Quality Management Systems And Restaurant Customer Service

The purpose of this study is to emphasize on how having a Quality Management System (QMS) can assist restaurants to enhance their services. This involves creating a QMS for local restaurants based on standards and criteria, that respond to customers requirements, derived from the ISO 9001 standards.

This implies that management will go thru training to learn how to work with the system, how to implement and how to evaluate the system. Management should then be the ones giving training and advice on how to treat customers. Employees will also go thru trainings and procedures that a restaurant should comply with, in order to be considered a quality restaurant.

Implementing a QMS is expensive. You will have to invest in your employees. On the other hand by implementing a QMS can save you money, you have less cost and you can be more productive and efficient.

This can make not only restaurants, but also the Island gain a competitive advantage on others and get economic return.

The intention is to make restaurants aware of this and so help them improve their service, satisfy needs, be more productive and have more motivated employees. Curaçao Restaurants Association (CRA) can be the institute who controls that the restaurants comply with criteria’s and standards.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Swiss Tourism Board, from a guest’s point of view, tourism services are always the product of a whole package of individual services. Like a chain, these services are all linked: advance information from a Tourist Centre, the journey to the destination, stay in vacation hotel, eating in a restaurant, and lastly the trip home. Each individual service leaves its mark on and influences the holiday experience.

Also at the level of the individual restaurant, a guest experiences some of this

Service: welcome, seating, providing information, taking order, eating in the restaurant. These service chains which are specific to customers provide an aid for systematic checking of a restaurant’s services and processes, showing where practical quality improvements can be made and promoting the introduction of appropriate measures.

Providing services and direct contact with customers are exacting tasks because each customer has his specific expectations, needs and opinions.

On Curacao we have CRS. “The Curacao Restaurant Association’s (CRA) (http://www.curacaorestaurants.org/cra/index.php) mission is to represent, promote and educate their members and their employees for the improvement of the restaurant and foodservice industry of Curacao, a rapidly growing industry that is becoming the nation’s second largest employer. We leverage those numbers to get the best pricing and discounts for our members. Helping members succeed and remain profitable is on the forefront of the Curacao Restaurant Association’s agenda.

As they strive to work together with the governmental departments on health, safety, service and education, members of their association get inspections and a team consisting of these departments, together with members of the board; will on a regular basis, do an assessment of their members so they will remain accepted as a member. This will guarantee customer visit to these restaurants.”

An analysis of the situation will be done. An overview and definition of Quality Management System will be given, also why quality is important and what are the characteristics of the system.

The service chains will be analyze and used as a tool for tracking down potential critical incidents and deriving “good service” from them in the shape of in-house quality standards.

Furthermore the needs of the customers, employees and employer will be address. To see what will be required to satisfy their need and incorporate this in the system and what each customer’s specific expectations, needs and opinions are.

Strategies and requirements will be presented. The program may include among other topic:

The business culture

QMS in detail

Employees motivation

Product

Customer Service

Curaçao Hospitality Training Foundation will be approached to see if some of the training needed can by integrated in their program.

Results of the research and interviews carried out will be detailed.

In the forth chapter the “Restaurants Quality System” program will be discussed. Practical tools will be developed to help restaurants managers to tackle quality management and taking targeted action to optimize service.

The QMS will detailed the service chains and provide an aid for systematic checking of a restaurant’s services and processes, showing where practical quality improvements can be made and promoting the introduction of appropriate measures. Advice and conclusion will be given.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

In which way can a Quality Management System (QMS) enhance customer service in restaurants?

1.3 SUB PROBLEM STATEMENTS

To answer the problem statement, the following sub-questions will be addressed during this study:

1) How can QMS be defined?

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of QMS?

3) What are the aspects for the development process of a quality

management system for restaurants?

4) Will the needs of customers, employer and employees be satisfy?

5) How should QMS and the restaurant quality management system be

implemented?

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.4.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to assist restaurants on Curaçao to enhance their service. In this study several methods, like interviews, questionnaire, observation and literature will be use to answer the sub problems.

