In the Shoes of a Server
In the Shoes of a Server
The clattering of plates and the clicking of heels on a tile floor are the white noise of the restaurant. Kitchen partners rush to get the next salad ready, the next steak cooking. The expeditors keep the restaurant working smoothly, the source of communication between the front of the house and the kitchen. A business partner shouts “Corner!” as she rounds the bend between the kitchen and the hallway leading to the general area of the restaurant. Two servers see each other for the first time during their shift and exchange a quick “How are you?” without stopping long enough to hear the reply of their co-worker. A manager explains the goals of the evening to a group of distracted employees in the pass-through, watching a rush of customers enter through the double glass doors. The restaurant lifestyle is a unique discourse with success resulting from the quality of customer service and understanding the value of time-saving efficiency.
The more satisfied a customer is when leaving our restaurant, the more likely it is that they will return. Although this is a simple concept, it is crucial to keep our customers satisfied since we rely on them to keep us in business. The fast-paced restaurant industry at the Abbotsford Cactus Club Café has become a second home to me in the two and a half years I’ve worked there, and I’ve learned to adapt to the ways of the restaurant and values of our work-community. Our philosophy is drilled into all employees from the beginning of training. Kaizen, BTE/BTA and House of Yes are a few of the values that are put in to practice daily. Kaizen refers to continuous improvement, and BTE/BTA’s are acronyms for Better than Expected and Blow Them Away. House of Yes is the core value of Cactus Club, stating that if we can do it, we will do it. One way Cactus strives to display continuous improvement is by opening the door for every single customer with a smiling face and most importantly a warm greeting of “Hello!
The clattering of plates and the clicking of heels on a tile floor are the white noise of the restaurant. Kitchen partners rush to get the next salad ready, the next steak cooking. The expeditors keep the restaurant working smoothly, the source of communication between the front of the house and the kitchen. A business partner shouts “Corner!” as she rounds the bend between the kitchen and the hallway leading to the general area of the restaurant. Two servers see each other for the first time during their shift and exchange a quick “How are you?” without stopping long enough to hear the reply of their co-worker. A manager explains the goals of the evening to a group of distracted employees in the pass-through, watching a rush of customers enter through the double glass doors. The restaurant lifestyle is a unique discourse with success resulting from the quality of customer service and understanding the value of time-saving efficiency.
The more satisfied a customer is when leaving our restaurant, the more likely it is that they will return. Although this is a simple concept, it is crucial to keep our customers satisfied since we rely on them to keep us in business. The fast-paced restaurant industry at the Abbotsford Cactus Club Café has become a second home to me in the two and a half years I’ve worked there, and I’ve learned to adapt to the ways of the restaurant and values of our work-community. Our philosophy is drilled into all employees from the beginning of training. Kaizen, BTE/BTA and House of Yes are a few of the values that are put in to practice daily. Kaizen refers to continuous improvement, and BTE/BTA’s are acronyms for Better than Expected and Blow Them Away. House of Yes is the core value of Cactus Club, stating that if we can do it, we will do it. One way Cactus strives to display continuous improvement is by opening the door for every single customer with a smiling face and most importantly a warm greeting of “Hello!