Restaurant Training – Waitress & Waiter Training Role Play Tips For Hospitality Education & Learning

Lights, Camera, Action!

Integrate role play for a successful training program

Take one…take two…take three…ready on set?

Are your teams performing at their best with every guest walking through your doors? Incorporating role play into your training programs will help your guests get an encore every time.

Role play is one of the most effective tools in the trainer’s toolbox, allowing participants to experience real-life situations and learn by doing. Role-playing games can be used to train employees at all levels of the company, including employees, managers and even company executives.

Role-playing games allow teams to experience real-life situations in a simulated and controlled environment. When participants play the roles of guests, employees, and managers, they can be better prepared for situations.

Because of the controlled environment, role-play allows the trainer to assess a person’s strengths and weaknesses and create an action plan for growth and development. When used to learn a skill, role-playing builds confidence because the skill is practiced and the coaching is provided by a trainer. Standing side by side with the learner, the trainer can easily determine if the learner has mastered the newly discovered technique and is ready to work on their position on their own. When role-playing is used to emphasize another person’s feelings, it allows teams to recognize those feelings and understand the implications of their behavior or the behavior of others. For example, role-playing a guest situation allows teams to better understand how a guest is feeling. As a result, they learn about the level of service that should be provided in order to provide a quality experience. Another benefit of role-playing is to help team members understand the consequences of violating policies, e.g. B. Being late for work and the stressful impact this can have on the entire team. This teaches them the importance of arriving on time.

how to start

Company assessments should be conducted prior to the scheduled training date to determine the specific areas of performance/improvement to be addressed. Then the company facilitator should determine the overall results to be achieved and determine how best to address the issues. For example, the trainer should determine if the problems are more related to emphasizing feelings or strengthening a skill.

Next, the Company Moderator should determine the specific characters associated with the problem and the particular roles they will play. There are many roles that can be played such as: B. guest and waiter, manager and team member, waiter and kitchen team member or similar combinations.

Finally, the company facilitator, armed with the necessary scripts and scenarios, can then develop training aids and other training tools to achieve the overall goals of the program.

To get you started, we’ve listed some suggested scenarios that will help you roleplay with your teams. Before you start roleplaying, always ask for volunteers so the shy or less experienced teams can observe others first to build their confidence.

Suggested Scenarios

1. Cashier talks on the phone and doesn’t acknowledge a random guest

2. Waiter is brusque and rushes a guest while taking an order (asks questions in a brusque, quick manner and displays rushed body language)

3. The server is overly friendly and talks too much with a group of business guests who have a meeting

4. The waiter scolds a kitchen worker for making an incorrect order

5. Host/hostess is sarcastic and short-tempered when a guest asks for menu information

6. Host/hostess defensively tells a guest, “I told you the wait was 20-25 minutes and you only waited 10 minutes.”

7. The bartender is cold and unfriendly while a lone guest is looking for attention and conversation

8. Bartender chatting up some regulars and ignoring a guest who obviously needs something (refills of drinks, a napkin, condiments, etc.)

9. Two bus drivers discussing personal issues while ignoring a guest’s service signal

10. A member of the kitchen team yells for a waiter to pick up an order

11. The dishwasher is disrespected as waiters throw away dirty dishes without first scraping them

12. A problematic team member who causes colleagues to work overtime; create disagreements among employees; undermining management; constantly being late; and similar situations.

13. The manager tells the guest “no” or “we can’t” without apology, adding an explanation and offering options

14. The manager points fingers and argues with a guest when handling a complaint

15. Manager threatens a team member’s job

Alkis Crassas, president of EVOS USA, Inc., a healthier fast-food chain headquartered in Tampa, Fla., uses role-playing games routinely and says, “Although role-playing games push the envelope by putting the spotlight on contestants after the butterflies.” disappeared will smooth out and your team will begin to see your restaurant’s big goals”.

When properly designed and executed effectively, role play can be extremely valuable to the success of any business. Most importantly, when the role-play is interactive and fun, your training goals are preserved and result in a high return on your investment. Role-playing contributes to each participant’s life experience, and when people experience something, they take it with them more than any book, video, or lecture could ever replicate.

Thanks to Pam Simos | #Restaurant #Training #Waitress #amp #Waiter #Training #Role #Play #Tips #Hospitality #Education #amp #Learning