The Bad Restaurant Dishwasher - A true restaurant story
Reasons why the dishwasher for your restaurant does a bad job.
The interview went like this:
"Oh? You are a friend of Dan's? Ok, that's good." "Can you work nights? Can you work week ends? " With affirmatives to both of these, I was hired. The year was 1970.
Dan trained me (in a manner of speaking). Dan showed me the ropes for about an hour. Dan was much bigger than I and coordinated. I was not.
It was my first real live restaurant job outside of summer camps and schools. I had no clue how to keep up and stayed as late as it took to get the job done.
It was 1970. Bellevue, WA still had cows and horses where there are now skyscrapers.
I remember seeing the manager on occasion. He would walk through the swinging doors which were, in my mind, "the bad doors". These swinging doors were the same doors I saw dishes, plates, pots and pans come through. It wasn't all bad. There were cocktail waitresses on staff. While they brought more work with glassware in tubs, this skinny-geeky-four-eyed kid was very appreciative as I was 17 years old and becoming very aware of the opposite sex.
The manager would come in the swinging doors a few steps, look around and nod his head just a bit. "You're way behind. Work faster. You have to catch up." That was the conversation and without waiting for a response, he would turn around and walk back through the swinging doors.
The memory of this job still sticks with me.
I was working AS HARD AS I COULD. How could I go faster? Even though it seemed hopeless, I would dive back in and still be slower than Dan. In hindsight, I have a better understanding of why I was able to keep my job. What smart and sane person would go through the torture?
I spent the year working the restaurant as a dishwasher. I found that if I showed up early and worked off the clock to start on the pile before my official shift, I was able to get a head start.
Free meals. That was glorious. Money did flow in my family and with seven kids (That is 7), there was never enough food in the house. Restaurant food was a bonus and it made little difference that it was left overs, good or bad.
Mornings were tough since I was usually working until midnight or later. The first class at high school was my favorite. (Wouldn't you know that it would be trigonometry.)
I was a bad dishwasher. Since 1965 I have washed OVER A MILLION DISHES. (Seriously.)
At some point I overcame the "bad dishwasher" syndrome. Not sure what year it was. I washed dishes not because it was necessary but because "team" was important and everybody helps everybody. No exceptions.
Yes, I came to love the restaurant business. As I moved up the ladder to become an assistant, manager and district manager, I did NOT treat the dishwasher in the same way I was treated. Training, support, communication, and encouragement to get it done were always top of mind.
As a restaurant owner, the goal was to empower the dishwashers and, in fact, have them in charge of quality control, rotation, waste control and many other areas. The dishwashers of yesterday become the cooks of tomorrow and, of course, moved up the ladder. I once worked with someone who started as a dishwasher and worked up to be the VP of a very large company. He was a great leader and one of my mentors.
As a restaurant coach, one of the frustrations is that 1970 still exists in the restaurant business. It is a bit like a time machine as there are still managers with the same leadership style as the manager from way back when.
What will the dishwasher do?
The dishwasher will talk to people all day long when they are not working. The dishwasher will also have contact with staff and guests in the restaurant.
What will they say?
Will they share pride?
Will they make invitations and spread goodwill?
Do they add to the environment in a positive way?
The story about 1970 is the absolute truth. I hated that job even with the perks of a small free meal and greetings by the cocktail waitresses. If I had more sense and knew how to get another job, I would have escaped.
If you are a restaurant owner or manager, look again at the young people who work for you. You influence their lives and whether you like it or not, they are your marketing team.
Do they want to escape? Or do they want to brag and invite people to your great restaurant?
Your action item starting tomorrow: Start marketing to your team and don't forget the dishwasher.
