1. 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)

2. Objective Service Elements
Procedural
Personal

3. What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Mable & Angus Fricket

4. 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.”

5. Customers
Service Providers
Managers GM
Effective leaders turn the traditional hierarchy upside down…

6. 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

7. 7 Procedural Elements The Lucky Seven Timeliness Incremental flow
Anticipation
Communication
Member feedback
Accommodation
Supervision and organization
The Lucky Seven

8. The System Side Providing a procedural touch
Organized ways of doing things

9. 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)

10. Timeliness is Relative
What is the service concept of the organization?
How are steps of service used?
What is the meal period?

11. Four Moments of Truth When the guest arrives
The wait before service contact
The time of providing service
Post service time

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Anticipation Know what customers want Know when customers want
Think one step ahead
Have back ups
Staffing for ebb and flow

17. 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

18. Communicate Miscommunication = Misunderstanding
Misunderstanding = Service failure
Miscommunication is easy
Effective communication is difficult

19. Sender
Receiver
Message
Feedback

20. 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

21. Customer Feedback
Four questions
How?
Who?
Where?
When?

22. Obtaining Feedback Two minutes/two bites Be specific Comment cards
Web site
Toll free numbers
Secret shoppers

23. Listening Stop talking Avoid distraction Concentrate
Look beyond the words
Provide feedback to the guest

24. 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

25. Accommodation Flexible systems which favor the customer
Grant special requests
Try to say yes

26. 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

27. 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?

28. Procedural Elements
End Chapter 2