Friday, January 13, 2006

More on the poorly thought out changes implemented by Red Lobster

Tonight I watched an interesting thing occur at the Red Lobster I work at. Something that has only occured since the changes implemented by corporate "leadership" to insist that every server only have 3 tables at most ever. Our resturant filled up a bit early, earlier than when all the service staff was scheduled to work. I walked in the doors with 20ish people standing in the lobby, waiting for a table, getting impatient with the host staff. The people can see all the empty tables, but yet they must wait. So to reduce some of the pressure, the host staff seat our bar tender's tables, giving him 3 tables. Now the bartender has a job to do, that by all accounts keeps them busy making drinks for all the rest of the wait staff. They now are doing that job, and fully doing the job of the wait staff, waiting on tables. So I walk in, guests are pissed, hosts are flustered, and bartenders are stretched beyond their abilities, and there are 5 waiters all standing waiting for drinks to be made for their tables. Waiters aren't supposed to go behind the bar to make drinks, but they are forced to wait the 2-4 minutes it takes the bar tender to take the order of his 3 new tables. Then there are people wanting drinks while they wait in the lobby, but they are told they cannot sit at the bar, as the bar tender has his 3 tables and cannot take any more guest, plus he doesn't have the time or skill to deal with his tables and keep drinks flowing for the 12 other servers. So the result is every guest wanting a drink in that 1/2 hour period got absolutely ROTTON service times on their bar drinks. Red Lobster upper corporate management, in their white tower idiocy, have created this gigantic ball of crappy service, all in the imaginary idea of providing better overall service to the guest. Next week we have the opportunity to tell the corporate leadership what we think, and believe me, we'll be complaining about this. So I came on the floor, and took my 3 tables immediately, taking 7 guests total from the lobby. A few more got sat, so we were left with 8 people in the lobby by my estimation. I could have easily taken 4 more guest, as could a number of our other experienced staff. But Red Lobster would rather have people wait in the lobby, smelling food, wishing they were eating and drinking and being served. This all early on a Thursday night (late afternoon actually), when you don't expect to wait to eat. I understanding waiting to eat on Friday or Saturday night, but I'd walk back out the door if they told me at 5:00 pm on Thursday evening that I had to wait 25 minutes to be seated. I'd say screw that, Applebee's/Old Chicago/TGIFriday's/Ruby Tuesday's etc. are all just down the street, and they can get me in now.

My sales tonight were just a hair over $400 (half of what they would have been under the old system), and they earned me some crappy tips. I had some great tips negated by ignorate slobs who would have been better off at McDonalds or White Castle sucking down some sliders. I gave them all great service, you don't always know who's going to leave a good tip (though sometimes you can almost tell who's going to leave a crap tip). And with only 3 tables at a time, it's not like I'm being challenged or pushed, so I have nothing else to do but give good service. The amount of wasted time by service staff doubled over night when this new system was implemented. Our work was reduced, and our work force was increased. We were handling things quite well previously, leading our region in guest service satisfaction on a regular basis.

I sure hope they fire the person whose idea this was. In fact, I hope they fire him/her, hire them again, just to fire them a second time because they are so far out of touch with the needs, and concerns of their employees.

Red Lobster hates it's service staff, hates it's waiters, and hates it's bartenders.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just giving you a word of advise. I too am an employee of Red Lobster and the only thing I have too say is this... If you don't recall we were trained as a bar tender for 1 day just incase a situation like this would occur. Another thing i would like too add if there is 1 host and it get's out of hand for him/her I'm pretty sure they would not mind you going up there and getting a party of your own. They don't get tipped out so why are you worried about a host sitting you. It also sounds like your managers sit on there lazy asses b/c if out bartender got that worked up, the managers where I work would be on the drinks in a heartbeat. So it sounds too me like it's your staff not corperate and take my word for it if you don't like it, go to work for Applebee's then you will really love Red Lobster after that experience

Lobster Boy said...

I bartended for years at another establishment, bartending isn't the issue. I also know well how to host, that isn't a problem either. I am a server trainer, have been since the mid 1990's, I know what's going on and know the system well. We are told specifically as wait staff that we are not to approach our host stand. We are also told we aren't to go behind our bar (though myself and a few others are tolerated there from time to time). Our management team is competent, and are spending their time in the dining room interacting with guests as they are trained to do, not make drinks as a high priced bar tender. I train managers, and know quite well how they are to function, and the roles they each serve, and generally speaking our management team locally is competent, though a bit green still. We are a management training store, I see up to a dozen new management staff a year, so I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about here. The local management is as frustrated as we are by these decisions, but they know their jobs hang on sticking to the rules.

