It takes a special person to run a restaurant and interact with customers and restaurant staff. Not everyone is cut out to be a restaurant manager.
Managers must be on their feet for long periods of time, 8-12 hours a day. Managers must also be trained to understand labor and food costs, customer service, and how to manage people. They must be trained in all aspects of the restaurant business.
Five key aspects for every manager are:
1. Keep an open mind
2. Be able to accept criticism
3. Preservation of large amounts of information
4. Have excellent customer service skills
5. Know how to understand both sides of the story.
Sometimes it takes years to fully train someone in this business. There are two ways that people typically become managers, either by earning a college degree or by moving up the ranks.
I have been in the restaurant business for over 25 years and have worked with both types of management. There are advantages and disadvantages to both paths. Either way, it is important that you provide managers with training to understand their role in the restaurant.
Most managers recently graduated from college had very little practical training in a restaurant. Perhaps they have some experience working in fast food, or as a cook or server in an independently owned restaurant or chain of restaurants. They may not have any restaurant experience. The experience they have in life will be part of what they bring to the leadership role. A college graduate may have basic knowledge without a clear understanding of the restaurant industry. You may not realize the complexity of the job. Even with a degree, it is important to train your new restaurant manager. Everyone will benefit from the training.
People who have worked their way up the ranks may have a greater understanding based on the path they took. However, the person will need additional training to understand the manager’s role. It is not always easy for someone to move to management from other positions. Training is important to the person taking on the role of manager. That person should be prepared to see the restaurant from a different perspective.
Some people think that becoming a restaurant manager is easy, but it is not. Managers have many responsibilities. Managers are exposed to stressful situations throughout the day, they must maintain their composition and react to any situation calmly. Every manager deals with situations differently.
It is like a car changing gears; Before making a certain decision, you need to think about the result. Think before you change. Don’t automatically change impulsive thoughts. In fact, most managers make mistakes in their careers. The key is to learn from those mistakes.
You will make new mistakes, although hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes over and over again.
I’m going to give you some ideas and tips on how to be the manager that people will respect.
1. Be open-minded to change and embrace it. Changes happen every day, especially in the restaurant business. Procedures and policies are constantly being renewed. As a manager, you must adapt to these changes. You may not like or agree to these changes, but it is the manager’s responsibility to adhere to these changes and help implement them for staff members. If you don’t agree to a change, don’t just complain and don’t complain to other staff members. Go to your supervisor with possible reasons and alternatives. Have the attitude that you want to follow their policy, but would like to suggest a few reasons why this may not be the only way. Don’t say they are wrong, but say you have other ideas on how to handle the situation. Open communication with your supervisor is vital to maintaining your credibility and maintaining respect for your supervisor.
2. Managers must be able to accept criticism from others. Accepting criticism from others simply means that other employees may tell you that they disagree with your decision on a certain issue. As a wise manager, you will use this to your advantage and correct yourself. Listening to other people can offer other ways to do the same work. Your path is not always the right one. Sometimes there is no “right way”, just different options that can lead to better results.
3. Managers must be able to retain a large amount of information. Managers must have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the restaurant. You must know the menu and style of the restaurant, and have knowledge of the operation of each area. Must know how to cook, serve, greet, prepare, and wash dishes, in addition to managerial responsibilities. This includes observing labor, knowing if there are too many people working or if more people are needed. You need to be aware of food costs, and realize if food is wasted or even stolen. You also need to know how to handle money and count cash. The hardest part is that you also need to be able to juggle all of this knowledge every minute of the shift.
4. Managers need excellent customer service skills. Managers are constantly dealing with the public and staff members. The way you talk to people should be professional. Always think before you speak. Some people react to their first thought, but this may not always be the best way to handle the situation. If your employees don’t get along, you need to know how to help them work together, without a negative attitude. You also need to know how to handle difficult customers, as well as pleasant customers. Knowing how to receive a compliment is just as important as knowing how to receive a complaint in a positive professional way.
5. There are always two sides to a story. This is especially true when staff members disagree. The manager must listen to both sides and see each staff member’s perspective. People often choose or fall into a specific role in the restaurant because of their abilities and skills. Cooks may or may not have excellent people skills. The waiters may or may not have a clue how to cook. Consider the personality of each staff member when approaching them. A cook may be offended by a customer’s complaint about a dish that the cook is proud of. The server can see the client side. As a manager, you will have to deal with the customer’s complaint and see their side. You also have to know how to communicate the customer’s concerns to the chef without offending him. Think before you speak on both sides. Learn much more by listening and asking open-ended questions, not just yes or no questions. Don’t assume you know your answer before someone answers your questions. Take the time to listen and fully understand.
Keep these five key things in mind if you are the manager or the person who hires managers. All managers must keep an open mind, be able to handle criticism, retain large amounts of information, have excellent customer service skills, and know how to understand both sides of the story. If every restaurant were run by people who have those key aspects as part of their skill and knowledge set, then problems would decrease and profits would increase at those restaurants. Training your managers is one way to achieve this.
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