Noticing: Train Your Staff to Spot (and Fix) Wine Description Errors (Series Part 4)
👀 Problem: Why Do Servers Repeat the Same Wine Mistakes?
You correct a server once.
Then twice.
Then they repeat the same wine mistake next shift—again.
Why?
Because they don’t notice they’re doing it wrong.
Mistakes become habits when they’re never truly seen.
🔎 Solution: Activate the SLA Principle of “Noticing”
In Second Language Acquisition, Noticing is what turns unconscious errors into intentional corrections.
Learners don’t fix what they don’t realize they’re doing.
The key? Teach staff to spot their own slip-ups.
✅ Use These Noticing Drills During Pre-Shift
Compare Descriptions
- Read two versions of the same wine description: one correct, one slightly wrong.
- Ask: “Which one would you use at the table?”
- Discuss why. Spotting subtle differences builds sharper language instincts.
Error Hunt
- Write out a menu item description with 2–3 common mistakes (mispronunciations, incorrect grapes, etc.).
- Let staff find and fix them. Do this once a week—it trains accuracy fast.
Self-Recording
- Have staff record themselves describing a wine.
- Let them listen back and self-evaluate. Most will spot mistakes immediately once they hear themselves.
These drills don’t shame—they train the brain to notice details that affect guest perception and menu clarity.
✅ Recap & Takeaways
- Problem: Staff repeat wine mistakes because they don’t notice them.
- Solution: Use drills that help staff hear, see, and self-correct those mistakes.
- Benefit: Better language, better confidence, and fewer corrections needed long-term.
🚀 Call to Action
🔔 This is Part 4 of a six-part series. Bookmark this post so you don’t miss the final two parts.
If you’re ready to get the full SLA-powered training system for food and wine…
🎓 Sign up here for our Early Adopters Program and get 3 months free access to Speak Your Menu—where these techniques are built in and automated for you.
