1. Customer Service The Importance of Customer Service Chapter 1

2. Learning Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: Define high-quality customer service. Describe the three system components used to ensure the delivery of high-quality customer service. Provide examples of high-quality customer service characteristics in each restaurant or foodservice segment. Explain the role of managers in the development of a customer service culture. Explain the role of staff in the delivery of high-quality customer service.

3. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service WHAT IS QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE? High-Quality Customer Service Customer Service Systems, Processes, and Tasks

4. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service SERVICE: AN HONORABLE PROFESSION

5. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE OPERATIONS

6. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service

7. Modern Restaurant and Foodservice Operation Services Quick-Service Restaurants Fast-Casual Restaurants Casual Restaurants Fine-Dining Restaurants

8. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service THE IMPORTANCE OF EXCEEDING GUEST EXPECTATIONS

9. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service CREATING A CUSTOMER SERVICE CULTURE The Role of Managers Planning Organizing Directing Training Controlling

10. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service The Role of Back-of-the-House Staff The Role of Front-of-the-House Staff

11. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 1. Define high-quality customer service. High-quality customer service includes all processes used and actions taken by managers to consistently exceed their customers’ expectations. This includes the guests’ expectations for products, service, and the overall dining experience, including personal attention. The goal of high-quality customer service is to create exceptional value for the customer and profits for the operation. High-quality customer service most often includes a high level of personal service. The personal attention provided during service delivery includes friendliness, sensitivity, interest in customers, and the ability to manage difficult situations. High-quality customer service also includes timeliness, speed of service, consistency, and, as needed, correction of service errors.

12. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 2. Describe the three system components used to ensure the delivery of high-quality customer service. The three key components of a high-quality customer service system are standards, processes, and tasks designed to ensure high-quality customer service. Standards are the items, tasks, behaviors, and practices of an operation that represent the desired norm for the business. A process is a series of operations or tasks to be completed to bring about a desired result. A task is a responsibility, function, or procedure that is performed as part of a process. To achieve high-quality customer service managers identify standards, develop processes, and ensure that needed task are completed.

13. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 3. Provide examples of high-quality customer service characteristics in each restaurant or foodservice segment. Operations in each segment of the restaurant and foodservice industry strive to deliver high-quality customer service. For QSR operations the emphasis is on cleanliness, speed, food quality, and consistency. In the fast-casual segment, the emphasis is on cleanliness, speed, freshness of menu items, and taste. In the casual restaurant segment cleanliness, comfort, variety of menu items, and food and beverage quality are of the utmost concern. Fine-dining restaurants seek to offer the best in food and beverages in very attractive settings, and with a high degree of personal service. In these operations, high-quality customer service means an emphasis on cleanliness, personal service levels, ambience, elegance, food and beverage quality, and food and beverage presentation.

14. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 4. Explain the role of managers in the development of a customer service culture. To develop customer service cultures in their operations, managers perform five critical functions: planning, organizing, directing, training, and controlling. Planning is the activity that identifies goals and the strategies that will be used to achieve goals. Organizing is the function involved in arranging the resources available for reaching goals. This task involves deciding what is to be done, who will do it, and the tools required to reach the goals. Directing is the function of leading others to do their very best work. Training is a tool managers use to improve their employees’ skills, knowledge, or attitudes.

15. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 4. Explain the role of managers in the development of a customer service culture continued… Controlling is the term used to describe a manager’s efforts to monitor performance and take corrective action as needed. Control consists of measuring current performance, comparing it with desired results, and then readdressing the planning, organizing, directing, or training actions needed to achieve organizational goals.

16. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service - Summary 5. Explain the role of staff in the delivery of high-quality customer service. Each member of a restaurant or foodservice operation’s staff plays an important role in achieving high levels of guest service. Customers making purchases in a restaurant or foodservice operation buy three things: products, service, and an overall dining experience. Back-of-the-house (BOH) staff such as chefs, cooks, and dish washers are primarily responsible for creating high-quality food and beverage products ordered by an operation’s guests. Front-of-the-house (FOH) staff such as reservationists, parking attendants, hosts and greeters, bartenders, waitstaff, and bus staff are primarily responsible for the delivery of service. Both BOH and FOH staff must perform well if the guests’ overall dining experiences are to consistently exceed their expectations.

17. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service Key Terms: Ambience The feeling or mood created by an environment. Back of the house (BOH) The areas of the operation that are not typically entered into, or seen, by guests. Casual restaurants Restaurants that provide table service to guests and serve moderately priced food in an informal atmosphere. Commercial restaurant and foodservice operations Operations that are open to the general public. Controlling The term used to describe a manager’s efforts to monitor performance and take corrective actions as needed. Culture The attitudes, beliefs, and characteristics of a specific group. Customer service culture A culture that exists in an operation where all employees consider themselves to be in the high-quality customer service business first, and in the food and beverage business second. Directing A management function related to the leadership of others.

18. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service Key Terms continued: Drive-through customers Customers who place and receive their take- away food orders without leaving their cars. Fast-casual restaurants Restaurants that do not provide table service, but their food quality, overall service level, and décor is higher than that typically found in a QSR. Fine-dining restaurants Restaurants that offer guests the highest-quality foods and full table service. High-quality customer service Service that consistently exceeds customers’ expectations for products and services received, as well as the level of personal attention provided during the delivery. Front of the house (FOH) The area of a restaurant or foodservice operation that guests have access to. Hospitality The manner in which services are performed, as well as the feeling that customers take with them.

19. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service Key Terms continued: Hospitality industry Businesses that provide food and lodging services to those who are away from home. Noncommercial foodservice operations Operations that are not typically open to the general public. Organizing Arranging available resources in a way that best helps the organization achieve its goals. Point-of-sale (POS) system The computer used to record guest orders and payments as well as other important operating information. Planning The function of management that identifies goals and the strategies that will be used to achieve the goals. Process A series of operations or tasks that bring about a desired result. Quick-service restaurant (QSR) A restaurant characterized by its limited menus, fast service, and modest prices. Service industry Companies that primarily earn revenue by providing products and intangible services.

20. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service Key Terms continued: Sommelier A restaurant or foodservice staff member who is highly trained to assist customers in selecting the wines to accompany the customer’s menu choices. Standard A description of the criteria for items, tasks, behaviors, practices, and other aspects of an operation that represent the norm for the business. System A set of standards, processes, and tasks that work together in an organized way to achieve an end result. Training The tool managers use to improve their employees’ skills, knowledge, or attitudes. Task A responsibility, function, or procedure that is performed as part of a process.

21. Chapter 1 The Importance of Customer Service Chapter Images

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