Chapter 2 Staff Attributes, skills and knowledge

Knowledge of food and beverages and technical ability

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  Effective Communication Skills.
  

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  Punctuality
  

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  Local Knowledge
  

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  Personality
  

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  Attitude to Customers
  

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  Cultural Awareness
  

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  Memory
  

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  Honesty
  

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  Loyalty
  

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  Conduct
  

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  Sense of Urgency
  

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  Complaint Handling
  

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  Contribution to the Team
  

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2.3 Key Service Conventions

Within food and beverage service there are traditional ways of doing things that have become established over time. These are known as the ‘service conventions’ and all have some logic behind them. Mostly this is to do with being effective and efficient in carrying out the service. The use of service conventions also ensures standardisation in the service sequence and the customer process (see Section 1.6, p.15, for definitions), both for staff and for customers.

Examples of general service conventions and the rationale for them are given in Table 2.1 on pages 30-31

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  Always work as part of a team
  

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  Work hygienically and safely
  

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  Pass other members of staff by moving to the right
  

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  Avoid contact between fingers and mouth or hair
  

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  Cover cuts and sores
  

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  Use checklists for preparation tasks
  

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  Prepare service areas in sequence
  

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  Consider using white gloves
  

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  Use a model lay-up
  

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  Hold glasses or cups at the base or by the handle
  

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  Hold cutlery in the middle at the sides between the thumb and forefinger
  

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  Lay table place settings (covers) from the inside out
  

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  Use of Standard lay-ups
  

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  Fully or partly lay the table before a meal begins
  

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  Place items low to high
  

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  Place items according t o the customer’s position at the table
  

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  Use checklists for all aspect of service
  

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  Be aware of customers who may have additional needs
  

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  Use order notation techniques
  

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  Avoid leaning over customers
  

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  Take food, wine and drink orders through hosts
  

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  Serve cold food before hot food
  

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  Serve wine before food
  

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  Use underplates (liners)
  

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  Use service salvers or service plates (with napkins or mats on them to prevent items slipping)
  

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  Hold flats, food dishes and round trays on the palm of the hand
  

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  Use doilies/dish papers on underplates (liners)
  

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  Start service from the right-hand side of the host, with the host last
  

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  Serve women first
  

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  Silver serve food from the left-hand side of a customer
  

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  Use separate service gear for different food items
  

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  Serve foods onto plates consistently
  

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  Serve plated foods from the right-hand side of a customer
  

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  Serve all beverages from the right-hand side of a customer
  

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  Use trays
  

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  Separate the serving at table from food/drink collection and sideboards/workstation clearing
  

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  Clear from the right -hand side of a customer
  

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  Use checklists for tasks required for clearing after service