So I appreciate your comments and ideas, but they aren't really the solution to the problems created by our corporate "leadership".

I actually trained a guy tonight who is coming over from Applebee's. As I stated in my reply to the inquiry, I think that Red Lobster is probably the better place to work, but that is at times only slightly better than a poke in the eye.

Lobster Boy

Anonymous said...

That's crap - your managers are wandering around on the floor, schmoozing with guests while the drink orders are piling up at the bar? If that's the case then they are stupid. Don't they notice that the guests aren't getting any drinks? And how come they aren't helping out the hostess? Is that how you train them? Then you're an idiot too. A manager's job is to support the staff in any way necessary to ensure a smooth operation, but most of all to make sure the guests have an enjoyable dining experience, which isn't going to happen in the restaurant you describe. Do you even know what the hell you're talking about??

Lobster Boy said...

Apparently you are clueless as to how the Red Lobster management training system works. I train them how to wait tables the Red Lobster way. Other people train them for the other sections. I certainly have trained them in the bar and on the computers as well, but that's not really my job, I just know how to do most everything. We have been specifically told we are not to approach our hosts and host stand. That has come down from our management team as a whole. As for them helping the hostess, they certainly do that, and they help at the bar, but generally there are only 2 managers in the store at a given time (during part of the day 3 are sometimes in the building) but one is always in the kitchen making sure the heart of the house is running well (which generally it does). The other manager is left to deal with every customer who needs/wants a manager, resolve any errors created by service staff, assist hosts, help in the bar, manage staff, make cuts, and orchestrate all the other things they have to do (reports, counts etc.). So clearly your lack of understanding of the reality of the situation is showing through. If it was all Peter Pan like and they could wave their fairy wand it might work like you are suggesting, but this is the real world, and things don't work that way, ever. The managers are making choices and prioritizing constantly. Do they make drinks while one of our new service staff is melting down in a pool of incompetence? Do they seat tables while the guy over on #33 is pitching a very loud fit because last time his pound of crab had 10 legs instead of 7? Should they ignore the wet floor in the entry to the kitchen where a tray just crashed to the floor to deliver guest satisfaction surveys? Now what happens when this is all happening at once, which is usually the case?

Lobster Boy

Anonymous said...

You're right I did misunderstand. Your "high-priced bartender" comment made it sound like the managers never go in the bar. I worked in the restaurant business for 15 yrs - dish, bus, wiat, bar, and the last three yrs as asst mgr at a Mexican chain. So believe me, I know very well how hectic it can get.

You say one of the managers stays in the kitchen. Are they expediting or behind the line, or both? We used to put one of the smarter bussers on as expo for really busy shifts. It doesn't sound like you guys have that option. In fact, it sounds like your managers don't have much authority to make their own decisions.

I just can't imagine how your corporate people could come up with this iron-clad 3 table limit, with no allowances for common sense. I saw plenty of corporate stupidity, but this tops anything I've experienced.

But it can't last, haven't their sales suffered? And you would think the number of complaints must be going way up - I guess you plan on just hanging in there?

Lobster Boy said...

Our Expo is a senior line cook. We basically have 3 guys who rotated it on nights, and then 2 people during the day. One guy does both day and night, and leaves after the rush 5 days a week, then the other two guys cover when he leaves and the other two nights. I know sometimes he lets the other two expo and just assembles when he wants a simple night.

As for the manager behind the line, it varys quite a bit on the need. Many nights they help with the A/C (Alley Coordinator) getting condiments on plates and food out of the kitchen. In fact, virtually every night they do this at some point. But when things go down they step in back and do product assembly, or when the line isn't moving fast enough they'll hop in and cook or open the second window and assemble meals to get food out faster. They also have to work in their food counts and food ordering, and dealing with whatever employee issues during this period (schedule changes etc.). They (when not cooking/assembling) are often pulled to fix things on waiter's tickets throughout the night as well. This part of the system works pretty well.

The iron-clad 3 table limit is moronic, poor business sense, and insulting. The managers have little authority at a Red Lobster to make decisions beyond how to deal with a customer. Everything is red taped so they have a standard protocall they have to follow. The General Manager gets to make some decisions, but even then they are severely limited. But it goes so far as to the only person who can fire any employee is the General Manager. The GM cannot fire an assistant manager, it has to come from the Area Director. If it is beyond who works when and how much stuff to order, they don't get to make many decisions.

Lobster Boy