5+2 Questions for Michelle Tanke, Hospitality Manager
5+2 Questions for Michelle Tanke, Hospitality Manager
Putting smiles on people’s faces, handling difficult customers & learning from other cultures
Michelle is a hospitality manager from Australia. She runs The Grandstand restaurant and manages Elegancy Catering. Michelle’s also a bridal dressmaker and gives sewing lessons. She lives in Sydney with her German husband, two beautiful daughters and dog Daisy.
How would your greatest admirer describe what you do for a living?
Wow, that is an interesting question. I would hope they would say something like: “Michelle tries to put a smile on people’s faces everyday and she does that in the form of food and service.”
What’s a typical problem you face in your line of work and how do you usually solve it?
People don’t listen (myself included). People look at you like they are listening. However they’re not hearing or they interpret what is being requested/required rather than looking at the facts.
It can come in the form of a customer complaint, the staff complaining about another staff member or a misunderstanding of what the job actually is.
I try very patiently (and let’s be honest, I am not very patient) to look at the problem from every angle, not just the angle of the person who presents the problem.
Do you remember a particularly difficult situation you were able to turn around?
There’s one customer situation that does stand out. We were very busy one Saturday night and a young uni student was standing at the bar ordering. He was adamant he had paid and my staff member was adamant he hadn’t. I took my staff member off the transaction and took over. The staff member was angry but I asked him to continue serving other people and I would sort it out. By this time the client (the young uni student) was ready for a fight. This is what went down.
“Hi, I’m Michelle the Manager. Can I please have your name and what the problem is?” He started to yell and didn’t want to give me his name. Mind you we were very busy it was very noisy and he was very close to my face by this stage even with the bar in-between us.
So I said: “Mate, I’m not here to argue with you. Today is Saturday and you are here to have some fun, I might be at work but I also want to have some fun. This is my Saturday night as well, so can I please have your name and what the problem is.”
He then gave me his name and said: “I paid for the drinks but the guy who served me didn’t think I paid and wouldn’t give me the drinks.” So I asked what the drinks were and he told me.
I replied: “I’m sorry this has happened. To be very honest with you, I don’t know if you have paid or not, however, by the fact that you are so upset I would imagine that you have. Please bear in mind for next time that we are people behind the bar and we make mistakes just like you do, we are not here to rip you off. Tonight is very busy and we are under a lot of pressure, but we want you to have a great deal of fun in a safe environment and come back.”
I made the young guy his drinks and he went off happy. I wouldn’t have thought about it again or remembered it except for the fact that there was an older gentleman standing next to him and he caught my attention straight after. He said: “You have been doing this a long time haven’t you?” I was a little taken back and asked “Yes, why?” He said to me that it was very well handled. I thanked him and said “It’s just the truth,” and he said something like: “Yes, but some people forget about that and get caught up in the moment.”
It has stuck with me and I use it as an example for new staff training.
What part of your work would you still do if you weren't paid?
Actually all of it.
I truly love my job/line of work. If I don’t like doing something then I try and find a way to enjoy it. There’s so much satisfaction in mopping a floor (after a big night) and cleaning a toilet. There’s nothing better than having a customer comment on how clean our toilets are.
How do you motivate your staff to share this kind of attitude and your business philosophy as a whole?
I guess by showing them the joy in everything and working alongside them in a team and having fun. There’s nothing I dislike more than a manager who thinks he is too good to scrub the toilets or mop the floor.
You have quite the international family and have travelled a lot. Can you think of three things you have learned from other cultures?
I actually have three things that come straight to mind, two are actually sayings.
My favourite saying is from my Greek grandma. The translation is “14 Eyes”. It means to be careful and look around you. The other is from my German mother in law. “There is no such thing as cold weather, only cold clothes.” Meaning if you’re cold, you don’t have enough clothing on. Finally, the third thing that pops in my head is from South East Asia: “It’s not what you own that makes you happy.” We need to stop, slow down and enjoy the very moment we’re in. Enjoy Life!
I know you only asked three things, but there’s one more thing that I need to add. Years ago when my other grandma (also Greek) was alive I went through a very tough break up. She didn't say a lot to me, she offered her support in the form of love and care rather than words. But it was one thing that she said to me that has stuck with me constantly: “Hold your Dignity.” I guess you can interpret that however you want but I interpreted it to mean: “Hold your head up high, keep going and don’t air your dirty laundry publicly.”
If your life was a TV series, what words of encouragement would the audience shout at you?
I would hope they yelled: “Don’t be so hard on yourself!” We all have self doubt and sometimes it is the loudest voice in my head! That is when I go for a run.
Thank you for your time, Michelle. 🐘
Have a great week,