Amber light steakhouse

CH 12 CS: amber light steakhouse

The general manager of the Amber Light Steakhouse has received increasing numbers of guest complaints in the past 12 months. The restaurant has been in busi- ness for 10 years in the same location. There has been very little change in the traditional chophouse-type menu offerings that have been the cornerstone of their success. The staff of the restaurant, both front and back-of-the-house, has been relatively stable during that time. The customer base for the restaurant has not changed, since they still seem to be drawing their regu- lar crowd. The customers are complaining about both the quality of the food and the service. The general man- ager is concerned that if the level and severity of com- plaints continue, the business will be affected. The general manager has brought her concern to the attention of the chef and the dining room manager. She has directed them to motivate the staff to reduce the number of complaints. The response of both depart- ment heads has been to increase supervision of produc- tion and service. Additionally, each has met privately with the general manager to explain that the poor per- formance in the other department head’s area is under- mining their individual efforts to reduce the number of complaints. The kitchen and service staff is comprised primarily of individuals with five or more years with the restaurant in the same positions. They were well trained when originally hired and have been doing the same job for a number of years. They are generally unconcerned about the guest complaints because when a guest complains they respond quickly to correct the problem. Based on what you have learned from the previous chapters and the content of this chapter, answer the fol- lowing questions:

• What is the overall reason for the challenges occur- ring in the Amber Light Steakhouse?
• What are the primary causal agents for the chal- lenges occurring in the Amber Light Steakhouse?
• What role did supervision/management play in the decline in the Amber Light Steakhouse?
• What specific steps could have been taken to avoid the current situation occurring in the Amber Light Steakhouse?
• What, specifically, can be done to overcome the challenges and generate motion in a positive direc- tion for the Amber Light Steakhouse?