Do your food servers know how to embrace emotional nutrition?

These pandemic times have, more than ever, taught us that it takes extended skill in a good food server to give the body the nutrition it needs and craves to create a whole, healthy person. The server’s job encompasses bringing a meal to a person along with a smile, saying hello, how are you, tell me what’s on your mind today and have I told you…..  These pleasantries feed a person, too. When food servers feel valued, appreciated by the administration and their coworkers and keep a calm demeanor because they do, they can naturally carry this relaxed, considerate, and kind ambiance. It is part of them, and they share this confidence with everyone they meet. This is not a temperament one is born with but has evolved into over years of growing. If a food server doesn’t have this way about them, it can be developed (you’ll be happy to know) with proper Kind Dining♥ coaching sessions now available by virtual accession. Residents that have chosen your community to live in desire nutritional health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Wouldn’t you be content if your food servers can give them emotional nutrition without added investment other than the training all food servers deserve? 

 

Your food servers who have easily learned these skills through our training sessions and practice can display their leadership qualities by assisting other food servers which may need extra encouragement. This is a basic kindness that displays how kindness can form respectful relationships between coworkers and build a solid foundation of trust. This is the ideal working ambiance that everyone blossoms under. Kindness is something many of us take for granted, but others have never become aware of a lack of guidance as a child. This, too, can be taught to anyone at any age.

 

In this pandemic, we are all doing our best, not only to survive but to lift others. We want to inspire food servers to combat fear, overwhelmed feelings, loss of control, and disconnection with residents. Their expectations have far exceeded being served good food by a pleasant food server. They are your residents. Don’t they deserve the best you can provide for them? Your food serving team is your company’s most valuable asset, and mealtimes are still extraordinary opportunities to triumph at person-centered care. It is a time to impress yet make that impression daily. Your staff may not instinctively have an etiquette or be aware of how they can improve their work performance and lift their own self-value at the same time.

B♥ Kind ®Tip: Stop. Look. Listen. What does good service feel like to residents?

About Cindy Heilman

Cindy is the founder and owner of Kind Dining®, which she began in 2006. She’s traveled across the country and Canada working with and training senior living communities that want to create an exceptional dining experience for their residents and staff. In addition, she certifies select professionals in her Kind Dining® philosophy and provides tools, now in an eLearning format, that make learning stick and help people put insights into action. As a result of her work, clients often share their staff has a new sense of purpose, get along better and keep their focus and energy on what matters most. In fact, she wrote a book, Hospitality for Boomers on how to attract residents and keep good team members. In her free time, she enjoys walking Oregon trails and cheering on her favorite soccer teams, the Portland Thorns and Timbers.

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