Assignment 8A - Solving the Problem
- I was unable to complete Assignment 7A in time to publish as I was out of town for a conference related specifically to my industry, and therefore not my prototypical customer. After doing the assignment on my own, my hypothesis is as follows:
- "There is a disconnect in communication between managers and line-level employees when a significant change in standard routine occurs".
- By "significant change", I mean that there is a variation from the norm- ie. someone in a party has a food allergy, a large event is booked/comes in, an emergency occurs.
- My solution to this problem is a Portal in which a restaurant can communicate and assist with these changes to ensure everyone has the correct information. A Standard Procedure that typically occurs already is a "Pre-Shift meeting" between employees and managers, however throughout the shift things continue to change, so the information sometimes becomes outdated.
- Through the portal I am proposing as a solution, this can be a webpage in which each server, dishwasher, manager, etc. has a login that communicates directly with their smart phone. The login stores email and phone numbers and sends push notifications in place of sending texts or e-mails so as these intermittent changes occur, a manager or administrator can update and send a notification to those activated on shift. It will then be up to the responsibility of the server or dishwasher to check their phone intermittently to receive these updates.
- For example- a Networking event of 100 people is booked for 1 week from the current date. As a manager, you will send a notification to the entire staff notifying of a large party and specific requests that are noted. Day of, an automatic notification is sent to all those on shift reminding them of the large party. Throughout the week prior, drink and food that has run out or been replaced is added/removed from this portal so come the day of the event, you can ensure everyone has everything they need. The client's name is included as well as a picture so that all staff can recognize when the Client arrives and make sure their needs are met.
Hi Alexandra, as someone who has been working in the restaurant industry for the past three years, I found your post very relatable. Communication is the biggest cause for error in the industry, if certain orders or instructions are miscommunicated someone could lose their job or be seriously injured. I really like your idea for restaurant managers being able to use this opportunity to communicate better with their employees. The busier any restaurant gets, the harder it is for all employees to communicate with one another and their managers.
ReplyDeleteAs a former hostess, I can relate to this post, Luckily, my former management was very competent and we rarely had miscommunication. I believe this solution would work best in high end restaurants where customer experience is paramount and they most likely have the money to invest in this type of system.
ReplyDelete