Yes, I have been diagnosed with symptoms of burnout before, but I have taken one or two steps back and feel a lot better for it. However, being a chef and operator, my restaurant business is all-consuming, both during and outside service times, and I can't help my perfectionist attitude when it comes to cooking. I'm so obsessed and deeply concentrated during service times that I make no mistakes. I'm beginning to think this is a bit unhealthy, as everybody makes mistakes.
What has recently occurred to me is that we never get any complaints due to genuine mistakes, i.e. cold food, wrong degree of doneness, etc. You know what I mean. Of course, there is the occasional moaner where something has not been to their liking, and of course we do get 'professional complainers' who get a kick out of slagging you off on Yelp (waiting times, waitress has no idea about wines, portions too small, uncomfortable chairs, yadda yadda...) or those who think they know better how to run a restaurant and are full of 'well-meaning' advice. Yet the food is always, consistently the way it was intended to be, although we aren't a chain, but what you would call a Mom and Pop in the States, a small one at that.
I eat out at restaurants myself (time allowing) and talk to a lot of foodies about their experiences. Mistakes are made wherever you go; you could say 'shit happens'. A certain number of mistakes is normal and human. What is your average error rate during service? Are we all this obsessed? I guess there will be more mistakes where the owner doesn't sign off each plate before it is sent. Or not?
I know it's probably hard to say really, as not every unhappy customer will complain, but customers are more likely to complain explicitly about genuine mistakes than about less tangible/subjective issues.
Cheers,
Recky
What has recently occurred to me is that we never get any complaints due to genuine mistakes, i.e. cold food, wrong degree of doneness, etc. You know what I mean. Of course, there is the occasional moaner where something has not been to their liking, and of course we do get 'professional complainers' who get a kick out of slagging you off on Yelp (waiting times, waitress has no idea about wines, portions too small, uncomfortable chairs, yadda yadda...) or those who think they know better how to run a restaurant and are full of 'well-meaning' advice. Yet the food is always, consistently the way it was intended to be, although we aren't a chain, but what you would call a Mom and Pop in the States, a small one at that.
I eat out at restaurants myself (time allowing) and talk to a lot of foodies about their experiences. Mistakes are made wherever you go; you could say 'shit happens'. A certain number of mistakes is normal and human. What is your average error rate during service? Are we all this obsessed? I guess there will be more mistakes where the owner doesn't sign off each plate before it is sent. Or not?
I know it's probably hard to say really, as not every unhappy customer will complain, but customers are more likely to complain explicitly about genuine mistakes than about less tangible/subjective issues.
Cheers,
Recky