Placement Diary: Reflective Report on Assistant Manager Experience

This report provides a reflective account of a 4-week work experience as an assistant manager at Shababs, an Indian restaurant in Birmingham. The diary details the induction process, understanding of consumer service, marketing strategies, and the use of restaurant management software. It covers supporting kitchen staff, implementing hygiene guidelines, managing inventory, and coordinating with online delivery platforms. The report highlights the significance of teamwork in delivering exceptional consumer experiences and the role of an assistant manager in facilitating collaboration between departments. The experience provided transferable knowledge on management roles and practices, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and managerial supervision in a restaurant setting.

Placement Diary
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Week 1........................................................................................................................................1
Week 2........................................................................................................................................1
Week 3........................................................................................................................................2
Week 4........................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Working experience in an established organization is important for students as it helps in
understanding the employment expectations associated with the job role and industry norms.
This report provides a reflective account of the work experience gained at the role of assistant
manager at an Indian restaurant Shababs. This report covers the 4-week employment experience
at Shababs and this kills gained from this experience in each week. Shababs is a leading Indian
restaurant is located in ladypool road, Birmingham (Shababs, 2022).
Week 1
I was selected for the role of assistant manager after two rounds of interviews. The first
day at my job at Shababs started with a formal induction process. General manager of the
restaurant initiated my induction process which included an overview of the history and products
of the restaurant. I became aware of the positive reputation of the restaurant in the Birmingham
area. I also learned about the main offerings of Shababs and my main roles and responsibilities.
Physical induction about the layout of the restaurant was also completed on the first day. Rest of
the week I worked alongside the general manager to learn basics of my job and understand the
daily operations conducted at the organization. In the first week I understood about the
importance of consumer service in the restaurant business. I was told by the general manager that
"The customer is always right" continues to be the golden rule in the restaurant industry. It is
important to deal with consumer complaints calmly and positively woven in disagreement
because it affects consumer retention (Ahn and Seo, 2018). I learned about ways of improving
consumer service as a restaurant manager asking for customer feedback, greeting consumers
with their name, offering personalized service to regular consumer and acting immediately on
consumer complaints.
Week 2
In the second week the general manager helped me understand the marketing policy and
tactics of Shababs. I was able to understand the challenge of retaining consumers in the
competitive restaurant industry from the experience gained until second week. This knowledge
highlighted the significance of gaining exposure as a restaurant through marketing tactics and
strategy. Digital marketing and online reputation of a restaurant play an important role in
attracting and retaining consumers to restaurants. Shababs primarily utilizes social media
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platforms for digital marketing. This includes the usage of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
along with own company website. By the end of second week I was able to effectively utilize the
restaurant management software to keep daily and monthly cost and revenue records, manage
vendor contract and invoices and prepare shift schedules. I used the restaurant management
software to manage inventory, billing process, online and offline bookings and orders. The
knowledge of restaurant management technology helped me improve my productivity and
perform various tasks in a timely manner. I am now able to report useful data about restaurant
such as earning, late delivery number of consumer complaints in a professional manner with the
help of this experience.
Week 3
Preparing food is the key operation in a restaurant which means that Chefs play a central
role in profitable functioning of the company (McBride and Flore, 2019). In the third week I
understood and executed various responsibilities which supported the Kitchen staff and Chef in
quality food preparation. I implemented safety and hygiene guidelines with the help of general
manager by understanding various food safety regulations and HCAPP principles. In addition to
this, I was also able to utilize my knowledge of supply chain management knowledge to handle
ingredients sourcing issues at the restaurant. Fresh ingredients are used at Shababs which
involves locally grown ingredients as well as specific Indian food ingredients which cannot be
found easily. I was able to utilize the supply chain management knowledge to handle the
restaurant inventory and provide fresh ingredients to the kitchen staff in an affordable manner for
the establishment. I was able to assist the general manager in food ordering and obtaining
supplies. I worked with online food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo to supervise timely
delivery of online orders. By the end of the third week I gained proficiency in inventory
management at the restaurant and co-ordinating with the Kitchen staff to ensure that quality food
is served.
Week 4
In my final week as an assistant manager at Shababs I learned about the significance of
teamwork in offering consumers exceptional experience. The waiting staff, kitchen staff and
management staff work together to ensure that every parameter of consumer experience reaches
high quality standards. The role of an assistant manager is to facilitate collaboration and co-
ordination between various departments so that consumer journey becomes smooth and
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satisfying for each individual consumer. This role is challenging as each different consumer has
different expectations from the restaurant. I have gained the ability to supervise kitchen and
waiting staff and offer them accurate assistance which supports smooth functioning the
restaurant and contributes to consumer sanctification. I have understood that teamwork and
strong interrelation between different departments of the restaurant is necessary for maintaining
timely consumers service and high responsiveness during busy hours. I also assisted the general
manager in evaluating staff performances and making improvements on the basis of consumer
feedback during my final week. This experience has provided me transferable knowledge on
management roles and practice as I am now able to understand the practical application of
business management knowledge
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CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that the job roe of assistant manager in a restaurant
is given significant responsibilities which are crucial to profitable functioning of the
organization. Assistant manager responsibilities include offering exceptional consumer service,
keeping records, inventory management, complying with hygiene and health regulations and
facilitating collaboration between departments. Digital marketing is essential for restaurants
because it provides them exposure needed for remaining competitive. The work experience
gained from working as an assistant restaurant manager showcased the importance of
collaboration and managerial supervision in offering consumers high quality products and
services at a restaurant.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahn, J. A. and Seo, S., 2018. Consumer responses to interactive restaurant self-service
technology (IRSST): The role of gadget-loving propensity. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, 74. pp.109-121.
McBride, A. E. and Flore, R., 2019. The changing role of the chef: A dialogue. International
Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 17. p.100157.
Online
Shababs, 2022. [Online] Available through <https://www.zabihah.com/biz/0zUVsldaiN?msg=>
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