In the busy world of restauranteering, new servers need to hit the ground running. However, some restaurant operators find training to be a difficult task.
Whether it's handling tables or filling online orders, if new employees feel unprepared, the customer experience suffers as a result.
Eighty percent of Menufy's employees originated from the restaurant industry, and many of them have spent countless hours hiring and training new hires. When we spoke with our team members, they had lots to say about preparing restaurant staff for success.
"I think the best investment you can make is to invest in your employees," suggested Sam Kaps, a channel sales executive at Menufy. "If you have a revolving door of employees, you are paying for the cost to onboard them into your organization. The time expended on the trainee and trainer, even the cost of uniforms, all of it greatly impacts the bottom line."
By investing quality time in training staff, you can create a working environment in which your servers thrive and you exceed your customers' expectations.
Below are tips that Menufy experts agree are important to consider when training new servers.
1. Create a Restaurant Employee Handbook
An employee handbook is an essential onboarding document. It outlines how everything works in your restaurant, explains what you expect from the server, and details all the information needed to provide the best possible service.
When a new server signs on, spend their first day on the job going through the handbook. Encourage questions, and leave no stone unturned.
Communicating what is required from team members will prevent anyone from dropping the proverbial ball.
"It's very important that everyone understand their position in the restaurant," suggested David Nguyen, a restaurant owner and Menufy sales executive. "When they do, restaurants benefit from fewer errors, and workflow is a lot smoother."
2. Create a Map of Your Restaurant
No two restaurants are the same.
Some offer counter-service and carryout only, while others are behemoths with multiple levels and additional outdoor seating.
When training new servers, create a map to explain the flow of your space. Mark the different sections and table numbers and explain how hosts assign seating.
Before scheduling a new employee, we suggest quizzing them on table numbers. It will give you a chance to identify any blind spots and avoid potential chaos when your server is released onto the floor.
Most service challenges can be eliminated by familiarizing new hires with restaurant processes, for example, by using floor maps," suggested Sam Kaps.
3. The Restaurant Menu Is Key
Ashley Day, a sales manager at Menufy, put in years as a general manager at restaurants. She is adamant about the importance of menu training.
"Training your staff on your restaurant's menu items is key," expressed Day.
Whether you're running a cafe or a fine dining restaurant, a customer will eventually ask a server, "What do you recommend?"
"Servers who are well trained on the menu will not only be able to suggest dishes and answer customers' questions, but their knowledge of the menu will lead to a gained trust between the staff and customer, which can build up a restaurant's regulars or loyalty base," explained Day.
Another thing restaurateurs shouldn't overlook is upselling techniques. Remember, servers aren't there only to take orders. They are salespeople who can directly influence how much someone spends at an establishment.
Taking the time to train staff to enhance the customer experience increases the probability of a higher-priced ticket.
4. Review the Basics
A sign of a great restaurant is good service every single time. As humans, we love routines and familiarity.
"Yes, customers will frequent a restaurant for the food, but most of the time it's the experience and how your staff makes a customer feel that keep them coming back," remarked Day.
If a customer can expect an amazing experience on repeat, you'll create regulars and see a boost in your revenue.
Here are some of the basics to go over:
The standard greeting: How do you want your servers to greet your in-person and carryout customers? A standardized greeting creates that familiarity for your guests.
Attentiveness: The more your servers can offer refills before glasses are empty, the higher your chances of a larger bill and a higher tip. From the customer's perspective, they feel looked after rather than forgotten.
Teamwork: Do you expect your staff to pick up the slack if someone is busy? Reward initiative and let people know you want everyone to work together to ensure customers don't complain. "Servers need to know how the front and back of the house operate, suggested Jeremy Garcia, a senior sales executive at Menufy.
5. Try Job Shadowing
As the manager, you can't micromanage your new employees.
One of the best ways to help your server learn on the job without holding their hand is job shadowing. The newbie will get to see firsthand what the job entails and how to perform tasks, and they'll get a feel for how the restaurant works.
Try designating a seasoned server to act as the dedicated trainer for every new server, creating a uniform training program.
Using this kind of standardized training program will result in servers who can maintain a consistent guest experience.
Post-Training
The learning shouldn't stop once employees have graduated from their initial training period.
Sam Kaps stressed that frequent education is vital to a successful business. "Continue to educate and mentor restaurant staff and provide them with opportunities to grow and learn the restaurant business."
To maintain high performance levels, restaurant owners should recognize the effects of burnout by empathizing about workplace challenges.
"I have found recently that operators are recognizing the toll of being short-staffed and have decided to reduce operating hours to give their staff a break. This tells an employee that they are not simply a number but are a team member that management cares about," voiced Kaps.
Keeping your employees happy is important financially as well.
A study conducted at Cornell University found that the cost of adequate training was 75% cheaper than the expense of replacing an employee.
Final Thoughts
"A great staff will build your customer base and increase positive reviews. Happy customers will likely share their great experiences with family, friends, and coworkers, and if you're really lucky, they'll bring these people into your restaurant so they can have their own experience," noted Ashley Day.
"Make sure that everyone in the house is happy and ready to make a customer experience one of a kind," added Jeremy Garcia.
Menufy team members agree that happy and prepared restaurant employees are worth the time and financial investment.
For more hiring, staff retention, and work culture solutions, read Menufy's recent article, Hire New Staff & Keep the Old: Exploring Recruiting and Retaining Employees.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator
Melissa began her digital marketing career nearly a decade ago at a restaurant group. She worked with restaurant managers and executive chefs while coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.