In relation with the skills I have learned in various workplaces where I have worked, for example at Goodwood Hotel, Bar and Grill, at the Millstream in Bosham, at the Bell Inn and in The 4 chesnuts were:
- Customer Service. The main thing that is required is a pleasant and sympathetic behaviour with the customer, always smiling and trying to help. Through the book Ritz-Carlton, is possible to learn much knowledge and various responses to situations that may arise with customers.
Different aspects may be: give the customer always welcome, help lay in the chair if it is an old person, move a little chair for the ladies to feel well treated, put napkins on the knees of the client they will feel like they are in a place where you are going to treat them looking for the perfection, helping with elections to the customer in case of doubt, briefly explain the dishes, to have perfectly prepared the tables, and another sets of cutlery in case of orders of fish or beef.
You must try to not interrupt the client in the middle of a conversation, make them expect the minimum possible for the food, have different types of bread for free, or a complement like a soup from the chef which is pleasantly surprising aspects to the client.
- My experience at the
Millstream was brief but it certainly was very rich, I learned that some dishes should be placed in a certain way, I learned to make immediate decisions in the event of a problem, learning to serve with silver cutlery, and of course noticing small details in the kitchen on the situation of the hotel / restaurant, how you handle things, and what is going on.
There was also a small sound and color alert that warned the waiters while they were waiting or serving tables that there are new dishes to be served, according to the color also it can you tell if is a starter, main course or dessert. Greatly expedites job.
Also we had a blackboard in the kitchen with three columns where you had to write down the number of the table and the situation in which they are, and then the chef knows, whenever you sign up or delete something you have to shout it so they know what is happening.
-In relation with Goodwood, the working atmosphere was not really good, I found some bugs that I did not believe they could have in a restaurant of this kind, the kitchen in my opinion was not the most suitable for a restaurant with these characteristics, further that the payment system was not clarified and some hotel guests left the establishment without paying because they thought it would be charged to your account, then the fault was for the staff.
Different ideas:
-As for The Bell Inn, and 4 Chesnuts are places I have known since last year and where I usually go by my friendship, some days I have been helping to serve in bar or simply organizing things with them as a volunteer to try to learn more things, the job was similar with I had done in Spain, so was easier for me. The two pubs are licensed to play poker for free if you will, with which it attracts customers, for who Poker is simply an excuse to be with people that they met playing and was created a friendship, while sales are beneficial for business.
In relation with my own development as in a personal way, I have developed a fairly high level of confidence, at school, getting more or less the marks that I was waiting and being in the general level of my classmates despite the hard work of some reports, as at the job , getting good tips, setting up, meetings with customers, etc..
- Vocabulary. It was the part where I learned more, names of dishes, beverages, items in the kitchen or at the bar, working in the restaurant as a waiter while talking to colleagues and clients, what are the dishes that most succeed and which people are not usually required, etc.
- Working with coffee, tea and the machines, I had never been making this on my previous work because I had been behind the bar but in night clubs, so I did not know how to make a coffee or a tea, very popular in England, so that a lot of people just go to drink tea with a group of people known. To accompany the tea or coffee with biscuits, or some type of candy is always good.
- I am better organized than I was before, working at the bar I knew when you must get organized to serve drinks but now you have to be much more attentive to collect, and serve tables, know a way to organize, plot your own routes to check that all is well, and even have your own tricks.
- If you have a problem like that for example you drop some glasses with water, then carefully grab the signal with caution wet floor and try to clean it as fast as possible without disturbing anyone, without forgetting the task you were performing.
- Focusing int the work carried out in the kitchen, and the comparison between different facilities, I think a large kitchen with defined positions, each with enough space and equipment necessary is a kitchen that probably will work well.
Knowing motivational theories, or the operation of laws, policies, practices or procedures I am sure it will help me a lot in the future.
