It is undoubtedly critical to handle Back of the house operations in a restaurant because they ensure that all processes run smoothly and the business runs well. However, skilled front of the house management is equally important because it determines whether customers’ experiences are memorable or not. Better customer experience will result in positive reviews and a more loyal consumer base, which can result in more business.
As a restaurant manager, it’s incumbent upon you to stay on top of all operations in your restaurant. Falling behind on even aspect of the job can jeopardise the workflow and compromise the experience for customers. There are two types of management based on the operations in a restaurant: back of the house and front of the house. Both of them are equally important for a restaurant’s success. That said, this article will 5 restaurant management tips for front of the house operations
Front of the house operations are all of those that your customers come into contact with directly. Therefore, managing these operations are necessary if you want to create a great impression on your customers.
Here are some tips for restaurant managers to improve front of the house management.
1. Understand the Customer Experience As If You Are One
A great restaurant manager must put themselves in the customer’s shoes and understand the restaurant’s customer experience first-hand. As a restaurant manager, you can do that by walking in the restaurant and observing the space and how the employees greet you. Make a note of how long it takes for a customer to be seated after they walk in through the door. You must also pay attention to the appearance of the place. Does the ambience fit the theme and aesthetic of the space? Does the restaurant look clean, and is it maintained well? If you can answer positively to these questions, then you’re on the right track.
You should make a note of those things that bother you about the customer experience. Keeping these aspects in mind can help you identify problem areas in the restaurant management of the front of the house operations. You can then actively work on those to improve management and, consequently, better customer satisfaction. Moreover, it’s in your best interest to write all these aspects down so that you have a written record of what improvements you must make to the management.
2. Improve Communication Between Front House and Back House Employees
Your restaurant is one unit, and management in one part of the restaurant affects the other. Therefore, you must have an effective communication chain between your front house and back house employees. Employees in charge of the back of the house operations must inform front house employees of ingredient shortages, potential delays in preparation, and staff unavailability. As a result, front of the house employees can prepare customers about potential issues to try and minimise customer dissatisfaction. For example, it’s better for a waiter to inform a customer that a certain dish is unavailable before they finalise their order than after it.
It can help to encourage interaction among all employees to boost restaurant management. Company events can help with that. Moreover, all formal notices and information should be circulated to all employees, regardless of whether they are responsible for back of the house or front of the house operations.
3. Prioritise Training Your Employees
Prioritising training your employees is an essential part of front of the house management. Employee turnover is one of the highest in the restaurant industry because the jobs are demanding. Therefore, you will consistently keep hiring new staff members as replacements. Now, while staff training can be an additional expense to bear, it is necessary to ensure your staff know how to deal with customers well and understand the theme and style of your restaurant business.
Training your staff establishes a specific standard on which all workers must operate. This will ensure that the quality of their work is consistent, and that can help build trust between your food business and your customers. Consistent service and consistent quality of food together foster customer loyalty, improve customer experiences, and facilitate customer retention.
Training your restaurant staff post here.
4. Lead Your Team by Example
You will need to step as a leader to ensure that your team works to the best of their abilities. Sometimes, the best way to teach them about the standard of the services required is to show them by example. Make sure that you take a proactive approach with your restaurant management instead of a reactive one. As a result, you will identify problem areas quickly and be able to rectify them before it’s too late. Thus, you can inspire your team to take on the same approach so that they can search for solutions and keep service quality as consistent as possible.
5. Don’t Micromanage Your Team
While it’s important to be proactive about front of the house management, you must be careful not to start micromanaging your team. Micromanagement can make your staff feel like you don’t trust them to do their jobs effectively, which can make them disinterested in work and complacent to your decisions. Therefore, there will be fewer ideas coming from your employees, which will prevent your restaurant from growing. It is likely also to create a toxic work environment. Therefore, trust your employees to do their jobs because that’s why you hired them.
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