Service Blueprint for Subway, Mildura, Victoria, Australia - Case Study Example

Service Blueprint for Subway, Mildura, Victoria, Australia Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date of Submission Service Blueprint for Subway, Mildura, Victoria, Australia The Subway restaurant is located on 41a Langree Avenue in Mildura, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the restaurants on the Subway restaurant chain, which is the world’s largest sandwich franchise in submarine foods. The American restaurant franchise operates in more than 100 countries with over 40,000 locations. Primarily, it sells submarine sandwich as its core product. Additionally, it sells salads, wraps and baked goods such as doughnuts, cookies and muffins. While some menus may vary from one country to another, or market to another, the chain has been known for its worldwide varieties like Italian BMT, roasted chicken, tuna, subway club, meat marinara, subway melt, chicken teriyaki, steak & cheese and veggie Delite. The company also sells English muffins, breakfast sandwiches and flatbreads. In 2006, it started selling personal pizzas in some US locations. However, pizza and breakfast items are only available in some stores. Although the Mildura location seems to be enjoying averagely its turnover, it is expected that as more and more competitors such as Springfield Restaurant, Thai Traffic, and Clove Organic cafe and others enter the market and expand rapidly, its revenues will reduce; currently, the Austrlian Mildura restaurant ranks 54th in the Mildura town alone (Subway Website, 2014). A key concern to solve this problem is to design/ redesign service processes that are likely to deliver the most desired quality turnover/ revenues. It is expected that any pitfall in the company’s service quality, will emanate from a series of several shortfalls in the organization. A part from this threat, some customers have been complaining about the nature of services they receive at the restaurant, taking into account that the population that surrounds it is fairly distributed. This study will carry out an audit of the company’s service quality, as from the scope of ten respondents who were interviewed by means of questionnaires (Learning Space, 2014; Service Blueprint, 2014). Therefore, it is expected that the report will analyze critically the strategy of Subway (Mildura) to close the gaps in services that are resulting in the overall poor performance of the location. Key Elements of Physical Evidence First there are visible takeaway food products and their catalogues at the company’s much decorated entrance. Apart from adding aesthetic value for the whole restaurant to look beautiful, they attract quickly customers interested in buying such foods. Moreover, there are normally big posters or catalogues displaying special offers and their prices at the entry point for customers to see. On the third picture, one can see the restaurant having a parking place where customers can place their vehicles while having meals. However, the place lacks formal enclosure and a valet to help the parking easier. In most cases, some spots can be reserved for frequent visitors or spenders who visit the restaurant. However, if the restaurant is not much busy as for the case of the Subway restaurant in Mildura, a person serving as a valet should ensure that, customers’ vehicles are packed in front of the restaurant. For parking, most people prefer a restaurant that has a parking area as they would like to dine in such a convenient place where they can see their car and other particulars. Since many people in Mildura drive from their homes, they will obviously require a place that has enclosure reserved as a parking area (Subway Website, 2014). Potential Fail Points Few Importantly Trending Means of Communication It is important to note that there should be wide clear means of communication for one to understand what customers really desire rather than concentrating on perceptions. The company has not majored in trending communication technologies such as VoIP among others. Currently consumers are running to virtual marketing due to convenience, ease of search, broader selection, better price potentials and twenty four hour services that experience quick delivery of meals. This should be expected since today, customers are getting encouraged by various factors to order their meals through electronic means of communication. They are automated means with self service technologies, and customers are not willing to leave their offices/ places of work to go for meals. Some legislation or nature of one’s work may prohibit one from reaching the restaurant to get meals during social hours (Subway Website, 2014). Insufficient Meal Diversification On this aspect, the restaurant seems much specialized in offering fast foods only, ignoring the fact that Mildura is relatively an agricultural town and the popularity of healthy foods is gaining a lot of currency. Although one can say that offers in the restaurant will depend on the expectations of customers, it will be important if the firm diversifies in its meals to go ahead smoothly. For instance some customers complain that the restaurant had led them totally down by not offering them Health Foods as supported by the Doctors Associates’ Concepts. Additionally, they complain about prices being a little bit higher because, a food product at the restaurant that sells $11 can be bought somewhere at $7 only (Trip Advisor, 2014). Related to this is that the foods are cut too thin, irregularly in oval shapes or skimpy, and therefore the employees involved will have to correct it (Mangan, 2013). Service Performance Gap As already said, poor service performance has resulted in foods being too thin, irregular in oval shapes or skimpy, and therefore the employees involved will have to correct it. There are some customers who have complained that they had late lunches due to long queues. Related to this is that their place can be seen somewhat messy, with staffs seeming careless (Subway Website, 2014).Workers at the location are described by customers as rude, and they have been seen rolling eyes at customers (Trip Advisor, 2014). Possible Solutions/Alternatives to Address Correcting Communication Gap in the Restaurant Although the company has tried to incorporate trending social Medias such as Facebook, they may not be appropriate to all generations as older generations see it as a network for younger generations. Technologies such as Voice of Internet Protocol (VoIP), will help the firm to reduce bills, costs and its overall complexity. The technology offers a wide range of applications such as multimedia and audio conferencing with the web. Apart from the company decreasing costs and increasing revenues, such means of communication will enhance