Post by: nichola on July 30, 2014, 10:13:14 AM
"Having been in business for many years we noticed that although the number of customer’s we serve on a daily basis is almost the same today as it was 10 years ago, the service just seems super slow even thou we added lot’s more staff and cut back on the menu items".
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2690490/Service-time-restaurants-doubled-past-ten-years-customers-cell-phones-blame-claims-busy-NYC-restaurant.html
Post by: Old Tom on July 30, 2014, 10:32:23 AM
A few years ago I dined at a hotel in Jersey.There was a notice on the menu that said guests who chose to make or accept phone calls at table were expected to buy drinks for the neighbouring tables.
Post by: Ian on July 30, 2014, 11:00:24 AM
Of course you could argue it is good to have a "live" independent review of your chosen restaurant from someone 2500 miles away :-)
Post by: GordonA on July 30, 2014, 13:27:40 PM
A different slant on this, but hearing of customers having to wait for up to 45 minutes for ones meal, after placing the order, is, to me anyway, totally unacceptable, and I would wait 15 minutes, then leave.
Post by: nichola on July 30, 2014, 15:48:09 PM
Post by: davybill on July 30, 2014, 15:57:07 PM
Post by: Jacqui Harvey on July 30, 2014, 16:03:04 PM
Post by: GordonA on July 30, 2014, 16:48:50 PM
Did you read the article before posting Gordon?Yes, of chorse !! The people who wrote the original in New York must have crap staff !!
Post by: GordonA on July 30, 2014, 16:49:38 PM
So Gordon if you couldn't get your wi fi in15"minutes you would leave,LoL.
Bloody wifi, who the hell mentioned wifi ??
Post by: GordonA on July 30, 2014, 16:58:23 PM
I would wait for a meal to be cook freshly for me. We have a local restaurant that just opened in a Park near us, they do all their own baking, so all desserts including cakes and biscuits are made by them, they use locally grown vegetables and also use the local Butcher for their meat. They tell you that you will wait at least 20 minutes for main course meal. The place is always packed and you are lucky to get a walk in place. I usually book at least 2 days in advance. The foods is lovely and the place is right next to a big stretch of water with ducks and swans. No traffic noise Well worth waiting IMHO. I have also never seen anyone on the phone or ipad there.
Jacqui., New York , where the post originated, is the "home of fast food ", so, even although it is probably the very last place in the world that I would EVER visit, why would I wait more than 15 minutes for "fast food " ?? I have just received a very nice (money wise ), voucher from an extremely large restaurant chain, because we, and 2 friends from Australia ,were served what turned out to be defrosted, then reheated, frozen food, and presented with a bill for an extortionate amount for what was presented on the menu as " freshly cooked ". The manageress was proud to refer to the people who work in her kitchen as ....................................".PING CHEFS ", only waking up when the micro-wave went Ping !!
Waiting for what does turn out to be freshly cooked is another "kettle of fish " !!
Post by: Ian on July 30, 2014, 19:05:16 PM
We did as lot of menu development work with them on seasonal food / prepared foods etc but without exception the most difficult thing to manage in catering establishments is getting the balance right for - "peaks and troughs" - this affects labour and wastage!
Now they could do what one of my Customers started doing (original burger chain - same name as house builder) and have minimum wage staff in the staff room who clocked off when they were slack and then were asked to clock back on when a queue formed - disgraceful - but I would rather wait a bit longer than support that type of employment tactic!
The larger a la carte restaurants like De Vere's etc actually prided themselves on not having any items ready prepared so you went there expecting a little wait - as Jacqui said - for freshly made ingredients.
The chef at The Corner Pub (recently criticised for the waiting time but same applies to many others) excels when he has sufficient time and I suspect the owners will gear up once a trend is established but in the meantime these things will happen unless off course he mass produces on Mondays - freezes and then serves it all week with his Ping machine but then none of us would be very happy with solution!
Catering - I was once assured by a reliable source was responsible for more divorces than any other sector due to the constant pressures they worked under at incredibly low net margins (not gross margins)
My business was in fresh food logistics and 20 years ago people would say to me "what does the word logistics mean on the side of your trucks?" - well the American definition was "right product - right place - right time" but I prefer the Oxford English dictionary definition - "the movement of manpower and/or materials (especially during periods of war)" - that was catering summed up perfectly for me!
Caterers - I salute you
Post by: sadler on July 30, 2014, 19:13:21 PM
Post by: Ian on July 30, 2014, 19:19:22 PM
Post by: sadler on July 30, 2014, 19:24:33 PM
Post by: Ian on July 30, 2014, 19:30:56 PM
Post by: davybill on July 31, 2014, 07:44:07 AM
Post by: Scunner on July 31, 2014, 08:46:15 AM
I find food that comes fast quite disturbing :o
Post by: desmartinson on July 31, 2014, 09:01:02 AM