CRM Operations & Staff Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A restaurant manager notices that table turn times have increased from 45 minutes to 65 minutes during peak hours. What is the FIRST step to diagnose the cause?
- Add more servers to the floor immediately
- Analyze each stage of service to identify where delays occur (Correct answer)
- Reduce the menu to speed up ordering
- Increase kitchen staffing on all shifts
Correct answer: Analyze each stage of service to identify where delays occur
Breaking the service cycle into stages (greeting, ordering, cooking, delivery, payment) reveals the specific bottleneck causing the slowdown.
Question 2: Which scheduling approach best controls labor costs while maintaining adequate coverage during unpredictable volume periods?
- Fixed schedules for all employees every week
- Demand-based scheduling using historical sales data by daypart (Correct answer)
- Scheduling the maximum possible staff on every shift
- Letting employees choose their own hours each week
Correct answer: Demand-based scheduling using historical sales data by daypart
Demand-based scheduling aligns labor hours with forecasted guest counts, minimizing overstaffing while preventing under-coverage.
Question 3: An employee refuses to comply with the restaurant's dress code policy. What is the correct managerial response?
- Ignore the violation to avoid conflict
- Send the employee home and document the incident per progressive discipline policy (Correct answer)
- Terminate the employee immediately
- Allow the violation only for that shift
Correct answer: Send the employee home and document the incident per progressive discipline policy
Progressive discipline starts with documentation and a corrective action, ensuring fair and consistent enforcement of standards.
Question 4: A line cook calls in sick 30 minutes before a dinner service. What is the best immediate operational response?
- Cancel reservations for the evening
- Cross-train another employee to cover the station and simplify the menu if needed (Correct answer)
- Have front-of-house staff work in the kitchen without training
- Close the kitchen and offer only bar snacks
Correct answer: Cross-train another employee to cover the station and simplify the menu if needed
Cross-trained staff and a temporarily streamlined menu allow service to continue safely without compromising food quality or safety.
Question 5: Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating a server's individual performance impact on revenue?
- Number of hours worked per week
- Average check per cover (guest) (Correct answer)
- Number of tables served per shift
- Clock-in punctuality rate
Correct answer: Average check per cover (guest)
Average check per cover reflects upselling effectiveness and directly links individual server performance to revenue generation.
Question 6: When establishing a par level for a frequently used ingredient, a manager should base the quantity on:
- The maximum the storage area can physically hold
- Average usage between deliveries plus a safety stock buffer (Correct answer)
- The supplier's minimum order quantity
- Last month's total usage divided by 30
Correct answer: Average usage between deliveries plus a safety stock buffer
Par levels should cover average consumption between deliveries plus a buffer for unexpected demand spikes or delivery delays.
Question 7: A manager wants to reduce employee turnover. Which operational practice has the strongest evidence-based impact?
- Providing free meals on every shift
- Consistent scheduling with advance notice and clear career paths (Correct answer)
- Offering higher wages than all competitors
- Reducing shift lengths to under 4 hours
Correct answer: Consistent scheduling with advance notice and clear career paths
Predictable schedules and visible advancement opportunities address two of the leading causes of restaurant employee turnover.
CRM Operations & Staff Management 2
A restaurant manager notices that table turn times have increased from 45 minutes to 65 minutes during peak hours.
What is the FIRST step to diagnose the cause?