Anyone involved in Catering/ Hospitality etc

[Cheffie]

Buffalo

I don't think it's a unique problem, ie just in your area. It's hugely evident in the restaurant side of things as well.
Recruiting the right candidates, training them and keeping them seems to be an ongoing problem for most businesses.

WRT service levels etc, I was equally surprised at the "1st world service' upon arrival. However you adapt and weed out all the suppliers etc who do not conform to your ideas and spec's. Sure it's a tiresome process, but the end results once a decent ground has been established is worthwhile.

Maintaining those relationships is enjoyable - they enjoy having to "work" for something different.

I could wax lyrically about the huge "celebrity/ TV " attitude amongst some of the entrants.. but I'll save that for another day.
I guess it's a matter of hanging in there and persevering with YOUR standards and taking the best examples of whats on offer and adapting them to suit your own.

With such a huge 'pub culture' you'd think that there'd be more people who are willing to get down and dirty in the industry - sadly at present this is NOT the case when it comes to service levels IMHO.

[Cheffie]

Originally posted by Pooky
okay so how do you plan on reciprocating in kind - this i need to know so that i can either join this forum or hi jack someone elses.

Welcome to the catering "Thread" - the Business Forum is open to anyone wishing to network etc. As it's a "Hijack" free zone.. perhaps someone else's thread/ forum might be more appropriate..

You're welcome to share your views on Catering and Hospitality in this thread too - the more the merrier

As for reciprocating.. Advice received will be reciprocated at a later date with advice offered. I guess it's a matter of sharing and enhancing everyones viewpoint

[buffalo]

I've got to do some performance appraisals (assessments) next week, and the only assessment sheets i have are by Choice Franchise - which i'm not very impressed with.

In SA i used to use one based on the Sun International form which was pretty good. Do you have any suggestions as to where i might be able to find others.

[jimswin]

Originally posted by Cheffie
LOL

did you send it up on the next Room Service trolley?

With the Viagra for breakfast ??

Great Story Buffalo

[Cheffie]

Originally posted by buffalo
I've got to do some performance appraisals (assessments) next week, and the only assessment sheets i have are by Choice Franchise - which i'm not very impressed with.

In SA i used to use one based on the Sun International form which was pretty good. Do you have any suggestions as to where i might be able to find others.

Hi buffalo

Unfortunately I cannot help you out with that one. Perhaps someone else involved might be able to lend a hand?

alternatively get an ex-colleaugue in SA from Sun International to email you some advice?

[buffalo]

No worries. Got hold of someone they mailing to me on Monday.

[buffalo]

I've been looking for a university where i can do a BComm Hospitality degree via correspondance/online/distance learning and i cannot find any where i can do it through that medium of studying. I'd prefer an instituition in Europe, but if i can find any i'll probably give them a go.

If anyone has any suggestions that would be much appreciated.

Another thing - does anyone have any suggestions to which informative hospitality sites i can subsribe to? At present i'm subsribed to quite a few but all of them are US based. I'd like to subscribe to European based sites.

[Cheffie]

Hi Buffalo

I'm not too sure if there are many European distance learning courses offered. If you pick up a copy of "Caterer and Hotelkeeper" - 2004 Directory, these are some of the following ads:

Brooklands college http://www.brooklands.ac.uk
Bournemouth and Poole college might offer something: http://www.thecollege.co.uk

Caterer and Hotelkeeper is available every Thursday from the newsagent - buy a copy and get into the local way of things. There are numerous other publications.. you'll have to read them and decide which ones suit you best.

There is a bookshop in London, Books for Cooks, which might be able to guide you in what publications etc to get. Its near Nottinghill station (about 10mins walk away) so pop in there next time you're in London.

As for hospitality sites, probably the Caterer site http://www.caterer.com - its also got a link to caterer-online.

There is a chefs site in the US, http://www.chef2chef.com which is quite good, but it may be too focused for your area?

Out of interest, which sites and publications are you subscribed to?

[sterretjie]

this is rather interesting. in germany people have to go to a training for 3 years to work as a qualified waiter. ok, they work in the hotels and then 2x a year have to go to school. so, here, being a waiter does not have a bad reputation.

[Cheffie]

Originally posted by sterretjie
this is rather interesting. in germany people have to go to a training for 3 years to work as a qualified waiter. ok, they work in the hotels and then 2x a year have to go to school. so, here, being a waiter does not have a bad reputation.

I think in most places on the Continent it's seen as a career and something worthwhile doing..

However the message is slow to reach these parts across the puddle - sometimes it's seen as "beneath them".. which is a great shame really