Feed Your Fish? Something Like That.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime." Chinese Proverb

Why are so many people resistant to training? Why when we are at work and the topic of training comes up do we immediately groan and bellyache about being pulled away from our normal jobs? What does all this have to do with restaurants – and servers in particular?

I have always found that compensation drives behavior. If it doesn’t make me money, then I have a hard time fitting things into my schedule. Can’t get anymore honest than that. I recently had occasion to sit through a 4 hour training class. I will be the first to admit that my ability to stay on task is seriously challenged when I am faced with a boring humdrum training exercise. This one was different. As I sat last night reflecting on my day, I couldn’t help but admit that it wasn’t so hard to pay attention in this one, and it got me to wondering why. The first thing that popped into my mind was that they were able to communicate with me in my language. They didn’t tell me what they thought I needed to learn or to get better at, instead they talked about how what they were going to show me today was going to help me make more money (my love language). They didn’t push their private agenda (unless their private agenda was to help me earn more money each year). They didn’t tell me why it was important to them. They didn’t stop at saying this is what we do, instead they went steps beyond and showed us why we are doing it, and how that is relevant to me.

Again you ask – “what does this have to do with restaurants?” Everything. The most successful restaurants have happy employees that generate big ticket averages. So, you say, I will hire happy people. That is a good start, but teaching them to stay happy is where most of us fall short. Servers making decent money in tips = happy employees. Happy employees = committed employees. Committed employees = a well run restaurant. Therefore servers making decent money in tips = a well run restaurant.

Whoa, wait, hold on……I hear you saying, it’s just not that easy. No it’s not easy, but it is simple. Want to grow your check averages? Teach your waitstaff how drinks, appetizers and desserts grow their tips. So now instead of making $5 off of a $30 check they can make $10 off a $55 check in the same amount of time and energy that it took to make that $5 tip. Teach the art of the suggestive sell. Bring dessert by before they order (so that they are mentally committing to a dessert before they even order). Suggest an appetizer to share. It is amazing how a good server can build check averages without the guests realizing that the server is crawling deeper into their pocket.

Do you know what else I have noticed? Servers that make money take pride in the work that they do. They take pride in their work area, and they take pride in their restaurant. They see things differently because they begin to realize that all of the subtle things help make them more money with each table. Again, if you teach and train the waitstaff why it is important TO THEM to have a clean station, make sure their tables have the right accoutrements and that you are there to help them make more money, then you will have a staff that cares, respects and wants to see you succeed.

We are all selfish people. The question burning in all of our minds is usually “What’s in it for me?” If we realize that at the core everyone is truly interested in what they can get out of something, then we can structure training and teaching in a manner that remains relevant to the audience. If we can make the mundane and the ordinary relevant, then we can achieve great things. Try it – when you meet with your staff next try to communicate what you want done in a language and form that is relevant to them and see what happens. If your employees begin to see and believe that they are doing things not just for your (the owner / manager) benefit, but rather they are doing it as an investment in their earnings, then you will see check averages, morale and the environment exceed your expectations.