Duke City Dialing Disasters
February 17th, 2009
When friends that are visiting from other cities or recently moved to Albuquerque comment on the levels of service in our restaurant industry, it is rarely charitable. Because we like to fall back on that “land of mañana” excuse, maybe it IS true that service is lacking.
There is good news, here, of course. Service can be improved. Easily. Granted, each employee’s behavior might be tricky to change, establishing their habits and making sure they realize it ain’t just a job – its a SERVICE job.
Tip pooling is helping to kill service levels. Too many restaurants take all tips that come in during a shift and divide it amongst the staff, sometimes the kitchen staff as well. The top performers – those that know your name, top up your coffee with a wink and a ‘here ya go, hon!’ – are tipped the same amount as the ones who disappear from sight, forget your order, and never smile. I’ll write more about this, you can be sure about that.
However, this post was prompted by the atrocious phone skills I experience from restaurants. For example, I just called one small place during their slow hours. The first time I was met with some background talking, silence, and then a “click”. I called back, and got the fax machine. Now, if I were a new customer trying to locate them or even check the hours, I would probably give up.
Rules for phones at restaurants, in order of importance:
- Answer the phone with a smile. Allow all employees to answer the phone and make sure they know the operating hours, the street address, and possibly the name of the manager. That’s all!
- Have crucial but brief information in your voicemail greeting – something like this takes no more than 12 seconds to say (I timed it): ”Thank you for calling Shish-Ka-Bob Restaurant at 456 Western Boulevard, open weekdays from 8 to 8 and weekends from 10 to 9. Leave your message and we’ll call you back”.
- Call people back if they do leave a message.
- Do not let the voicemail box get full.
You might be suprised at how many restaurants do not follow most or even all of these guidelines. In the shrinking restaurant economy, they need every single customer and anything that can be done to ensure a good experience will bring in new customers as well as increase their reputation for future visits. Did I mention that answering the phone with a smile is FREE? Unlike changing the menu, redecorating, hiring more staff, et cetera….
My favorite restaurants almost always have amazing service, either starched and impeccable to caring and friendly to a fault. (Laverne at Mannie’s, I’m talking to YOU!)
Wonderful, wonderful post.
Comment by sophie — February 17, 2009 @ 3:52 pm
Thanks, Sophie. I guess I’m “spoiled” by having Albuquerque as my main experience with city dining, so the service doesn’t seem that bad to me, generally speaking.
I ate at a wonderful sushi place in LA last week and recieved curt, unfriendly-yet-not-unprofessional service. The bill was huge so of course they still ended up with a sizeable tip. We don’t have a monopoly on indifferent service.
So, I tipped the AWESOME server who catered to our table of over a dozen at Zinc on Sunday 4 bucks on 18, while others around me were asking each other, “3 dollars is ok, right?”. I just hope Zinc doesn’t tip pool – this woman deserved my extra dollar.
Comment by Andrea Lin — February 17, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Andrea: I left a post on Chowhound on the Southwest board hoping you would comment. I saw in an earlier thread that you said “the beet appetizer at the Standard Diner rocked your world.” If that is the same thing as the Standard’s beet box with fontina cheese that I saw on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives recently, I hope you might comment either here or on Chow about how it’s made. I’m trying to replicate it, but it flew by so fast on the screen that I don’t know what is in the fontina mixture. Any help would be appreciated. I’ll check back here to see if you replied. Otherwise, I’ll watch on Chowhound. The title of my post is “Beet Box at Standard Diner Albuquerque NM.” You may have to scroll down a bit. Sorry to have tracked you down to your blog, but I’d really appreciate your input. Thank you. Susan
Comment by Susan Simon — March 1, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
I agree 100% with your comments about Tip pooling. It gives everyone the same amount, but does not reward, acknowledge, nor encourage excellence. I HATE IT!
This blog helped shine a light on a similar situation! It seems like the Government is trying to Tip Pool us as well. I am afraid that if taxes on the rich are increased to shore up our economy, a degree of this will happen in America – tax the wealthy more (not all of them are crooks) who have worked hard to achieve excellence and give it to lower income folks (some who need it, but others that are under achievers, just like the waitress you mentioned that disappears from sight or forgets your order.) Sounds like Tip Pooling to me! Too bad we can’t increase taxes on the crooks.
Granted, some folks did not have the opportunity to achieve greatness, or had unfortunate circumstances (someone who was paralyzed, for example) are at a disadvantage. However, it seems that many of those who have achieved excellence and wealth (Monitary and Spiritual) were folks who had the most adversity. To raise thier taxes would be ludicrous, just as taking the extra tip that an excellent waitperson earns and splitting it with an underachieving waitperson.
By the way, I try to tip a great waitperson personally. I’ve even been know to tip a busperson separately so they wouldn’t have to share the tip with the horrible wait person they are unfortuante enought to wait on.
Great Blog – Keep em coming!
Comment by Food Hound — March 3, 2009 @ 5:12 pm