We’re taking you back to the fundamentals of our trade with a 13-part series on the 13 ethics of hospitality–brought to you by Director of Ops. Greg Nasser. Read on for part 4.
#4 Integrity – Always be honest with your guests and with your teammates. Follow through on your decisions, consider all ideas, and listen carefully.
To have integrity means to have great listening—not only hearing—skills. If you’re willing to read between the lines and really listen to what a person is saying, you’ll find that you’re able to get much further.
Working in hospitality can, at times, be very stressful. I find that, when in a pressure-filled situation, peoples’ inclinations are to abandon their manners—even their decency. Let’s adjust those tendencies. A simple “please” and “thank you” can go a long way in improving any situation.
Another way to exhibit integrity is to look at food and beverage through the eyes of the guest when making decisions, big and small. Think about how a guest might react to your adding or removing a specific menu item, for example. Alternatively, consider how setting a dish at a certain price might affect your guest’s experience. Acting with integrity when making seemingly inconsequential changes to your menu can have a great impact on how your restaurant as a whole is viewed.
Rather than give just one example this week of a team member who exhibits integrity, I’m calling out a whole team. Ed Onas, Jose Garcia and the entire Super Duper team are my favorite examples of people with integrity. No matter which of the 10 Super Duper Burgers you visit, you will always be greeted warmly and the items you order will consistently be fresh and flavorful. Super’s awesome commitment to serving up integrity alongside each and every delicious burger has resulted in a slew of loyal guests in the Bay Area and beyond.