What is your career background?
I was born and raised in Nepal and went on to study business history at Tribhuvan University. After completing my course, I worked as a waiter for two years at Fulbari Resort & Spa in Nepal, before moving to Saudi Arabia. Prior to becoming the restaurant supervisor at Habsburg, I had received two promotions within the restaurant.
Why did you choose to work as the restaurant supervisor at Habsburg restaurant, and what are your main responsibilities?
I applied for the position of restaurant supervisor at Habsburg because I particularly like working with a variety of cuisines, especially Arabic, which Habsburg offers. I also enjoy Habsburg’s all-day dining concept and its mix of guests, predominantly families and business travellers.
My main responsibilities include welcoming guests and escorting them to their tables, ensuring our company service standards are met at all times and taking guidance from my manager to enhance guest experience. I help our guests with their meal choices and share my knowledge of the menu and its ingredients, if asked. I also help to make sure the restaurant meets its final year targets.
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What do you think of the culinary scene in the region?
I am a big fan of the food and cultural scene in the region. I know that the chefs in the Middle East are always working very hard to meet and exceed visitors’ expectations. The Saudi Arabian gastronomic scene is truly multicultural and I think the Kingdom offers an exciting selection of cuisines.
How do you manage and motivate your team?
I believe that staff must receive individual attention and recognition for their achievements. I always make sure that I ask my staff about any challenges they are facing and offer them ways to improve or overcome these. I’m constantly interacting with guests and whenever I hear any positive comments about our staff, I make a point of sharing it with the team as it keeps them motivated.
Additionally, we have quarterly team outings for our staff, allowing them some time to unwind and feel appreciated for their hard work. We also have a ‘hero of the month’ programme whereby one member of the team is awarded a gift or voucher in recognition of outstanding efforts within Habsburg.
Is technology an important part of the operations at Habsburg? If so, how do you use it?
Technology is an extremely important part of the operations at Habsburg. We use the Micros 9700 hospitality management system to take our guests’ orders and for the billing process. In March, we introduced a new third-party reservation system, which is currently in the testing phase. Guests are able to reserve a table through a website, which forwards the query directly to Habsburg for confirmation.
How do you manage customer feedback, especially the unpleasant comments?
Any customer feedback we receive is extremely important to us, whether it’s positive or negative. If I have an unhappy customer, I listen to their concerns first and I apologise and do everything I can to take care of them. This could be anything from asking the customer what I can do to make the situation better, to offering them a complimentary dinner on another date.
If we receive negative comments on our customer feedback forms, I personally call the unhappy customer and invite them back to the hotel for another meal.
What are your plans for Habsburg – how will you make the outlet more profitable?
We have plans to change the whole concept of Habsburg over the next year to match the ongoing change in trends and this will involve changing around 90% of the menu to include different international cuisine. We expect that this will help to drive more hotel guests and restaurant diners.
We will adapt the menu very carefully because we know there are many classic, favourite dishes that our regular customers love, so we will do our best to keep everyone happy.
Top 5 most astonishing requests I have received from customers:
1. Customers asking for 50% discounts on our buffets.
2. Four guests once came in as a group and asked to pay for only one buffet and share it between the four.
3. Visitors have asked to take large amounts of food away in bags from our buffets so they can eat it later.
4. Foreign guests have requested alcoholic beverages.
5. It is illegal to smoke in indoor public areas within the Kingdom and we have signage and notes everywhere that say so. However, some guests still request to smoke in the restaurant.
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