The other day, I was out to lunch with a colleague. We both ordered our favorite chicken salad and asked for the dressing on the side. We love that salad, as it has about 20 different ingredients, and the flavors blend really nicely together.
Twenty minutes later, four servers came out of the kitchen with trays upon trays. We wondered what was on them and where they were going, only to find out they were heading to our table. Somehow, the order went in as “everything on the side” — basically, a deconstructed salad.
Odd? Yes. Also, really funny. We felt bad for the wait staff—there were four of them, after all.
Now, that was clearly a miscommunication. We have no idea how the server misinterpreted our wish, but she did. How could this have been avoided?
Well, verification. When something sounds odd, we need to verify what we hear. When the kitchen staff saw the order, they too should have verified it. When the three other wait staff members saw it, they could have verified it.
Miscommunications in the workplace happen all the time.
Amazing employees aren’t just those who do exactly what they think our customers want; many times, they also need to verify and clarify information because few customers actually want deconstructed salads that do not fit on their dining tables.
How can we ensure we have employees who verify and clarify? Well, there are questions we can ask in the interview process. There is training we can provide staff and so much more.
If your team has had too many miscues and could use help, contact The HR Team!
-Eileen
