When student trainees take over the frontline

THE WORLD recession has put bottom line pressure on many restaurants to cut costs, that includes hiring student trainees instead of full time employees. Photo by Ma. Esther Salcedo-Posadas, Contributor

In case you’ve been dining out lately, you may have noticed what seems like a growing trend among restaurants to use student trainees in dealing with guests, i.e. order taking, food delivery, practically everything that a waiter is expected to do.  In the past, you may find a sprinkling of such trainees, like perhaps one or two at the most.  More recently, it sometimes appears that most of the servers are trainees – at least in certain restaurants that appear to be cutting manpower costs.

In general terms, the frontline is defined as the portion of the work force that deals directly with clients.  It is also a critical point because many guests decide not to return based on their initial experience with the frontline.  Thus, it may be safe to assume that anyone thrown into the customer pit should at least have had some proper training.

At least based on initial observations, it appears that many student trainees haven’t had the benefit of adequate indoctrination and are instead prematurely exposed to guests where they learn through trial and error, at the cost of the customer’s time and patience.  From a consumer marketing perspective, such an approach is totally detrimental to the restaurant’s image and brand, most especially when needs are not addressed promptly.  The long-term consequences may not be worth the short-term savings.

Of course, this is not to say that student trainees cannot be expected to show up in the frontline.  On the contrary, a company with well-established training systems should aim to mold their apprentices to eventually handle some customer interface.  But putting them in front of customers without adequate guidance is another story and reflects on the company’s values and priorities.

It is also worthy of note that students work in companies with a completely different mindset from those personnel who are hired full time.  As their title implies, students pursue work opportunities in order to learn and gain knowledge, not necessarily pledge their loyalty to the company since most assignments are short-term.  Add to that is the fact that most trainees receive a small allowance instead of a full salary.  In terms of incentive, a long-term horizon may not even be in consideration.

On the other hand, those who pursue restaurant work full time have more reason to focus on the job since their whole livelihood may be at stake.  Also, full time employees are subject to performance evaluation and other factors that will impact their whole careers.  They are also paid more.

Thus, comparing student trainees versus full time workers is like choosing between garlic and onions.  The whole restaurant dining experience ultimately depends on how the customer service dish is planned, prepared, cooked, and served.

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