Hospitality Management: Chapter 8 : Unique features in managed services of food services operations

1. Challenge to please guest and client

The managed services of food services operation providers are providing an integrated food service to other organizations. The other organizations usually do not have their own food service. Therefore the main challenge of food services providers is to please both guest and client.

For example, the food services provider is servicing a secondary school. In this case, the party that receiving food service is students (guest) and the school and parents (client) give the opportunity the provider to serve. It is a huge challenge for service provider to please both guest and client since they have different needs and wants. Probably student more focus on taste and choice but parents want their children eat healthy, and then parents always consider the nutrition.

2. Guests are captive clientele

This means the guests have no option and they are captive clientele. For the same case, students may only eat inside school during break and they do not have any other alternatives. Other examples like students in primary schools and patients in hospitals. What is more, the guests may be eating the foodservice operation only once on a daily basis.

On-site food service is a “captive market”. Restaurant customers have always had a range of choices, including choices of facilities and menus. While for the guests of on-site food service, they do have a choice in the long run but in a much lesser extent.

3. Food service is not the primary business

Organizations like primary schools are providing education service, hospitals are providing medical service, and hotels are providing accommodation service, etc. All of them have a similar relationship. Their primary business is not food service. However, almost all of them providing food service by other food service operation providers in order to provide an integrated service and increase their overall quality of services. Some companies may provide the food service for the employees’ dining in order to maintain the labor relations.

Although both commercial restaurant and food managed services provide food services and use similar marketing and managerial techniques, there are differences between two markets. Food service of host organizations is a small part of a lager operation with a greater purpose of overriding importance: health care in health care facilities, education in primary and secondary schools and universities, or businesses in industry. Organizations like primary schools are providing education service, hospitals are providing medical service, and hotels are providing accommodation service, etc. All of them have a similar relationship. Their primary business is not food service. However, almost all of them providing food service by other food service operation providers in order to provide an integrated service and increase their overall quality of services. Some companies may provide the food service for the employees’ dining in order to maintain the labor relations.

4. Produce food in large quantity

Many managed services providers produce large quantity of food for a fixed period to serve. For example the lunch breaks of primary schools and secondary schools. As all of the students with the same school, they will have lunch in the same fixed period and it is almost more than a hundred peoples that the managed services providers need to serve.

5. Volume of business is consistent

The volume of business is consistent than those commercial restaurants. It is because they are serving their guests in a fixed period with pre-order. Hence, it is easier to predict the number of meals and portion size, it is easier to plan, organize, produce and serve meals. Besides, the other reason is they usually get the pre-order from school (guests and client) monthly before.

6. Success is measured by the participation rate

The success of food managed service is measured by the participation rate of the guests. In an age of consumerism, guests don’t hesitate to complain even they can’t “vote with their feet” and have other dinning alternatives. Therefore, the marketing techniques and management skills of the food service contractors would be considered during the selection of food service contractors.