Listen to this articleThere isn’t a special formula for you to be perform excellent at your job. If you lend me your ear for five minutes, I’ll tell you what I have learned and maybe it can help you too.
I’ve worked at Pizza Hut a little over a month now. There are many of my coworkers that I have gotten to know pretty well, and some are not cut from the same cloth. While some will work their best every time, there are some that doesn’t deserve their position.
If you are wondering which group I am in, according to my RGM and Regional Manager, I’m in the first. I’m proud to have that status and I work to keep it! I go to work, delegate and deploy my team efficiently, back my team when I need to, and find odd jobs for myself when it’s slow that goes unnoticed.
For me, working the dining room is starting to get easier. I’m becoming efficient in serving customers and I can tell that my demeanor has changed quite a bit when I am in the dining room. I was calmer and more level headed today. Even while tending to several customers at the same time.
Seek Consistency
In the kitchen, I seem to be good at seeing details. I’m constantly questioning the cooks, why does this pizza have a hole in it that’s coming out of the oven or why is this one shaped like a football. I don’t want to seem overbearing but I want consistency. Be consistent when completing a task. Know what’s expected by your company, your manager, and what expectations you place on your team.
There was a moment today when I was irritated, not because of it being busy or because of a difficult customer, but because several people in my team today was calling me at the same time. I felt like I was being pulled in multiple directions at one. Now I see how my RGM feels when it happens to her.
What did I do when this happened? I grounded myself. I took a deep breath. Handled each situation, one at a time and was able to get through them with no problem.
It only takes a moment of your time to reconnect with what you are doing. You may have a different way to ground yourself in your work environment. Don’t worry about what your coworkers may think when you do but don’t be too awkward.
Pace yourself
What needs your attention immediately? A customer on the phone that has received the wrong pizza or a diner who ordered 20 minutes ago and hasn’t gotten their food? First, you may want to check on the customer who hasn’t gotten their food yet. Let them know that you are going to check on their food and let them know what the delay is while another team member handles the phone call. Or you may take the call because the customer on the phone demanded to speak with a manager while you deploy another team member to check on the customer’s food and report back to you.
Whatever you choose is the right answer as long as it gets done. Remember, you are only one person and can only be in one place at a time.
Become efficient at prioritizing
Start small. As you grow in your position, start with one or two tasks. Say, you answer the phone and someone wants to place an order and a customer walks up and wants to cash out. If another team member is not available, greet the customer on the phone and ask them to wait a moment. If they agree, cash out the customer’s ticket first. Then come back to the customer on the phone, as quickly as possible, and take their order.
Being able to complete tasks efficiently is the foundation of any job as you advance in your career. Learning to prioritize tasks skillfully will help you complete them efficiently!
It’s not rocket science, it’s customer service!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
I’ve been reminded of this, time and time again. If you need help, ask. There’s been multiple times in the past month that I’ve tried to put more on myself than I can handle. I can see that. I have a team to deploy to do specific tasks but sometimes I tried to do more than I could handle. You might not have a team but may have other coworkers that can help you complete a task.
Don’t try to do too much, you don’t want things to be done carelessly. Details might be missed. Prioritize, delegate, and deploy. It’s called teamwork!