Being A Coach at Denny's

4:00 AM at Denny’s Restaurant was not the place where I would expect to find elements of Induction. A few items that demonstrated a Recipe for Success included…

1) A new waitress was teaming/shadowing with an experienced server in the middle of the night. The middle of the night is probably the best time to model, provide opportunity to learn, coach and provide feedback for a new employee.

2) Regardless of who “owned” the table, the wait staff worked together to make sure our needs were met. One server directed us to our table and served drinks while the Mentee and her Server Coach took the initial order. Additional wait staff constantly surveyed the area and refilled our drinks.

3) Service/support did not end when the meal was delivered. The Mentee and her Server Coach stopped by AFTER the meal to offer additional assistance.

4) Being There. At then end of the meal, the Mentee and her Server Coach stopped by, smiled, and said “Thanks for coming by, we hope to see you again.” By all means it was us who should had offered them THANKS for being there and providing a friendly experience.

We were quite impressed for a place that is known for the Slam and its 4:00 a.m. Grilled Cheese sandwich.