Free Essay Sample - Experience at Thai Restaurant

Working at a Thai restaurant gave me a lifetime experience. I was able to interact with new people, and more so, the experienced chefs, who gave me a new meaning to the real world where there is a lot to handle. It was a lifetime chance to practice several skills under one roof, which made it possible to learn new skills and those that I possessed. I learned many things, such as how workers interact with customers and how they do their journal entries. Besides, I was able to learn about the health safety measures that they have put into place to protect their workers.

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Journal Entries

The journal functions as a control system. A journal records business transactions according to their specific dates. Journals can eliminate errors and incomplete records. I had a chance to practice journal entries in a Thai restaurant. The restaurant made a lot of sales. The sales accumulated from drinks and food sold within and outside the premises. All the sales were recorded in the sales journal. Some of the institutions received food packages from the restaurant on a credit basis. The credit period was fifteen days; thus, such sales were recorded on the Accounts Receivable section. The money received from customers is receipted and recorded for accountability purposes. Therefore, receipting payments received, either through cash, cheques, or credit card, is essential. The receipts are stamped to ensure they are authentic.

Moreover, the restaurant purchases were recorded in the accounts payable section. It serves to record the money spent on purchases each day. Most supplies were on credit, and payment was made every month. I was pleased to have participated in journal entries in the restaurant and learned the importance of having such journal entries, as they are essential in tracking financial information. Also, such entries are used in financial reporting. There are advantages of keeping journals such as minimizing errors, explaining everything recorded, and assisting in finalizing the accounts. Besides, the authenticity of journal entries is supported by bills or receipts.

Customer Interaction

In a successful business set-up, customer interaction comes as a paramount aspect that needs to be put in place with caution and care. A failed customer interaction with a service provider means that the business will lose a significant chunk of the market share. For instance, I was forced to handle customers of all types. Some were hard on me, while others were friendly. Some could come and get moody. They needed to be approached in a friendly manner, maybe, to relieve them of what they might be suffering from in their lives. I realized that Thai Restaurant’s policy of working was focused more on customer satisfaction. This a big notion that prioritization of customer satisfaction came as their priority. Also, I realized that workers were reprimanded for not being friendly to customers. Some of the customers are very demanding in quest of the services they need. As a worker, so long as there is a win-win situation, there should be an amicable way for the services to be offered to the customers.

Most of the restaurants enjoy having a customer comeback, and Thai Restaurant is not an exception. Customer comeback is an indication that the restaurant's satisfactory levels of service are offered to the public. The more the customer comes back, the more profit margins. This is the underpinning reason why most of restaurants want to have a good customer relationship. In their statute, I learned their policy of working stand on the fact that the customer should get the best service, in the line of giving the needed services. I realized that my relationship with customers should be the critical thing.

Staff Interaction

In some business premises, the staff can be the cause of motivation or the demotivation to workers. Everybody that works for Thai Restaurant is appreciated, a factor that motivates employees. As a worker at the Thai Restaurant, I can confess to having worked with the best staff. Everybody is bound to different experiences in their lives, and need someone who can understand them well. When I felt I had a pressing issue that I needed to share, I had my preferred staff members whom I could speak to openly and freely. At least, the staff seemed to be more understanding, bearing in mind that I am a junior worker.

Sometimes I felt sick and weak due to some of the tedious work that I handled the previous day. As a result, I could ask for permission from the staff head, which they could grant without hesitation. The above treatment made me feel that my needs are taken care of, which motivated me to work smarter for the restaurant. Sometimes errors could occur while on duty and mainly might be accidental. In the end, I needed to talk to someone about the happenings of the day. I was always able to share my feelings with the staff, which made it possible to express myself. The freedom to interact with staff enhanced cooperation since there is no fear among staff.

Payments

For the payment, Thai restaurant had a basic pay, commission, tips from customers, and overtime payments. The payment cycle was bi-weekly. Before a person resumes work at Thai Restaurant, they are required to sign a contract. The payment, however, was subjected to taxation and membership contribution for social groups. Conversely, the pay was structured in a way that the workers could not be suppressed upon taxation.

Thai restaurant has outdoor sales. Some employees sell packed food to nearby offices and schools during the tea break and lunch break. They carry a lot of snacks, junks, and tea. The convincing power I possessed led to sales increases in the restaurant. I managed to convince and supply to over fifteen institutions. I made sales that left the human resource department in awe. More sales meant an increase in commission in addition to my basic pay.

