Use Employee Training to Combine Food Safety with Customer Satisfaction

My stepson was married in July. It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful reception with fantastic food!

There was a small incident at the reception, however, that made me realize how much more most of us can do in improving customer satisfaction simply by better training our employees.

The food was great, and as usual with these events, too much! When the server was collecting the plates, my sister-in-law asked for a doggy bag. The server, quite politely, said she was sorry but could not provide one because it was against their policy. My sister-in-law kept insisting, and the server kept repeating the policy statement. After a couple of minutes I stepped in and explained to my sister-in-law that this is a common practice at banquet halls and the food safety rationale associated with it. The server continued clearing the table.

I think that training the server on the rationale behind the policy, and coaching the employee on how to more fully respond to incidents such as this, would not only help maintain food safety, but also improve customer satisfaction . For example: "I am sorry, but it is against our policy to provide doggy bags. By the time the reception is over and the guests have returned home or to the hotel, the food will have been at room temperature long enough for bacteria to grow. We do not want any of our guests to become ill. I hope you can understand our concern for your safety." I think most people would understand this.

Of course, sometimes employees also need coaching on not to give too much information! A policy like this exists to keep the customers safe, but it is also in place to protect the establishment from liability issues. I can hear some employees stating that the reason they cannot provide a doggy bag is that the manager does not want them to get sued!

Employee training is critical. This includes not only the technical aspects of the job, but also how to respond to customers. It is not realistic to expect employees, especially new employees, to intuitively know how to respond to various situations.

Greetings!

Thank you for checking my blog! I have some exciting topics planned including food service, food safety, and management issues; long term care updates; book reviews; conference summaries; and others.

However, it may be awhile! Have you ever noticed how everything happens at once? This month my stepson is getting married, my husband and I are taking vacation, and we have both his and my family reunions. Plus, my mother is having cataract surgery and I have an elderly cat that has just been diagnosed with diabetes. Oh, yes! And then there is the business to operate!

So please give me a little time and check back again. There is much information I want to share!

Thanks much!

Susan