Sunday 30 January 2011
The Great Debate: To Tip or not to Tip
In the United States people tip anywhere from 8-20% on a check. In the United Kingdom 0% is accepted. Some say you pay for what you get. Meaning if you want good service you need to reward it. However, the argument that the customer need not pay for the restaurants staffing is valid as well. A common retort, "do you tip in McDonalds?"
British butler vs greedy Yank
Your thoughts?
British butler vs greedy Yank
Your thoughts?
Friday 28 January 2011
British hotels to lose their star appeal
25.01.2011
Farimah Darbyshire
Farimah DarbyshireI love holidays and, indeed, I love the process of booking holidays. So I was really interested to read that the Government could scrap the traditional star rating system for British hotels. Today, ministers have said that reviews from websites, such as TripAdvisor, offer more accurate and reliable information than, and should replace, the current one-to-five-star system.
This proposed “give consumers the control” shake up is, of course, not without opposition. Many hotel owners complain of unfair reviews on travel websites. For example, Duncan Bannatyne is considering legal action against TripAdvisor following a ‘dishonest’ review of one of his hotels.
Change is inevitable
Whatever new proposed system might be introduced in the Government White Paper, I would imagine (and I would hope!) that it would not simply be a case of hotels directly linking their formal status to a site such as TripAdvisor. And hopefully there would be a more sophisticated mechanic to help protect hotel owners from malicious reviews.
But, it’s not worth fighting the change. These Government suggestions are far from radical, and are just formalising what’s already happening. How many people now book a hotel purely on how many stars they have? I’ve just been on a three week holiday, and I checked every single place I stayed against at least two review sites. And with the increasing popularity of social media sites, such as Quora, this trend for seeking advice is only set to increase.
A milestone in the new consumer democracy
One thing’s for sure – the entire hospitality industry is going to have become a lot more savvy on the social media front. Hotels will need to be monitoring and tracking negative feedback in real time to nip potential problems in the bud. While, at the same time, engaging with and encouraging happy customers to post a positive review.
The proposed revamp of a long standing ‘star’ system is just another milestone in the new consumer democracy we live in. And I am pretty sure that this move marks the start of a broader shift away from state-sanctioned assessments.
Hotel star ratings: To infinity and beyond | ||||
 Time was when a four-star rating for a hotel was the marker of sheer, unbridled luxury. Then it was five stars, then six and seven. But is anyone keeping a cap on star ratings? The great hotels that graced European capitals when they first opened were never given star ratings, but everyone knew what they stood for - luxury, opulence and privilege. When London's landmark Savoy Hotel, overlooking the Thames river, opened its doors in 1889, it boasted such remarkable features as electric lifts, "speaking tubes" to link each floor, and 67 fully plumbed bathrooms - which prompted the builder to ask: "Do you expect your guests to be amphibians?" In today's terms the equivalent features would be the infinity pool, a helicopter landing pad on the hotel roof, and a butler and Bentley at your disposal.
The high-end luxury hotels, and their eye-candy images in magazines and on travel websites, are easy enough to spot. But often when it comes to booking a hotel, navigating the global hotel star rating system can be the most complicated part of a trip. That is because no such system exists. Star rating systems can vary from global region to global region, country to country, and in many cases even within countries. And there's further disarray about which star rating denotes the best of the best. The four-star ceiling of old has given way in some places to a five-star rating - the promise of ultimate luxury. But recently this has been usurped by six- and seven-star ratings for hotels in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. There are even rumours of a 10-star hotel planned for somewhere in the Middle East. But some in the industry believe this star-rating inflation is more for the benefit of the hotels than their guests. "This is only done for prestige," says Dr Ghassan Aidi, president of the International Hotels and Restaurants Association. "They want to be apart from the four or five stars existing. They call themselves six stars, seven stars, 10 stars. No such thing exists. Five stars is already too much."  Click to play Rajan Datar's report for BBC World News fast:track on hotel star ratings It's an opinion backed by Margaret Bowler, who works closely with businesses and books millions of rooms around the world on their behalf. "It's totally confusing because it's very fragmented," says Ms Bowler, director of Global Hotel Relations. "It depends on which part of the world you are actually in to what the rating is, or if in fact they actually have one." Part of the problem is that no one can agree what exactly the stars represent, says Ms Bowler. In Europe stars are assigned if hotel properties have lifts and leisure facilities and not necessarily on when the property was last refurbished and its current state, she says. "You may be staying in a top-end hotel, but that may not be the experience that you actually get." Some may choose to blame the whole idea that a hotel's quality - or lack of - could be summed up in something as crude as a star rating. If that's the case, the British may have to take the rap for being one of the originators. In the UK the star rating system dates back to 1912, when the Automobile Association's secretary, Stenson Cooke, hit on the idea. He had once worked as a wine and spirit salesman and, says Simon Numphud, AA hotel services manager, "felt that the star rating of brandy would be a familiar yardstick to apply to hotels". A three-star classification system was born. British standards Today, the AA in Britain works on a five-star system. After years of confusing tourists and Britons alike, a standardised system was launched in 2007.
