Host Hacks: Landing a Job Promotion

Host Hacks: Landing a Job Promotion

by | Jun 22, 2016 | Career

As a host or hostess, you’re the first person to greet customers when they walk through the door of the restaurant, and you’re good at it! While you love your job and the opportunity to interact with people from all different walks of life, you’re also hoping to move onto something bigger and better. Doing your job to the best of your ability will help catch the attention of managers, owners, and other staff members, but there are several things you can do to make yourself look even better.

Where Are You Going?

First thing’s first; ask yourself what goals do you have for advancement? Your future job will help determine the actions that you need to take in order to move up. Some hosts have their eyes on a job as a server. After all, the tips are better!

Your employment goal will help shape your behavior as you work your way up to the top.

More ambitious hosts, however, are eager to take it even further than that: they have their eye on a restaurant manager job, possibly even with an eye to eventually moving up to regional manager. Your employment goal will help shape your behavior as you work your way up to the top.

Make Yourself Useful

What do you do during a slow period at the restaurant, when no one is coming through the doors? If all of your work is taken care of, do you find ways to pitch in and help others?

Well, you should because this simple action can help showcase your willingness to work with the restaurant like nothing else. Don’t just seat customers and take them their silverware. Within the restrictions offered by the rules that go along with your restaurant, you can:

  • Bus tables
  • Help with cleaning tasks
  • Grab drink refills for a table whose server is busy
  • Bring out food when you can
  • Take drink orders

While you should always take care of your own tasks first, the more helpful you are, the more obvious it to your employers that you’re the ideal choice for future management or server positions. It’s not a guarantee that you’ll get the promotion you’re hoping for, but it’s certainly a great way to start pushing your foot in the door.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

If you’re hoping for a promotion, you need to show it! No, every day at work isn’t going to be your best and brightest. You’re going to have rough days: days when you were in a bad mood coming into work or when your entire shift seems to be going wrong.

How you handle those days, however, will dictate your employers’ willingness to move you into a better position. If you can handle your bad days while still being friendly and helpful to customers and going out of your way to help your co-workers, your managers are going to see it.

Every day at work is a fresh opportunity to dive in and show your stuff.

Every day at work is a fresh opportunity to dive in and show your stuff. Seat each server equally and as fairly as possible. Smile and help all of your coworkers, even the ones that you don’t necessarily like. Be kind and compassionate to customers who have problems, even when you’re struggling to understand their problem or you’re frustrated because of the way they’re treating you.

Speak up

Your managers are not mind readers. They can’t know that you’re hoping for a promotion until you let them know. You don’t want to be a nag or bring it up so frequently that you annoy them, but you do want to let them know that you’re very interested in taking your employment with the company to the next level.

Your managers are not mind readers. They can’t know that you’re hoping for a promotion until you let them know.

Not only will this make the higher-ups aware of your aspirations but it can also lead to them giving you advice on how to make it happen, which is by far your best chance of getting that promotion!

Working as a host in a restaurant is a great starting place for a future career. With time, you can work your way up through the ranks, enhance your skills, and ultimately have that restaurant manager position you’re dreaming of. It all starts, however, with the energy and effort that you put into your job every day.

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How to Hire Great Staff for the Summer Season

How to Hire Great Staff for the Summer Season

by | Jun 20, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Summer is often a busy season for the restaurant industry, but it’s also a great time to add temporary workers like college students to your staff. However, you don’t want to hire just anybody. Your summer workers should be as talented and skilled as your full-time employees. With the right preparation, you can hire the best staff for summertime. 

What to look for in a summer employee

Because they aren’t hiring summer employees for the long-term, many restaurants make the mistake of hiring the first few people who walk in with an application. However, to have a summertime staff that boosts your business, you want to look for certain characteristics during the interview, even if it means passing over the first few candidates until you find the right match.