productivity and customer services, which are important things any firm really wants (Amodio, 2014). Service Performance Gap Owing to the fact that the company has recorded some inconsistencies in service performance, it is important that it develops strong reputations so that it can gain recognition through roles played by its employees. Alpharock (2014) noted that the roles employees are supposed to play are captured in the company’s marketing mix. Some authors have noted that service industries should increasingly manage their customers experience to promote customer loyalty and differentiation. The first step in solving this problem should be service correction and service recovery. This will emanate from the customers point of view, as he interacts with the firm, which will obviously be the moment of truth. For instance from the problems mentioned, the firm should correct itself by hiring the right people, developing them to deliver quality services, retaining the best employees, and providing needed support systems to all of them. However for service recovery, the firm can do the following: encouraging and tracking complaints, acting quickly to customer complaints, providing adequate explanations, guaranteeing services and cultivating positive relationship with customers. Insufficient Meal Diversification This question can be answered from the marketing point of view. The firm should scan the market well to discover what customers’ expectations are. It is important to realize that the era of “one-size-fits-all” is gone, and organizations should therefore provide individualized experience to all customers. Uses of a Service Blueprint at Brooklyn Street Local Restaurant In Marketing Taking into account the four components of marketing mix, the service blueprint upon the audits done, will help the management to scan the segments of people that are in Mildura. This will enable it to draw the right kind of menus so that complains can be reduced. On place, physical evidences that the company exposes to the customer will influence his/ her perception regarding the restaurant. These physical evidences, such as attractive entry point, price catalogues and accommodative car park, will promote a lot the perception of the business as offering quality foods. This promotion is also likely to be continued due to the employee’s actions. Visible actions in the case of Subway Mildura restaurant include greeting and drinking order, serving drinks, taking food order, delivering food and processing bills. Invisible actions include preparing drinks and ordering the kitchen. The blue print will be much valuable in support processes in that they would be redesigned to enable aspects in communications discussed above, and improve aspects of reservation systems (Apha Rock, 2010; Steijger, 2008). Human Resource Management From the problems discussed, since the firm cannot hire new employees due to the backlash it would face, it will be important if it can encourage the philosophy of adaptive behaviors. This philosophy should start right away from recruitment day for effective success. However the firm can strengthen it by recruiting, hiring, training and developing employees so that they can deliver the right services at the restaurant (Apha Rock, 2010; Members, 2010). Operations From the solutions provided after a careful audit of the firm’s operations, the newly redesigned operation guide will incorporate guidance on how services can be provided and how new physical evidence, staff actions, and infrastructure or support system needed for delivering services across different channels will be incorporated (Elzer-Peters, 2008). How It Could Be Applied In the Real Business World Service blue print can be used almost in all service firms to achieve competitive advantage. In this regard, the service blue print can result in discovery of points of inefficiency and respective innovations carried out to result in better methods such as web tracking of orders. Although most firms would wait until sales plummet or customers complain, they will not tell the proprietor about why customers are deserting the firm. Therefore, by using service blue prints, service firms will be able to identify specific bottle necks and accompanying innovation opportunities. This will make them improve on their service quality. It is possible taking into account that when the entire business process has been blue printed, one can look at opportunities he can redesign. Areas that one can focus on are timings, tangibles, inefficiencies and employees delivering services. However, one should realize that the service blue prints are just equally important to firms doing relatively similar businesses with similar processes. One firm can stand out by the help of service print by redesigning to improve the current processes. References Amodio, M. (2014). Business VoIP Featured Articles. Business VOIP. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/business-voip/articles/381803-business-voip-means-better-communication-ndn.htm Apha Rock. (2010). Service Quality Audit Based on the Conceptual Gaps Model of Service Quality. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://apharock.blogspot.com/2010/10/service-quality-audit-based-on.html Brooklyn Street Local. (2014). About. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://brooklynstreetlocal.com/ Elzer-Peters, K. (2008).The Difference between a Good Restaurant and a Bad one. Culinary Arts 360. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.culinaryarts360.com/index.php/the-difference-between-a-good-restaurant-and-a-bad-one-2-29571/ Learning Space. (2014). Service Blueprint. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://learningspacetoolkit.org/services-and-support/service-blueprint/ Mangan, D. (2013).Subway explains shortness of their ‘Footlong’ sandwiches: It’s just the name of the sub. New York Post.http://nypost.com/2013/01/19/subway-explains-shortness-of-their-footlong-sandwiches-its-just-the-name-of-the-sub/ Members. (2010). Managing marketing customer-contact employees. Hotel Mule. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.hotelmule.com/html/87/n-2187.html Service Blueprint. (2014). Slide share. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.slideshare.net/vicku1111/service-blueprint Steijger, M. (2008).How to use service blueprinting to Achieve competitive advantage. Silver Consulting. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.silvercrestconsulting.com/gui/pdf/1237375126.pdf Subway Website. (2014).Subway. subway.com. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.subway.com.au/ Trip Advisor. (2014). Subway. Trip advisor. co. uk. Retrieved on 19 September 2014 from http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g255355-d1737777-Reviews-Subway-Mildura_Victoria.html Read More