5405 Turn the Tables.indd - Red Book Solutions

The key to keeping your young hourlies turned-on is training
and incentives—and not the kind based on the outdated
principles of boot camp. Like it or not, today’s generation
controls their experiences—self-service kiosks, TV on-demand,
instant information online, and so on. Your training
should refl ect that. What you need is to ensure training
doesn’t suck. Manuals? What are those? If you’re purchasing
training programs off the shelf, look for ones that infuse a
lot of fun into the mix and appeal to multimedia sensibilities.
What was good enough for Baby Boomer training 30 years
ago won’t work for today’s generation. Think portable.
Think on-demand. Think on-going reinforcemen—training
‘what is needed, where it’s needed, when it’s needed.’
TIP
The Perfect Guest Check
© 2007 Red Book Solutions • 800-526-9635 • www.RedBookSolutions.biz
52 Ways To Find, Hire, and Keep the Best Hospitality Employees
“It’s not what you pay a man
but what he costs you that
counts.” — Will Rogers,
quoted by Richard M. Ketchum,
Will Rogers, His Life
and Times, 1973
While there’s still something to be said for a pat on the back for a job well done, you’ll get
more mileage out of incentives designed to motivate younger people. They’ll always want to
know “What’s in it for me to improve service, increase sales or cut costs?” The better you answer
those questions, the better you’ll retain your young hourly employees. To fi re up younger
servers: Challenge them to create a Perfect Guest Check, which includes an appetizer, a
beverage (not tap water), an entree with a purchased add-on or side item, a dessert, a coff ee
and an after-dinner drink. Each time a server turns in a Perfect Guest Check, award him or
her a small prize like a lottery ticket, and enter the server’s name into a drawing for a larger
prize. At the end of a certain period (say, a week or a month) draw the winning server’s name
and award gift certifi cates from local stores or dinner for two at another restaurant.
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