Domain:

Atomistic Skill:

2
2.2

Leading
Coordinating

Skill:
I can coordinate service staff according to skill level and service
quality ratings; GHI or Guest Hospitality Index.
Level:
Well enough to provide five star service to all guests and maximize
the guest experience as reported in customer satisfaction surveys.
Conditions:
Trained service staff
Trained kitchen staff
Training completion reports of each team member
Gracious Hospitality Index Report
Computer, printer, toner, and paper
Schedule of employees
Seating charts, staffing guides, and sales goals.
Knowledge of outside events, i.e., football games, concerts, etc.
Food and beverage supplies
Point of Sale terminals
Knowledge: If I Know
BusinessDictionary.com defines coordination as The synchronization and
integration of activities, responsibilities, and command and control structures to ensure
that the resources of an organization are used most efficiently in pursuit of the specified
objectives. Along with organizing, monitoring, and controlling, coordinating is one of the
key functions of management.
Coordinating a service team in a restaurant requires knowledge of all team
members training, skill level, and service record. Coordinating the shift begins the
moment I arrive in the building. There are two shifts each day in a restaurant, lunch and
dinner. Each shift is handled slightly different because the demands of the guests are
different. Lunch shift is quick paced so that guests can get back to work on time if on a
lunch break. Guests dining at dinner do not typically want to be rushed in and rushed
out but want to feel that their server is not forgetting them. As guest service coordinator
I must efficiently coordinate my shift to maximize the amount of guests we can serve
using budgeted service hours. Coordination of the shift begins with checking all emails
and reports. I must check previous day sales, sales for the week, and for the period. I
must also check the total number of hours that have been used in the front of the house
and back of the house. If the previous shift has gone over their budgeted house I must
coordinate and rearrange staffing to make up for the deficit. If sales are also down I
must coordinate assignments of staff to positions that will maximize profits and gain
sales to offset the previous overage in hours. As I am coordinating the day and making
assignments I must check the manager notes for any communication or directions that
would directly impact my shift. I must also check for any specific training from corporate
or the district manager. I also check the kitchen communications board for products that
we may have run out of on the previous shift. Once all communications are checked
and noted I can begin the next step in the shifts plan.
BAAS PLA 12/05/12

Somerville, Hunter

Coordinating

Two key parts of coordinating an effective, fun, and profitable shift is to have the
right person in the right place at the right time. Careful coordination can make this
happen. Guests like smooth and hassle free dining experiences. My job as guest
service coordinator is to make this happen with each guest every time they come to my
store. Lunch shift is quick. The majority of the shifts revenue is made over the course
of approximately and hour and half. Most lunch diners are on break and have less than
an hour to travel to and from the restaurant and also eat lunch without being rushed.
Coordinating the right servers in the right places is essential to five star service in 45
minutes or less. Strong servers who are quick on their feet and know the menu well are
placed in sections of the restaurant that are requested the most. Servers that may be a
little slower or newer in their positions are placed closer to computers and drink stations.
I must also coordinate with the host on how I want the seating of guests to flow based
upon the staff that is scheduled. A common pitfall of poor coordination happens when
servers trade shifts and a stronger server is replaced by a weaker server. When
schedules are made and even balance of people are placed on a given day to assist
with the days coordination. Any change that goes unnoticed can throw the entire flow
of the shift off and cause service levels to fall. Rearranging placement of servers in
sections that maximize service is a part of careful coordination of the shift. If the shift
has been planned carefully the shift runs smoothly and allows me time to focus on
guests and interacting with them to ensure satisfaction. On a shift in which there are
fewer skilled servers I must be more involved in the details of the transactions. For
instance there is a server that has only been working for two months and hasnt worked
a server job before. This server may easily become overwhelmed with the fast pace of
lunch and forget to enter orders into the computer. If I feel that the server doesnt need
any more tables of guests to be sat in their section I must coordinate with the host to not
put any more guests in that section. I must then reassign the flow of guests and
coordinate with other servers to pick up extra tables. If that server has forgotten to ring
in orders I must also coordinate with the kitchen to expedite the missing orders while
they are still making the items that are on their screen. It is crucial that the guest
doesnt feel that they are a burden or that they could possibly be late to work. By
coordinating with the host, other servers, and the kitchen I can get the guests their food
and back to work on time and without hassle.
As guest service coordinator I am also required to work the service window at the
kitchen. The service window is the busiest single point in the restaurant. Coordinating
the flow of food to make sure that hot food is at the correct safe and servable
temperature is mandatory. Cold food should also be cold. Coordination of the service
window requires knowledge of all food descriptions, preparation methods, presentation
standards, and ALL allergen possibilities. Coordination also means crowd control and
by this I mean service staff trying to communicate with kitchen staff. The service
window is the hub of the restaurant, all orders go into the service window via the KDS,
Kitchen Display System, and leave the service window after being completed. Servers
enter their orders into the computer and they appear on the computer monitor at the
service window and two monitors in the kitchen. Each kitchen staff member has
assigned roles for preparation of hot or cold foods. There can be anywhere from five to
fifteen servers, bartenders, and to go order personnel ringing in orders on a busy shift.
As orders enter the window I must check the KDS monitor to look for other items on that
particular ticket. When an order is ready the first available server has to run the food
immediately. In one hour on a busy Friday night there could be more than 70 tickets
prepared that could have two or more items per ticket. All extra condiments, missing
BAAS PLA 12/05/12

Somerville, Hunter

Coordinating

items, or recooks must also be handled at the same time. Successful coordination of
the service window occurs when all requests go through me and servers are not talking
directly to the kitchen staff. For example, if several different servers have guests that
are not happy with their food they must speak to me. If they speak to the kitchen and
then speak to me and I do not know they spoke to the kitchen the food will get made
twice. This causes losses to the store. It also causes confusion in the kitchen and this
slows down production. By maintaining all requests through me I am able to coordinate
and regulate the pace of food leaving the kitchen. I am also able to expedite recooked
food without slowing down the kitchen and maintain guest satisfaction.
Allergy control is very important to the safety of all guests. Service window
coordination is essential to keeping guests healthy. We can prepare many meals for
guests that are gluten free, egg free, MSG free, nut free, or vegetarian style. Knowing
which meal is allergy free requires continual communication from the kitchen and the
servers. When a dish is prepared allergy free I must make sure the right guest gets the
right plate or our restaurant and company could be sued. It is imperative that servers
are not reaching and getting plates that they make think goes to their table.
Coordinating this flow ensures the safe delivery of the right food to the right guest. If a
server takes plates that are not theirs and I am not aware of this occurrence I could
send a plate that is not allergy free to the guest. The guest could go into anaphylactic
shock and potentially die if the allergy is severe enough. I have successfully
coordinated 300 service window shifts and have never sent an order to a guest that
requested allergy free that was not prepared correctly.

BAAS PLA 12/05/12

Somerville, Hunter

Coordinating