screw ups

[system]

what do you guys do when your staff keeps making mistakes like burning pizzas, wrong toppings etc? Last Friday we had 4 pizzas made wrong and I am tired of all the waste! How do you guys deal with this do ya Charge them for their mistakes why should I have to pay, and dont tell me “that is part of business blah blah blah” i already know that, I want ideas on how to help fix the issue.

 

[russ_cox]

pizzaguy:

what do you guys do when your staff keeps making mistakes like burning pizzas, wrong toppings etc? Last Friday we had 4 pizzas made wrong and I am tired of all the waste! How do you guys deal with this do ya Charge them for their mistakes why should I have to pay, and dont tell me “that is part of business blah blah blah” i already know that, I want ideas on how to help fix the issue.

Train, train, train, THEN re-train. Do you have a POS? Are the wrong toppings going on at the make line, or are the pizzas being mis-boxed? Pizzas burning? I assume you are useing a deck oven…Go to the dollar store and get a $5.00 digital timer. I think I paid that much for mine, it could have been less though. The timer should solve the problem. Oh yea, try haveing ONLY management on the ovens.

 

[system]

ok I have a timer and I have a POS that is why I am frutrated. I know what is going wrong so what I want to know is when my employees dont use their heads and screw up what do you folks do? Charge them for it? There needs to be a consequence if they screw up or they dont care but I dont know what is fair.

 

[Daddio]

I sometimes pull the ones who are messing up and put them on dish or garbage detail. This seems to get their heads back on to what they should be doing. Yes it is tough to always take the loss but you know here in King Ralph’s domain it is hard to find good help at a fair price.

 

[russ_cox]

pizzaguy:

ok I have a timer and I have a POS that is why I am frutrated. I know what is going wrong so what I want to know is when my employees dont use their heads and screw up what do you folks do? Charge them for it? There needs to be a consequence if they screw up or they dont care but I dont know what is fair.

Managers are the only people on my ovens. Too many mistakes and it affects their pay checks.

 

[system]

You know, sometimes a little embarrassment, punishment and/or reward can keep them on their toes…try placing a poster board with each oven tenders name on it in the back and each time they screw an order up, give them a checkmark. Offer incentives for long periods with no errors (say a free pair of movie tickets for a month with no errors and then a free CD for two months and a paid day off for three months, etc)…but also make consequences for errors…one week of cleaning toilets for two screw ups a week, complete kitchen clean up on a Saturday or Sunday for the the worst performer or even termination for excessive errors…after all, they are costing you money. Not only will you be rewarding good work and punishing bad (in psychology this is known as classical conditioning…remember the story of Pavolv’s dogs?) the additional ridicule from fellow employees and the added “contest to be the best” effect may just do the trick…good luck

 

[system]

Daddio,
You got that right, this economy although great for business is really making it hard to find employees! Good thing school is out i 2 weeks and all the school kids want full time. I know we all make mistakes some times and dont mind when it happens once in awile but when there are 3 or 4 a night i get ticked! I think the punishment and rewrd system may keep them in line. Thanks!

 

[system]

Thanks that is a great idea I will put up a chart tomorrow and have 1 person a night responsible for the oven thanks everyone for your comments

 

[famouspizza]

make sure the staff does not get to eat them…i have heard of staff purposely screwing up orders to get a freebie!!

 

[Daddio]

when I end up with screwed up food I send it to the fire hall or the police station or the ambulance garage. Those guys deserve a pat on the back.

 

[system]

When someone makes a wrong pizza or burns one in our shop we make them work back 5 minutes per pizza UNPAID. 3 pizzas = 15minutes.
They watch what they are doing on their next shift.

 

[snowman]

Bald Eagle:

When someone makes a wrong pizza or burns one in our shop we make them work back 5 minutes per pizza UNPAID. 3 pizzas = 15minutes.
They watch what they are doing on their next shift.

That sounds illegal.

 

[system]

snowman:

Bald Eagle:

When someone makes a wrong pizza or burns one in our shop we make them work back 5 minutes per pizza UNPAID. 3 pizzas = 15minutes.
They watch what they are doing on their next shift.

That sounds illegal.

That IS illegal.

 

[system]

Interesting input people.

One of the most effective means of preventing mistakes and increasing skills amongst employees lies in your communication skills. I once worked along side an owner non-operator who thrived at building teams. His strongest attribute was pulling the employees aside individually and having a “talk” with them. His purpose was to inform the individual that his or her focus and skills needed to improve or there would be no place for them at the restaurant, all the while keeping his cool and making sure the message was understood by the employee in question. It is the motivational speeches in private that can really turn people into team players. And by no means was it ever an ultimatum, but more a verbal warning. Furthermore, while he did his constructive criticism in private, it was a common place for him to congratulate and highlight positive events in public.

Like someone said before, when a night goes without incident, reward or congratulate the team for their performance.

Screw ups should never be fed to the team. I would prefer them to be given to the next customer if they are edible. Explain that an extra pizza was made and that they should have it on the house. See what that does for repeat business and customer loyalty.

Remember - criticize in private and congratulate in public.