Need a doorbell or....?

Weird one. Started at a new restaurant. The owner can't solve this problem. Someone has to wave down a waitress in slow times because they forget to come past the kitchen to check cause for orders to take out.

They can't hear the regular bell most restaurants use. The bar is super far through very thick walls so the waitresses don't hear it. This also stops most conventional doorbells bells from working because the walls are thick (so the owner says). He'd also want something that's visual. Like lights up I guess?

I thought about a deaf persons doorbell, but he says it won't work through the walls. Doesn't have to be a doorbell. Just something us chefs can use to alert the bar that's maybe 10m away through thick walls. Maybe some kind of kids toy? I don't know. This one's a pickle.

Any ideas appreciated.

Comments

  • +1

    electric buzzer which shocks them when a order is ready?
    walkie talkie and headsets
    apple ear buds and mobile calls
    extra staff which only transfers food
    a belt from the kitcken the main floor
    food buzzers (like when we pick up food) but the waiters have them on them
    but upper market and get the head chef to walk the food out

    • +2

      electric buzzer which shocks them when a order is ready?

      These should be very effective.

      • -2

        These ones have a range of up to 550m.

        They only come in orange though so hopefully the waitress isn't too fussy.

      • I wish, some of them need it haha….

  • +2

    walkie talkies and better staff that dont "forget to check for orders"

    • They won't carry them. They're…well call it forgetful to be nice haha

      • so find staff that arent.

        • Not my department. That's up to front of house. I'm just here to cook and do whatever I can to make my owners happy. Gave his kids Lego and craft kits I had on my yatch cause…school holidays and bored. This is just another one of those things I wanna help with.
          Also. Full disclosure. I did make a waitress quit by proxy a week or so ago. The VM came in and was complaining that this staff member was wearing a t shirt with shorts so short you couldn't see them under the shirt. And it was the 5th time. And this time the staff member "sassed" the venue manager. I said well…just either send her home or tell her it's her final warning and she'll be sent home next time. The staff member later comes into the kitchen and says well guys I quit. Apparently I'm a sl*t. Then sent a threatening email to the VM. Ridiculous! New owners, revamp and renovations. A lot of goings on and fixing needed to be done. Place is historic as all hell and well known. Just old owners ran her on reputation and into the ground nearly. I used to frequent this place as a kid/young adult it's so popular

  • +2

    Pager?

    • I thought Telstra stopped supporting pagers years ago and the other two networks were too new for pagers.

      • Different type of pager. This one is designed for restaurant and uses the home base as it source.

  • +8

    Lightbulb at the bar, lightswitch in the kitchen. Chefs flip switch on when an order needs to be collected, waitress flips switch off when order collected.

    • +1

      Brilliant!

  • +3

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/swann-compact-backlit-wireless-d…

    Unless the walls are solid lead, a wireless doorbell type thing should work fine, but the problem then becomes how to know when the batteries are flat.

    Otherwise you could wire up a light, with a switch at the kitchen. Cook turns light on when order is ready, waiter turns light off when they collect.

    • That's a brilliant idea! We just fired and hired a new sparky. Old one was rude and useless. I'll mention it to the boss. Thanks.

  • Why is this your responsibility?

    Pager as others have mentioned. Could also have some type of light near the door to get the wait staff's attention.

    • +1

      It's not I just like to solve problems when I see them. Also don't like food dying in the window

  • Radios with earpieces. A lot more places are doing it like Kmart and Target for internal communication, such a great idea.

    • Haha if only

  • There are pagers designed for waiters. It attaches the the belt or pants and vibrate.

    • attaches the the belt or pants and vibrate.

      Will probably end up on 'A Current Affair' after waitress complains…

      • Too much pleasure at work?

        • Only if they last for the full long work shift.

    • Thanks I'll tell him about those.

  • +4

    Train the staff better. Particularly in slow times they should know what the customers are expecting and be able to be more attentive.

    • That's a perfect world solution. Waiters are waiters. Usually transient staff half hungover more obsessed with Twitter or whatever the new thing is.

      • The manage them, train them or hire better people.

        Lazy workers are often a symptom of bad managers.

        • Not my department. That's up to front of house. I'm just here to cook and do whatever I can to make my owners happy. Gave his kids Lego and craft kits I had on my yatch cause…school holidays and bored. This is just another one of those things I wanna help with.
          Also. Full disclosure. I did make a waitress quit by proxy a week or so ago. The VM came in and was complaining that this staff member was wearing a t shirt with shorts so short you couldn't see them under the shirt. And it was the 5th time. And this time the staff member "sassed" the venue manager. I said well…just either send her home or tell her it's her final warning and she'll be sent home next time. The staff member later comes into the kitchen and says well guys I quit. Apparently I'm a sl*t. Then sent a threatening email to the VM. Ridiculous! New owners, revamp and renovations. A lot of goings on and fixing needed to be done. Place is historic as all hell and well known. Just old owners ran her on reputation and into the ground nearly. I used to frequent this place as a kid/young adult it's so popular

          • @lette: Is the uniform a t shirt and shorts? Could has just told her to tuck in the t shirt. If she was always breaking the rules then cool but seems a bit over the top when there are simple solutions. I’d suggest giving the girl the correct sized t shirts and telling her to return the other ones if they are too big.

            • @snooksy: There is no uniform. Doesn't fit with the style of the place to have one. Everyone else dresses appropriate alternative. Thanks for the advice I guess though? Not my department and not what I'm here asking advice on, just told the VM what to do when there's insubordination.

  • We use these at work in a sizeable office and have no issues with range. Our office is definitely bigger than a restaurant.

    https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07P82XH3Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_s…

    • I bought something similar from Kogan. Should arrive next week hoping it works and boss says yes. He's a hard one to please

  • Better training ?

    • That's a perfect world solution. Waiters are waiters. Usually transient staff half hungover more obsessed with Twitter or whatever the new thing is.

      • Then you arent paying enough to fill the position with proficient applicants, just like any job there are good waiters, bad waiters and everything in between. If you want to attract the best people for the position then be prepared to pay them what they are worth.

        • Not my department. That's up to front of house. I'm just here to cook and do whatever I can to make my owners happy. Gave his kids Lego and craft kits I had on my yatch cause…school holidays and bored. This is just another one of those things I wanna help with.
          Also. Full disclosure. I did make a waitress quit by proxy a week or so ago. The VM came in and was complaining that this staff member was wearing a t shirt with shorts so short you couldn't see them under the shirt. And it was the 5th time. And this time the staff member "sassed" the venue manager. I said well…just either send her home or tell her it's her final warning and she'll be sent home next time. The staff member later comes into the kitchen and says well guys I quit. Apparently I'm a sl*t. Then sent a threatening email to the VM. Ridiculous! New owners, revamp and renovations. A lot of goings on and fixing needed to be done. Place is historic as all hell and well known. Just old owners ran her on reputation and into the ground nearly. I used to frequent this place as a kid/young adult it's so popular

  • +1

    If you can't work this one out, you have no right to be in business

    • Rude and unnessesary. Maybe it's a backburner problem, maybe the 700 other things that go into not only taking over a huge establishment, but fixing her up and expanding her has larger issues than a buzzer. Maybe I just wanted to take some stress off the owner with any little problem in my power to solve.
      Rude dude.

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