Gordon Ramsay has been touring America, visiting restaurants to improve their business. He follows a standard process to improve their performance, primarily based on customer focus. The general format of each programme is shown below:
Be the customer | > | Investigate the food | > | Observe the staff | > | observe operations and customers | > | Inspect the kitchens | > |
Interview staff and management | > | Design changes (vision, menu, operations, people) | > | Pilot the changes | > | Review and learn | > | Embed passion and ongoing improvement |
...Obviously with a few expletives along the way!
An example of him following this process is the Sabatiello's Restaurant. (Watch on You Tube →).
Much of his approach follows sound and recognisable principles, (See the ThinkingProcess methodology →). What comes across very strongly though it the focus on the customer. Even with customer focus being a core element of many company improvement programmes, there is something to be learnt from Nightmare Kitchens.
There are many other themes that come from this programme, but the focus on the customer has to be the most striking.