Success Is Easier With Teamwork!

Both shifts yesterday was awesome! I worked from 9am until almost 10pm. We all worked together and proved the best service possible to every diner. It’s just that feeling of accomplishment. With teamwork, success is definitely easier!

I was the manager in charge for the morning shift where I arrived early to finish up some work from the night before. That story starts with Team Members not wanting to acknowledge me as a manager and pushing to see what I’m going to let them get away with.

Before anyone says anything, I check in with my RGM during or after my shift when I work. When we talked night before, we both agreed, that’s going to stop! Team members that are refusing or failing to complete their assigned duties by a manager is subject to termination.

Back to yesterday on my shift. The cook, driver, servers, and I worked diligently throughout the day. I backed them on the drive thru, cut table, in the dining room, and wherever I was needed. I also helped our driver keep dishes down to a minimum while he was doing prep. And that’s the way it’s suppose to be!

We had a normal pace of diners come in after the buffet closed and the restaurant started getting slow, so I let one of the server leave. The server for the second shift called in because of a school assignment that he had to finish. I received a couple suggestions from my RGM and team who I might be able to call in to help on the next shift, but after a few phone calls, the position was left empty. So, I figured, I’d stay a little later as needed.

Later on, I knew when I was suppose to come in yesterday, between the schedule and catching up with my RGM, but I didn’t pay attention to when I was getting off because I see it as open-ended. When the other manager arrived, she had seen the schedule and when I mentioned getting off, she told me I was scheduled until 9 PM. I grumbled a little because it kinda caught me off guard but I buckled down to work the rest of the day.

See, If I’m working with another manager, I may leave early if I’m not in charge of the shift and it’s slow enough for both of us to agree that I can leave. If I’m in charge of the first shift and the restaurant starts getting busy around the time I’m suppose to get off, I’ll close my shift and stay until the second shift gets caught up. I have no problem with either of those scenarios because that means more happy customers. On the other hand, I would expect the same from any other manager at the restaurant.

There’s a few though for instance that may be scheduled to work. They’ll work their shift but they’re going to leave at the time on the schedule regardless what they leave behind unfinished. Why? Because they have been getting away with it for so long. I’m a new face at the restaurant and that behavior isn’t going to fly with me. And of course, I’m running into resistance because some people doesn’t want a change in the status quo.

As the second shift started, I updated the other manager that earlier in the day, I answered a call from someone inquiring about using the party room. She informed me that she had received a similar call, but that particular customer was interested in a different day.

With only four of us, the service went smooth, and the people that called earlier came to use the party room. Before they arrived, they called again to order eight pizzas. They were prepared when they arrived and we got them out to the customer. After they were served, they order another four. In total, they ordered 12 pizzas.

That might not sound like a lot, but when a order comes in from from a future order, it pushes sequential orders back. This sometimes angers some customers because we may quote a time, and it pushes their pick up or delivery past the time we quoted. However, if that occurs, we have to do what we can to satisfy those customers.

Ultimately, both shifts was a success with teamwork. Whither it be by fate or divine intervention, every diner was served relatively fast. I actually enjoyed working yesterday! The training I had received had finally paid off and I knew by the time I was able to leave, we could do this every shift with the right people. And I’d do it again.