Follow up is number one!

[Laprise]

It's one of the most powerful tool in any kitchen, yet many chefs are really bad at it...

Once you give specific direction to your team, if they know that you won't follow up to see if it was done the right way, what do thing is going to happen.

It's a normal human behavior, if no one is going to follow up and watch on them from time to time, it must not be that important, so why bother?

If you say I will be back, please do come back or teach yourself to not say anything.

ANY COMMENTS??

[panini]

I have a comment and a question. Below your signature you have a nice quote about saving a few bucks. Does the beer avitar have anything to do with it?

My coment is that I agree 100%. I feel the two most important ingredients to success is timing and follow up.
Not just with employees but everything, customers,vendors,etc.
pan

[Harpua]

I agree that the "follow up" is very important. This is one of the things that I feel can be improved at the resort I work at. I'm a pastry cook and many of the items that we put out are for the evening. I have probably only heard feedback, negative or positive on only 3 or 4 accounts. This is terrible! How do I know that I am making these things correctly?

It was only about one month ago that the banquet manager told me that all of this time, we had been making the truffle cakes incorrectly for the past 6 months! Why didn't he tell me this before? We send those out a lot. I just want to know how to improve things. So, take it from an hourly employee who is in the industry because they like making people happy through food. How can this be satisfied if I don't know if they are enjoying it. Is there some sort of system I can suggest be implemented? Thanks.

also, I think consistency is important.

[chef_oz]

I always walk the tables. That usually gets some feed back. Also having a knowledgeable server, one that knows the dish well, can ask for a little feedback, say... " How was that glazed prawn with your surf and turf"? or "How was that lava cake w/ Blackberry compote"?
You can go the route of cards at the table. But only 20-30% ever get filled out. Ask a regular guest, I'm sure their more than happy to tell. Unless your boss doesn't like this!
When I did weddings, I always made sure they filled out the satisfaction forum.
:ciao:

[Peachcreek]

I even look at what comes back on plates. If something is barely touched I want to know about it. And if it was for some reason our problem I want it fixed before the guest leaves.
And my staff knows that if we are changing something or something new is added that I tend to check back till I am sure that the new task has been "routinized". I am sure if you ask my staff it is their opinion that I tend to hover around if I don't think they have things the way I like them. So the easiest way to get me out of their way is just to do it my way...

[Laprise]

Originally Posted by panini

I have a comment and a question. Below your signature you have a nice quote about saving a few bucks. Does the beer avitar have anything to do with it?

You get the beer if you did managed to save a few buck

Investing money is so important for a cook, because the wages are not exactly sky rocketing, investing a few dolleros every week really make a diference once you are old and rickled

[panini]

Ok, I get it.
I also don't understand why they don't teach this and things like credit card %,reconciling a check book etc. in school

[Laprise]

There are lots of things that culinary school should add on to their programm...

most human resources issues like:
How to interact with other fellow humans
How to do what you're told right away, because the chef is not your mommy... he should not have to follow you everywhere to pick up after your misatakes

It's a well known fact, chef teach kitchen skills, but can't and should not teach common sense, you either come with it or else bye bye...

[cookingoodie]

Originally Posted by chef_oz

I always walk the tables. That usually gets some feed back. Also having a knowledgeable server, one that knows the dish well, can ask for a little feedback, say... " How was that glazed prawn with your surf and turf"? or "How was that lava cake w/ Blackberry compote"?
You can go the route of cards at the table. But only 20-30% ever get filled out. Ask a regular guest, I'm sure their more than happy to tell. Unless your boss doesn't like this!
When I did weddings, I always made sure they filled out the satisfaction forum.
:ciao:

I agree that follow up is very important. One of the problems that I have with that is, the folks that I am following up on get really angry. They feel I do not trust them, as a result, I have another problem. My instinks is to fire these folks. I feel if they can't trust me, I can not trust them.

[cookingoodie]

Originally Posted by cookingoodie

I agree that follow up is very important. One of the problems that I have with that is, the folks that I am following up on get really angry. They feel I do not trust them, as a result, I have another problem. My instinks is to fire these folks. I feel if they can't trust me, I can not trust them.

I am easy going and fare but i am getting to the point that I must incorporate TOUGH LOVE. Any suggestions would be most helpful.
Thanks, Cookin

[Al_Dente]

A chefs responsibility is to ensure that the kitchen's end product be one of quality, and that it is delivered in a timely manner. Often times we are asked to pull off the impossible. And we do just that. This is where experience is an asset. The chef is paid to see the big picture and to be proactive in it's production. A chef that simply assigns a task and never looks back will quickly find himself in a real bind. This sort of situation will occure if the chef has assigned himself too many tasks and lacks the time to check up on the other elements of production. Timing is everything. Never mind having to deal with 50lbs of potatoes that have been cut the wrong way. Um, perhaps we can serve them fries? NOT!

As far as people getting ticked off goes...It doesn't have to be. Assign tasks to suit the staff member and explain the details and the time frame required. Make them aware that you will need them to complete other jobs before service also. Most importantly, always explain why you are making changes. Changes are made for good reasons. Good reasons make sense to good cooks.
Ask, don't order....say thank you alot...good job.


Al