I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

I hired 2.5 hosts in the past week.

Two of them are only hosts.  One of them is a server who is going to help cover the door to help us out. 

I had one of the hosts and the server in yesterday to start training.

We get to the phone part of the job, how to answer etc. 

Then the way to return calls.  

For example, you keep the messages you leave as brief as possible with no information.

My message is:

Hi this is Jeff returning your call from the restaurant.  You can reach us back at 555.555.5555.  

That’s it.  

I used to try to respond to them on voicemail, but WAY too many took the messages as a confirmation that I’d made them a reservation.  You don’t have a reservation until you speak with me.  Therefore I  keep it vague.

I’m explaining this to my new team, and suggest that they help return some voicemails while I’m sitting there.

I hand the phone to the first one.  She dials.  The call won’t go through.  

It takes a bit, but we determine that she didn’t dial the area code.

She tries again.

Still won’t go through.    

She forgot the “1”.

She finally completes the call.

Next host up.  

He dials.  

His call won’t go through.

Turns out he IS dialing the area code.  

I then give a whole lesson on how landlines work.  

He makes his call.

This goes on for about 2.56 hours, with me mostly teaching them how to use the dial feature of the phone.  

Turns out they are both YOUNG.  I’m not sure either of them have ever had a landline.  

Luckily, they had a great sense of humor about it.  

What should I teach them next?