Before, when I wrote a post called ‘It’s not their fault”, I focused on the customer and how they should not be held responsible for everything in their dining experience. Yes, I will always agree that customers DO have some responsibility, but most of it ends up being the job of the restaurant.

https://tabletalkpdx.com/2014/08/25/

This time, however, I would like to talk about those poor servers, and line cooks, who for whatever reason were never shown the proper way to do things around the place.

It’s not their fault

No, it’s not their fault. They were never shown in the first place how to do it. Long ago, I wrote about controlling labor turnover, and ways to do it. In that post I talked about why labor turnover is so high in some restaurants (100% in the hospitality business!). The number one reason that I cited in that post was the overwhelming response of, “No one told me what I was supposed to do.”

That’s right. How can we hold a waiter, a bartender, a host, a line cook, responsible if they were never properly trained? In my class, and with consulting clients, whenever they feel the need to share their poor dining experiences with me (which for whatever reason they often feel compelled to do), I ultimately end up responding, “Whose fault is that?”

That’s right, management

Or probably the owners. You want a successful business? Show your staff what to do! Show them how to do it. Watch them to make sure they are doing it right, and tell them so if they are not.

My wife has been known to say to me, “It’s not their fault.” Yes, dear, I know, but I don’t care. I just want to eat without it being totally lame. Otherwise, I would have just stayed home and made dinner myself.

I don’t even mind doing the dishes

People go out because they want to have a good time. They want food that they can’t make at home, at least not as well. They don’t want to have to clean up. BUT, they also want to be pampered a bit. Entertained. That’s why they are spending their money. Money that seems is harder and harder to get their hands on.

So

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Owners and managers: Give your employees a break. Show them the proper way to do things! By putting a little energy in to the upfront training, you will be giving your business a fighting chance at survival. Without that effort, you might as well be telling your customers as they stroll in, to just turn around and leave. That’s basically what you’re saying anyway.