Types of manuals necessary for restaurants and points for creating them! For improving customer service and business flow

Restaurants have a wide range of operations, and it is necessary to introduce a “manual” in order to perform all operations efficiently. By using the manual, it is possible to communicate to staff more accurately and efficiently than communicating everything verbally. For sound operation, check the types of manuals, how to create them, and points to note.

Why restaurants need manuals

The existence of a manual is essential for the sound management of a restaurant. Once you understand its significance, you can efficiently grasp how to create a manual. Therefore, in this chapter, we will explain in detail the three reasons why restaurants need manuals.

Maintaining service quality

One of the reasons restaurants need manuals is that they can provide services that meet a certain standard . By setting rules, it is possible for staff to work with a common understanding rather than individual judgment.
If services are provided based on the individual staff’s judgment, there will inevitably be differences between staff members in terms of service content and quality.
However, if you set a rule for how to proceed with the work by manual, the difference in service by staff will be reduced. If the quality of service is maintained at a certain level, customer satisfaction can be expected to improve.

Education simplification

If you prepare a manual, it is also possible to reduce the time, effort, and cost required for staff training.

In particular, if you are hiring a part-time job or something like that, the burden of training new employees is not small. If you have a manual, you don’t need to verbally convey everything from scratch, and you can efficiently communicate things related to your work to staff.
The time previously spent on training can now be used for other tasks, leading to improved work efficiency .

Promote staff learning

Manuals are also effective in motivating staff to learn.
With manuals, staff can learn at their own convenience and accurately grasp the work flow. Also, if there is something you do not understand, you can use the manual and review it easily, creating an environment that makes it easy for staff to learn.
Since the manual allows them to learn the work flow efficiently, the staff’s motivation to learn improves, leading to the provision of faster and better services.

Types of manuals required for restaurants

The manuals required for restaurants can be broadly divided into four categories: the “work flow manual”, the “customer service manual”, the “kitchen work manual”, and the “troubleshooting manual”. We will introduce in detail the outline of the four manuals that restaurant owners should keep in mind and the main contents that should be included.

Business flow manual

First of all, it is necessary to create a “business flow manual” that explains the content and flow of the entire restaurant business. It is important to summarize
the rules and directions unique to the store, as well as items related to staff work such as backyard operations .

Main contents to be described

The business flow manual mainly describes the following contents.

• About staff coming and going
• Regarding opening and closing of stores
• Using cash registers and ordering machines
• About vault management
• About cleaning etc.

If necessary, it will be an even more detailed manual if you include the procedures and points to note about the work .

customer service manual

In order to maintain the quality of customer service that is indispensable for restaurants, it is necessary to create a “customer service manual”.
The main content is a manual that summarizes matters related to the appearance, language, and mental attitude of staff who serve customers .

Main contents to be described

Include the following in your customer service manual:

• About appearance
• About the wording
• About mental attitude
• About how to serve food
• About how to receive an order
• How to greet and guide customers
• Accounting methods, etc.

If you write down details for each scene , such as when checking out or when serving food , you can expect to lead to higher quality customer service.

manual for kitchen operations

It is also necessary to create a “kitchen operation manual” for cooking operations, which is one of the main operations of restaurants. This is a manual that summarizes the
main ingredients used, management methods, and cooking procedures .

Main contents to be described

The manual for kitchen operations includes:

• How to use cooking utensils
• About the cooking procedure
• About the preparation method
• About the amount of ingredients
• How to manage ingredients
• About taking out the trash, etc.

In addition to the flow of work, if you describe how to handle irregular cases and busy periods, you can improve the work efficiency of the kitchen.

Troubleshooting manual

Troubles cannot be avoided when running a restaurant, so it is essential to create a “troubleshooting manual”.
It is mainly a manual that summarizes how to respond when complaints occur and how to respond when the person in charge is absent .

Main contents to be described

Troubleshooting manuals should include the following:

• About how to handle complaints
• How to deal with reservation mistakes
• How to deal with food shortages
• How to deal with staff shortages
• How to respond when the responsible person is absent, etc.

It is important to describe the content in detail , as dealing with the trouble is also related to the store’s credit information .

Types of manuals that are useful in restaurants

In addition to the manuals introduced in the previous chapter, we will also introduce four useful manuals: the “store sales manual,” the “cleaning manual,” the “product introduction manual,” and the “telephone response manual.” It is useful when the content is not fully covered in the business flow manual, so let’s consider it.

Store sales manual

As a convenient manual for restaurants to create, first of all, there is a “store sales manual”.
This is a manual for smooth operation of the store from opening time to closing time.

