Nightmare

Friday afternoon, and Robyn Jones is feeling decidedly ragged. The first week of the new City contract - catering for 1,500 staff on two sites for the London Stock Exchange - has been fraught with problems, the worst of which is that five out of the eight staff have decided not to move to Charlton House with the contract, but to stay with their previous employer, High Table.

"At the time we won the contract, one of the managers and two other staff told us they had decided to stay with High Table. But the other manager and a supervisor told us at the last moment," says Robyn.

On the good news front, commercial director Alison Robinson has won a contract at Inter-Church House, at London's Waterloo - the headquarters of the British and Irish Council of Churches Trust. This is the home of a number of charities, including Christian Aid. Charlton House starts work there this week, having bid for the contract - previously held by Sutcliffe - in September and October.

But at the Stock Exchange, just two staff members are expected on the following Monday as one of the remaining three has departed for a month's holiday. Stress is forecast.

Fortunately Charlton House has already found one new manager, Alison Courtney-Dunn, who was foyer services manager at the Royal Festival Hall, on London's South Bank. She will come in on the Sunday to help with preparation, and manage the operation on the first Monday, before going back to work her notice.

Courtney-Dunn will manage the Stock Exchange Tower building, and the other site, at Christopher Street, will be run by Clare Edwards, who has been managing a H„agen-Dazs shop in London's Hampstead.

Meanwhile, Robyn gets stuck in with everyone else, both in the kitchen and on a drive round the late-night shops at the end of the first day to find cinnamon bread for Tuesday's breakfast. "I enjoy this, because it's proving what we're about - not sitting behind a desk and getting someone else in to sort things out. This has brought us close to the client, who now knows about our commitment."

Why the late-night shopping? "What's been interesting with all the suppliers has been the response they've given to emergency situations. Some have been magnificent, but some haven't given the response they should have done."

The difference shows, says Robyn, after the contract with a supplier has been agreed at head office level, and unit managers start placing their orders with telephone sales staff. "If we can't get through till 3pm, they might say ‘Sorry, orders have to be in at 2pm' - and they won't take it."

But she is full of praise for the Kensington Provision Company, a supplier she is using for sandwiches for the Stock Exchange. Proprietor Michael Clayton is keeping a close eye on the service his staff are providing, so that this kind of brush-off doesn't happen. He's a man after Robyn's heart - she is taking exactly the same approach to the Stock Exchange.

To crown a stressful first week, the company that supplies confectionery at the Stock Exchange misses its delivery time on the Thursday. Then on the Friday there is an apologetic phone call: the lorry has been hijacked and the driver tied up. The target, apparently, was a cargo of cigarettes.

Alison goes to the Fast Food Fair in Brighton on the first day, with the client from the Stock Exchange. The client is impressed with the show, and is persuaded to buy two jacket potato machines, one for each site.

Robyn has also added a salad bar to the service at the Stock Exchange, which is all take-away business, most of the food being eaten at people's desks.

Things have been busy at Action for Blind People, where Charlton House takes over this week. Currently, the client uses an old-fashioned canteen but has agreed to redecoration and some new equipment - mainly a proper servery counter and a commercial dishwasher.

Charlton House has also been looking at initiatives it can take for the start-up next week of the St Benedict's Schools contract. All the staff, previously on Gardner Merchant's payroll, are transferring, and Robyn and colleagues have been doing a lot of work with the manager.

"At the Fast Food Fair we found some novelty food boxes made in card for one-off use, and we're going to use these. Parents decide in advance whether they want school meals for their children. But we are also going to promote a packed lunch which they can buy from the school, rather than bring one from home."

St Benedict's also has a new salad bar, and Robyn has advised the manager she'll be required to scrap the four-week menu cycle in favour of weekly planning. "That way you can respond to what's on the market, the weather, and so on," she says.

Tim Jones has been busy on the financial systems side. Charlton House has installed the UnitMaster catering control system originally designed for High Table at Bix Manor, the company's headquarters in Henley. November was the first "live" month, and generally it's going well, says Tim. The system doesn't yet accommodate some of the slight differences in the way Charlton House operates, compared with High Table, and at mid-December Tim hasn't been able to close the account for November.

"Network Partnership is writing upgrades for us, and the next version, which will come early in the year, will deal with those differences," says Tim.

The quantum leap is yet to come: UnitMaster is designed to be operated by the managers at individual contracts, but currently it's working only at head office.

Tim has also opted for Midland Bank's Hexagon system, which enables employees and suppliers to be paid electronically. "We paid the November payroll on Hexagon, with only a few hiccups, and we shall probably start paying suppliers by Hexagon in January."

Next visit to Charlton House: 2 February

The story so far

Charlton House has been gearing up for several new catering contracts. The biggest job is the London Stock Exchange, which it has just taken over; but Action for the Blind, in South London, and St Benedict's Schools, West London, follows this month.

The bad news: Charlton House lost the bid for AT&T Network Systems' catering, which went to Summit Catering.

Managing director Robyn Jones has given time to be a judge for the 1994/95 Booker Prize for Excellence, and took part in a Focus on Business day at Brooklands Museum - a Charlton House client.

FACT FILE

Charlton House Catering Services

Managing director: Robyn Jones

Turnover to 30 September 1993: £628,000

Gross profit to 30 September 1993: £92,800

Turnover for November 1994: £127,300

Estimated gross profit for November 1994: £17,900

Expected turnover to 30 September 1994: £1.15m

Expected gross profit to 30 September 1994: £150,000