A recent independent survey of 250 head chefs, general and operations managers in contract catering, has looked at the key challenges impacting their operations - what role does technology have as they seek operational resilience and the ability to thrive?
Let's start with the sum which catering managers are doing in their heads each day: What does Lack of Time + Incohesive Teams = ??
Even at a subconscious level, managers will have that nagging question spinning in their heads as they live at the sharp end of what these two elements are doing to their catering operation on a daily basis.
Let’s do that calculation for them…
- Lack of Time + Incohesive Teams = Poor Customer Service
- Lack of Time + Incohesive Teams = Food Wastage
- Lack of Time + Incohesive Teams = Mistakes and Non-compliance
That’s a considerable outcome and an expensive problem.
In fact, the same survey revealed that if catering teams had more time -
- 65% would enjoy more creativity and menu creation
- 36% would improve their customer service
- 35% would have greater staff satisfaction
And yet people still ask if tech solutions are a luxury or a necessity?
Either they need to spend a week in a kitchen managing a number of corporate orders each day or they just can’t get their head around the concept which highlights the cost of not investing.
Time saving is the crucial issue to be tackled - and it can be achieved…end to end.
The Confident Customer
Make sure you have a confident customer.
You can have customers who experience an assured ordering experience - yes, even with complicated, high value orders and they will just get on with it…and enjoy the process. No fussing, in their own time and confident.
But without the right system you face a process which is primarily manual, and you have a customer nudging you, looking for assurance and guidance and more questions and generally getting in the way. Avoid having this type of customer- with their emails and their calls (more calls to double check) and give them a better, simpler, error-free, apprehensive free, way to order.
The time saved by catering teams in this area is the major way of saving time. The return on investment in this area alone is incontestable.
The Satisfied Staff
This is key in any area of work - but particularly important when staff turnover is prevalent. Tech solutions can bring a high level of efficiency to each step of the order journey which ensures that you…
- Avoid the disheartening, unnecessary admin tasks and free up time for innovation and creativity.
- Avoid the hassle of dealing with mistakes and the worries of not being compliant.
Use a system which is highly configurable in order to offer a catering service each day which is manageable; allowing you to flex when you have reduced staff and making sure that people aren’t let down - either in the kitchen or amongst your customers.
Spoonfed have solutions which are built around understanding the requirements of catering managers and their teams...and their customers. Get in touch to discover how Spoonfed can give you the tools for recovery and resilience - ask for a demo today!
