Letters
Customers have the right to reward service
I have read with interest both Carol Richards's(20 April) and Michael Hoy's letters about tipping in restaurants.
My partner is manager of a restaurant, and I frequenta range of catering establishments. Consequently, I feel qualified to express a layman's opinion on the matter.
A gratuity is not a gift; a tip must be earned (remember it is taxable income). Doing a job well is no longer enough.
For an £8 to £10 tip on an £80 bill, waiting staff must transform the meal into an especially enjoyable and memorable occasion.
Customers are becoming more discerning, expectations are rising and greater competition encourages consumers to exercise choice in favour of quality, value and service.
In my experience, standards of service in the UK are still too low, and we can all recount occasions where the waiter or waitress has been less than obliging. I have heard some argue this point on the basis of a deep national psyche, which equates service with servility.
Nevertheless, Carol Richards clearly believes that she provides a quality of service that meets or exceeds her customers' expectations. It must be said, however, that this is her judgement.
Perhaps the omission of generous tips and the proffer of a derisory 25p is an indication that not all is as it should be. This may, then, be an opportunity to review the business and service from the customer's perspective - what are their wants and expectations?
Remember, it is the customer who determines what is considered good service and value for money, not the service provider.
ROGER LLOYD
Warmley, Bristol.
Best to Keep on the same track
I didn't agree with Russell Kett's advice to the person thinking of building a small hotel next to his roadside diner. My advice is:
Tender for offers from at least two reputable developers (pick the names from a critical reading of a few issues of Caterer);
Choose the best offer;
Sell up.
If the roadside diner owner wants to carry on in the trade, he should repeat his present operation. Researching town plans should uncover a potentially rewarding site, which could be sold on, say, 10 years hence.
A couple of such moves should see him with sufficient capital to retire.
ERIC FOLEY
Proprietor,
Old Manor Farmhouse, Taunton, Somerset.
Employers suffer double vision
Why is it that a lot of breweries and hoteliers are so adamant about employing couples to manage their establishments? How about giving us experienced and qualified single job-seekers a chance?
RL BARRY
Laxfield, Suffolk.
In the pursuit of youth
I have watched with interest the growing debate over ageism and in particular the age criteria specified in job advertisements. Perhaps it is time to ask employers why they appear to have ageist policies.
Reading the jobs section of Caterer (4 May) was particularly revealing. Many of the ads specified age. To name two: Tom Cobleigh wanted management couples aged 25-45, while for Portfolio, even attendees at a careers open day had to be "young".
In contrast, some ads made no mention of age. Gardner Merchant, which was advertising for a hotel services manager went so far as to state "age will not be a factor".
If Gardner Merchant can have such an enlightened policy, why not others? Employees and potential employees have had their say - nearly all voicing dissatisfaction. I therefore invite those companies advertising jobs with age limits to explain why.
CHRISTINE FITZWILLIAM
General Manager,
ECO, London SW4.
Experience seems not to count
Continuing the theme set by Chris Hassall, I find it increasingly frustrating to see more and more job ads for lower and middle line management positions setting qualification criteria minimums of HND or graduate level.
Do employers, particularly large organisations, not value past experience, or are they merely interested in the prestige that these so-called fast-track learners will bring to their organisations? How about those people who have no such qualifications but who have worked within the industry supporting these students - are they not worthy of even an initial interview?
How do employers view the new competence-assessed NVQ qualifications when placed against, say, HND qualifications that have been gained by cognitive study and literate writing but little or no practical experience?
And if catering lecturers, according to your recent articles, want to be more in touch with the industry, how many are being given the opportunity to update their knowledge of industry practices and so pass on the information to their students?
JONATHAN HEARTH
Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
Star applicants fail to shine
I am replying to "Are employers missing out on star managers?
As the managing director of a well-established specialist agency recruiting craft, management and executive personnel on behalf of the contract catering industry, I can confirm that, in my experience, contract caterers are more than happy to employ "stars" from other sectors of the industry.
The problem, however, is that often applicants do not do enough to make their written applications stand out. For example, they seldom illustrate strongly enough the contribution they could make to the success of the company they are applying to, nor how their existing skills are transferable. They are, therefore, often rejected at the first stage.
Employment companies such as mine take time to explore a candidate's star quality and can present in the most appropriate way a candidate's details to employers who trust our judgement, thus removing the difficult initial stage.
If the author of your letter is a "brilliant star manager", I am confident we could secure him or her an appointment with the right employer.
But, it would then be up to him or her to demonstrate the relevance of personal attributes, skills and experience at interview.
JANE SUNLEY
Managing Director,
Mayday Staff Services, London E1.
It's cheaper to talk at BT
Further to your article "It's cheap to talk", I would like to point out BT's household rate is, in fact, 4.2p per unit.
It is, however, pleasing to see hoteliers recognising the problem of expensive telephone calls and this is one of the many ways in which to address this regular guest complaint.
ELIZABETH STRANGE
Commercial Director,
Telephone Management Systems, Ferndown, Dorset.
The 8p per unit price quoted includes equipment rental as well as the costs of the calls - Editor.
