Food and Beverage Management Food and Beverage Service

Key requirements for staff Sound product knowledge q Well developed interpersonal skills q A range of technical skills q An ability to work as part of a team q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Food and beverage service q Consists of two separate sub-systems operating at the same time 1. The service sequence Delivery of the food and beverages to the customer 2. The customer process Experience the customer undertakes © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

The service sequence Eleven or more stages: 5. Preparation for service Taking bookings Greeting, seating/directing Taking food and beverage orders Serving of food 6. Serving beverages 1. 2. 3. 4. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Clearing during service Billing Dealing with payments Dishwashing Clearing following service © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

The customer process The customer is required to undertake or observe certain requirements q For example: q n n Enterers the food service area Orders or selects choice Served (may pay either at this point or later) Food and beverages are then consumed, customer leaves and area is cleared © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Categorising service methods q From a customer process perspective, five basic types of customer process can be identified © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Five basic customer processes © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4

The five service method groups q Table service - service at a laid table. Includes silver service or plated service q Assisted service - part service at a laid cover and part self-service Self-service - from a buffet or counter q Single point service - ordering, receipt of order and q payment at the same time q Specialised service (or service in-situ) - the food and drink is taken to where the customer is located © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Changing service methods q q In groups A to D the customer process is similar for each of the service methods within the same group Changing between service methods in the same group does not fundamentally alter the customer process Changing service methods between groups alters the customer process Group E has a specialised set of requirements © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Providing customer service q Combination of five characteristics: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. q Service level Service availability Level of standards Service reliability Service flexibility The ‘customer service specification’ must take account of all of these © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Level of service: standards of service q Level of service n q From very limited to very complex with high levels of personal attention Standards of service n Measure of how well the operation delivers the level of service it is offering © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Ensuring customer service q Written statements of both: n Technical specification n n physical characteristics of the products Service specification n procedures and the way they are carried out Often called a ‘customer service specification’ q Need for balance between maintaining customer service and resource productivity q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Customer service vs resource productivity © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management,

Maintain good interpersonal relationships q q Between service staff and the customer (external customers) Between service staff an other departments (internal customers) © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Maintaining good customer relations q Requires the ability to: n n Recognise the symptoms of a deterioration in customer relations Minimise the causes of customer relations problems © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Symptoms of poor customer relations q q q q Increases in number of complaints generally and especially about staff Increases in number of accidents Regular mistakes by staff Customers arriving without previous bookings Increases in breakages Shortages of equipment Arguments between staff Poor morale and high turnover of staff © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Important to consider q q Maintenance of agreed procedures for dealing with customer service issues Customer service specification is supported by the physical capabilities of the operation Customer service specification is supported by the abilities of the staff Continual monitoring of the likely customer satisfaction or otherwise © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Managing volume q Includes consideration of: n n n Measuring capacity Volume and service organisation Increasing throughput Limiting demand Using queues Special considerations for banquet/function operations © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Seating consumption times © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th

Increasing throughput q q q q q Reduce the timings for the service sequence Turn tables Serve parts of the meal in separate areas Use brighter lighting and less comfortable seating Encouraging customers to share tables Ensure efficient clearing Utilise new payment solutions Set minimum charges Offer reduced menu alternatives © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Queue considerations q q q q q Fair versus unfair Comfort verses lack of comfort Unexplained versus explained Unexpected versus expected Unoccupied versus occupied Initial versus a subsequent wait Anxious versus calm wait Individual versus a group waiting Valuable service versus less valuable service New or infrequent users versus regular users © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Service conventions Traditional ways of doing things q Have proved to be effective and efficient q Ensure standardisation in the service q Each establishment may be slightly different q But essential all staff know and follow the same ones q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

General service conventions Work hygienically and safely q Always work as part of a team q Pass other members of staff by moving to the right q Use checklists q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Booking information q Basic information is the same regardless of how the bookings are taken. This includes: n n n n Day and date Name of the customer Customer’s telephone number Number of covers required Time of the event – arrival Special requirements Signature/record of the person taking the booking in case of any queries © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Larger party bookings q For larger party booking there will often be different procedures. This may include: n n n Set meal and beverages How billing is to be done Requirement for a deposit Seating plan Deadline for confirmation of final numbers © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Preparing for service conventions Prepare service areas in sequence q Place items consistently q

Order taking methods q Main methods are: n n q Triplicate Duplicate Service with order Pre-ordered All order taking methods are based upon these four basic concepts © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Order taking conventions Take food, wine and drink orders through hosts q Be able to explain food and beverage items q Use order notation techniques q Be aware of customers who may have additional needs q Be open-minded and non-judgemental q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Taking or receiving customer orders q Servers can: n n q Record orders on check pads Key them in on handheld terminals Customers can: n n n Hand write orders Use electronic systems such as i. Pads or other touch screens Use interactive tabletop projection systems © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Essential knowledge Server must know what they are serving q And the service requirements q Enables the server to advise the customer on: q n n n the content of dishes the methods used in making the dishes the accompaniments offered © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Additional requirements q Each establishment will have own system for indicating: n n n Which customer is having what item A follow on order Supplement (additional) order for same course Returned food and replacement order Accident replacement order © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

General service conventions Serve cold food before hot food q Serve wine/drinks before food q Avoid stretching across customers q Place items for customer convenience q Start service from the right hand side of the host, with the host last q Serve women first q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

General service conventions (2) Silver serve food from the left q Serve plated foods from the right q Serve all beverages from the right q Clear from the right q Separate tasks of: q n n n serving at table food/drink collection sideboard/workstation clearing © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Billing methods Bill as check q Separate bill q Bill with order q Pre-paid q Voucher q No charge q Deferred (charged to account) q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Clearing methods q Four main methods: n n Manual Semi-self-clear Self-clear and strip ©

Dishwashing methods Manual q Semi-automatic q Automatic conveyor q Flight conveyor q Deferred wash

Purpose of a revenue control system Monitors where selling takes place q Activities include: q n n Efficient control of all food and beverage items issued Reduction of pilfering and keeping wastage to a minimum Ensuring bills are correct and proper payment is made and accounted for Provision of management information © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Systems for revenue control Manual systems q Pre-checking system q Electronic cash registers q Electronic point of sale (EPOS) control systems q Computerised systems q Satellite stations q © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Performance measures q Information collected during the revenue control phase includes: n n n Sales mix Gross profit Cost percentages Seat turnover Sales per staff member Sales per seat and sales per area © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers

Example malpractices q q q q Dilution of liquor Short measures Overcharging of customers Undercharging of friends Management pilferage Kickbacks to managers Cash registers taken off line Utilising differentiated gross profit percentages © 2016 Cousins et al: Food and Beverage Management, 4 th edition, Goodfellow Publishers