A Manager’s Dilemma

Management is defined as the process of setting and achieving goals through The implementation of some basic management function. These function include planning, Organization, leading and controlling. By using these key tools, Wong Loh manager of Andy’s chicken restaurant can run the restaurant better and successfully. In this case Wong Loh received several complaints from customers about slow service until Customer numbers were increase. So, as a restaurant manager Wong Loh take steps to Improve service and run the restaurant better.

Objective

The objective of this problem is Wong Loh manager of Andy’s chicken Restaurant receive some complaints from customer about slow service and how to Improve and solve this problem. By planning properly, one will devise a proposal for Organizational activities necessary to reach due objectives. During process, one need to Address a few straight forward questions:

1. What does the manager want to do to run the restaurant better? 2. What are the best alternatives?
3. Which factors can help or delay the business in reaching the goals?

QUESTION:

A Manager’s Dilemma
Restaurant managers work in some of the most glamorous , exciting environments you can imagine. Being a restaurant manager is a lifestyle , not a job , but many successful environments. Andy’s chicken restaurant in Petaling Jaya , Malaysia, is one of the many fast-food chains in Malaysia that serves fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, drinks and side orders. The prices are reasonable and affordable. For the past few weeks, Wong Loh, the manager of the restaurant, has received several complaints from customers about slow service . Although Loh did not want to compromise the quality of the food, he needed to increase service speed, particularly during the busy lunch hour. Moreover, competition from nearby restaurants has intensified. Loh realized that he was facing a serious problem when he found out that customer numbers were decreasing. How could he run the restaurant better? Put yourself in Loh’s place.

Answer :

A manager’s most basic responsibility is to focus people toward performance of work activities to achieve desired outcomes. A manager wears many hats. Not only is a manager a team leader, but he or she is also a planner, organizer, cheerleader, coach, problem solver, and decision maker — all rolled into one. All managers at all levels of every organization perform these functions, but the amount of time a manager spends on each one depends on both the level of management and the specific organization. In these case, Wong Loh , the manager of the restaurant, have to play certain roles in order to increase the numbers of customer and run the restaurant better. In this situation, if I’m in Loh’s place, I will take some responsibility to achieve the goal of the restaurant. The ways to achieve the goals are:

* Hire more employees
In the restaurant, employees are more important to run the restaurant. If the employees not enough hire more good employees for fast service. They can do their work easy and can manage the customers a restaurant manager may be in charge of hiring new staff and terminating undesirables, especially for the front of the house. Kitchen positions may be filled by the head chef, rather than general manager.

* Training the employee
It does not matter if a particular fast food restaurant has the most amazing training program in place if the team does not take it seriously. Often times in fast food, employees are hired and simply thrown into the mix without any training because of lack of employees and the high volume that some fast-food chains experience on a daily basis. Furthermore, management is so overwhelmed with the responsibilities and volume of the restaurant, that they simply do not have time to devote to employee training. Additionally, if management did attempt to focus on training, the employee turnover is so high in fast food, that the training would almost be a waste of time and money. The result of this lack in training for employees is simply poor customer service. A lack in training can cause long waits for food and slow service in Loh’s restaurant when an employee is not familiar with equipment. Poor training could cause an employee to be very impersonal if they are not taught how to “interview” the customer at the time of the order, which includes reading back the order for accuracy. An ultimate service issue would be an employee being abusive to a customer complaining because of a lack in training and slow service. So that, as a manager of Andy’s chicken restaurant Wong Loh must train the employee to run the restaurant better and achieve goals.

* The performance evaluation
In great extent, the performance evaluation criteria involve employee traits such as honesty and dependability, while the performance evaluation criteria that employee behaviors such as punctuality and timely completion of tasks, as well as objectively quantifiable result and outcomes such as sales figures, in very great extent. When their performance is good they do their work in best way.

* The staff attitude Everyone has heard of the saying that it takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch, and this is very true when it comes to fast food restaurants. If there is one particular employee that has absolutely no work ethic or cares nothing about the product or what customers might think, there is a great opportunity for the staff to follow that person’s lead. This can also be the case in Andy’s chicken restaurant. As I mentioned before, the performance and their behaviors is more important to a employees when they face a customer The obvious result of this type of behavior infecting the rest of the team will cause carelessness when dealing with consumers. Employees won’t really care about order accuracy or whether or not the customer is happy with their service. It seems like more and more, employees display a lack of work ethic.