There are instances where I would work overtime until late-night. In some peak seasons, the customers increased in number. There was overtime pay for the extra hours worked. Also, some of the customers are good when it comes to appreciating the services offered to them. As a result, they could tip me, which increased my earning. As a survival trick, I learned the art of handling the customers to the best of my capability.

Workplace health and safety

The Australian WHS act looks into ensuring the safety and health of the workers in their places of work. It is the responsibility of each employer to maintain a healthy and safe workplace. A safety program helps focus efforts on improving the work environment. An organization’s plan describes what workers should do to prevent illnesses and injuries at work. Successful health and safety systems should have committed managers, involve employees, comply with OSHA regulations, and train staff on safety practices. Thai Restaurant has fire rescue service and fire assembly points to ensure in the case of fire outbreak; the fire is contained to necessitate the safety of workers. The fitted emergency doors enable the workers to escape to safety without injuries. The response to fire mitigation by Thai Restaurants is due to frequent fires that have left many hotels at a state they have to incur losses imposed by fire outbreaks.

Additionally, the restaurant ensured that the machines used in the restaurant are certified and do not expose the workers to health risks. Such moves come at an extra expense, and Thai Restaurant has not regretted having such state-of-the-art machines. The restaurant ensured the employees have medical insurance covers to cater for hospital bills. Close maintenance of workplace and regular mechanical checkup of machines used in the facility ensured minimal or no mechanical errors resulting from management negligence. The management has an acceptable degree of confidence in the machines used in the restaurant for food preparation and any other activity in the restaurant. In some instances, the workers need to be provided with the gears that will help them undertake some tasks. For example, those that worked at the bakery section had the gears to shield them against intense heat. This, among many other safety measures, were employed by Thai restaurant for the health and safety of the employees.

Skills used

I applied several skills in Thai Restaurant that I attained earlier in school. Baking has always been my preference skill, and I was happy I had a chance to use the expertise at the restaurant. In the bakery section, I used to work with experienced chefs who could guide me on cooking the best cakes, and I used to partake roles in outdoor sales, where I convinced a couple of buyers based on quality, freshness, and skilled chefs. I would offer to deliver the client's preferred foods as a technique to lure them into buying the food packs over and over. Resilience is another factor that is essential in marketing. It makes one understand that things do not work out easily. Some potential customers could turn down my food and say they are not interested in buying the same. Sometimes I ended up returning to the restaurant with the food as a result of failed sales. The skill made me realize that resilience is needed, and not all days are the same.

The economic aspect of skill was also applicable. I learned that saving is an art that one needs to adopt. I started a saving culture where I reserved money not spent, for use in unforeseen circumstances and investments. Cooperation and unity were necessary for the workplace. The many departments involved had to work together to bring success to the company. Without cooperation in a company, it is hard to work towards a common goal. Service to people is another skill that I had a chance to practice. I was able to serve customers in various capacities. Some were demanding, and it required some level of understanding to solve issues and serve them appropriately.

Lessons learned

During the time I worked at Thai Restaurant, I learned many things varying from business concepts, management, sales, and co-existence that are fundamental between people. Co-existence plays a role in modeling the society that people need to embrace if they are working together. Through such unisons, people come together and get solutions to the problems that they might face at the workplace. I also learned to be optimistic about everything. For instance, many are times that I had to go out for sales duty. All I could do was put effort and be hopeful that I would sell to as many customers as possible. In the end, I could have my plight satisfied, as I never disappointed my employer.

I learned that in business, you encounter different types of customers. Customer service defines how a client judges the services offered in a company. A company that has excellent customer service tends to attract many clients and, in return, leads to an increase in revenue. Bad customer service tarnishes a company’s reputation and leads to a drop in sales. Those that are satisfied beyond their expectations will come back. I learned that the business focusses on the customer come back and also referrals to get clientele. Moreover, I realized that most businesses are successful due to their well-organized strategies, which lead to the achievement of goals. Thai restaurant works within the set goals, which are reviewed daily before partaking any activities. From this perspective, I learned that setting personal goals and revisiting them makes things easy, hence a high chance of success.