Experienced Staff and Tailoring Food Service

Abstract

Customer service training for food service staff is typically structured around simple procedures (often based on acronyms) and is restricted to induction training. Two potential limitations stem from these practices: current training may fail to address the subtle general changes in approach which come with experience in food service: current approaches may not highlight the differences in service situations which could benefit from changes in specific behaviour, i.e. situations to which customer service can be tailored. Describes a study identifying the sophistication of food service skills and highlights many general behavioural differences between novice and experienced staff. Reveals a framework of different customer/ situation contexts to which service behaviours can be tailored. Discusses the implications of the study for staff training.

Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Customer Perception at Restaurant Franchises in Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul

“…They have to properly speak, move, and serve (Testa and Sipe, 2006;Whyte, 1964) the restaurant's customers. Customers' perceptions regarding how they are treated by working staff affects customer satisfaction (Fitzsimmons and Maurer, 1991;Smith et al, 1999;Sparrow et al, 1992). Staff skills should include sensitivity, presence, helpfulness, friendliness, cleanliness, and politeness (Mittal andLassar, 1996, Bitner, 1990;Knutson, 2000).…”

The international hospitality business

“…The authors use a framework that draws from Aristotle's Peri Poietikes to review service issues in the Norwegian hospitality industry. The attitudes and behaviour of "actors" or service staff is a vital ingredient of good customer services and Sparrow et al [73] present findings from a study of food service staff that highlights many general behavioural differences between novice and experienced personnel. They conclude by offering a framework of different customer-situation contexts in which service behaviours can be tailored.…”

“…Randall and Senior [86] discuss the same issue and focus on a technique for detecting and preventing problems which may arise during service [71] methods used by UK hotel groups and suggests ways of systemizing customer response ratings using a scorecard system Weaver and Oh [72] Reports a survey of US business travellers' responses to Customer service priority ratings of 56 services and amenities. Identifies differences between frequent and infrequent business travellers Sparrow et al [73] Describes a study identifying the sophistication of food service skills Service attitudes and behaviour and highlights general behavioural differences between novice and experienced staff Lockwood [74] Explores the use of critical incident technique for recording success Customer service research and failure in service situations. The technique can be used techniques to identify priorities for corrective action and for quality improvement…”

You’re Stopping Me from Giving Quality Service

“…This article outlines some techniques which can be used to elicit the considerations which employees have in mind when they are serving food. The models which food servers have of customers were studied by Sparrow et al [1] and showed that experienced food servers have a much richer picture of types of customers and appropriate service behaviours than is given in any restaurant training manual or assessed in an NVQ element. The present study concerns the other considerations which food servers have in mind in deciding how to maintain customer care.…”

“…The study by Sparrow et al [1] revealed that food servers respond differently to the size of customer groups. We examined situations which involved:…”