THE ATTRIBUTES OF EMPLOYEES

Salesmanship

Food and beverage service personnel are technical sales persons; therefore, you
should have a thorough knowledge of the proper presentation and service of all the
food and beverages served in the establishment. Waiters should be kept informed by
their superiors of deletions or additions to the menu.

Ability to Assume Responsibility

You should be able to cope up with the demands of the job and have the ability to
assume responsibility. You should be loyal to their employers, responsible to the guests
and friendly towards their fellow workers. You should not consider any job as menial,
and should be willing to perform all kinds of jobs efficiently. This will help you to grow
in your career and at the same time enhance the image of the establishment in the
eyes of the guests.

Maximise Revenue

Cutting down on costs and maximising the revenue of the establishment should be
the prime objective of all members of the staff, even of those in junior positions.

Punctuality

Punctuality is all-important. If staff is continually late for duty, it shows a lack of interest
in his work and a lack of respect for the management and customers. Remember,
you have to wait the guest, not the guest.

Local Knowledge

In the interest of customers, the staff should have certain knowledge of the area in
which they work so that they may be able to advise the guests on the various forms
of entertainment offered, such as the best means of transport to places of interest etc.

Personality

You must be tactful, courteous and good humoured. You must converse with the
customer in a pleasing and well-spoken manner and the ability to smile at the right time.

Attitude to Customers

The correct approach towards the customer is of the utmost importance. You must not
be unwilling, but should anticipate the customer's needs and wishes. A careful watch
should be kept on customers at all times during the service without staring. Care should
always be taken when dealing with difficult customers. (There is really no such thing
as a 'difficult' customer – they are normal people whom one is uncertain how to deal
with.) Staff should never argue with customers as this will only worsen the situation. All
complaints should be referred to someone in authority in the food service area.

Honesty

This is all-important in dealings with both the customer and the management. If there
is trust and respect in the triangle of staff, customer and management relationships,
then there will be pleasant work atmosphere which encourages efficiency and a
good team spirit among the food and beverage service operators.

Communication

Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages or information. It is vital to the
successes of the restaurant or hotel business since it is only through the effective use of
communication that we can offer guests the services. Communicating way is as:
1 Facial expressions - a smile, a frown.
2 Gestures - movements of hands and body to help explain or emphasise the
   verbal message.
3 Body posture - how we stand or sit.
4 Orientation - whether we face the other person or turn away.
5 Eye contact - whether we look at the other person and for how long.
6 Body contact - arm around the shoulder, a handshake.
7 Proximity - the distance we stand or sit from a person.
8 Non-verbal aspects of speech - tone and pitch of voice.
9 Head nods - for encouragement, indication of agreement or disagreement.
10 Appearance - dress and grooming.
Your expressions, posture and appearance must be appropriate and should tell the
guest that you are professional, competent and willing to help.
It is also important to watch out for signals from guests, for example, a guest glancing at
his watch often may be demonstrating impatience or a sense of urgency. Letting him
know how soon you will attend to him is one way of handling this situation.
It is important to be aware of body language when dealing with visitors from different
cultures. Gestures and expressions acceptable to us may be offensive or misleading to
overseas visitors.
From a guest's point of view, visual communication starts working even before they enter
the restaurant. The appearance of the outside of the restaurant, a warm welcome at the
front door will all give a very positive impression of the restaurant.
First impressions are the most lasting! You only have one chance to make a first impression so make it a good one.