Me Kitty the escapee am a “C” word c for Consultant specifically Hospitality somewhere during my career in between being burned out & falling out of love with my work to wondering why I left. I discovered where I do my best work… when I am project orientated and can work creatively on shared visions and goals delivering updated environments, cohesive teams and all important delicious food &beverages rewarding us both with financial success. It only took 45 years and the universe trying to tell me in all manner of ways that this is a better sitch for me!!!
That plus yoga & meditation.. without the balance of yoga in my life I swear I would be a total nut job…. now I know that some people just spat their coffee(or wine) because they know me and already know I am one crazy cat … but if you knew that before you started reading its cause we are clearly firm friends lol #lovethekitty
As a hospitality career professional our sole/ soul goal is to bring people happiness. We want you “the people” to be happy & come back & be happy some more
We don’t work 90 hours a week because we like totally love earning $17 and hour ……. which is about average if you are in a salaried management role………………..but that is an entirely different blog one that talks to the hidden human cost of hospitality…….. and another one about how many times we simply forget to go pee…. because our customers come first …… It usually ends with one of us running form the kitchen yelling “EMERGENCY”!!!!!!
We do this because ultimately we love to deliver awesome sleep overs, seductive poolside cocktails, healthy salads, divine desserts, bits & bites inspired by our travels, burgers to fix your hangovers, coffee to get you going in the morning and donuts because the are the most awesome warm fuzzy food hug ever.
Chefs get in the kitchen to create food that you will love baristas make coffee that makes you heave a sigh of relief at that first sip from your keep cup ……..if you don’t have a keep cup please get one and stop using paper cups!!!! KeepCup #lovetheplanet #recyclereuse…… No one ever says lets create an environment where people have a shit time & shit food ……well I did have a client suggest that this one time and I was like I am note sure we can work together…… #thatsanofromkitty
Hence we are our harshest critics, for every thing that ends up on a menu it has been tested plated amended tested plated and likely been through that cycle 10 times to get it right…… and that’s after it got past the embryonic creative note in a chefs scrabbly illegible note book scribbled mid sleep at 2am. Then there is service……..
Getting up at 3.30 in the morning & being nice is a skill. You get out of bed on the wrong side… we will be nice to you, come in grumpy and my team are singing cheerily while they make your morning wake up bean brew because we want you to have a better day for having spent time with us!
No one ever sets out to fail…. but hospitality any failures or misses peeps think its fair game to take to their phones and tell you what they think. Imagine if we came to your desk and judged you on your work day & posted what we thought about you on line! it can be gutting….. its not all negative a constructive review can sometimes be helpful… we cant see everything all the time or be in venues 247 sometimes reviews help get feedback to us that improves our business outcomes & we are open to honest feedback. But not nastiness or I feel bad about myself so I will take it out on them sort of reviews and then there is some expectation that you respond with 1000 apologies…. and then feel forced into thanking them for their nasty words #nopenotanymore
Reviews used to bring me undone especially when 9.5 out of 10 are amazing and then you get this one and you thing its like a car crash you cant look away or stop reading OMG they hate me they hate my food or my service staff etc then you go home and spend the next week wondering what you can do to fix it. #allmynailshavebeenbittenoff
I have worked in establishments where bad reviews were not the fault of the staff or management but the fault of the owner operators driving profit & ignoring service outcomes with their 7% “budgeted” labour outcomes #fuckoffthatsrediculous #monopolyasset and you cop it cause you are trying to maintain their unrealistic expectations talk about anxiety #cruelandunusual It took me some years to realise that this was not my inability to operate but that it was just high level bullying.
It takes some hardened skin a bit of industry seasoning & experience to look past it. Then at some point you realise that you have to go all Abraham Lincoln on their displeasing paragraphs and as you introduce the mantra “you can please some of the people some of the time but you cant please all of the people all the time” or in the case of the bullying take a deep breath & just walk away cause its just not good for the soul #whatsinitforme (just make sure you flip them the bird silently after you have received your last pay cheque including of course your days in lieu)
So the other day I realised I was grown up, I realised that if I was doing what I loved and happy my team are happy delivering great food & service 99.9 % of my guests were super dooper happy and we are making money for the client this is a great outcome! #stillanxious #butinabetterspace This brings me to as review posted on trip adviser the other day where the fellow “felt sorry for the town if this was the only cafe in the town” first I was upset it was my first negative review in 6 months…….the realisation I cant help this person made me LOL clearly he didn’t get out one the right side of bed & he didn’t give me anything constructive to work with. #thanksalsot #movingrightalong #next
So remember the people that make you food want to make you happy we want you to come back so that you can be in our food loving family, if you are going to review us be respectful & constructive… Hospitality peeps remember to breathe & meditate it obviously assists with anxiety, review management & response outcomes! #loveyoga
I would love to hear about some of your favourite reviews and how you have manged “feedback”!!
eat food drink coffee breathe yoga
