Is your restaurant, bar or hotel clean? I mean really clean. I don't mean "do you stick to all the rules and regulations?". I mean, do you and your staff really care about cleanliness and hygiene?
Just complying with hygiene regulations will almost certainly result in you breaking them. By meeting standards that are higher than the minimum you will probably comply with them. But is this enough? There are two mindsets when it comes to good hygiene practice in catering businesses. One is the "will I avoid a fine?" school of thought. The other mindset is: "I really care that my customers can enjoy the highest standards of hygiene".
Hygiene Officer
Should you have a designated hygiene officer in your establishment? Some jurisdictions insist on having a person who is responsible for hygiene (depending on the size of the business). This is a double-edged sword. The hygiene officer must have some clout, though, and have a direct route to senior management. On the other hand if the hygiene officer appointment is just a sop to regulations or a way of impressing health inspectors it could actually make things worse. Why? Because hygiene is the responsibility of everyone. All staff from top to bottom must ensure that they and their customers are working in clean conditions. The danger of having a hygiene officer is that the rest of the staff may feel justified in disowning responsibility for this area. The hygiene officer must not be the cleaner. So, unless the law says you must have a hygiene officer, think long and hard before you go down this route. If you do, do it well and it will pay off.
Cleanliness is Next to Succesfulness...
Why would you want to go beyond the basic standard when this costs you money? Just look at the successful restaurant chains: McDonalds and Pizza Hut have had their critics, but one things they have in common is that they are very clean. The cleanliness of these establishments may not be immediately noticeable to customers, but the subliminal message sinks into the sub-conscious: "This is a place I feel it is safe to eat at" or "I am happy for my kids to eat here" - these thoughts become hard-wired at each visit (yes I know there will be exceptions, but please accept my generalization for now!). OK, so you don't want to be a McDonalds. That's fine - but you do want customers, right?
Involving Staff
Anyway, there is no great cost involved in keeping things clean. What about encouraging more staff to eat in your kitchen, restaurant or bar. Do you charge them? Try reducing or waiving the charge. You need to encourage the staff to eat the food that you produce. They will not want to eat food in a dirty establishment. By having staff eat the food that they produce and serve, you have already introduced mutual quality control and hygiene monitoring.
Of course, a pastoral attitude towards you customers is what you are surely looking for. In other words, your customers are dear to you, aren't they? Well, try to endear them to your staff. Phrases like "would you eat off of that plate", or "would you like it if restaurant staff didn't wash their hands in the washroom" are very helpful. They personalize the effort rather than making it into the boss's issue.
And what of the boss? Does the boss in turn just make it into an issue with the health inspectors? Does the boss really care about the customers or does he just want to comply as cheaply as possibly with the rules?
Go For Quality
We sell InsectoCutor fly killers. Our customers are firmly in the former of those two camps. They really care about their customers. I don't make this statement flippantly. They really do care and speak up for their customers. From the smallest to the largest, when you see a food establishment with an InsectoCutor fly killer machine, this is a virtual hallmark of cleanliness.
And why do they prefer InsectoCutor fly killers? They are not the cheapest.
Well, they are not plastic but are made of steel. They do not allow insects to explode but are tuned very carefully to ensure the insects drop full-bodied into the catch tray. If you want to comply - just comply - with the hygiene regulations in your area then go ahead and buy a cheap, short-life low quality fly killer (you may still not comply!). On the other hand, if you want to keep and attract more customers and really care for those customers, I would urge you to buy InsectoCutor fly killers.
Fly Killers are available from Arkay Hygiene. For small establishments, the F1 or F2 fly Killers are ideal.
Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget... Read More
Our challenge as the business owner/sales person answering the telephone,... Read More
It's bound to happen sooner or later ? yes, even... Read More
Some businesses have slow paying customers or past due balances... Read More
Today, there are situations when we actually add a "middle... Read More
Different people call their Customers by different names. If they... Read More
No matter how hard you try, in business you simply... Read More
One of the most popular questions asked in online business... Read More
Over promising is a problem only when you under deliver.... Read More
Loyal customers are the foundation of almost every business. Going... Read More
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
May people these days have a problem with mounting debt.... Read More
Outsourcing seems to be the new-new thing and approximately 50%... Read More
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of those magnificent concepts... Read More
We, as small business people, naturally dislike complaints from our... Read More
Unless you are brand new to business, or have been... Read More
Background The company was experiencing an increase in the number... Read More
Have you seen that thing on TV where the gal... Read More
In today's highly competitive economy, it is difficult to maintain... Read More
Ever notice how customer service varies from store to store?... Read More
It never fails to amaze me how many companies have... Read More
Looking For Ways to Improve Sales and Customer Relationships?Find Out... Read More
Walmart was the first business to require all its employees... Read More
Some time ago a major UK food retailer decided to... Read More
Customer Loyalty, we all want it. Don't we?Some people say... Read More
Customer service is the pits, you say. You are not... Read More
Relationships... Money... Health..The Past...Failure..Mental and Spiritual Battles..Time Constraints...Professional pressures..At any... Read More
If you're still dreaming about raising outside capital for your... Read More
Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at... Read More
The relationship between customer satisfaction and success of a service... Read More
In a strange juxtapositioning of articles, this month's UK '... Read More
Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More
The future of customer service is here. Technology has made... Read More
7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by... Read More
If there was a restaurant in your town that was... Read More
In any business our customers are one of our most... Read More
Having been in business a number of years, I'm amazed... Read More
Customer retention is vital to a business. If you cannot... Read More
Landing a new client is like courting a potential spouse.... Read More
Have you ever walked into a store and things looked... Read More
I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More
There is a battle in Call Centers. The teams are... Read More
Over promising is a problem only when you under deliver.... Read More
While most companies talk about consumer friendliness, customer centricity, customer... Read More
Customers put you in business, keep you in business, and... Read More
In 2002, there wasn't much interest for Kindness in business,... Read More
Periodically every sales person encounters the customer who refuses to... Read More
You want customers. I want customers. We all want customers.... Read More
"Hi this is Randy. Leave me a message after the... Read More
This may seem a strange topic to introduce. Yet, it... Read More
One of my classes in management focused on the repeat... Read More
It's possible that in the course of your business dealings,... Read More
After years of flying below the radar in the magazine... Read More
One of the mantras we hear repeatedly in business is... Read More
You probably think I am going to say something like,... Read More
My regular readers will know that one of the things... Read More
The world of customer service is rapidly changing. Thirty years... Read More
It's a salesperson's worst nightmare- the phone call that comes... Read More
1. Don't get Hooked !!!When people behave towards you in... Read More
One thing all successful small business owners have in common... Read More
Those of us doing business over the internet have to... Read More
I will not make sales. I will make Customers.I will... Read More
Millions of people, just like you, end up with a... Read More
Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More
With customers being smarter, more cost conscious, more product knowledgeable... Read More
A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told... Read More
Customer Service |