Here are the top qualities you should be looking for in both front and back-of-house summertime restaurant employees:

  • Sociability
  • Ability to accommodate others
  • Frustration tolerance
  • Drive and energy
  • Integrity
  • Successful multi-tasking skills
  • Persuasiveness
  • Pride in work
  • Teamwork
  • Safety

How to measure a candidate’s skills

Knowing what to look for is one thing, but being able to determine how well a candidate meets the above requirements is another. Fortunately, technology is here to help. Sirvo, for example, allows employers to include a custom question in the job listing to be answered by candidates when applying, which gets the vetting process underway immediately.

In addition to using a tech service to test candidates, your interviews should be situational and specific to the job so you can gauge how well the candidate will work in your environment. Here are a few suggestions of questions to ask during the interview:

  • What would you do if you spilled beer all over a customer?
  • What would you do if one table complained about another table being too loud?

You can also do a menu quiz: ask the candidate to memorize the list, then have them take an online quiz. Accept 80 percent or higher as a passing grade.

Where to find candidates

Seeking candidates for summertime openings can be tricky. Here are some things you can do year-round to make sure you have a pool of quality candidates to choose from when it’s time to amp up your staff:

  • Recruit year-round: Post seasonal jobs on your social media pages, website and other networking sites, like Sirvo. Reach out to seasonal employees from last year or who worked during the holiday season to see if they are available again during the summer.
  • Contact previous candidates: If you were on the fence about a candidate and ended up not hiring them, this can be a good time to check in and bring them in for another interview. They may have gained more experience and/or skills that will be useful this year.
  • Start a referral program: Chances are, your current employees have friends, neighbors, and/or family members who would make great employees. Offer some incentive, like an extra $25 if a referred candidate gets hired and then an additional $50 if they stay on for longer than three months.
  • Seek out non-traditional sources: If you’re looking for more mature employees, look in non-traditional places such as senior centers or VAs for job seekers. These employees can be great additions to your workforce and might only want to work a few months out of the year.

Streamline your summertime training

If you’re frequently hiring seasonal employees, here are some things you should do to simplify the hiring and training process:

  • Set up an orientation: Have all your summertime employees go through a new-hire orientation at the same time. This saves a ton of time since you only need to go through all the required information once instead of individually with each new hire.
  • Stay on top of paperwork: Don’t let the summertime rush get in the way of filing the proper paperwork. Make sure every employee completes their I-9 and W-4 forms before they begin working. Make it part of your orientation to make sure it doesn’t get overlooked.
  • Review the rules for hiring minors: Many high school students work in restaurants over summer break, and the laws are different for them. Make sure to review the most current laws so you know how many hours they can work, when they can work until and any other relevant information.

One final thing to remember is that you generally can’t classify summertime workers as independent contract workers, even though they are only working temporarily. Review the federal guidelines so you understand who qualifies as a contract worker and who should be classified as an employee.

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How to Behave at a Sushi Restaurant

How to Behave at a Sushi Restaurant

by | Jun 17, 2016 | IndiNews

Everyone seems to be eating sushi these days. What some people do not realize, however, is that eating this traditional Japanese food comes with its own set of rules, most of which are in regards to showing respect to the chef that prepared the food. If you would like to learn how to behave at a sushi restaurant, here are some things you should know.

Sushi is Art

Traditionally, one learns to appreciate art by going to a museum or gallery to observe it. The beginning sushi chef starts his or her career by watching other sushi chefs for as long as the first month of training. Chefs use certain body movements and ways of cutting and arranging the food that results in beautiful arrays that vary in color, texture, size and taste, and, therefore, a true culinary art. The appearance of the sushi is as important to the chef as the flavor, so one should take his time to observe and appreciate the food when it is served.

If seated at the bar, it is proper etiquette to order sushi directly from the chef, but to reserve drink orders for the wait staff.

If one would like to see the artful process involved in making the sushi, he or she should request to sit at the bar in front of the prep area. If seated at the bar, it is proper etiquette to order sushi directly from the chef, but to reserve drink orders for the wait staff.

If a tip jar is provided at the bar, it is proper to place tips into it. However, if no jar is available, tipping the regular way when the check arrives is perfectly acceptable.

