Communication and record keeping

Dealing with complaints For goodness sake! It was only a very short hair.

2012 winter

about customer complaints? At a buffet (3) Is this a question about cheesecake? or about customer complaints?

Apologise Offer a free drink (if you have the authority to) Get the frozen cheesecake off the buffet and tell chef

phone e mail fax letter through the post

IS THIS A QUESTION ABOUT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH A SUPPLIER? NO! Need to know the number of people and any special requirements e.g. dietary restrictions, wheelchair, high chair Need to know the date and time. Get anything wrong and the customer will be disappointed. There may not be enough seating for their party or there may not be enough food. Your reputation will suffer. Effective = accurate information +good impression - making the booking may be their first contact with your business - make sure it is a positive one. “See you on Friday at 8 o’clock then Mr Smith. Bye for now” )

Caterer Other bodies e.g. EHO, Pest control firms customer supplier

2012 summer

Award 7-8 marks for a very good answer. Candidate is able to evaluate the importance of communication and record keeping.

He has to communicate with clients, staff and his manager. He has to get all his ideas across effectively. He has to lead all the teams (departments) of the hotel. He has to be accurate and clear so that there are no misunderstandings/mistakes. Poor communication could lead to loss of business, loss of customers and poor profit. Good communication could lead to improved business, good reputation and good profit. Good communication means that everyone knows what they are doing and who is responsible. He needs to be good at all forms of communication – verbal, written, telephone, fax, ICT. He needs to command respect from the staff and appear organised and efficient to clients – good communication skills are vital in order to achieve this. The wedding service will receive good marketing/publicity.

James needs to keep records so that accurate invoices, bills, etc James needs to keep records so that accurate invoices, bills, etc. can be prepared. Mistakes are not made when record keeping is effective. James needs to be able to meet clients’ needs – he needs to keep accurate records during meetings in order to act on them. In case of dispute, the record will be evidence of what was agreed. Keeping accurate records enables data to be used for similar events in the future. Electronic records allow for accurate stock control, menu engineering, guest records etc. to be kept up to date.

2013 summer

7. (a) A customer complains to a member of the wait staff that his steak is not cooked as requested. Explain how the wait staff should deal with this complaint. [4]  Stay calm and listen carefully to the customer  Apologise (may apologise when taking food away and again afterwards)  Deal with the problem immediately – take steak meal back to kitchen/replace with a freshly cooked steak  Report to head chef/chef/manager  Keep the customer informed of your actions  Thank the customer for letting you know there is a problem  Check if the replacement is as required.

(b) Discuss the need for effective communication between kitchen and restaurant staff. [5]  Kitchen is able to cook the correct amount of food  Kitchen knows how many guests will be eating in this service  Kitchen is aware of any special dietary requirements/complaints/praise etc.  The correct orders/dishes are cooked – prevents wastage  Wait staff know what is in each dish – able to describe dishes on the menu  Wait staff can promote special offers  Wait staff can upsell – dishes that need to be sold that day  Prevents customer being delayed in the dining room/service runs more smoothly/more professional  Wait staff need to know if any dishes have run out  Prevent complaints/reduces probability of problems/ensures customer satisfaction  Ensures a better working atmosphere for the team/environment  Billing is correct

(c) Explain how ICT can promote effective communication within the catering industry. [6]  E mails  EPOS/quicker dining service/allows for tabs to be kept, etc.  Helps them keep up to date, if they don’t keep up with trends could lose business,  Nutritional analyses  Customer orders direct to kitchen  Bills/cheques/cards  Stock ordering/stock checks/inventories websites  Website for customers: advertising, ordering, bookings, feedback, special offers  Translating menus for all nationalities (when required)  Can prevent errors with orders – handwritten, bills: computerised tills  Financial data  Staff rotas compiled then can be emailed

Recording of a model answer (slow to start)

2014 winter

(d) Effective communication is vital in the catering industry (d) Effective communication is vital in the catering industry. Discuss how the wait staff in the carvery can ensure the customers leave with a good impression of the restaurant. [6] Award 5-6 marks for a clearly explained answer where the candidate shows clear understanding of the different types of communication and the impact this can have on the customer in relation to the restaurant’s reputation. Answers may include: Greet all customers with a smile/in a friendly way Explain how the carvery works (if they haven’t been there before) Offer drinks/starters/desserts Check with chef/kitchen when customers can go up to carvery Inform bar staff of drinks required Inform kitchen staff of any special orders/starters/desserts Inform kitchen when carvery dishes are running low Inform kitchen staff/chef of any problems and get them resolved Clear tables promptly – customers not sitting at a messy table Ask customer if all is well and deal with any problems quickly Good reputation means return business Word of mouth will mean more business (accept negative responses or positive) Communication needs to be clearly given and understood by all whether it is verbal, non-verbal or written. Customers can observe the communication and it will give them an impression. Good communication implies professionalism. Poor communication will lead to mistakes being made which could lead to quality/hygiene problems; the customer will lack confidence in the business and will not return.

2014 summer

Set up a website Set up a twitter account so that potential new customers can “follow” the new establishment. and many other ways… Key word: promote (it’s a bit like advertise)

[6] This question is about the kitchen, not the business generally. Electronic waiter pads can be used to instantly transmit customer orders to the kitchen. This saves time and avoids misunderstandings between the wait staff and the kitchen. Spreadsheets can be used for stock control and to calculate costings and the selling price. If the restaurant subscribes to a nutritional analysis site (e.g. Jenny Ridgewell) they can use it to provide information for customers with dietary requirements. The kitchen “paperwork” – accident logs, temperature logs, staff hours worked – can all be kept electronically.