A joint venture between the Visit Britain tourist board, and those in Scotland and Wales, and the AA, it is based on hotels volunteering to sign up to a standardised five-star system. Higher standards of cleanliness, ambience, hospitality, service and food earn more stars - with gold and silver awards for "exceptional quality" in service. France has also tried to harmonise its star rating systems. Earlier this year it introduced a new system that updated the previous standard created in 1986. A hotel could have held on to its star ratings without undertaking any renovations. Now, stars are assigned for a period of five years. But anyone booking a room in Turkey, for example, will come up against two completely different rating systems - one run by the central government and the other by local municipalities. And in the United States there are several competing systems - the American Automobile Association assigns diamonds whereas Forbes Travel assigns stars. Not surprisingly, Forbes talks up the virtues of its system and as long as travellers stick to its guides, they will get a consistent experience, says Shane O'Flaherty, chief executive of Forbes Travel. One star system "We inspect each and every hotel that's rated around the country in the exact same way. So ultimately it's perfect competition for the hotels and then ultimately it's perfect information for the consumers."
However, Forbes also assesses rooms outside the US and its guidelines are not the same all over the world. It's something the company is trying to change. "Our ultimate goal is to create one unified star rating system out there in the world for hotels that the consumer can trust," says Mr O'Flaherty. So could this be a blueprint for a single, global hotel star standard? It's a tall order which, in some ways, gets to the heart of the issue - different cultures around the world value different things. Some countries put air-conditioning at a premium, others an ice machine on every floor. A cooked breakfast is vital for some nationalities. In France, the minimum size for a three star room is two thirds the size of one in Spain. But a compromise is perhaps emerging. Earlier this year, Mr Aidi says, seven European countries met and agreed on a standard of rating hotels. "This has more chance to succeed. We do approve, and we do agree, and we do sponsor some kind of local standard, regional standard - but not worldwide." A version of this story first appeared on fast:track on BBC World News channel. | ||||
Thursday 27 January 2011
Mary Portas sparks record number of wannabe mystery shoppers
The customer experience improvement agency reported a record number of sign ups last weekend, inspired, it believes, by the launch of Mary Portas' new Channel 4 show, Secret Shopper.
In the first episode, which aired on Wednesday, January 19, Ms Portas examined the level of customer service in the fashion retail industry. Last night, the second installment saw her take on the sofa superstores, where she teamed up with Northern chain CSL Sofas to try and turnaround its idea of customer care and taking its Rotherham store, with its team of raucous sales guys, in hand.
Retail Eyes believes the series has triggered something among the British public, with thousands of shoppers jumping at the opportunity to provide feedback to retailers, and earn themselves extra money, while shopping on the high street or visiting pubs and restaurants.
According to the mystery shopper group, the renewed interest in customer service has also sparked an increase in the number of retailers and hospitality providers looking to improve the experience they offer to customers.
Retail Eyes marketing manager Simon Boydell said: "It is great to see an increased interest into the world of mystery shopping - consumers are becoming aware that not only can they get paid to go shopping, eat out at a restaurant or stay the night in a hotel, but they will be providing valuable feedback to assist retailers in providing a more enjoyable shopping experience for everyone.
"As viewers will have seen in Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, the power of customer feedback and the mystery shopper is immense. It is by far one of the best ways to assess service, as mystery shoppers give honest feedback about their shopping experiences so retailers and service providers can ensure they are offering the best service. "
Ms Portas even offers shoppers the chance to air their views about customer service on her website, with a section dubbed 'The Best (& Worst) Shops in Britain'.
A number of leading home and DIY retailers are featured in the list, including Focus, B&Q, Homebase, Dunelm Mill, John Lewis and Pets at Home, with their rankings updated as new comments and reviews are posted.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
People 1st calls for improvements in customer service
People 1st calls for improvements in customer service: "People 1st has warned that UK leisure businesses are in danger of losing out on Olympic revenue if they fail to improve current levels of customer service."
Sunday 23 January 2011
Awful customer service exposed
Awful <b>customer service</b> exposed: "
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| NICKY SAYS: "The staff here are incredibly young and uninterested in customer service. "I try on a pair of leather trousers only to discover they have a rip ... See all stories on this topic » |  The Sun |
British comedy and terrible customer service, a match made in heaven
<b>British</b> comedy and terrible <b>customer service</b>, a match made in heaven: "
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| Michel Roux and Mary Portas are both on TV this week tackling the culture of crap customer service in the UK, either by shaming shops into treating their ... See all stories on this topic » |  The Guardian |
Are you being served?
Are you being served?: "By Rosie Waites BBC News Bad customer service is unforgivable and it's everywhere in the UK, says Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr. So why is it still ...
