Revisiting the scenario from the undercover boss project, I was able to put together a few problem statements. These are statements that define a point of contention within that specific situation. I do remember how courteous and respectful Nadia, the boss, was with her employees, and vise versa. Both Employer and Employees interacted in a great way I wish I would see more of out in the real world. Empathy and understanding played a huge role in those interactions, so finding a problem statement became a bit more challenging than usual.
Problem Statement #1:
Several employees lacked the necessary training to follow their restaurants protocol, which led to loss of revenue, and opportunity for excellent customer service. Training has become a challenge for employees because there isn’t a set up training system that could be universally implemented.
An easy solution to this is to create training programs from the senior level down. That way, there won’t be any miscommunication as to what is expected by the senior staff when it comes to procedures in the restaurants.
Problem Statement #2:
Employees have personal issues that go unsolved and affect their work. Their jobs have become a challenge because they also deal with the stress of personal issues on top of their workload.
This problem can be solved by added employee benefits/PTO/Yearly pay increases. Employees should be treated with dignity no matter the job, and if they are making end’s meat, their work will suffer ultimately. Employers should consider their employees wellbeing because it directly affects the business.
Problem Statement #3:
The competition is fierce in this industry. The restaurants recognition becomes a challenge because there are so many competitors in the field who want the same thing and are quality restaurants themselves.
This problem can be solved by studying the competition and creating enticing offers and deals that can generate more profit when applied in mass. Keeping the quality of the restaurant high, and the service second-to-none will be the main way they can stay ahead of the competition.
Problem Statement #4:
Employee social dynamics become a challenge because of so many different personality types. Some don’t get along, but it’s something that happens in every job and isn’t something that can be fixed by getting rid of people, but by training people on different personality types.
This can be solved by sending employees to personality type seminars when on-boarding, or once a year as a refresher course. It could even be worked in as part of the training. It is important for employees and management alike to be able to work in teams in a restaurant environment and any training that can facilitate that would be beneficial to the company.
Problem Statement #5:
There are too many cigarette butts on the ground outside of one of their establishments. It makes the place look tacky instead of sophisticated. Cleaning up the cigarette butts is a challenge for employees because people keep dumping them on the ground.
This can be solved by placing signs around the designated smoking areas not to liter. Cleaning the cigarette butts while events are happening will also cut down on the dirtiness of the area during and after an event.
Design By Angel Vazquez 