For orders to be right, customers to be happy and kitchen operations to run smoothly, solid communication is required in a restaurant kitchen. Mistakes with orders may result in spoiled food, higher expenses and unhappy customers. Proper communication in the kitchen can do a lot to help make these mistakes rare. When information is given clearly, consistently and promptly, restaurants can avoid many mistakes and run smoothly.
Improving the way teams work in the kitchen means considering both technological options and friendly unity. Written orders and spoken words cannot handle today’s kitchen demands. For this reason such businesses depend on tools that move information effectively between the front of house and the kitchen team. Without good communication, it’s common for orders to be misunderstood, modifications to be missed or updates to be late. Therefore, working to improve how we communicate can lead to a big decrease in these errors.
Knowing How Clear Communication Is Essential
Start with making sure all team members know what their job is in fulfilling orders. When someone orders, the information needs to be quickly and correctly conveyed to the people in the kitchen. Previously, people used printed tickets, but those can be tough to decipher, easy to lose and difficult to understand when crowds are around. Fewer mistakes happen if your requests are explained, as these are normally where errors occur.
Cooks in the kitchen need correct information to get each dish right. If there’s a communication issue, the meal can feature incorrect ingredients or you may cook it for too long or make it with the wrong options. Standardizing the way people communicate can greatly reduce these problems. By practicing how to communicate order information, staff will be able to look over every order and ask questions when something is unclear.
Using Technology for Communication
A kitchen display system (KDS) is an important tool that can boost the way kitchen staff communicate. With a KDS, kitchen workers get digital updates about orders, cutting down on errors made when writing or losing tickets. Order updates are immediate, so the kitchen staff can watch progress and manage their tasks efficiently.
This system also makes it easier for the front of house team to talk with kitchen staff. When modifications and special notes are listed, there’s less chance for confusion for everyone. Moreover, the software can notify staff if anything changes or gets canceled right away. With this system, people in the kitchen find it easier to remain aware of where orders are at, so they rarely have to check in about what is happening.
Encouraging Team Communication and Collaboration
Open communication and working together as a team are key, aside from technology. It is important for kitchen staff to feel secure asking questions, clarifying the orders and notifying about problems straight away. Lack of communication amongst team members because of worries or (self-imposed) pressure results in more errors. By encouraging respect and patience as you’re busy, you help everyone cooperate more easily.
These meetings and briefings help everyone to communicate more effectively. Through these sessions, we can bring up common challenges, look at issues with orders and together find solutions. Sharing information freely helps everyone find out about common problems and motivates them to stop them in the future. If communication is constant between the kitchen and serving teams, employees are better informed, making work less stressful and result in less mistakes.
Training and Always Improving
Staying up-to-date with training helps keep kitchen communication at its best. Staff should know the company’s communication rules from their first day and everyone should be given regular updates to keep them aligned. Having technical knowledge is important, but training should also develop active listening, clear talk and conflict management. As a result, people interact better and make fewer mistakes in communication.
In addition, restaurants should set up a way to watch for and analyze mistakes in taking orders. Seeing what’s common helps you understand the reasons behind such failures. Reviewing the data allows management to fix and address issues by revising their training and communication plans. Ensuring that communication is always improving means changes in the kitchen team or menu won’t interrupt its effectiveness.