TRAINING THAT ADDS REAL INCOME TO THE BOTTOM LINE

There’s no margin for error in the supply chain, because production takes a long time. When it comes to the restaurant business and the consumer end of the chain, however, we find a rather different approach. Seasonal decorations are rarely planned, for example, and often not by professionals who have taste and style. Instead, the restaurant manager is tasked with getting a tree, lights and creating some kind of snow, be it spray or cotton wool.

The menu for the season also comes at the last minute. Usually, around December 10, someone suddenly thinks that it’s a good idea to have some seasonal dishes for diners to choose from. And so, a dubious process is put in motion which sees everyone rushing around, feeling important, to throw together a menu and a flyer.

Eventually, someone else remembers that New Year’s Eve follows straight after Christmas and suggests that it may be a good idea to have a menu and a special price for that night too. And so the scene repeats itself.

Finally, the festive season rolls along, tables fill up and service staff are under massive pressure to get as many customers in and out of the restaurant as quickly as possible. Forget the refined service that the businesses are known for - no one really cares. They say that customers just want to eat. And the owners want to make as many bucks as possible before the dreaded dead period of January comes along. It’s all so wrong, but believe it or not, this scene is repeated the world over.

PPPPP: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance •

What needs to be done? Plan the approach to the season as early as possible, before November 15. Plan the menu - research what fits with local taste. Review the previous year’s sales figures and menu and see what customers ordered then. Plan a great visual and share it on social media and in the restaurant. Share the message about the menu with all of your clients via your contact list. Create a special sequence of service with your team that helps customers to enjoy their experience. Make sure that the focus of every team member is: 100 percent of customers happy, 100 percent of the time.

This all takes time and planning.

How to maximize revenue throughout the holiday season

Share the menu with all of your team members. Get them to memorize the contents.

Ensure that everyone has tasted the items on the menu, and that they know the ingredients and how the dish is prepared. They can then describe the tastes. Use recipe cards.

Make sure special drinks have been tasted and a selection of wines is chosen to accompany the food. Use pictures and tasters. Team members should be prepared, through careful training, to be cheerful, friendly and kind, practicing care before the service starts and learning the festive sequence of service.

Set a target for every single employee to sell one special item on every table. Create a reward system that works, such as instant daily rewards for those who sell. Not those who sell the most, just those that sell. It’s not a competition between team members, it is an effort to grow the profits of the business.

Be generous with your team - set a party date for them to celebrate together too.

Advice for a great January •

In the Christmas and New Year rush, serve every customer as though they are the only customer in the world. Give every customer your highest level of care, and serve with kindness and attention. Let the waiting customers wait, giving them an honest assessment of the real waiting time. Never push customers along to finish while they are enjoying themselves. Protect servers from undue pressure, helping them to deliver great, memorable experiences. Expect every employee to fulfill your sales target of one special item per table, on every table. Give your team the rewards that you promised.

Outcome • •

• • •

Customers will be very happy. Customers will share their positive experience with their friends. Customers that were in the waiting line will want to come earlier next time. Servers will have increased the average purchase per table. Customers will come back, bringing their friends.

In January, all your happy customers will love your ‘January Blues’ menu promotion and come back to “relive their beautiful memories of the season” in a place that made them feel special amongst the commercial madness.

Holiday seasons come along at various intervals throughout the year. As we approach the Christmas period, the food industry gears up for one final blast of massive sales over a six-week period. Master trainer

discusses why proper preparation, in terms of forecasting and planning, is critical to success