Service Recovery for Food and Beverage Industry - Report Example

Author’s name Instructors’ name Course Date Service Recovery for Food and Beverage Industry Introduction It is evident that apart from food and drinks which are offered in a hotel or a restaurant, the quality of services also matters a lot. There are customers who are more interestedwith the services they are provided as opposed to the food or beverages collections. It is therefore important for any service industry to ensure that those two elements are enhanced in customer service. According to Fischer (2005), it is good for a business to ensure that customers spend as much as possible by frequent visits. However, many times things do go wrong ion such scenario. Alex Susskind and Antony Viccari (2011), indicate that every customer has his tastes and preferences. At the same time, customers have specific expectations from services providers. Therefore, it is not possible for service providers to satisfy every customer at the same time. Overview of sortierecovery On that note, it is normal for customers support team member’s to find it difficult in meeting every customer’s need. Bob Thomson (2006), contends that service provision, is therefore expected to go wrong but at different degrees, depending on how support teams are trained. It becomes more challenging formanagement and other responsible peoplein a food or beverage industry to recover and amend a problem that went wrong. In such cases, it becomes difficult to convince a customer that next time he or she will be satisfied. Service recovery is the process of ensuring that the business is able to recoverfrom a service thatwas wrongly offered to a customer. According to Dalley (2013), infood and beverage industry, itbecomes challenging since mostcustomers are more concerned of the two elements-quality services and products. The difficult aspect of service recovery isbased on the fact everycustomer has his own perceptions of service or product offered to him. As noted above, it does not matter how superb a productorservice is, but every businessneed toknow how it cancompensate a serviceorproduct. Therefore, employees working directly with customers require enormous discretion on this matter. According to Klein (2008), thereis need for proper training of staff tominimizeproductor service failure in a food and beverage business. Thisneed is vital since the services offered are sensitive, thus making it easy for businesses to lose customers. At the same time, this industry is growing day by day, therefore increasing competition among business people. Meredith et al (2012), note that the continued competition calls for provision of more quality servicesand products to customers. This means that customers are benefiting out of this competition. In addition, with the continued advancement in technology, more innovative ways of offering quality services to customers in food and beverage industry. Steps in the Service Recovery Process for Food and Beverage Business There are general steps that should be followed when recovering services in a food or beverage business. It is agreeable that everyone has ever encountered bad experiences in a hotel, restaurant or while travelling. According Meredith et al (2012), the real test in terms of service excellence of one’s business is when a bad experience with a customer is quickly and effectively addressed to the satisfaction of customer’s expectations. According to Burton (2006), service recovery process should involve five steps. These include anticipating and understanding customer needs, being empathetic by acknowledging howthey are feelings, owning the responsibility and apologizing, providing alternatives to customersand going ahead to making amends of the problem. The first step is ensuring that one anticipates and understands customers’ needs in the process of their interaction. This could be when serving food or drinks to customers, ensuring cleanliness of both food and other facilities in one’s business. Iverson,. (2001), observes that if customer service providers are aware and understand what customers’ needs are, it will be less challenging in solving their problems. The secret behind offering excellent services and products to customers is ensuring that their expectations are well understood at every stage of service delivery. The next step is acknowledging the customer feelings. According to Meredith et al (2012), customer service providers need to recognizethat recovery process startswhen theyunderstand that expectations are not alwaysmet. Therefore, theyshould not spend a lot of time arguing with customer, rather acknowledgeand tryto figure out how tosolve the problem at hand. Food and beverage industry require a lot of responsibilities (Iverson, 2001) the preparation of beverages and foods that will leave customers satisfied is a delicate process. The taste of food and drinks wholly depends onhow the same were prepared. Therefore, together with other aspects, service providers need totake responsibility and consequently apologize to the offendedcustomers.Burton (2006)observes that apologizing does not mean that someone is guilty, rather is a wayof moving a situation form negative to positive and actin focused direction. However, apologizing does not meanthateverything should end at this point. Service providersincludingmanagementshould help in offering alternatives of solving the problem. This process helps in regaining a sense of control in such circumstances. The best way toapproach this is by offering customers hope and options of how the problem will be solved. The last step include actionable mechanisms that are employed by business to ensure that customer are satisfied and ready to continue eating food or drinking from, a restaurantor a hotel.However, this could be as simple as sending a formalandsincereapology or giving out gifts to customers. According to Beadwell, I. and Holdon, L. (2001), in more serious situations, programs are strategized on how to avoid such failure in future. This should be incorporated in the organizational culture of the business. Imроrtance of sharing knоwlеdgе and skills among fооd and bеvеrаgе staff members and mаnаgеmеnt It is prudent to share