* Staff Scheduling
As restaurant manager Wong Loh is must charge of making the weekly schedule and making sure all the shifts are covered particularly during lunch hour because in that time only they facing the problem. They also need to approve requests for days off and decide which staff is going to work the busy or slow shifts. Moreover, work also must divide to each employee to work together. To make the staff scheduling the manager Wong Loh’s must finding the staff balance. A manager has to keep in mind that a restaurant schedule needs to reflect the business needs first. This includes the quality of service restaurant provides its guests, as well as keeping labor costs under control and can manage the customer as well. A big part of this balance is achieved by appropriately scheduling staff members. As a manager can meet with each person individually and talk about the person’s expected schedule and how a restaurant works. Working at a restaurant, in terms of hours worked, is completely different than most other types of businesses.

* Division of work

Work should be divide among individuals and group to ensure that effort and attention are focused on special portions of the task. Loyal presented work specialization as the best way to use. In Andy’s chicken restaurant, each job and work should be assigned by the restaurant manager Wong Loh to specialist of the employee’s job. Division of work promote efficiency because its permits an organizational member to work in limited area
reducing the scope of workers responsibility.

* Motivate and understand the employee

As a manager Wong Loh’s must motivate to their employee and also understand the employee. As a restaurant manager walk the floor frequently and pay attention to each employee’s performance, if the employee wrong thing go over and motivate to the employee and also understand the situation. It can help the employee to correct.

* Create reward

As a managers create rewards for their workers for executing the job well and following employee policy. Basically, those who consistently do well get rewarded. Rewards might include a gift card to the restaurant or a raise in pay. Then the employee can work with enthusiastic and responsibility. Moreover the employee enjoy to works in Andy’s chicken restaurant.

* Give discount at morning and night session

In this case, customer numbers were increase at lunch hour only. So Wong Loh can give discount at morning and night session. Because the workers and the manager can handle the customer smoothly. Sometime, when the customers increase the workers will panic and confused about the order and the food ordered by the customer may chance to give wrongly food to customer.

* The conditions of restaurant

If when the condition of the restaurant can result in poor service. If equipment is outdated or rundown, customers might have to wait longer for their order, this can cause to customer complaints about slow service. Employees might feel that the owner does not care enough to spend money on new equipment, and, in turn, the employees adopt the same attitude toward the customer. An employee views the restaurant walking into work, just as a customer would when walking in to get an order. If the restaurant is rundown and filthy, consumers can easily perceive that the restaurant as a whole is not up to par and this includes service. At lunch hour, number of customer increase so if there is not enough facilities it become disappointed. As a restaurant manager Wong Loh can increase more counters, extra tables and chairs and moreover for kids can build a small playground, for adult can arrange news paper reading and access internet free wireless connection (Wi-Fi).

* Readymade food
Your to-go containers and bags should make it easy to store and reheat the food. Wong Loh, as a restaurant manager can prepare a readymade food for customer. It helps to employees for delivering the food. And also by this way the customer don’t need to wait for long time.

* Drive-thru
Fast food that lives up to its name gains more business than fast food that is actually slow like Andy’s chicken restaurant. Many people grab fast food on the way to work or to another destination. The reason that drive-through windows are popular is that people don’t even want to take the time to get out of the car. The faster a restaurant can deliver the ordered food, the happier the customer is. Setting up efficient and standardized kitchens and focusing on foods that can be cooked quickly.

* ‘Made for you’ system

As a manager Wong Loh can use this system. Because it very useful for fast service. In this system when a customer places an order, the sandwich item will immediately appears in the computer monitor in the kitchen and a tone sound to alert the kitchen staff, so that they can purchase the food in few minutes. By the way, the customers don’t to wait.

* Home delivering

Andy’s chicken restaurant is one of the many fast-food chains in our country that serves fried chicken, salads and side orders. So the manager Wong Loh can takeout and delivery menus. By the way the customer can get food in front the house. It’s easy for house wife for buy the food in their house.

Conclusion

Management has been identified as a systematic body of knowledge based on general principles, concepts, theories and techniques which are variable in terms of business practice. These are embodied in the managerial functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling which form the job of a manager.