during rush hour, while there are still
customers who may need their attention.
Jean Paul has often stressed the
importance of soft skills such as emotional
intelligence for those working across the
Group. “We feel that you have to possess this
quality. It is much more important than
intellectual intelligence in what we do. The
nature of the job is that every day there will
be customers coming into the restaurant in
different moods. They may be happy, lonely
or sad. We should be able to respond to them
emotionally and make them feel connected.”
High levels of emotional intelligence may
be indicated by a well-developed sense of
empathy, self-awareness, motivation and
self-control. Jean Paul says the company
recruits with an eye to these qualities, and
those who can display these characteristics
have done well in The Bistro Group. “In
Manila, I’ve seen a lot of our people progress
in management. I’ve seen a lot of operational
success and that comes from the people we
have, who are very strong in terms of
emotional intelligence.”
Staffing the restaurants with people who
can easily establish rapport with customers is
key to the group’s insistence that customers
should be instantly made to feel at home.
“The most important thing is the first
impression. We are always finding ways to »“Business with The Bistro Group is a constant learning
exercise. We are encouraged to conform with their
international benchmarks which pushes us to upgrade
our standards as well.It is a partnership that is mutually
beneficial. I am happy to be part of the growth of both
companies.” – Rey Co, Managing Director, Hightower
“ Every day there will be
customers coming into
the restaurant in different
moods... We should be
able to respond to
them emotionally.”
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