information among employees in a food and beverage business. Oneof the main reasons is that it enhancesdeviceexcellencewithcustomers. It should be noted that customers’problems can be directed to any of the staff members in a food and beverage company. According to Jones et al (2004), sharing skills and knowledge among staff members improves problem, solving mechanisms. It reduces the time it takes for a problem tobe solved since different staffmembers are well equipped with necessary knowledge and skills. Further, communication among staff and management enhances trust among employees. This means that management is able to understand the skills and knowledgeof its workforcethusimproving services to customers. For instance, a person who specializes in only food preparation process cannot bedelegated special beverage work. This will result in problems customers. In addition, according to Grunig (2007), conflictamong employees and customers is reduced. As noted above, sharing of suchinformation helps in understanding what every worker is good. This reduces collisions of responsibilities and consequently enhancing customers’ experience. In addition, efficiency in food and beverage production is improved. The quality ofboth servicesandproduct delivery is also ensured where skills andknowledge are applied appropriately. General guidelines to apply in case there is product or service failure According to Burton (2006), there are general principles that customer service provider can apply in case there is service or product failure in food and beverage industry. The first aspect to note is that a customer does not understand excuses from providers. Grunig (2007) contends that in most cases, customers understand that either services or product provision process could go wrong. However, they do not accept or understand excuses given out. To some extent, they find excuses interesting. This means that customer services providers need to avoid explaining how their organizational structure works to customers. For instance if the food is not delicious or has funny taste, the customer service providers need to accept that something went wrong instead of apportioning blame to other departments. In addition, providers of services need not panic in case something goes wrong while serving customers. The magnitude of a problem at a restaurant or hotel is increased when a customer notices some panic from the supporting staff. However, if the problem is amicably solved, the trust from customers also increases. In such cases, customers are willing to have their inputs and help in solving the problem at hand. Assumption is another mistake that service providers make in case something goes wrong while interacting with customers. Grunig (2007) contends that a customer service provider may be assuming that he knows the solution that a customer needs. It is prudent to ask if one is not sure. In addition, if a customer makes an absurd or an extreme request, it is prudent not to dismiss it before a proper analysis has been done on the same. This gives more ideas of how the issue can be approached to the satisfaction of customers’ expectations (Iverson, 2001). Further, providers of services are encouraged to learn from customer’s issues. This need to be taken as opportunities to ensure that problem solving mechanisms in a food and/or beverage business is enhanced. In such circumstances, customers should be encouraged to bring their opinions on how an issue can be solved and different ways they think appropriate to tackle the problem. Therefore, inviting customer’s in problem solving process helps in improving services delivery. Finally, providers of services should not imagine that they are offering special services of favoring customers. It is advisable to realize that the chance for offering service in the right way at the first time has expired and therefore it an obligation of those people concerned to ensure they correct their mistakes (Riucarda, 2002) services providers also to ensure they keep an eye on the lifetime value of their business with customers. This relationship is essential in ensuring that customers’ network continue to expand. Conclusion It is importantfor foodand beveragestaff members to ensure that they understandcustomers’ needs and expectationsofeverystage of service delivery. This will reduce theconflict and regular problemswithcustomers. Customers will therefore feel contented. Staffmembers should alsotry toexceedcustomers’expectations, which helps in winningtheir trust at all times. It is vital for staff member’s to share their knowledge and skills as this will also reduce conflict, improve efficiency and enhance service delivery in a food and beverage company. Bibliography Alex Susskind and Antony Viccari (2011) Al look at the Relationship between service Failures, Guest Satisfaction, and Repeat- Patronage Intentions of Casual Dining Guests. Sage publishers.52 (4) 348-444 Bob Thomson (2006) Customer Experience Management: The value of "Moments of Truth" Right Now Technologies publishers. New York City. Beadwell, I. and Holdon, L. (2001) Human Resource Management: A contemporary Approach. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education. Burton, S. K. (2006). Without trust, you have nobody: Effective employee communications for today and tomorrow. New York, the Strategist. Fischer, J. (2005). At Your Service. America, John Wiley & Sons. Grunig, J. (2007). Organizations, environments and models of public relations. Public Relations Research and Education, 1(1), 6-29 Jones, E., Watson, B., Gardner, J., & Gallois, C. (2004). Organizational communication: Challenges for the new century. Journal of Communication. Klein, H. (2008). The Food and Beverage Basics. Basel, Birkhäuser. Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2012). Managing A Restaurant Project: a managerial approach. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley Riucarda B. Bouncken, Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism, Volume 2, Numbers 3/4 2002. Cambridge Publications New York City. Iverson, K. (2001) Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality Industry: An Experimental Approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Read More