by Crystal Thomas, MCM, CHE

I Understand the challenges of the Club Team

I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.–Kahlil Gibran

A Little Courtesy Goes a Long Way

Mr. Green knows that the Club has a rule forbidding cell phones in the dining room. He knows that the rules were made by the Executive Board and were distributed to every one of the Club members. Mr. Green, however, is one of those people who believe the rules do not apply to him, so he answers his phone right in the middle of dinner, oblivious to the stares of other diners all around. More than that, Mr. Green is totally unaware of the nervous group of Club team members huddled together trying to decide which one of them will have to go and ask Mr. Green to switch off his phone. The irony of this situation is that it is not Mr. Green who may suffer the consequences if the team takes no action. These managers, supervisors, and servers know that if they ignore Mr. Green and his telephone that they may be subject to disciplinary action.

1. The point is that the Member is not simply exercising his “rights” in such a situation, he is jeopardizing the team. It takes no great thought to realize that team members who must deal with Club rule infractions will not be overly anxious to render excellent service to such a member.

 Mrs. Telly comes to the Club wearing jeans, though she is perfectly aware of the Club Dress Code. When the hostess informs Mrs. Telly that she is not dressed properly to enter the dining room, she becomes abusive.  “I paid $300 for these jeans!” she fairly comments. What she is doing is creating a situation where someone must make a risky judgment call. Do they stand their ground and refuse to seat Mrs. Telly or do they bend the rules and place her in the least conspicuous location in the room?

1. The point is that Mrs. Telly’s flaunting of the Club rules has created a most uncomfortable situation for the team. From that moment on, the team will likely be uneasy around her. And being uneasy does not make for comfortable and excellent service.

Mr. and Mrs. Doordam call for table reservations at 7:00 p.m. They show up, without calling again, at 8:30 p.m.  When told politely that they can be worked in but will have to wait a half hour, Mrs. Doordam becomes upset. “But I made a reservation!” she exclaims. Situations similar to this one are not violations of Club rules, they are violations of common sense.  Neither the hostess nor the manager can materialize a table out of thin air. A reasonable person will be apologetic for being tardy and wait agreeably for the table. Creating a scene in such a situation only makes for tension and most likely awkward service when the guests are finally seated.

 Draw a Better Experience with Etiquette than with Complaining

Club Members sometimes fail to see that they are as responsible as the Club Team for making their private organization the best it can possibly be. Proper etiquette on the part of members goes a long way toward making the Club a comfortable place to work. The kindness and understanding of members/guests toward a team that already feels the pressure of service excellence will have a positive effect of reducing team member turnover. Complaints and rude behavior may get immediate action and may even teach some team members a lesson. But, like Kahlil Gibran, the team may not be grateful to the teachers.

Crystal Thomas, MCM, CHE, is the Principal of Crystal Clear Concepts, Inc. She is in demand as a trainer, inspirational speaker, and consultant for clubs throughout North America. Crystal lives with her husband, Rick, and four cats in Valencia, CA. She can be contacted by phone at 818.237.5398 or, if you prefer, by email at crystal@crystalclearconcepts.net.