I started my career journey in life as a dishwasher in a professional kitchen. The sad thing is there were many other names for us including the least flattering – dish pig! What is even worse is I hear some of those names still today! Professional kitchen conduct and the impact on customer dining experience is often overlooked, yet vital to the overall customer experience.

Being a dishwasher can be the most thankless job in the restaurant or food service industry, however the most important in my eyes. See, when your customer comes in with the expectation of having an excellent customer dining experience in a sanitary environment- they rely on the dishwasher because of the following reasons.

• The dishwasher literally touches each item that the chef or cook uses to prepare the meal.
• The dishwasher touches each plate the customer touches
• The dishwasher touches every glass your patron uses.
• The dishwashers hopefully have presoaked, sorted and washed the silverware which includes touching.
• I am sure if your customer knew all of the other jobs management had dishwashers do; they might consider tipping them as well!

See when I go to a restaurant to eat, I can be forgiving to the restaurant for the following:

• A waitress who forgets an appetizer
• Hostess who gives us the table next to the kitchen
• A steak that has to go back because of being undercooked.

I cannot be forgiving to the restaurant for the following:

• Dirty silverware
• Dirty glasses
• Plates that have food soil on the underneath

This is because when there are problems in the dish area, they frequently are not always under the control of the actual person running the machine (future blog post about the complexity of why). TODAY however I challenge each restaurant manager, chef, owner or basically any employee that works in food service to thank their dish personnel, treat them with respect, and help to make sure they have the tools and resources they need to succeed. Make them feel part of the team and much bigger of an asset to your organization’s success.

Thanks for reading, I hope it adds some insight. Please share and like online and let us know if you have comments, questions or other stories to share.

Written by Jerry Bauer, Sani Wash Account Manager, http://www.hospitalitycleaning101.com

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