Think about the times you’ve enjoyed dining out and how much great service made you feel welcome and special. Itās the same for residents of healthcare communities. Mealtime is often the highlight of their day. āMealtime is show time,ā says Gordon Food Service Non-Commercial Segment Leader Lee Wolf-James, RD, LD. This means dining provides another opportunity to enhance a residentās overall satisfaction and improve overall satisfaction scores. Thatās where good waitstaff training comes in. āTraining is very important because, even more than the taste of the food, people have to like where they are,ā Wolf-James says. āAnd people like being treated with dignity and respect.ā
What to focus on in waitstaff training
Exceed expectations
āFood service is now a marketing tool of the healthcare community,ā says Gordon Food Service Customer Effectiveness Manager Ken Wasco. Many residents are more educated and sophisticated than in the past, he notes, which creates a new level of service expectations. āTheyāre looking for more of a restaurant experience,ā Wasco explains. āThe better the experience is for the resident, the better their feelings toward the healthcare community.ā āGiving somebody great service means you care about them and their welfare,ā adds Holly Becker-Baratta, Dining-Room Manager at Beacon Hill at Eastgate in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which operates independent-living and continuing-care residences. āYou donāt want people to feel like theyāre just in a cafeteria line. You want them to feel like theyāre a member of a community.ā
Attend to the basics
Waitstaff must be well-groomed and in clean uniforms. Make eye contact with residents. Greet them as they enter, and check on them during the meal to see if they need anything. And donāt forget the most obvious nonverbal cue, a smile. It also means no unnecessary sidebar conversations with other staffers. āIf people are trained to treat others correctly, that will help diners enjoy the food,ā Wolf-James says.
Know your customers
Listen to their concerns and respond to their questions. āTreat them like you would treat your own grandmother or grandfather,ā Wasco says. āIf your staff is good, theyāll know Mr. and Mrs. Smith, what their background is and where their grandchildren live, as well as what foods they like and donāt like, and even what they might be allergic to.ā
Watch your language
Thereās a big difference in communication styles between the older residentsā generation and those of the often-younger waitstaff. āSaying āItās my pleasure to serve youā is much more appropriate than saying āNo problem,ā or āBack at ya,āā Wolf-James says. āAnd be specific: Not just āHow is everythingā but āHow is your pork chop?āā
Train, train, train
Invest in your team. Train them thoroughly before they start working the floor. Pair new hires with your best servers to help them learn the ropes. Being introduced to a new server by one they already know and like will give residents an extra level of comfort. Make training continuous with ongoing refreshers about key service points.
Reward outstanding effort
āIf your people are doing a great job, reward them. Itās how you develop your staff,ā Wasco says. āTheyāll feel better and go the extra mile. If your servers enjoy their jobs, theyāll feel fulfilled and are more apt to stay.ā
Set the example
Managers should personify the behavior they expect. āThe strongest tool for teaching staff how to do it correctly is to model that behavior yourself,ā Wasco advises.āShow them what you want by doing it the right way.ā