In the HoReCa industry, the customer values security

Studies show that one of the priority factors influencing customer decisions is becoming elements related to sanitary safety and customer service. How to maintain appropriate standards and which processes are worth outsourcing to specialized companies are indicated by experts from  OEX Cursor.

According to PMR's report "HoReCa Market in Poland 2021, Market Analysis and Development Forecast for 2021-2026," in 2020 the HoReCa market saw its first decline in value in more than a dozen years. This was influenced by the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic, from restrictions limiting the food service industry's operations, to halted social mobility and the consequent collapse of tourism. Market stabilization and recovery by HoReCa are possible, but still threatened by the recurring waves of the epidemic and post-covid changes in consumer behavior. The difficult customer experience of industry constraints is presented by Deloitte in its "Global State of the Consumer Tracker" report, where the main determinants of change identified were consumer uncertainty related to safety and health concerns, and fear of permanent financial deterioration. Thus, new challenges have emerged for the industry centered around, among other things, providing and promoting a safe, multi-channel service.

Although the digital economy has affected many markets, including foodservice, nevertheless consumer needs have remained fairly stable and the traditional service model, based on the need to socialize, still prevails. Therefore, catering establishments are increasingly paying attention to maintaining the highest possible level of service quality and control the implementation of the standards they set at stationary points. A great example of this type of activity is the servicing of equipment used for bottling beer. These activities are carried out regardless of the class of the equipment itself, since the maintenance of an appropriate level in terms of quality and taste of the beer served is primarily influenced by proper service. In this regard, there are three key stages of servicing, where the first is the installation of the system, the next is maintenance, sanitation of the equipment, staff training, and the third, which consists of ongoing, warranty and post-warranty repairs. Thinking about maintaining taste and quality, we will focus on the second stage, which should be performed regularly, at specific intervals, allowing for proper maintenance of cleanliness and health safety. Depending on the beer brand, servicing takes place every five, ten or even twenty working days. - says Zbigniew Puchała, Account Director, OEX Cursor, a company specializing in the area of sales support processes.

Guaranteeing the highest quality of fed products requires constant inspection of equipment. Why is this process so important? Because it includes, among other things, the removal of chemical and biological contaminants from the installation, which affect the taste and quality of the product served. The cleaning concoction itself is a mixture of warm water and a certified cleaning agent. Thanks to it, the highest sanitary standards are maintained.

A standard visit by a plant cleaning specialist consists of a number of technical procedures, so a service technician performing on-site activities should be equipped with personal protective equipment such as goggles, gloves and protective clothing, in addition to the proper equipment necessary for sanitation work. The observance of all precautions and the proper training of those responsible for sanitation are the foundation for the safe and proper performance of this type of service. Another task of the service technician is to audit the skills of the staff and educate them on how to properly serve and store beer, which also ensures that the quality of service is maintained at the expected level.

For several years, there has been a growing awareness of the value of auditing as a sales support tool, and post-covid trends in the foodservice industry, are also targeting this type of research. In the case of sanitation service, auditing staff skills is one of the activities performed. On the other hand, more and more establishments are opting for a separate, third-party service called the Mystery Shopper survey. This is primarily due to the need to verify service standards and identify those elements of the sales process and the operation of the premises that need repair. The information collected during a Mystery Shopper survey can provide data allowing, on the one hand, to assess the existing situation, and, on the other hand, to find answers to the questions: why such a situation is taking place and which element of the process of implementing the quality standard failed. - adds Agnieszka Belusiak, Group Account Director, OEX Cursor. Depending on the needs, different types of audits are possible: overt, covert, hybrid. What's more, they can take place offline, i.e. directly at the premises, or online, taking into account telephone support, Internet applications, consumer loyalty programs.

These services are very popular, so we published a special  e-book dedicated to these issues. These are real tasks that we have carried out over the years, along with solutions to problems that our clients have approached us with. The publication contains a collection of the most important practices identified on the basis of years of experience and thousands of implementations of such projects by the company's experts. The realizations of the so-called Mystery Shopper are presented in detail in the form of practical case studies. - says Agnieszka Belusiak, Group Account Director, OEX Cursor.

On the eve of the fourth wave of the covid-19 outbreak, where the likelihood of another curtailment of the HoReCa industry is high, outsourcing activities such as sanitation and service testing allows food establishments to focus on the fundamental duties of their business.