Hospitality Operations AnalysisCh 02: The System Side of Procedural Elements

Dr. Edward A. MerrittThe Collins Endowed Chair of

ManagementCalifornia 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

GMEffective 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

1. Timeliness2. Incremental flow3. Anticipation4. Communication

5. Member feedback

6. Accommodation7. Supervision and

organization

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

1. When the guest arrives2. The wait before service contact3. The time of providing service4. 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

Message

Sender

Receiver

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 questions1. How?2. Who?3. Where?4. 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