It was one of those “lets go out for the weekend” weekends, Friday night see a show, stay in the city, have a late check out and the full on breakfast. That’s where the bump in the morning took place.

The hotel was fine, nicely refurbished room etc, the show was okay and then came breakfast. Hey by now if you have read a few of my articles you will know this was a setting ripe for analysis.

The first thing was the restaurant a long room tables either side, the staff came out a side door and literally bumped into each other near the in and out doors, a bit funny at first, then I realised the situation was to continue, and have a few extras thrown in for good measure.

A young lad (15 yrs or less…) came through with a serving trolley, and all of a sudden left it mid aisle for a while as he headed for the kitchen (customers had to go around it…) another staff member came by and moved it out of the way, the young lad came back to find it gone, and looked about, found it , shrugged his shoulders and went off with it. A bit Laurel and Hardyesque.

The team seemed to be new, they were lost as to what to do, who to hand the order to in the kitchen etc. One staff person came out with a cloth to wipe tables, and put the cloth on a chair and cleared half the table of left overs, while they were away another staff member saw the cloth and took it, walked to another table and started to clear that, and walked off, the first person returns and went to grab the cloth… not there? hmm lost look on their face they clear the rest of the table… Bump whoops, sorry, off they go.

The lad returns with a tray, and is slow on the balancing ac, its a long room and he holds up four people wanting to go through (customers) he veers off to the kitchen… they sigh with relief and charge through.

Two more couples are waiting at the “Please wait to be seated sign” two staff walk by and leave them waiting.

Chances are no one else noticed, chances are no one else cared, chances are no one will make mention, complain etc.

It’s how it is, I know, however its the sort of things (the 1 percenters) that can cause a business to come unstuck, they were a disaster waiting to happen.

Q’s. Where was the leader?, they should (in my view) be at the waiting area, overseeing all that takes place. Where was the system? (As you go out with food, go left first, then when you come in go to the right of the door first etc.)

There are a million other questions that can be asked, however the point is they did things not so elegantly, no so well, not so… strongly.

Get into the habit of evaluting your business, your service, how  you and or  your people do things, how they should do it, what they have as tools to do what they do and make sure they are able to do it unfettered, with ease. Anything less is a disaster waiting to happen.

Stumble it!