26 Degrees in the Shade . . .

Teach me How to Choose Staff Bar/Restaurant

Teach me How to Choose Staff Bar/Restaurant Spain

Having good staff in your bar/restaurant in Spain will bring in extra trade

and lead to increased profits, so it’s very important to learn the correct criteria when choosing staff.

Bear in mind that most clients will like or dislike a waiter/waitress based on the first impression

that the member of staff gives them. If they like your staff, they will return to eat and drink in your bar restaurant regularly and if they don’t like your staff, you will probably lose their custom.

When you interview a person to be a waiter in your bar/restaurant, I would recommend that you take a minute at the beginning of the interview to sense the first impression that they give to you, because if you are put-off them in any way, your clients will react in the same way.

Here are some negative points that I personally would use to move an applicant down my short list as an employee.

• Slouching or lazy posture
• Scruffy appearance
• Heavy smoker or drinker
• Unduly shy
• Mumbles when speaking
• Not much personality
• Only speaks his/her mother tongue and is unwilling to study a second language

I have listed some of the criteria that would render an applicant unsuitable for bar/restaurant work. There are other criteria, but basically, if you don’t take a liking to the applicant after 5 min the rule of thumb is simply;

keep looking

Positive criteria, in no particular order. I look for all these qualities in each of my staff members;

• Trustworthy (Ask for references)
• Shows alertness
• Basically attractive Physically
• Basically attractive personality
• Smart appearance
• Good upright posture
• Clearly has the ability to converse freely (articulate and not shy)
• Speaks a second language at least basically and is prepared to study that language
• Punctual
• Not adverse to working extra hours
• Shows some ambition to learn new skills, like pizza making etc

The right person for you bar/restaurant, who is going to help grow your business will have all the above qualities and that person potentially you will be able to train up with new skills and develop into a valuable long term employee.

Customer Relations Bar /Restaurant Spain

Customer relations in my Bar /Restaurant Spain

Last post I talked about controlling staff

Today I want to talk about how to select, contract and train staff to best serve your profit goals.

A small business like Graham’s Pizzeria needs a couple to run it and between one and two extra staff.

The extra staff do the simple tasks like shifting rubbish and washing up, but they also do one of the most vital jobs in any bar/restaurant i.e:

they are at the coal face, interfacing with the client, and as all income flows from the client, you need your staff to be:

• Attractive
• Well dressed
• Polite at all times
• Have a strong personality and be able to chat with clients who are waiting.
• Have at least some English and Spanish
• Write down orders clearly to the system which you have established.
• Be capable of remembering where each order goes on a given table
  
• To regulate the work flow going into the kitchen

Young well groomed women will bring in more trade, but in businesses with more than two staff a young well turned out waiter will also draw in trade.

I’ll deal with each point over the next few posts, but let’s get started:

Interviewing.

When interviewing ask yourself does this person fit my criteria and ask them questions relative to previous experience, going on to work you way down the above list. Sometimes the first person you interview is the perfect candidate and other times you have to interview several people to find a suitable candidate. Remember, be patient and wait until you find the right person who you feel is prepared to learn and will add to you business.