Restaurant Talking Points

They’re young, smart and outspoken. They have grown up immersed in a digital-and Internet-driven world. And if you have employees that are in their late teens and early twenties, they work for you. This is Generation Y.

While it’s often noted that Gen Y is a very high performing generation, I’ve made some observations relating to service pitfalls that tend to dominate this group. In this article I’ll touch on three of these issues and provide coaching solutions to help in fixing them.
 

“Hi Guys.”

When a server walks up to a table of mixed gender and says “Hi Guys”, we in the service business call this a “poor” welcoming statement. (We actually use slightly different wording but I’m using the family friendly version :))

A welcoming statement should do many things, but what it shouldn’t do is alienate one of the genders sitting at the table.

I’ve met very few ladies that like being called a guy. In fact, I have a friend who couldn’t get a female free-lance designer to work on his project because he put “Hi Guys” as the opening of an email he sent. Ouch!

The scary part for me is I’ve found myself starting to use this phrase in informal gatherings with friends. And I have to admit, (as the song goes) it’s a hard habit to break.

If you catch your staff using this phrase with guests, pull him or her aside and offer some coaching. Have them prepare a planned welcoming statement to use with their guests. “Hi Everyone…” or “Hello thanks for coming in today…” are some simple examples that won’t offend.

A well planned out and rehearsed welcoming statement will make it much easier to break the habit of  saying “Hi Guys”.
 

You da Man…Here’s the Check

This isn’t just a generation Y problem but it surprises me when I see it happening with them. Aren’t these kids supposed to be the enlightened ones? Isn’t this the group that sees gender as neutral and men and women as equals?

So why is it that I keep getting the check?

I enjoy many business lunches with women. But being of the male gender set I would guess that I’m presented with the check 75% of the time. Which is a bit awkward because I’m usually not the one paying the bill.

Coach your staff that unless someone calls for the check, just lay it in a neutral position on the table.
 

Look them in the Eye

I was reading an article that said 97% of this generation has a computer and a cell phone. With these devices most of their communication is done digitally. Face to face communication is not something they are as familiar with. That’s a problem when trying to provide Remarkable Service, which is mostly about face to face communication.

Eye contact, and maintaining that eye contact, is very important during the communication between server and guests. It shows the guest that they have your undivided attention.

The first two parts of creating hospitality are 1.) Look at me and 2.) Smile at me. Observe and practice this with you staff to make sure they are getting this right. What may come easy and natural to you may need to be practiced for others.

————-

When you observe your staff modeling any of these negative behaviors, work with them to correct the problem. Generation Y is going to be the primary workforce in the restaurant industry for many years to come so look for opportunities to coach this high-performing generation to provide Remarkable Service.