Rise of the machines

Rise of the machines. Technology has made life far easier for outlet staff — but has it taken the old-school personality out of hospitality?

On an average day, I will use no less then 12 different computerised systems during a shift in the restaurant. I’m pretty sure a NASA space launch uses fewer computer systems then me.

My office has so many blinking lights, cooling fans and hard drives that every time I sit in my office chair, I feel like the captain of the Starship Enterprise. Just without the teleportation facilities. Or the spandex suit.

Technological advances have made the contemporary restaurant a pretty advanced place in which to operate. From maximising profit margins to customer profiling, nowadays pretty much all restaurateurs have a computer to do it for us.

My team can ‘remember’ a guest’s favourite bottle of wine or birthday, thanks to my reservation system. I can ensure my menu layout is optimised for maximum profit margin with the click of a mouse. I can split guest cheques 14 different ways with a single poke of my finger.

Meanwhile, the cooks can steam asparagus spears to perfection thanks to a computerised steamer. My hostesses can send personalised confirmation emails to each and every guest. Meanwhil, guests can reserve tables either online or via text messages.

And the arrival of all these systems has allowed us, as hospitality professionals, to enhance the customer experience, ensure a profitable business model and maintain consistent food quality.

Although many take this electronic assistance for granted, I often find myself thinking about how restaurants operated without all this technology in the past.

Hospitality is one of the oldest industries on the planet; in fact one of the world’s longest-running pubs, the Ye Olde Man & Scythe, in Bolton, UK, opened in 1251.

Since Franklin wasn’t struck by lightening until 1752, I’m pretty sure they didn’t even have electricity let alone Micros handhelds to help them navigate their menu of steamed cabbage, disintegrated potatoes and warm ale.

And can you image how complicated the wine inventory must have been for Tour D’Argent back in 1582, manually stock-checking the 420,000 bottle collection? Not a job I’d be keen to do.

But has the advance of technology in the hospitality industry brought any negative changes? Has the workforce been dumbed down, or have we got smarter and better at what we do?
For me, if I’m honest, I think it’s a little of both. What is sad is that the true skills of a restaurateur have been somewhat diluted.

I think back to the days of my apprenticeships, when I was lucky enough to work with some real old-school hoteliers and restaurateurs before the new breed moved in. Put in front of a computer, these old guards of the dining room would have been as confused as if the good ship Enterprise had landed on their desk.

But every time they worked the dining room floor, it reminded me of why I joined this industry in the first place. For these were traditional restaurateurs — supremely gracious hosts who went about their work with serene precision, with no detail unchecked and no guest unattended, making excellence look effortless.

When they welcomed their guests they exuded the charm and warmth of a politician running for presidency. They glided between the tables with a grace worthy of royalty — and indeed royalty they were, for they were the kings of their restaurants.

And all this they accomplished sans technology. They could recall guest names without a reservation system prompting them; they could receive an order on an old-fashioned pad and communicate it to the kitchen without the need of an electronic mediator; and they always managed to find that last-minute table for the preferred guests without a fancy table-yield system.

Sure, managers today can tell you what table yields the most profit and the labour productivity ratio to guests.

Similarly they can wax lyrical about margins and drop-through and average checks. But I hope that, despite all our technological advantages, managers will remember the wonderfully genuine hospitality demonstrated by the greats — and not allow technology to strip our industry of their legacy.

Who is Dan Clayton
Dan Clayton is general manager of Stars ‘n’ Bars restaurant and lounge, opening soon at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. For more information, visit: www.starsnbars.com