1.4.2 SUB PROBLEMS

Sub problem 1. “How can QMS be defined?” and 2. “What are the advantages and disadvantages of QMS?” will be dealt with theoretically. For these sub problems website http://www.praxiom.com/iso-definition.htm, research paper and articles concerning ISO 9001 and QMS will be applied. The methods that will give an explanation of these subjects are

Crosby, P.B, (1984) Quality without tears: The art of hassle-free management, McGraw-Hill, Inc

Hoyle, D, (2006), ISO 9000 quality systems handbook, Butterworth-Heinemann

www.praxiom.com/iso-definition.htm

www.dti.gov.uk/quality/qms

Sub problem 3. “What are the aspects for the development process of a quality certification program for restaurants?” a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis will be conducted. The SWOT analysis examines the internal and external environment giving a view of the implementation of a QMS for restaurants regarding.

Also at least six restaurants will be observed and judge on the service they are giving. Curaçao Quality Foundation and the president Mr. Marugg or Mr. Neuman, the Event Coordinator of Curacao Restaurants Association (CRA) will be approach for information. Some of the questions that will be asked are:

What is the support CRA offers their members?

How those CRA control the quality service their members offer?

How does CRA get its members?

Why the membership is so low compared to the number of establishment on the Island?

The readings that will be used are:

Hair, J.F, (2003), Essentials of Business Research Methods, Leyh Publishing, LLC

Brink, A, Berndt, A, (2009), Relationship Marketing and Customer Relationship Management, Juta & Co LTD

Honebein, P.C., Cammarano, R.F., (2005), Creating do-it-yourself customers:

how great customer experiences build great companies, South-Western Educational Pub

Schieffer, R., (2005), Ten Key Customer Insights: Unlocking the Mind of the Market, South-Western Educational Pub

www.cbs.an/establishments/establishments_i5.asp

Sub problem 4. “Will the needs of customers, employer and employees be satisfy?”

To answer this question surveys among consumer will be conducted regarding the quality service they receive at a restaurant. Also interviews to sales managers and supervisors of restaurants will be conducted. Employees of restaurants will be interviewed to see what their needs are.

Books on among others on customer service, motivation and quality service will be used. Among others:

Jagdish N. Shainesh, S., (2001) Customer relationship management: emerging concepts, tools, and applications, McGraw-Hill Professional

Jones, P., Merricks, P., (1994), The management of foodservice operations, Cengage Learning Business Press

Parsa, H.G., Kwansa, F., (2002), Quick Service Restaurants, Franchising, and Multi-Unit Chain Management, Routledge

Shankar, R., (2009), Process improvement using Six Sigma: a DMAIC guide, ASQ Quality Pres

Question can be asked a.o. is:

What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?

Are you happy with the service you are providing

Do you care about reaction of comments of your customers?

Are you happy with your employees?

If not what are you doing to improve it?

Is the restaurant plan to come with new services?

Sub problem 5. How should QMS and the restaurant quality management system be implemented?”

In order to answer this sub problem, books on standardization and quality management systems, employee training manuals will be used.

Suggestions and guidelines for training for Management and employees will be address. Design of the quality management system will be presented. Reading used is:

Beecroft, D.G., Duffy, G.L., Moran, J.W., (2001), The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change, ASQ Quality Press

Jackson, Susan E., Schuler, Randall S, Werner, Steve, (2008), Managing Human Resources, South Western, a part of Cengage Learning

Lohman, C., et al. (2004) Designing a performance measurement system: A case study. European Journal of Operational Research,

Martinich, J.S., (2009), Production and Operations Management: An Applied Modern Approach, Wiley India Pvt. Ltd.

Maskell, B. H. (1991) Performance measurement for world class

manufacturing: a model for American companies, Cambridge, Mass.,

Productivity Press.

1.5 DELIMITATIONS

The study will be conducted among consumers, restaurants from all sector, restaurants managers/supervisors, restaurants employees and establishment associated to tourism sectors on the Island of Curaçao.

1.6 THESIS OUTLINE

The structure of this study will be as follow:

1. Introduction

Background Information

Problem Statement and Sub Problems

Research Methodology

Content Thesis

Quality Management System (QMS)

Introduction

Elements of QMS

Introduction to quality and service

Importance of quality

Measuring service quality

Characteristics of QMS

Conclusion

Customers, employee and employer’s needs

Introduction

Customer and their needs

Consumer decision process

Employee and employer’s needs

Defining and measuring service satisfaction

Conclusion

Restaurants Quality Management System

Introduction

Aspect of the Quality system

Key Indicators of the Quality system

Process development of the Quality management system

Restaurant Quality System

Implementation, Control and Evaluation

Conclusion

Conclusion and Recommendations

Bibliography

Appendixes

List of tables