Baking for Food Service Operations - Detailed Notes

Customer service- High customer service= High expenses

Properly trained staff:

  • Good communication/social skills

  • Technical skills

  • Product knowledge

  • Work well in a team

    Customer service system

  • Prep for service

    • Taking bookings

    • Greeting customers

    • Order taking for food/beverages

    • Serving and clearing during service

    • Billing and payment handling

    • Dishwashing and post-service clearing

Types of Service Models

  • Service at a Laid Cover: Formal dining (e.g., Ernest’s Dining).

  • Assisted and Self-Service: self service w/ partial assiated service ex supermarkets

  • Single Point Service: Customers order and receive items directly (e.g., fast food).

  • Specialized Service: Delivery to customers (e.g., home delivery).

Characteristics of Customer Service

  • Five Key Characteristics:

    1. Service Level - self served vs assisted

    2. Reliability of Service- seasonal vs all year

    3. Availability of Service- fix hours vs 24 hours

    4. Flexibility of Service- in room dining vs off site

    5. Level of Standards- casual vs fine dining

  • Examples:

Customer Service vs. Resource Productivity

  • Profitability Factors: Effective use of resources correlating with service characteristics:

    • Labour, Facilities, Materials

    • Impact of each component on service quality.

Customer/Guest Relations

  • Definition: Understanding and identifying customer/guest needs and experiences.

  • Examples of Poor Relations: Common complaints and negative experiences.

Minimizing Poor Guest Relations

  • Strategies:

    • Establishing clear agreed procedures for addressing issues (e.g., wrong orders, complaints).

    • Physical Capabilities of the operation- Customer service specification should only be agreed by taking into account the physical capabilities of the operation

    • abilities of staff - Balance between the technical and interpersonal skills, product knowledge and teamworking capability of the staff and the requirements of the customer service specification.

    • customer satisfactions- • Knowing what the potential for customer satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, is from the food and beverage product can help ensure that there are procedures in place for dealing with any difficulties that might arise.

    • maintain customer relations

    Revenue Control Systems

  • Reduce pilfering - Some malpractices: • Dilution of liquor

  • Eradicate waste - Overcharging customers • Undercharging friends

  • Protecting revenue - Management pilferage • Kickback to managers • Cash registers taken offline