Information of the management of others

I dont currently have any restaurant management experience which hurts me on resumes. What im looking for is to research as much as I can so that I will be knowledgeable when it comes to interviews. What are the most common problems when it comes to employees? How do you solve them? Common problems with customers? What are some very extreme examples and what are some every day problems. The majority of the information that I seek is for management of employees, but any response will be appreciated.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 11:41 pm: Edit

John,
I don't get it, your profile says that you are a manager now.
You should be able to answer these questions yourself.
I don't understand why you want someone from here to answer them.
By the way, after looking at your questions they seem pretty basic, things that even a brand spanking new manager would come across in a short time in management.
Maybe someone from here may correct me but 60% of all food service management is the same, meaning you come across the same things ie.
( what you've asked for above ) hotel, rest., catering, ect,..
Maybe you could tell us what kind of foodservice your a manager in now, and where?

By Adelie (Adelie) on Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 09:19 pm: Edit

Hmmm. You're asking for a Masters degree in human resource management. Having trained in-house employees on basic supervision and management, I'd say that the issues aren't that different in varying professions; a good manager has managerial skills that are quite separate from the technical ones s/he may need in a given profession. A good manager can manage anyone, regardless of technical skills.

So here are some adjectives for you to ponder and adapt to your profession:

ethical
fair
collegial
considerate
coach rather than teacher
focused
visibly committed to the organization
available
cooperative (as opposed to competitive)
flexible
committed to the skill growth of your direct reports

Now you've got your MA.

By Mbw (Mbw) on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 12:26 pm: Edit

#1 I dont currently have any restaurant management experience which hurts me on resumes.

A: Simple just lie.

#2 What I�m looking for is to research as much as I can so that I will be knowledgeable when it comes to interviews.

A: nod and smile a lot. Use "We" and "My" when referring to your past jobs and coworkers.

#3 What are the most common problems when it comes to employees?

A: Incest. Just kidding.. How about unclear chain of command, attendance and theft? Theft can be materials and/or time theft (AKA clock milking).

#4 How do you solve them?

A: Refer to the list by Adelie

#5 Common problems with customers?

A: Complaints of slow service or rude servers. Get them a new waiter mid meal or do the job yourself. Be super nice and mean it. Comp desserts or drinks but avoid comping the whole meal. If you feel they are just complaining just to get a freebie kill them and serve them the next day as �Long Pork�. Pick your battles.

#6 What are some very extreme examples and what are some every day problems.

A: Key staff didn�t show up, or delivery of key item botched.

Be as nice as you can without making yourself sick.

Good luck!


#2 What im looking for is to research as much as I can so that I will be knowledgeable when it comes to interviews.

A: nod and smile alot. Use "We" and "My" alot when refering to your past jobs.

What are the most common problems when it comes to employees? How do you solve them? Common problems with customers? What are some very extreme examples and what are some every day problems. The majority of the information that I seek is for management of employees, but any response will be appreciated.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 06:35 am: Edit

.....and this is why our industry is full of incompetent personnel who consider these jobs "transitional" jobs!
Haven't been around much BMW!

By Mbw (Mbw) on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - 02:39 pm: Edit

*Sorry for the sloppy cut and paste previously*

We should be so lucky to have the incompetent people be "transitional" I have met plenty of incompetent "lifers", and I myself have dipped to this performance level on occasion.

The #1 ingredient in soup is not water but love. As a customer I would rather have a rookie that cares than a seasoned professional that is being a jerk. Besides I feel that after a few weeks of caring and paying attention the "incompetence" will fade.

As for catering, about 75% of all the people I meet ARE transitional. Wait maybe I mean transvestites. Hmm this town is getting to me, but I digress. This includes Dancers, lawyers, students, musicians, etc. These servers are GREAT! They don't get burnt out as fast because they keep telling themselves "This is NOT what I do" "I have a greater goal." Sure you may want to keep these people out of the kitchen (please) but as far as "transitional" that works in their favor. Of course you will need a "whip" to give them instructions to make it really work.

Manny: BMW? "You talking to me? I don't see anyone else here."

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - 06:33 pm: Edit

BMW, there's some guy looking for a restaurant location in San Fran on the board, maybe you can help him out!...new to the business too!
Oh yes, you have to change that mbw to BMW man, you're in San Francisco, city by the bay, you got me, you got me....oh sorry was that that old Village People song????????????

