290 likes | 491 Views
Hospitality Operations Analysis Ch 02: The System Side of Procedural Elements. Dr. Edward A. Merritt The Collins Endowed Chair of Management California State University (Cal Poly Pomona). Objective Service Elements. Procedural Personal. What Have You Done For Me Lately?.
E N D
Hospitality Operations AnalysisCh 02: The System Side of Procedural Elements Dr. Edward A. Merritt The Collins Endowed Chair of Management California State University (Cal Poly Pomona)
Objective Service Elements Procedural • Personal
What Have You Done For Me Lately? Mable & Angus Fricket
Adopting a Customer Service Perspective • “The customer is king.” • “The customer is the reason we exist.” • “Our customers pay our salaries.” • “Without our customers we have nothing.” • “We are not providing quality service unless our customers believe that we are.”
Customers Service Providers Managers GM Effective leaders turn the traditional hierarchy upside down…
The System Side • 7 Procedural Elements • Objective System • Define • State a benchmark (Service Standard) • Observe the actual and summarize relative to benchmark • Two individual strengths (benchmark) • Two individual weaknesses (benchmark
Timeliness Incremental flow Anticipation Communication Member feedback Accommodation Supervision and organization 7 Procedural Elements The Lucky Seven
The System Side • Providing a procedural touch • Organized ways of doing things
1. Timeliness • Definition: The time that it takes the product or service to get to each customer • Benchmark (What): Customers receive entrée within 20 minutes of ordering • Actual (How): Usually customers received entrees within 15 minutes • 2 Strengths (individual instances) • 2 Weaknesses (individual instances)
Timeliness is Relative • What is the service concept of the organization? • How are steps of service used? • What is the meal period?
Four Moments of Truth • When the guest arrives • The wait before service contact • The time of providing service • Post service time
2. Incremental Flow • Definition: Requires that service will occur in regular increments to ensure a steady flow of service to the guest • Benchmark: Entrée arrives within five minutes of clearing salad plates • Actual: When servers placed salad and entrée orders at the same time, and both came out together
Maintaining Incremental Flow • Flow affects timeliness • Consider the flow and system interdependency • Break service into discrete increments • The service provider should control the flow based on customer wants
Managing Flow • Prebookings, reservations • Seating, room assignment patterns • Express check in and out ability • Adjustment for large groups • Waiting procedures and areas • Queue formations • Multiple service stations and steps • Staffing
3. Anticipation • Definition: Service should always be provided before the customer has to ask for them • Benchmark: Soft drinks are refilled one time without customers having to ask • Actual: Servers disregard the one unasked refill per person rule. Instead, they anticipate the guests’ drinking needs or ask
Anticipation • Know what customers want • Know when customers want • Think one step ahead • Have back ups • Staffing for ebb and flow
4. Communication • Definition: Messages must be exchanged accurately, thoroughly, clearly, concisely, and in a timely manner • Benchmark: Customers receive the item(s) they order • Actual: Servers did not read back orders to customers which caused do overs
Communicate • Miscommunication = Misunderstanding • Misunderstanding = Service failure • Miscommunication is easy • Effective communication is difficult
Sender Receiver Message Feedback
5. Customer Feedback • Definition: The service system must continually assess whether the service and products have met the guests’ needs and expectations • Benchmark: The server makes inquiry at the table after two minutes or two bites • Actual: Servers did not check back
Customer Feedback Four questions • How? • Who? • Where? • When?
Obtaining Feedback • Two minutes/two bites • Be specific • Comment cards • Web site • Toll free numbers • Secret shoppers
Listening • Stop talking • Avoid distraction • Concentrate • Look beyond the words • Provide feedback to the guest
6. Accommodation • Definition: Procedures should be designed around customers’ needs for efficient service rather than what’s easiest for the operation • Benchmark: Menu items can be substituted or combined upon request. Separate checks are provided to groups upon request. • Actual: Guests were told “my pleasure” when requesting modifiers or separate checks
Accommodation • Flexible systems which favor the customer • Grant special requests • Try to say yes
7. Supervision/Organization • Definition: Smooth-running service systems must be coordinated and observed by management • Benchmark: A supervisor is visible on the dining room floor at all times • Actual: No supervisors were ever observed on the floor during service
Organization • Are things running smoothly? • Do service providers know what they are doing? • Does a supervisor interact with workers and customers? • Is supervisor involved in service delivery?
Procedural Elements • End Chapter 2