“Back in Kenya, I worked in a catering company. We went to an event and did the whole package: we cooked, we decorated the place, we served the customers. That is how slowly my interest in the field started”, waiter Cosmas Kimutai says.
Kimutai thinks that the best way of learning is by doing. He admires the Finnish education system, where studies are based on practice and real work situations.
“In Kenya, you learn theory. part is much more focused than practicals. But in Omnia we started our studies practically by setting up tables in class”, Kimutai describes.
Even though Kimutai already had some experience in the restaurant business, studying at Omnia helped him move further on in his career. He gained knowledge for example on customer service and beverages. Now he knows the purpose of every drink and knows what to recommend to a customer.
“We were taught how to recommend and how to sell more. And selling more comes from the knowledge”, Kimutai describes.
Education gives you tools for a good customer service
The most important part of the studies was to learn good customer service. For example, it might sound small, but it is very important to know how to answer if you don’t hear what the customer asks. Instead of saying “mitä”, you should say “anteeksi”, which is the polite way.
“Of course, you also get customers who are angry or unhappy. But you handle them with skills that you learn in school. If you don’t have enough knowledge, you might end up exchanging bad words to an angry customer and for that, you are being unprofessional. But in school, you learn the polite language.”
Study your passion
Kimutai graduated in December 2021. He had a lot of online studies because of the Covid-19 restrictions, so being able to work in Restaurant Henricus was very important to him.
Kimutai is a very talkative and open person. He loves to cook and try new things, but as a waiter he gets to be on the front line, meet new people and be social.
“I also love the multicultural environment. And having fun even if it’s busy."
Kimutai encourages everyone to study their passion. He thinks that education is the way to become an expert.
“Whether it’s mechanics or something else, you should educate yourself in the field you have a passion for. Don’t just say I have the skills, let me just do it, because you will lack something that the education will give you. You learn a lot by doing, but what makes you professional is the education.”