Where Did I Go Wrong?

Thinking for other people.


I've been a restaurant manager for 18 years. I have never, ever, ever said I desire to do or think for other people, whether they be guests who can't think for themselves and say "I dunno, what do you like?" or staff who say "What should I do?" I've always empowered my team to do whatever is necessary to take care of the guest by simply following one little rule: Use your best judgement.

On the average day, most people do a very good job of following this direction. Occassionally, we have a gaff so large, it just leaves me speechless and makes me wonder where I went wrong. Here's a simple, silly example that demonstrates what I'm talking about.

A guest says to the server, "My Diet Coke tastes flat." The server apologizes and tells the customer she will check on that and be right back. Great.

The server goes and tells the greeter/cashier that a guest said the Diet Coke is flat, apparently because she also has a soda station behind her for to go orders, and may know what's going on???

The greeter/cashier goes to the kitchen and tells the prep cook that the server said a guest said the Diet Coke may be flat, apparently because the prep cook is standing next to the soda boxes and CO2 tanks????

The prep cook comes to tell me that the greeter/cashier said the server said a guest said the Diet Coke is flat, apparently because ______________________________________________??????

You tell me. And the guest still doesn't have a beverage they are enjoying. Seems kind of silly when I know they are all intelligent folks and great people. I trust them to do their jobs, and I know for a fact, that some of them desire to move up in their restaurant career.

So what happened here?