Archive for August, 2008

I did hear the employee at Subway correctly. Yes the guy making the sandwiches at about 5 in the evening.  Clearly past the stores lunch rush. But why does this scenario matter? What Scenario is that you ask… well running out of your most popular items. After the employee was asked for the 4th time that all 4 people in line wanted the Italian herb cheese bread that he was out of. He finally uttered very clearly” My Manager is a Moron!” he does this to us every day!!

Yes his manager is a moron! You can explain a once in a while incident of running out of your favorite item but everyday? I am not sure what is to be accomplished with this management mindset so I guess writing this not blatantly obvious? If the sons swear slap the father!’

My addition to a long line of stupid manager stories. My sons girlfriend works at a fast food Italian restaurant (do I need to say which concept this is) She is a long time employee that means over 6 months in the industry. She has actually worked there for over 18 months. I will call KT, now KT you would think should be considered a valuable employee She is the number 1 employee. Well She is being treated like number 2 (shit). Have you ever had a manager let another employee change the schedule without contacting both employees. Well this dip shit allowed this exact scenario to happen and put KT into a closing shift. Now KT is a Senior in High School Runs Cross Country, Track and works to pay for her own expenses, clothes etc. The result was a closing shift, tons of homework and an upcoming race in 2 days. The guilty employee received no performance counseling and the stupid manager reply, oh uh sorry?

If you work for a spineless manager… quit.He she does not deserve the number 1 employees in the industry, find the employer of choice!!!!She is putting in her two weeks notice unfortunately not until after she finds another job.

Chain management realty:

• The reality for restaurant chains is they tell the managers to promote within,
• they tell the managers to reduce turnover,
• they tell managers this builds guest loyalty,
• they tell managers long term employees are good business,
• they help build repeat businesses.
• Makes sense doesn’t it? Is it true? yes it is.

So then why do the bean counters penalize the managers by reducing their bonus by having vacation pay and employee benefits reduce their bonus?

Good question Ask your managers how does your benefits affect there bonus. You will now know the companies true philosophy.

Do not be afraid to GTFO and better your self you are number 1 only work for people that agree..

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‘, ‘You Are Number 1 Dont Let Your Manager Treat You Like Number 2′

‘2008-06-12 21:55:16′, ‘All of us at some time or another had to begin interviewing new restaurant employees. Due to the typically high turnover in the hospitality industry you may or may not find yourself becoming proficient in the process. The down side of being a new restaurant manager in training is that many HR departments do not focus on this important aspect of the business. Below are seven areas to be very careful with to ensure you hit your one year employee anniversary as the new manager.

Safe Interviewing? (CYA Interviewing) Don’t ask questions about or make any references to: Age, religion, racial heritage (Yes there is a minimum age requirement to satisfy state and local Liquor license requirements and must be adhered to, ask if they are at least the requires age on the application if applying for those positions)

2. Languages spoken at home (if part of the job description, you can ask in what languages the candidate is fluent)

3. Family: spouse’’s employment, child care, marital status, where parents were born, where the candidate was born, if family lives locally, sexual orientation

4. Home ownership, car ownership (Do you have adequate transportation to be able to work the hours scheduled is appropriate)

5. Arrest record (you may ask if candidate has ever been convicted of a felony, not if they”ve ever been arrested) Keep it on the application follow-up with all candidates with a permission form to do a background and reference check.

6. Handicaps (Assume if they are looking for a Job in the hospitality industry…)

7 . Citizenship (yet if they are not a citizen you cannot hire them)

If the candidate volunteers information on any of the above “no-no’’s”, say something like “That isn”t information I need for this interview” and move on to safer territory. Do keep questions open-ended and job-related and ask all candidates the same basic questions.  For some cool interview questions to break up the interview boredom check out this list of 7 from bnet.com We will be spending alot more time on hospitality employees and hiring the best staff. Restaurant managers need to be the best to find the best. Have a great shift’, ‘

The showing of favoritism towards relatives, based upon relation, rather than on an objective evaluation of ability or suitability. This always makes for a wonderful work environment. You have all been there Nepotism runs rampant in the industry. Dad hires son, daughter, brother, sister, nephew who ever. They normally seem like nice people but shitty employees. But hey what the hell difference does it make you take the heat for lazy and lousy employees. You work harder so they can keep their jobs and sexually harass the staff. Of course a story from my career. I once worked for an independent operation. Oh no hear it comes “the story” Anyways I was originally hired to “Chainify” the concept as they were expanding. I was hired originally to write operations and recipe manuals. Yes another restaurant without recipes, how many times do we have to have this conversation!!!!!!!!! Anyways After becoming the GM I soon learned that I banned from managing a certain department, of course run by the owners sister. So I have a compensation plan based upon reaching certain P&L criteria. Well needless to say I got screwed When I did reach hit my bonus and a very large one at that, Guess who complained about the money until I hired my Attorney. Yea go figure Nepotism is for me a red flag with any organization. I would not work for an organization that engages in the active practice of nepotism. The very practice itself is not in the best interest of any business. Remember you are number 1 don”t let your employer treat you like number 2. There are 937,000 restaurants in the country I think you can find an employer that will treat you with the respect you deserve, allow you to grow as an individual and foster the environment of learning and creating a better life that you seek. Find those Employers and you will Prosper and may even enjoy your work

