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The Next Course Newsletter 
News you can use.
- Customer Service
- Technology
- Operation Strategies
May,2015
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The Main Ingredient
You never know where and when you will have an experience
that can be related to what you do and give some clarity from another
perspective on Customer Service. Recently my wife and I travelled to
San Francisco. As the plane pushed off from the gate to get in line for
takeoff my wife kept looking out the window at the long line of planes
in queue waiting. I said to her I will find a reason to write about
this situation in my newsletter. As we continue to inch our way to the
front of the line my wife kept her face to the window admiring the
beauty of these tubes with wings and wheels accelerating into thin air.
Then the pilot announces we were third in line and cleared for takeoff
and we will be in the air in three minutes. I checked my watch and in
three minutes the engines roared and we were on our way. Once in the
air the pilot gave the usual safety and information pitch, length of
flight, flying altitude, arrival time and weather conditions in San
Francisco sit back relax and enjoy the flight. In the course of the
flight the pilot announce to fasten our seat belts as he expected to hit
some turbulence and during the course of the flight the attendant on a
few occasions said the pilot has turned on fasten your seatbelts signs.
And, in one instance the pilot announce " flight attendants please be
seated". Each time the turbulence was minuscule. The next announcement
was the decent to San Francisco airport and the usual, time to the
gate, seats upright, turn off all devices and for attendants to prepare
the cabin for landing. I observed the attendant disposition in
collecting any newspapers and other disposables compared to the earlier
one who made the rounds after the Food and Beverage cart completed
service. In the latter instance smiling, clarity and tone of voice and
repeatedly saying his purpose to collect disposables, garbage and trash
intermixing the choice of words and waiting for passengers reaction
before moving on to the next row. In the former not saying a word
letting the stack of accumulated cups and cans with a plastic bag in
hand do the talking and moving on quickly before you can react and have
to settle for the second time around.
What does good customer service look like? Inform, inform,
inform. When it is done ahead of time so you do not have to ask is even
better so you know what is expected. Set your standards for service as
the air traffic controller did in clearing planes for takeoff so the
pilot can announce with confidence we will be in the air in three
minutes. Recognize your customers waiting in line even when they are not
"next in line "and let them know how soon they will be served. Do the
most menial task with a smile and intent of purpose.
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The Chef Table
This
one will be short. Technology has allowed us access to so much
information we can, should or not collect and yet it is not passed on to
the right person, at the right time to make better decision. It like
asking for the keys to the palace where all the treasures are stored. If
so, then assign them a security guard so they only take what is needed
for their responsibility and authority, You have to make it easy for
your customers to do business with you and the employees ability to
inform and perform service request without always referring to managers
for answers, That what technology supports to make your service seems
just in time and seamless
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On the Side.
Having the right person in the right place at the right time
to provide just in time service steps that may appear seamless is the
ultimate test of running a smooth flowing service operation that covers
the footprint of your customer experience. Building your team to
perform seamlessly is the role of the manager to develop skills to move
the organization thru its life cycle from birth to renewal or death. In
each phase requires a
different style and skill set for the opportunities and threats. No
one manager posses all those skills and as a result his or her useful
shelf life will expire as the organization life cycle changes from one
level to the next. Food Service Operation is a very complex with
thousands of details to bring to order in easy to follow steps of
processes and procedures that will form the foundation and support
columns for future growth and development. The leadership required at
this stage to direct the development of operation manuals and control
systems and standards as well as employee education, training and
development calls for a passion for getting uniformity, consistency and
competence across every individual task to make the customer experience
appear just in time. In the development of these
systems for control and processes should not be just instructional on
how and when to do an individual task but why it's done and the
consequences for the absence of the action not in a punishable way, but
to inspire the action to be done consistently, uniformity every time.
To say it differently, doing it right the first time all the time.
That's a mouthful to chew on, I will let it digest.
Taking
a page from professional sports teams in basketball to build a
championship team requires a balance of seasoned veterans to bring
maturity, experience and knowledge in fourth quarter close games
situation and young up and coming talent and a great coach. In
interviews with players on championship teams to win, they said it, is a
process you have to trust the process and your teammates. You build
offensive and defensive sets with individual step and processes for
players to follow base on their skill set to be successful. Using the
wrong players can lead to loss of ball possession and game.
Managers
should choose their employees carefully and develop a deep bench of
teammates to fill in were needed to keep the service experience just in
time for customers with the right person at the right place at the right
time. Particularly in fourth quarter situations when it is near
closing time and a customer walks in and you exhale. Thinking you will
be late for your date, It's when you need the veteran attitude not to
rush the service because every customer experience count just as the
first.
Just Desserts
Please
feel free to pass this email along to friends and colleagues who could
benefit from this information. They'll appreciate it and so will I!
The
Next Course" is the news letter of Hospitality Scorecard Solution Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the
written consent is prohibited.
Hospitality Scorecard Solutions is a
Global Food Service Consulting Company that offers proven solution in
Operation Management and Design Operating Procedures to fit Independent
owned full service restaurant style of service, menu, location and
market segment. Peter is a Certified Food Executive
.
To your continued success.
Peter
HSS Inc
  
Office # 347-240-1939 Cell# 917-504-4377
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