See all stories on this topic »"
See all stories on this topic »"
Saturday 22 January 2011
Asbo kids to top waiters - a tall order for Roux
Written by Lisa Sewards in the Daily Mail, Friday, January 21,2011
We've watched trainee front-of-house staff mix up orders and not know what’s on the menu in BBC Two’s Michel Roux’s Service. Not forgetting the girl who offered a customer a glass of prosciutto rather than prosecco.
So is Michel’s quest to shake up the UK’s notoriously slapdash restaurant service failing? ‘We’re getting there,’ he says. ‘I can safely say the gaffes are getting fewer.’ Indeed, by the end of the series, six of his eight proteges have landed good service jobs and one has the confidence to go back to college.
Roux’s motley crew includes Brooke Arnold, 18, who’s worked for McDonald’s, Nikkita Palphreyman, 19, a single mum, and Niki Bedson, 22, a history graduate who was rejected for numerous jobs.
Arduous task: Michel Roux has a job on his hands teaching his eight trainees to be front of house staff
The oldest is 24-year-old James Marvin, who gave up his sales job because, ‘I hated lining my boss’s pockets’.
Then there’s former hairdresser Danielle Meenagh, 19, who admits: ‘Before Michel’s show I’d never drunk wine and had only heard of pinot noir.’
But the biggest surprise is 21-year-old Ashley Flay. ‘I left school at 14,’ he says. ‘Then spent my time getting drunk and being abusive, so that earned me an Asbo. What a waste of my life. Before the show, I’d never eaten in a place which had table service.’
All the trainees are being mentored by Roux and Fred Sirieix, who runs London restaurant Galvin at Windows. Roux says: ‘Slowly, the message is coming across to them that great service is as important as great food.
‘If the food I served at my restaurant [Michelin-starred Le Gavroche] was mediocre, but the service was brilliant, the customers would still keep coming back. But I’d never see them again if the service was rubbish, even though the food was brilliant.
‘That’s something that too few restaurants understand. I want to create a service culture, because there is a brilliant career to be had in restaurant service.
‘And the top front-of-house staff can earn as much as a top chef — well into six figures. And, like chefs, their skills can take them all over the world’.
His proteges are taken to chain restaurants, polo matches, country-house banquets, weddings and the best restaurants in Europe in order to learn front-of-house skills. Their attempts at acting as sommeliers and maitre d’s are hilarious - if embarrassing.
Don't mention the service: Classic comedy Fawlty Towers offered an example of how not to serve restaurant diners
But at the end of the eight episodes, he chooses two winners to take up placements at leading hotels and restaurants.
It’s an arduous task considering most of his trainees have only eaten in fast food joints and wine is a sophistication beyond their understanding.
‘Many didn’t even know the basic structure of a meal - starter, main course and dessert,’ says Roux. ‘They hadn’t even eaten things like anchovies, which they condemned as “hairy”. I never thought they’d make it.
‘The worst part of all was their disrespect for the whole culture of service. We went through all kinds of traumas, from them kicking diners out early, inventing table numbers to squeeze more customers in, quarrelling in front of the guests and flirting and exchanging numbers with diners.
‘There were also terrible moments when they mocked customers or commented on their dress sense. Nor did they all pull their weight.’
Cooking a crepe Suzette at a table proved a huge challenge for one contestant, as did carving a roast for another. And when one of the girls was assigned to serve Michel, she panicked - and the crucial meal timings were thrown out of sync.
Roux says: ‘Thank goodness it all clicks into place for the trainees by programme six and they start to take it seriously. They begin to realise that front-of-house service is a career that demands skill, passion and commitment.’
Trainee Danielle Meenagh says: ‘The first time I opened a bottle of wine, I was shaking and spilt it.
‘Now I’m learning all about wines. I just can’t believe how exciting and interesting it is. I look back at the beginning of the show and realise how ignorant I was about the world of service.’
And Ashley Flay says: ‘At first I couldn’t handle the pressure of being thrown in the deep end.
‘It was so stressful and I was about to quit until I realised what an amazing opportunity Michel had given me. He taught me to have confidence in myself.’
‘It’s not just restaurants that need to up their game,’ says Roux. ‘I walk an extra ten minutes to a newspaper shop where I’m served with eye contact and a smile rather than one where I am ignored.’
Michel Roux’s Service is on BBC2 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm.
Kentucky Fried Service
Stopped at a service station on our way home from a fantastic week snow skiing in France. Had a laugh watching the counter personnel stand around in a group joking and texting with backs turned to the counter. First service tip here: start with a new manager.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Barclays bank Llanrwst
If you walk into a Barclays branch in Llanrwst, North Wales and you don't have a pen to fill out your deposit slip, have no fear. The bank offers complimentary pens for customers use. In an era of pens on chains I found this quite refreshing.
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