CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021 - 27

guest interaction
Taking Care of Our Guests Means Taking
Care of Our Student Employees
Laura Colby
Administrative Associate Manager
UM Campus Dining
University of Montana
At the University of Montana (UM)
Campus dining, our 350 student
employees are the lifeblood of our
business. Our frontline workforce is
composed almost entirely of students
working their way through college-
balancing life, studies, exams, finances,
stress, and their jobs. We take the best
care of our customers when we invest in
the well-being of our student employees,
who are an invaluable resource.
Here are a few ways we strive to help
students accomplish this balance:
GRATITUDE
We endeavor to express thanks to and
greet each student employee for coming
to work, helping us out, and doing a
great job. It seems like a little thing, but
amidst the current labor shortage in our
area, maintaining an attitude of gratitude
and positivity at work has never been
more important.
AWARD PROGRAMS
We encourage excellence, reliability, and
a good work ethic through our student
employee of the month and year awards.
Monthly winners receive recognition
throughout the department, a certificate,
and $25 in " Bear Bucks " to spend at any
of our venues. The student employee of
the year receives a framed certificate and
a $500 dining plan, while advancing to
the university competition for a chance
to win the university-level title and a
scholarship.
At our managers' request, we also created a
program to celebrate stand-alone incidents
of above-and-beyond behavior. Through the
" WOW " program, full-time staff members
can award student employees on the spot for
heroic feats, life-saving help, and great guest
service. The student receives a card noting how
they saved the day, a recognition sticker, $5
in Bear Bucks, and (when possible) a round of
applause. It's like a high-five, only better!
TRAINING
Top-tier guest service comes from student
employees who have confidence in what they're
doing. For many of our student employees,
working for UM Campus dining is their first
job. There's nothing more daunting than being
unequipped to complete the task you've been
assigned, or not being sure how to respond to a
guest's complaint. Our full-time managers and
student leaders attempt to ensure that each
new student employee receives a full regimen
of hands-on instruction before being left to
complete their shift independently. As much as
possible, we arm each student staff member
with the knowledge and autonomy to remedy
the situation should something go wrong. We
strive to make sure students excel at work. This
is a tremendous morale and confidence booster
for our students, and our customers feel it, too.
COMPETITIVE WAGES
We increased student pay ranges to help keep
us in line with prevailing wages. This fall, we
also implemented sign-on and referral bonus
programs for new and existing student staff.
gUEsT INTERACTION | CAMPUS DINING TODAY
27
CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021
