multiple tables simultaneously. Employees are also expected to "turn" many tables as quickly as possible to serve more paying customers.”
Wait, that’s not all… there’s more! The work of servers begins with a series of non-customer interactive tasks - long before the restaurant opens to diners. Upon arriving, staffs begin ‘side’ work - similar to ‘mise en place’ (a French term meaning “everything in its place”), which is a preparation practice before each shift in the culinary world. Side work, likewise is all about putting “everything in its place” and involves; setting up one's section; stocking ice, beverages, glassware, and the ‘dummy waiter with ménage sets, toothpicks, bottles of sauces, dry goods such as straws, napkins, towels; wiping and setting tables followed by various types of cleaning from dusting to vacuuming.
Then before the doors open, there is the brief ‘staff briefing’. These short, sharp meetings (think 10-minute team huddles), ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the day's goals, expectations, and challenges before things get hectic. During the briefing, the day's specials, any menu changes and non available items are reviewed. Reservations and private events that are scheduled for the day are also flagged with certain members of staff assigned specific tasks including handling VIPs, etc. Thereafter staff members move into their designated positions ready to greet and seat the arriving diners and commence service activity. The moment of truth is about to begin…
What many don’t realise is that service shift is different from day to day and table to table, requiring multitasking, and the ability to memorise and anticipate the needs of guests of various ages, seated at several tables at various stages of dining. Add to this mix unexpected interruptions; such as unexpected guest (and colleagues), requests, improvisations on-the-go to execute orders as customers speed up, slow down, or otherwise influence the interaction based on the level of attention, explanation, and personal interaction demanded. Not least of all, but the least known to diners, is the gymnastics employees must perform to make sure service doesn't suffer when understaffed.
Restaurant service is a case of mismatched desires ruled by unpredictability- that can sometimes produce chaos unless there is order. Hence, one of the most important factors in running a successful restaurant is having a great team…the equivalent of a “field army” in order to streamline relationships, as well as effect some tactical control, especially in regard to combined operations (i.e., those involving a coordination with the kitchen brigade and the customers in front).
So, next time, you are at a restaurant, perhaps spare a kind thought about who is working there and how.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Customer Service Trainer and Ex-Hotelier
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