- Service quality is the fundamental competitive advantage for service providers. Or else, it would be nearly impossible to improve even if streamlining work procedures and reducing costs.
- The “Mess Service” model divides operations into front-stage and back-stage concepts to ensure quality assurance.
- This model is suitable for operations that require high labor intensity but low customer interaction.
There is a self-service catering service provider that achieved a remarkable 300% growth within just 10 months of transformation!
However, prior to the transformation, they were a company plagued by numerous errors, receiving frequent customer complaints and even resorting to refunding as compensation.
This food caterer provides exceptionally delicious food, but as their business grew, they faced a critical setback – the inability to maintain consistent service quality.
Critical Weakness: Inability to maintain service quality risks business failure!
The management goals pursued by businesses vary across different eras. In the 80s, companies prioritized quality, which posed a significant challenge. As long as a company could provide quality assurance, it could gain competitiveness and profits.
After the 90s, delivering excellent quality (in products or services) became a fundamental requirement for business survival. Many large companies started focusing on process reengineering to shorten work operations, reduce waste, and lower costs, aiming to enhance competitiveness and profitability.
Therefore, this food caterer not only fails to establish basic quality competitiveness but also lacks other aspects such as cost reduction to stay competitive.
Solution: Implementing the “Mess Service” model as a systematic framework
In the midst of their struggle, this company sought our assistance. After thoroughly analyzing their operational model and identifying its strengths and weaknesses, we combined our insights with considering successful models in the food catering industry, which we decided to implement the “Mess Service” model as the framework for the company’s operations.
The “Mess Service” model is known for its high labor intensity and limited customer interaction, which proved to be the ideal approach for their operational needs.
Due to limited customer interaction, it means that customer input is not extensive when placing orders. However, it doesn’t mean that customers have no customization requirements, just that they are not extensive. On the other hand, “high labor intensity” indicates that the industry still requires a significant number of employees to carry out operations.
In addition to the “Mess Service” model, there are three frameworks: Service Factory, Service Shop, and Professional Service.
It refers to the front-stage and back-stage concepts, which means, the front-stage involves on-site management, while the back-stage encompasses production and support systems, similar to the concept of a kitchen in the back.
What did we do?
Back-Stage: Crafting the Secret Recipe of Food and Quality Control
By following the frameworks, we meticulously documented the cooking process for all food recipes, including cooking techniques and quality control methods. We even developed customized cooking equipment to enhance production efficiency backstage, preparing for future increases in customer volume.
In terms of support systems such as procurement, we ensured ample knowledge of materials, especially food ingredients, which is crucial for a food service provider.
As a result, we designed a calculation system specifically for them in enabling seamless order processing without any omissions while being cost-effective.
Front-Stage: Standardized Operating Procedures
In the food catering industry, there are numerous details that need to be addressed for every event, including the handling of over 100 items and supplies, big and small.
To ensure seamless handling of everything, we incorporated them into our frameworks and documented them as standard operating procedures (SOP) for all staff to follow.
In addressing quality concerns and aligning with the service system framework, we made a conscious decision to pay attention to every single detail, even extending our focus to be the first in the industry to implement strict management practices at event sites.
Within our on-site management, we not only established scientific inspection protocols to ensure food freshness but also enforced standardization for takeaway items to minimize waste.
Some employees may feel that we are being overly meticulous, but we educate the company that such level of meticulousness is necessary to prevent any incidents of food spoilage in front of customers at any given time.
By consistently delivering fresh, consumable food to customers without any errors, deficiencies, or unfulfilled orders, their food catering service will continue to attract customers. (Of course, it aligns with another crucial factor of this service framework)
Certainly, achieving a remarkable 300% growth within a span of 10 months is just the beginning of this company’s journey! There is so much more in store for them.
If you’re eager to stay updated on their exciting progress, make sure to follow us closely and feel free to contact us: WhatsApp | info@3sadviser.com | Facebook | LinkedIn .
We’d be more than happy to assist you!
Read More:
- Skyrocketing success with 300x growth in just 10 months! How?
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- Writing an effective SOP helps retain employees?