Chopsticks

Although some people prefer to eat sushi with their fingers, which is perfectly acceptable, it is most commonly eaten with chopsticks. There are all kinds of chopsticks. However, unless the sushi restaurant is a particularly high-end establishment that provides high-gloss, finely carved chopsticks, the sticks are usually provided in thin paper packages that diners open and extract themselves.

It is considered insulting to the sushi chef to rub the chopsticks together to remove these splinters, because this indicates that the sticks are inferior, so just leave them.

Upon opening chopsticks, one often finds they are joined at one end. A quick pull about midway down the stick will liberate one from the other, which is good, but sometimes, one detects small splinters of wood protruding from the area where the sticks were broken apart. Believe it or not, it is considered insulting to the sushi chef to rub the chopsticks together to remove these splinters, because this indicates that the sticks are inferior, so just leave them, unless they appear in areas that obstruct the fingers, or there is a danger of consuming them.

If one is dining from a communal table where the sushi is served on a shared platter, the chopsticks should be reversed to their wider ends to remove the food, and then flipped to the pointed ends for eating.

Condiments and Dipping

Sushi is usually served with certain condiments, such as soy sauce, a green horseradish called, “wasabi,” and thinly-sliced, preserved ginger. Diners are provided with small, shallow bowls to hold the soy sauce, and often use their chopsticks to place a little of the wasabi into the sauce and mix it with their chopsticks for an added flavor kick. However, This practice is considered incorrect. The wasabi should be dabbed onto each piece separately as it is eaten, and used sparingly.

 When prepared correctly, sushi is finely crafted with perfect, delicate balances of flavor that are overshadowed by the flavor of the ginger.

Dipping the fish side of the sushi into the soy sauce keeps the food in place. Dipping the rice side in can cause the rice to dislodge and fall into the sauce, which can again, insult the chef. However, the bites should be eaten with the rice side down, so the taste buds will not be overwhelmed by the salty flavors of the sauce.

Never place ginger directly onto the sushi. When prepared correctly, sushi is finely crafted with perfect, delicate balances of flavor that are overshadowed by the flavor of the ginger. The pink condiment should be consumed between bites to cleanse the palate in preparation for the next bite.

Gratitude

In addition to a tip, a polite “thanks” should be given to the chef and/ or staff. A quick, “domo arigato” is sufficient, but “thank you” will also suffice.

Sidenote: If you love sushi and you’re looking for a job, find opportunities with top sushi restaurants on Sirvo!

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Host Hacks: How to Deal with Angry Customers

Host Hacks: How to Deal with Angry Customers

by | Jun 15, 2016 | Career

Unfortunately, there are many situations at a restaurant where a visitor may expect more than they’re given, and as a host, you’ll need to rise to the occasion and act as the face of the restaurant. Use the following tips to keep your cool and handle angry customers like the pros in the meantime!

Remain calm

The number one thing you can do is take a deep breath and bite back any indignant responses or angry feelings. Remember that you are at work, and the customer’s concerns aren’t personal to you: you’re there to keep as many people happy as possible.

In addition, your anger will likely make the situation worse, by fueling your customer’s negative feelings even further, rather than bringing them down to a manageable level.

Show them you care

Go a step beyond nodding and calmly responding to your customers. Truly reach out to them by finding their real concerns from what they say. When you can respond by letting the angry customer know that you hear and understand exactly what upsets them, they’ll feel much more taken care of, acknowledged, and thus, helped in their situation.

You may not be able to solve every issue, but do answer all complaints by saying, “I understand, Mr. Smith.”

You may not be able to solve every issue, but do answer all complaints by saying, “I understand, Mr. Smith. You had hoped to be seated sooner and want to know what we can do about it. I will speak to a manager/see what I can do/follow up with you in a moment.”

What you do here is twofold: you both make the angry customer feel heard, and you help stem further explanation of the issue from them by making it clear it’s been taken seriously.

Show empathy and apologize if appropriate

The next step is to show that you, as a representative of the restaurant, care for the customer’s concerns. Whether or not you personally feel for that person, you need to be professional in your ability to take care of the situation, and part of that is to show empathy for frustrations.

This can vary depending on the situation. For a customer intent on causing a scene, no matter what the case, you may decide to apologize for the difficulty they’re having and suggest they return when the restaurant is less busy and their needs can be tended to more thoroughly.

