The only reason I registered in this course was to have a better grasp of the various project management strategies and concepts. In addition, I sought to learn new strategies and abilities for efficiently managing projects. My learning goals were to improve my customer service abilities, learn how to successfully handle cash and transactions, and improve my communication and interpersonal skills. Learn how to utilize restaurant technology successfully, and get a deeper grasp of the menu and food preparation process. Improve time management abilities, learn how to handle customer complaints and provide genuine feedback, and improve both leadership and management skills to help with staff training and scheduling.
Enhance Your Customer Service Skills
Customer service is the process of providing consumers with support and help both before and after they buy a product or service. In a restaurant, having outstanding customer service abilities is essential since one deals with a variety of personalities (Santos 13). To accomplish this goal, I enrolled in a brief customer service training course, which greatly improved both my client communication and general customer service abilities. These were highly supported by learning vital and varied customer service behaviors such as being patient and nice with customers, attentively and actively listening to customer demands, and gracefully managing customer difficulties. A few difficulties developed, such as managing consumer expectations and effectively resolving customer problems and issues. With this customer service skills training, it is critical to put oneself in the shoes of the client in order to properly support them in anything they desire.
Learn how to successfully handle cash and transactions.
The technique of successfully handling cash and transactions in a restaurant environment is critical to avoiding any kind of discrepancy. It was critical for me to master different methods of handling financial stages and procedures, such as safe and secure cash storage (Alvares et al 6). To accomplish this goal, I learnt how to count cash swiftly and precisely. In addition, towards the conclusion of my shift, I learnt how to operate the cash register and balance cash. I also learnt how to utilize a point of scale system from an online educator, which made the transaction process simpler by minimizing mistakes and enhancing accuracy. During the fulfillment of this goal, I was confronted with the difficulty of fraud and human mistakes, since large volumes of cash transactions during peak hours made precise cash counting difficult. I also learnt how important it is to teach personnel on different cash handling skills as well as fraud detection strategies.
Improve your communication and interpersonal abilities.
Communication and interpersonal skills are defined as the capacity to transmit and share thoughts and information with people flawlessly. When working with clients at a restaurant, one must have outstanding and efficient communication skills (Wolters et al 27). This goal was attained through learning how to react effectively to consumers and carefully listen to their problems and inquiries. I also learnt how to properly connect with my coworkers and consumers. In addition, I learnt numerous dispute resolution techniques as well as how to deal with loud and challenging clients. The most difficult obstacle I encountered throughout this procedure was the linguistic barrier. Some consumers were from other nations, and it was difficult to understand them when placing purchases or making inquiries. Among the other difficulties encountered was speaking efficiently and clearly in a fast-paced setting, particularly during peak hours. In the hotel industry, I learned that strong communication and interpersonal skills are critical for achieving client happiness and retention.
Improve your comprehension of the menu and the food preparation process.
Knowing the components and cooking procedures of each dish may be used to get a better knowledge of the restaurant menu and food preparation process (Suarez et al 2). I accomplished this goal via apprenticeship, in which I regularly watched experienced personnel and reviewed the menu on a regular basis to foster familiarity. Understanding the menu and the food production process allows one to readily respond clients and provide suitable meal suggestions and feedback. The most difficult aspect of this procedure was learning how to prepare the various foreign cuisines that I was unfamiliar with. Another difficulty was the cultural variations in the cuisine, particularly in foreign dishes. I discovered that understanding the menu as well as the food processes might aid in the creation of new meal combinations and the overall quality of food. To address the difficulty of knowing various cuisines and ingredients, management should also conduct cross-staff training.
Learn how to utilize restaurant technology efficiently.
Restaurant technology refers to the many tools and systems that may be used to efficiently enhance all restaurant procedures and activities. Restaurant technology includes anything from inventory management and kitchen display systems to customer relationship management. Learning how to utilize these tools is essential for seamless operations and making work simpler. With effective instruction from management and aid from my coworkers, I learnt how to utilize numerous restaurant technologies. Understanding and learning restaurant technology was also simplified since software in goods and equipment, such as the kitchen display system, provided lessons (Mata et al 7). Another method I used was to observe experienced people in order to rapidly understand how to operate the equipment and systems. The most common difficulty encountered when utilizing diverse office technologies was system problems and system failure. During busy hours, the systems sometimes crashed or glitched, disrupting the restaurant’s seamless functioning. During this process, I discovered that frequent staff training and peer assistance might help to ease the process of understanding restaurant technology.