A quick update on the post concerning stupid managers. The Italian fast food restaurant that hired the stupid managers and thought that treating the employees like “Number 2″ has closed. Owners seem to hire the cheapest and not the best. The saying stepping over dollars to save pennies comes to mind. We can analysis this to death but the result, stupid managers are hired by stupid owners. These stupid owners are now short 1 restaurant because treating your employees like crap, to save money is about the stupidest business plan available. Yes Stupid managers will cost you your business literally.\n

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2007-03-05 05:54:06′, ‘As Fast As Our Company Does! You read that right.There is, contrary to popular

Leadership

belief, a substantial number of hospitality industry employees that take pride in their work, excel at service and believe that they serve the best damn fajitas this side of de Nile. Some do it because they have a righteous work ethic, some because of their innate sense of competition with each other, and still others, of a desire to just make other people happy.

Those that exemplify the highest ideals, elevate their performance because they have to. It’’s simply how they pay the bills, maintain friends and customers- and keep their job. BUT, as often happens in the corporate world, the economy takes a turn for the worse, some bad deals are done, prices skyrocket, leadership changes, competition gets tougher or the Vice President of Operation’’s french fry kickback check bounces. For whatever reason, companies decide to, or are put into a position to, run the prices up/cut corners, and raise additional funds from one area, in order to funnel into another. When this happens, it usually comes from the biggest operations costs: utilities, food and beverages, and the payroll. These areas affect us – the operations people.

Why mess with our world? Small increases in price or pocket change saved here or there, multiplied times many customers, and again by many units, result in piles of money. Did you really think that the corporate gang was going to give up their spa memberships? Stock options? Butt wipe-saving bidets in the Executive Washroom? Tee times at the times you need them most? Ha! A good sign that you”re in this “savings vortex” is a company-wide, new-found awareness of utility waste. The temperature is warmer/cooler than it used to be, managers are bugging everybody about lighting and equipment “turn on” times. Not to worry. These symptoms only last about a month or two at tops.

You may notice menu or portion resizing, garnishes no longer being necessary, changes to linens, glassware, paper products, cleaning and armored car services – even doing away with those mints at the front desk that you swore that you”d swear off of. A big labor crunch, cutting service levels to the bone and pushing heart-of-the-house crews to the limit, mean there’’s not much imagination behind this drive for the dollars. Shortcuts in cleaning regimen or training standards show that morals aren’t such a bargain anymore, and the leadership is willing to sacrifice the future for quick results. All of these measures lead to a lowering of standards once preached by the very same entities that now fear for their own personal money and continued employment. If they visit your locale, be very afraid. They”re dangerous when it’’s their own ass in the line of fire.

[ MEAN TRICK HINT: if a worried- looking corporate so-and-so is in your building, tape a drawing of a target on the back of their coat. It makes them finish the entire bottle of antacids on the way home!]

So, when your guests start to complain, a cook, dishwasher or bartender walks out because of the increased workload, the climate control is whacked out and the boss has eaten all of the good painkillers from the first aid kit, (pain-aid loaded with caffeine) you are suffering withdrawal symptoms due to an absence of standards. The company’’s current crisis is deemed more important than it’’s ideals.  a healthy company, the path of least resistance causes the operations employees to bend, break or reinterpret the rules gradually, over a long period of time – the way it’’s supposed to break down. The company’’s money crunch is much more rapid, and therefore, much more noticeable.

You read that right, have covered this subject with prospective employees as early as their first interview and orientations. I believe that the most clever and intelligent crew members realize this, as well as people that have something to hide. You may want to take notes on this if you are about to change companies, or if you are a “job-hopper”. Think about it. Assuming that nobody at your new job knows you, you have the power to be a completely different person than who you really are. You can be the silent-but-strong type, speaking infrequently on what is considered an important topic, the outgoing life-of-the-party animal, always in on the crew’’s after work life, or the mysterious, spooky type, that seems immune to even the most vicious gossips and naysayers. Be the person you to be, want to be or really are. Your coworkers only know what you let them know (unless, of course, it’’s in the local police blotter!). I have seen this countless times in women with a horrible life mate, kids with overbearing parents and loners that don”t have any social life to speak of outside of work. Unhappiness at home causes much of this. Most of them practice this unconciously and out of necessity – socially gasping for air, trying to preserve what self identity they still have. Have you ever heard of another employee suddenly being escorted out of the building, in handcuffs, by Sherrif Andy and Barney? You had no clue that they were “wanted”. Same thing. I”ve also witnessed this “life-out-of-life” behavior in very intelligent, contriving people, almost as if they were trying to amuse themselves, while escaping the childish ongoings that are often unchecked in some workplaces, and preventing what seemed to be the dull and the petty. Some individuals can construct quite elaborate “realities”. I remember one bartender who claimed he was a painter/sculptor from Greenwich Village, and who went so far as to claim that the dirt on his civilian clothing was modeling clay, as he hurriedly would redress into his uniform in the men’’s room. It turned out that he really worked a construction gig for his dad during the daytime. It probably got him laid more than he would”ve been. It doesn”t take much to shape a stranger’’s image of who you claim to be. Spend a few minutes thinking about who you are, and who you want to be before your next “first day at school”.