Every one knows about how to ordering food right but every one wants to know some good tips while ordering food for any occasion. Do you know that on an average you pay 2 times for half of the guests you have invited when you conduct one function?
The experience is all too common. You go to a Chinese restaurant with the hope of enjoying a delicious and authentic Chinese meal. You order, and out comes a plate mounded with lumpy rice and meat covered in brown sauce and ringed by grease-saturated broccoli florets. Chinese food, American-style. What went wrong?
I am going to explain through a real life example.
Let’s say, Ananya, a woman living in Chennai, wants to order food for celebrating her son Arjit’s first birthday. It’s going to be a joyous occasion since she is going to meet her grandparents after a long time. Thus she wants to make it perfect.
Inside the customer’s hat
Her important needs are going to be:
- Food should be sufficient in quantity & excellent in quality. Running out of food is not an option she has since it’s a definite sign of poor planning and stinginess.
- The price should be as low as possible. That is, the best price she could get for the quality.
The things she has to decide:
- Number of expected guests for the party (pax)
- Hotel/Restaurant that is going to handle the entire party.
- The variety of dishes and delicacies.
Inside the customer’s hat
Her important needs are going to be:
- Food should be sufficient in quantity & excellent in quality. Running out of food is not an option she has since it’s a definite sign of poor planning and stinginess.
- The price should be as low as possible. That is, the best price she could get for the quality.
The things she has to decide:
- Number of expected guests for the party (pax)
- Hotel/Restaurant that is going to handle the entire party.
- The variety of dishes and delicacies.
Now she goes and tries out various restaurants/hotels and inquires about their menu along with the price. Ananya finally reduces the list down to 3. Now is the point where the deciding variable budges in and it’s a simple word called “REPUTATION” but a very powerful one.
While talking to her grandfather, he casually mentions “this” was the same restaurant from which we ordered for your nephew’s house warming function and it was very good. “This” restaurant was finalized by Ananya and it was Hotel Saravana Bhavan.
- Number of plates ordered: 100 (This is the expected total number of guests calculated by Ananya)
- Price: Rs 300/plate ($4.75/plate)
Menu Name: Special Dinner Buffet
(Note that the restaurants always charge per plate and you will know why in a few seconds)
Inside the Manager’s hat:
Todi is the Banquet Manager and he has been with this company for 5 years now. His dual objectives: Customer satisfaction and Profit Maximization.
Todi is enjoying his well earned drink after a good weekend and is in a reflective mood. Ten minutes later, he is back to work and starts his standard procedures. Taking out his black fountain pen, he immaculately jots down the following observations:
- Name: Mrs Ananya Paul
- Number of plates: 100
- Price: Rs 300/plate ($4.75/plate)
- Menu: Special Dinner Buffet