Time management skills are defined as the ability to efficiently manage personal time as well as prioritize responsibilities. Time management abilities are essential in a restaurant environment to help with work distribution and meeting order deadlines. I improved my time management abilities by studying efficient communication and correctly assessing areas in operations where time is wasted. I have discovered that good work delegation may significantly improve time management. The use of technology, such as timers and scheduling software, may greatly aid personnel in achieving deadlines, particularly during food preparation (Back et al 759). The difficulties encountered in achieving this goal were unexpected surges in consumer traffic and a scarcity or low personnel turnover. Unexpected system breakdowns or problems can waste a significant amount of time. During this time, I discovered that being adaptable and fast to change would considerably enhance my time management.
Learn how to deal with consumer complaints and provide feedback.
In a restaurant, customer service entails listening to the client’s requirements or demands and providing them with superior services. Handling clients and providing feedback entails paying close attention to them, assisting them in making decisions, and giving ideas. I learned how to treat clients respectfully and professionally via different training sessions on active listening and customer service skills through online tutorials (Fallowfield et al 1594). Another efficient and successful method I learnt to deal with clients was via on-the-job training provided by management. Observing the experienced workers, as well as obtaining input from other employees and managers, were beneficial. Dealing with unpleasant and boisterous consumers was difficult throughout this process. Furthermore, the language barrier proved to be an issue, but I was able to overcome it by using internet translation tools. It is beneficial for staff to foster a healthy work environment and promote collaboration in order to make dealing with consumers simpler.
Improving leadership and management abilities.
The process of expressing talents such as motivation and inspiration in order to attain corporate objectives is known as leadership and management skill development. Effective communication, problem-solving, and delegating are other important abilities. To reach my goal of gaining leadership abilities, I attended a leadership conference over one weekend as well as online training sessions. Reading a few articles and books also helped me improve my leadership abilities (Grover 179). I also gained some leadership abilities by practicing with my coworkers and receiving feedback from both my supervisor and them. During this time, I had to deal with high-pressure circumstances, particularly during peak hours. While learning this leadership skill growth method, I discovered that successful leadership requires both flexibility and a desire to always improve.
Reflection
As a cashier at a restaurant, I had the chance to hone a variety of management abilities, ranging from leadership to time management. I learnt the value of numerous abilities, such as excellent communication and delegation of duties within a team. I also learnt how to manage my time by prioritizing different disciplines. Throughout this process, I expanded my understanding of restaurant technology and how to leverage technological tools to make my job simpler. In addition, I’ve learned to cultivate a good attitude toward work and to increase my ability to manage various scenarios that may emerge in the workplace. Furthermore, I have learned to be a better team player and have increased my understanding of the value of doing diverse jobs as part of a team. In general, my experience as a cashier has been beneficial since it has provided me with a variety of abilities that I can utilize in a variety of situations.
To summarize, working as a cashier has taught me a lot about collaboration, the significance of efficient communication, and customer service skills. During my time as a cashier, I’ve seen that I’m adept at communicating effectively with both customers and coworkers. I also learned that I am adept at precisely organizing monetary transactions. My disadvantages as a cashier were unfamiliarity with the menu and the food preparation procedure. Nonetheless, by developing both leadership and management abilities via this training, I have gained professional growth and a significant boost in my overall effectiveness as a cashier.
WORK CITED
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Back, Anthony, James A. Tulsky, and Robert M. Arnold. “Communication skills in the age of COVID-19.” Annals of internal medicine 172.11 (2020): 759-760.
Fallowfield, Lesley, and V. Jenkins. “Effective communication skills are the key to good cancer care.” European Journal of Cancer 35.11 (1999): 1592-1597.
Grover, Susan M. “Shaping effective communication skills and therapeutic relationships at work: The foundation of collaboration.” Aaohn journal 53.4 (2005): 177-182.
Mata, Ádala Nayana de Sousa, et al. “Training in communication skills for self-efficacy of health professionals: a systematic review.” Human Resources for Health 19.1 (2021): 1-9.
Santos, Gilberto, et al. “New needed quality management skills for quality managers 4.0.” Sustainability 13.11 (2021): 6149.
Suárez, Gonzalo, Sungchul Jung, and Robert W. Lindeman. “Evaluating virtual human role-players for the practice and development of leadership skills.” Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2 (2021): 658561.
Wolters, Christopher A., and Anna C. Brady. “College students’ time management: A self-regulated learning perspective.” Educational Psychology Review (2020): 1-33.
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