Main contents to be described

Include the following in your sales manual:

• About cash management
• Preparations for store opening
• About work at the time of closing
• Switching between lunch and dinner
• About keys and security

It would be very convenient if you could also visualize things related to store sales as a manual.

cleaning manual

The “cleaning manual” is also one of the convenient manuals to have in your restaurant.
This is a manual that describes the cleaning procedures and details for managing the sanitary conditions of the store.

Main contents to be described

The cleaning instructions should include the following:

• About cleaning contents
• About cleaning method
• Cleaning areas such as kitchens and toilets
• About cleaning supplies, etc.

If you create a checklist together with the manual and clarify when and by whom the cleaning work was done, you can expect more efficient work.

Product introduction manual

If you create a “product introduction manual”, it will lead to an increase in restaurant sales.
The product introduction manual is a manual for sales promotion and sales promotion that allows customers to order more of their menus and products.

Main contents to be described

The product introduction manual mainly describes the following items.

• Recommended points for menus and products
• About recommended methods
• About popular products, etc.

manual for phone

It is preferable that the restaurant also has a “phone support manual”.
This is a manual that describes how to respond to phone calls received when making a reservation or delivery.

Main contents to be described

The following are the main contents described in the telephone support manual.

• About the correspondence method when accepting a reservation
• About how to respond when canceling a reservation
• About how to respond when accepting delivery or takeout
• About speech and language, etc.

Answering the phone is an important task that determines the impression of the store, so creating a manual will have a positive effect on store management.

How to make a manual

Even if you know the importance of manuals in store management, there must be people who don’t know how to create them. If you know how to make it, you can create a more effective manual, so let’s check it in advance.
The general flow is as follows.

1) Write down the details of the work
2) Set evaluation criteria for each work
3) Rewrite if there are any items that can be improved

First of all, I will clarify the contents of the business and write down the rules of my store. No matter how small the task, you can create a more accurate manual by writing it out in detail. Also, even if you think it’s obvious, it may be your own store’s own rules. Therefore, it is recommended that you write down even the work that you do casually .

Next, set the evaluation criteria for each task written down. For example, set clear rules for evaluation, such as “set a limit on the time it takes to complete the work at the time of opening and closing the store” and “create a checklist to see if cleaning has been completed to a certain standard”. keep it.
This is because different people may have different standards when it comes to determining how many minutes a task should be completed and what state it should be in.
Establishing certain evaluation criteria will lead to the provision of consistent services.

A manual that has been compiled does not mean that it is complete just by describing the necessary items, and it is necessary to periodically review and revise the contents.
For example, when refurbishing kitchen equipment, we have to rethink how to operate it and the flow of operations. There may be other things that need to be changed depending on the opinions of customers and staff. If you refer to the rules that are not suitable for the situation at that time, your work efficiency will rather deteriorate, so it is important to check and correct them on a regular basis .

Points for creating manuals

It is not enough to simply create a manual, but there are points to be noted after introduction. Let’s check the points to be careful so that the burden is not wasted even though it took time and money to create it. Here are three points to note about manuals.

Don’t be too conscious of the manual

The first thing I would like to point out is that you shouldn’t rely too much on the manuals you create .

If you are too bound by the contents of the manual, it will be difficult to respond flexibly when a situation not described in the manual occurs.
Of course, doing business according to the manual, but understanding the customer’s feelings and providing hospitality may lead to customer satisfaction.
It is necessary to have the staff view the manual as a standard of work, and to provide guidance and guidance so that they can respond to unexpected situations.

keep it visible

After creating the manual, keep it in a place where staff can easily check it.

If you keep it in an inconspicuous place, the chances of staff noticing it will decrease.
It is preferable to be able to check quickly even when there is no time. Also, if it is an electronic manual, it is recommended because it is easy to check from a smartphone or tablet.
If it is easy to check, there is a high possibility that the number of times the manual will be picked up will increase, which will lead to an increase in staff motivation to learn.

make regular corrections

Even if all the necessary items are included in the manual, it is not complete. The content of the manual should be updated from time to time.

For example, when the equipment of the shop is new, the method of operation and operation will change. In addition, it is essential to reflect the opinions of customers and working staff to create better manuals.

If you put off making changes just because they are minor details, there is a risk that differences in perceptions will arise between staff without even knowing it, and work efficiency will actually decline.
It is important to fix even the smallest of things if something has changed.

summary

By using Teachme Biz, you can easily create a manual just by inserting images and text according to the template.
You can also insert and edit videos, and it supports operations on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. In addition, manuals can be managed by folder, and QR codes can be printed and posted on-site to make it easier for staff to use. In addition, training courses can be created by selecting a procedure manual, progress can be visualized, and analysis functions can be used .