The final touches – Plan the WORK and Work the PLAN

In previous articles we have followed the steps of the Plan the Work, and Work the Plan process. We’ve already covered the first three points:

1. Identify the problems and their causes

2. Set clear goals

3. Consider all available resources

Now we will carry on and discuss the following two points:

4. Develop policies and procedures of the solution

5. Obtain feedback and monitor results

So far you’ve identified the problems, set clear goals to change them, you’ve considered all available resources required to make this happen and now you need to develop how it do it.

However, it is not enough to simply post a notice, send out a memo, or hold one meeting. You and your staff must actually implement the plan.

The following steps can be used as a guideline to implement plans and achieve goals.

1. Identify the action that must be taken

2. Determine who is responsible for taking action

3. Communicate the actions and provide support training if required

4. Develop a measurement system to monitor achievement

5. Monitor the plan

Some plans will result in your setting long-term policies. This should be done with input from your staff. While the responsibility for the policies rests with you as manager, it will be up to the staff to actually use the policy and standards of quality to deliver customer service. Everyone will benefit if policies are designed to please the customers and support staff, while at the same time - increase profits. New policies have to be carefully implemented and firmly implemented.

Now it’s time for feedback and monitoring the results.

Once a plan is in place, the results need to be monitored on a regular basis. One important way to do this and still maintain high standards is by getting feedback from customers. The following are some common ways to obtain feedback from customers:

Comment cards: Keep comment cards simple. Customers are not looking for work to do when they eat out. You could place pencils on the tables to encourage customers to fill out the cards. General results should be tabulated and circulated, so that every manager and employee is aware of them. Praise staff who are complimented by the customers, and, in private, direct staff about whom you get complaints on what they are doing wrong and on the proper actions that are expected in the future. All problems uncovered by the comment cards should be taken seriously and corrected whenever possible.

Mystery shoppers: These consultants are hired to visit a restaurant and report back on their experiences. They provide more in-depth feedback than can be obtained on comment cards, especially if they have been trained so that they know your systems and procedures and can comment specifically on them. The program should be introduced in a positive way, as an opportunity for everyone to see how they are viewed by the customers. Help your staff to take criticism constructively, and be receptive yourself to improvement based on their reports. You might develop a reward system for staff that perform their jobs excellently and receive positive feedback.

Surveys: Talk to your customers. Ask specific questions, such as "How can we improve our service?” or "What would make you come back?" rather than, "How was your meal" Encourage them to bring problems to your attention. You may also want to call a sampling of guests the day after their visit to get their feedback over the telephone.

Focus groups: This is a group of customers that you can call together to brainstorm with you on how you con improve customer service. Many successful service managers have used weekly or monthly focus groups to make customer service improvements.

Feedback from staff: Your staff are a source of many practical and innovative ideas. You may want to hold focus groups with key staff chosen from each department. At the focus group meeting, these staff should feel free to say anything about the restaurant without recrimination, and with the assurance that no one will repeat outside the meeting anything that was said inside. Many good ideas have resulted from employee focus groups. Varying the staff in the focus group periodically gives all staff an opportunity to contribute. Remember these are the people who work with the problems on a regular basis. They often see problems and possible solutions that others more removed can’t.

The Service Guarantee

Many restaurants have started to use service guarantees successfully. Examples of such guarantees include a guaranteed pizza delivery within 30 minutes or a guaranteed lunch within 10 minutes of being seated.

Guarantees enhance your image as an excellent business, and encourage people to try your service because you have reduced the risk involved. But you must be ready to meet your promises. Consider a guarantee only after you have the systems in place to meet it. Of course, on the rare occasion when you do not live up to your guarantee, the customer should get what's coming-the free pizza or free lunch-without question.

A service guarantee is the final system to put in place after you have identified your mission, established your goals, identified resources, and put your plans in motion. Implementing a guarantee is likely to uncover new problems you did not expect, setting into motion again the process of planning and managing customer service.

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