By Adelie (Adelie) on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 03:35 pm: Edit

I think the difference may be between what people ARE and what they DO. In Los Angeles, where we lived for 37 years, every waiter and busboy had a script in his hip pocket. The big joke was the man who interviewed for a serving job and said, "I'm not really a waiter, I'm a writer." The interviewer said, "What a coincidence - our dishwasher is a director."

Most people aren't doing their life-work; they have JOBS that have nothing to do with who they are. The really successful ones, however you define success, are the ones who are DOING what they ARE. I think the divergence between what most people DO and what they ARE is telling and unfortunate; that's part of the difference between most of our restaurant servers and the ones you find in the better restaurants in europe - they went to waitering school, have spent their lives at it, and take it seriously. We seem to be a more transitional culture, where what we do doesn't necessarily have much to do with who we are. (I'm a good example of that...)

Off my soapbox now.

By Chefjoannam (Chefjoannam) on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 04:48 pm: Edit

> The really successful ones, however you define success,
> are the ones who are DOING what they ARE.
> I think the divergence between what most people DO
> and what they ARE is telling and unfortunate;

YUP! you hit the nail on the head. You have no idea now many people I cook for, as a Personal Chef, who tell me, "I love cooking, I really do, I just don't have the time to do it."

I tell them, "I love to cook too. This was the only way I figured out how to do it every day."

Most of the people I know, for whatever reason, don't do what they love doing. They do what makes money, they do what they went to school for, they do what they do out of obligation... whatever. They have no passion or motivation to do it because they can't find something inspiring about their job.

Remember how you saved up your earnings from babysitting/lawnmowing/whatever to buy something you wanted? People forget that frame of mind. It's much easier to GET than to EARN. (and much easier to ask questions on a listserv than to get out there and invest some time in research...)

That translates into "Why do I have to work weekday lunches? I want to work weekend dinners because you get better tips" Well, prove you're worth it, and when an opening comes up, I'll consider you.

...and to keep this on topic: I used to do Human Resources Management for a living. I was good at it, but I hated it. Hearing employees' problems and not being able to do anything about them most of the time, that sucked. Watching my bosses, the VPs and EVPs and presidents, leave for "seminars" over hotel lunches and "meetings" that took place on golf courses... while the employees had to grovel if they needed a couple hours off to see their kid in a school play, or heaven forbid, take care of a medical issue. ick. that was a sucky job.

And it's over! I wanted a change, so I took some steps and make the change. I went to culinary school, paid my dues, paid my tuition, went to class, studied hard, got perfect grades, worked for every chef who'd let me in their kitchen. I still look for opportunities to learn and develop and grow. When you stop learning, you stop. Period.

So, John123, if you want to learn management skills, you have a few options:

1) read a few books on management
2) go take a class or a seminar
3) find a mentor to show you how "Real Life" relates to the book learnin' and school learnin'

Preferably, do all three, in that order.

You want to change your situation, then invest some time and money in yourself and you can change it.

Whoo! The altitude of this soapbox seems to have given me a bit of a headrush. Forgive me!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 05:00 pm: Edit

I'm still holding out to be an astronaut, if Branson (Virgin) keeps goig with his co. I might see that in my lifetime!!!!

By Chefgibz0 (Chefgibz0) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 11:18 pm: Edit

Manny....all of you Dems are astronauts in your own right anyway....lol

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 07:49 pm: Edit

I hate to tell you guys but, anybody working in a kitchen is not a Republican.
I hate to say I'm a Dem. also, but, this damn system makes you choose one of the two but, I'm really a Dempublican, now I just need the party to come out!!!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 09:53 pm: Edit

your most likely right, Manny.
I'm sad to say.
You see, this is what happens when you open the biz to all those east and west coast people, and women, and them ones from europe.
Hell!, I bet no one even fly's the stars and bars no mo' in them there kitchens.
COMMIES !!!!!!!!
Makes your souffle' fall all to hell.
COMMIES !!!!!......EVEREYWHERE !!!!!!!
Like little kennedys run'in around wear'in checkers !
COMMIE BASTARDS !!!!!!!!
Thar outside my door right now !!!!!!lol.