Letters

what's wrong with a bit of respect?…

I HAVE heard many stories of discourteous treatment of potential employees by employers at interviews, but this has not happened to me until recently.

I was invited to a large hotel for an interview, and had been told that I would see one of three people.

However when I arrived, after travelling all morning, no one seemed to have any knowledge of my interview.

Not only that, but I was told that there were no vacancies left. I was not offered an apology or even a cup of coffee.

This surely has to be a prime example of lack of respect among some employers for potential staff.

James Monnelly

Woking,

Surrey.

..and backing good intentions

AFTER numerous years abroad, I returned to this country, initially operating my own business, but subsequently entering the industry as an employee.

A general lack of response and courtesy caused me much distress. Whether age was a factor or not is irrelevant. It is no excuse.

Having eventually found employment, with a prominent company, I also found the "Dickensian attitude" referred to by Anthony Marks in his letter (Caterer, 18 February, page 18), not only alive, but rife - albeit cloaked by an Investors in People facade.

The demands on this industry are greater than ever before, with society developing a culture of extended leisure time and more expendable income which, by definition, increases the demands and pressure on staff to provide even better service.

Ironically, while we scramble to keep abreast of the needs of everyone in this evolving culture, as an industry we seem to be universally excluded from this concept.

I agree with David Harris in his Opinion (Caterer, 25 February, page 17), that many senior executives in our industry seem to be able to put their hands on their hearts and collectively agree that "people are the most important part of the organisation". They may even make some reference to manpower and management resource in their business plans.

But it seems that there is never a link between business objectives and people development, which is articulated in terms of performance.

We are a service industry, and yet in reality it appears that the only service our industry leaders promote is lip service to training activities and the much wider development activities of human resources planning.

Let's not continue to make statements at seminars and conferences about "people development"; let's actually do it.

W Cooper

Todmorden,

West Yorkshire.

And a plague of locusts next week

WHILE computer confusion or total collapse at the time of the rollover to the next century may be fascinating to some and frightening to others, a more serious consequence of this event is beginning to emerge.

I am becoming aware of deep rumblings from lower-paid night workers in the service sector, who might be required to be on duty that night. Words such as "unavailable", "sick", "holiday" etc, are being used unless they are promised a major millennial bonus to the order of £500-£1,000. Already, a large town-centre pub in Southport has stated that it will not be opening on that night. The reason given is somewhat spurious, but I suspect that the management foresee unacceptable staffing difficulties.

Employers are going to have to get to grips with this problem very shortly or I can see "utilities" directors manning control panels; chief constables walking the beat; no ambulances or fire engines and a distinct shortage of pubs and clubs in which to celebrate the millennium, let alone hospitals or nursing homes struggling to maintain basic care without their vital auxiliaries. Perhaps the prime minister may have to answer his own telephone…

For just one night in 1,000 years, will this be a time when the meek shall inherit the earth?

Mike Dutfield

Southport.

we should have the best hygiene

AT A TIME when the nation is becoming ever more concerned about food hygiene, I was surprised by a recent experience I had when attending the Hospitality Week 99 exhibition at the NEC.

As the hospitality was as liquid as ever it was inevitable that I should have to visit the spacious toilet facilities. While there I was disappointed to note that of all the other men who came in, only a very small number washed their hands before leaving, irrespective of whether they had used a urinal or cubicle.

Bearing in mind that the visitors were all, by and large, people within the catering trade and should therefore have known better, it is worrying that the message of how vital personal hygiene is really hasn't hit home.

This is particularly true of the chef, resplendent in his crisp whites, who returned to his stand "unwashed" where he then continued to handle, slice and serve food.

Surely it is up to all of us within the trade to maintain scrupulous personal hygiene regimes whether we are in the kitchen or not? It would seem however, that the message is still falling on deaf ears, muted no doubt by the trades disgusting old myth that "all the best kitchens are dirty". Presumably that refers to the staff too.

I truly hope not.

Paul Twiselton

A&E Group,

Berkshire.

confidence from restaurateurs

COME on Michael Gottlieb, what sort of statement is that for the president of the Restaurant Association to make? "When people go out to eat they know they take risks." (Caterer, February 18, page 20).

You make it sound like climbing Mount Everest. I have certainly never considered it a risk eating in any of your restaurants. Maybe I will in the future.

The trouble is, so might a lot of other people and that will not do the industry any good at all. Whatever your thoughts about GM food, it is not something that is just going to go away, however much GM food Tony Blair is prepared to eat.

As you say yourself, "there is a whiff of it not being right," and clearly people are concerned, as is evident from the many media straw polls in the past couple of weeks. So they need reassurance. They are not getting it from the Government, and "eat here at your own risk" statements from restaurateurs won't win over their confidence either.

Alan Sutton

Dunstable,

Bedfordshire.

There are many smokers without tears

Any businesses planning to collude in the "bash the smoker" orgy better known as No Smoking Day (10 March) would be advised to think again. Such attacks upon the rights of adult smokers are not only unwarranted interference in people's private lives but prove troublesome for those concerned.

Some businesses pander to anti-smoker measures because they believe smokers actually welcome them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only a masochist likes to be nagged about their lifestyle and smokers are no exception.

Smoking restrictions are resented not only by smokers but also millions of tolerant non-smokers. For example, non-smoking restaurants have had to reverse no-smoking policies after non-smokers refused to make bookings because their friends weren't allowed to smoke.

Before getting embroiled with anti-smokers, establishments should be aware of how unpopular and socially divisive they can be. It would be better by far to explore ways in which smokers and non-smokers can be accommodated equally.

Martin Ball, FOREST, London SW1.