It’s been about a year now that my husband and I started frequenting the Red Robin chain of restaurants. For my husband, it’s all about the burger. He’s a picky man, and to find a burger that meets his high criteria is a miracle in itself. For me, it’s all about the experience – how was I treated and what kind of attitude did the employee’s exhibit.
Every single time we visit Red Robin, the wait staff is energetic and friendly. This behaviour makes me curious since I rarely experience it – consistently. Recently, I was watching the waiters rush around with smiles on their faces and I noticed they had words embroidered on their sleeves. When I asked our waiter about it, she said “Oh, these are Red Robin’s values which are Honor, Integrity, Seeking knowledge, and Having fun.” Wow, what a nice way to describe KhoZAMitude.
I was immediately impressed, but having taught management seminars for so long, I know these values can get lost and become meaningless. I asked our waiter how Red Robin keeps these values alive. She said that every day before her shift, the store manager would gather everyone together to remind them of the values and to give them one or 2 specific behaviors the waiters could focus on to make the values a reality. For example, within 30 seconds of being seated, the server needs to greet the customer and introduce themselves. Hmmmm, what a concept. Positively communicating expectations and then holding people accountable. Briliant.
Z-Tip: Positive communication + Clear Expecations = Happy employees AND Happy Customers (= Happy Profits)