For a customer with valid frustrations that you can’t personally fix, apologize for their situation and show your sympathy. Then, move on to the following step.

Resolve the issue, as best as you can

Show that you’re working to fix the problem, and take what steps you can to address any customer issues, within reason. When you’re faced with a conflict that can’t fully be resolved, but requires action, offer what you can: a free meal, a drink, etc.

Be sure to check with management to know ahead of time exactly how you are authorized to assist in these types of situations.

Be sure to check with management to know ahead of time exactly how you are authorized to assist in these types of situations. If you do find yourself in a conflict that you can’t resolve alone, too, do be sure to bring in a manager, server, or some type of assistance–both to show you’re doing what you can to resolve the problem and to have a support system yourself.

From time to time, customers will show their frustration with you, as the face of the restaurant. By remaining calm, empathetic, and reactive, you can keep the situation light and diffuse tension, often ending the issue. Use your support system when you need it, and remember to remain unflustered and authoritative; you’ll control the situation like a professional every time.

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Restaurant Best Practices for Alcohol Delivery and Receiving

Restaurant Best Practices for Alcohol Delivery and Receiving

by | Jun 13, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Alcohol delivery and receiving are important for the industries in which a large portion of revenues comes from alcohol sales. Within these industries, such as restaurants, finding more affordable, faster and efficient services for alcohol can become one of the most important aspects of the  business. By using these four practices that successful restaurants have in common, your involvement can become one of the most improved parts of the day-to-day operations.

 

Faster Delivery Times

Through automatic ordering, businesses are able to have faster delivery times without having to remember to order their usual shipments. These deliveries would be automated from the alcohol warehouse directly to the company. This can then give way to an easier payment solution through an online method of direct deposit, or easy card pay without having to authorize payments every time a shipment is required by the company.

If the restaurant is new to the alcohol warehouse, ID verification, as well as verification of the business for selling alcohol is essential.

There can be downfalls. While every restaurant wants faster delivery times, alcohol may have minor setbacks that make it a longer process. If the restaurant is new to the alcohol warehouse, ID verification, as well as verification of the business for selling alcohol is essential. These are two very important documents that have to be thoroughly checked in order for the warehouse to distribute the alcohol to the company. However, after the initial check of these documents, then the transition and delivery and receiving process should go much smoother.

Minimal Hassle

Have minimal hassle when ordering and receiving the correct order that was placed with the company. With the latest in technology advancements, the alcohol delivery and receiving process can go much smoother, while also helping both companies have an easier time communicating with one another.

When a regular schedule is established, so can automatic shipments, payments and inventory tracking be established by both companies.

No longer will the need to call, place the order, authorize the order and payment, have delivery, sign for receiving, and putting away be necessary. This can all be done automatically, with minimal hassle through the use of a program that inputs the amounts of alcohol that you currently have left, and then determines when you may need more.

Easier Payment Solutions

Through the use of easier payment solutions, the correct amount that is charged for the alcohol shipments can easily be paid. This is a way to automatically pay for shipments that are being sent to your restaurant. However, having a schedule and relationship established should be done first prior to authorizing automatic payments for each of the shipments every month. Once this relationship is established, however, it can then become much more efficient not only for the restaurant ordering and paying for the alcohol, but also for the warehouse that is fulfilling the order.

Inventory Tracking

The ability to track the current inventory of the alcohol that is on hand can provide a much more efficient way for restaurant owners to know when they are getting low. This, then, prompts them to notify the appropriate companies for the next shipment. Which leads them to use the first point, allowing for faster delivery times through automatic shipments.

Having the inventory tracked through an app or other means can allow the restaurant to run more effectively without having to write the amounts down and keep track of shipments.

If restaurants used technology that was able to provide these four points, and connected with their alcohol shipment companies easier; they could all benefit. The process of ordering, delivery, and receiving alcohol would be more efficient, more effective and provide numerous benefits to those using the service. This can greatly benefit both the restaurant that is ordering the alcohol and the warehouses that are meeting the shipments for them.

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