Hospitality Handbook

Customer Service Management Competitive Advantage Training

2010LeadershipExcellenceKnowledgeInspirationInnovation

T h E b E n C h M A r K f o r E x C E L L E n C E I n h o S p I T A L I T y T r A I n I n g

Identifying inspirational solutions to support companies and individuals gain competitive edge

Proud to support The National Skills Academy

for Hospitality

L-P PT NSAH Ad:Layout 1 11/6/10 09:26 Page 1

The UK tourism, hospitality and leisure industry (visitor economy) is estimated to contribute over eight per cent of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), approximately £114 billion. It also employs almost two million people, which equates to seven per cent of all UK jobs. This ever growing sector needs talent to support and sustain its growth.

But in today’s challenging economic environment, where consumer spend is under such pressure, operators can only maximise their business potential by raising standards and providing extra value. This can only be achieved by developing the industry’s talent to the full.

This first Academy Handbook enables operators to do just that - by identifying the best training and development solutions in three critical areas:

• CustomerService• ManagementandLeadership• Chefs(PracticalSkillsandKnowledge)

I hope you find it a useful guide to what must be every operator’s key business objective, motivating every member of your staff to realise their full potential.

BobCottonChairman, The National Skills Academy for Hospitality

orewordF

Strategic Objective:Identify inspirational solutions that support companies and individuals to gain the competitive edge in practical skills, especially Chefs, Management & Leadership and Customer Service.

The Top performers in The hospiTaliTy Benchmark proGramme illusTraTe ThaT excellenT cusTomer service can Be delivered By major Brands, independenTs, full or fasT and 5* or BudGeT

Tourism is the UK’s

third highest export

earner behind Chemicals

and Financial Services, with

inbound visitors spending more

than £16bn each year and

contributing more than £3bn

to the Exchequer.

According to a recent Deloitte study ‘The economic contribution of the Visitor Economy - UK and the nations’ tourism was worth £115.4bn to the UK economy in 2009, once the direct and indirect impacts are taken into account, equivalent to

8.9% of UK Gross Domestic Product.

Board members of The National Skills Academy Hospitality:• Bob Cotton (OBE), Chairman,

The National Skills Academy Hospitality

• David McHattie, CEO, The National Skills Academy Hospitality

• Andrew McKenzie, Managing Director, The Vineyard at Stockcross

• Guy Parsons, CEO, Travelodge Hotels Ltd

• Brian Wisdom, CEO, People 1st• Charles Prew, Chief Executive,

Barceló Hotels• Cyrus Todiwola (MBE),

Proprietor and Executive Chef, Café Spice Namaste

• James Berresford, CEO, Visit England

• Phillip Addison, HR Director, Accor UK Ltd

• William Baxter (CBE), Deputy CEO, Baxter Storey

• Tony Hughes, Non-Executive Director, Restaurant Group PLC

• Jez Langhorn, Head of Talent & Education, McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd UK

• Tim Bacon, Managing Director & Co Founder, Living Ventures Restaurants Ltd

To learn faster and execute better than

your competitors is the only truly

sustainable competitive advantage.

Michael Porter

03

otesN

04

Did you know?The hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector is one of the uk’s largest employers. It employs almost

two million people (1,887,700)

which equates to 7% of all UK jobs.

ndexI

“if we keep doinG

whaT we’re doinG,

we’re GoinG To keep

GeTTinG whaT we’re

GeTTinG.”

sTephen covey

paGes 7 – 21: cusTomer service page 9 Knowledge page 10 Hospitality Benchmark page 12 Customer service professionals page 15 academy training Centres page 17 Engagement page 18 smiles of Britain

paGes 23 – 35: manaGemenT and leadership page 24 Management and leadership page 26 Management Excellence and World Class Customer service Coach programme page 28 Capacity Management page 30 advanced apprenticeships page 32 the Disney institute page 34 inspiration

paGes 36 – 43: chefs page 39 academy Endorsed Colleges page 40 Chef Development: Master Classes & Competitions page 41 young Chef academies & Competitions page 42 Developing Future talent

paGes 44 – 45: e-academy

paGes 46 – 47: social neTworkinG

paGe 50: useful conTacTs

“The percentage increase in

sales since the course is 85%.

Even colleagues have asked

me what I do differently.”

Godwin Bright Mensah

Delaware North – Emirates Stadium

“We are using the Hospitality Benchmark Programme in our MAiSOn BlAnc operation and it has certainly been a key component in helping to grow the sales and profitability of the business. it also provides invaluable guest insight.”

Simon Wilkinson, cOO Kout Food Group

“CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS MEANINGLESS, CUSTOMER LOyALTy IS PRICELESS. PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BE ‘SATISFIED’ AS CUSTOMERS. THEy WANT HABITUAL CONSISTENCy FROM THE PEOPLE THEy DO BUSINESS WITH; THEy WANT FUN, FLAIR, MEMORABLE ExPERIENCES.”JIM SULLIVAN

If you make customers unhappy in

the real world, they might each tell

six friends. If you make customers

unhappy on the internet, they can

each tell 6,000 friends.

Jeff Bezos, Founder, Amazon.com

05

P â t i s s e r i e , B o u l a n g e r i e e t c a f é

Maison Blanc is passionate about quality food, exceptional service and people; our greatest asset is the people we employ. Once we have

recruited the right people we make a commitment to train, develop their skills and promote them wherever possible.

Passionate about food, Passionate about PeoPle

KFG Restaurants Ltd, 2nd Floor, 33 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 1RR

020 7299 7000 | www.maisonblanc.co.uk

14 shops and expanding!

Why choose a career with Barceló Hotels & Resorts?

Part of a dynamic and fast-growing, worldwide hotel

group, Barceló UK offers an exceptional range of

career options in a highly competitive, fast-paced

environment. Recruitment for the November 2010

intake of the Barceló Apprentice Chefs Academy

(BACA) begins in August.

Careersat Barceló Hotels & Resorts

To find out more about a career at Barceló UK and to view all the current vacancies at our 21 UK hotels visit www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk/careers

I have worked up to Management level

through the training and opportunities

that Barceló has given me.

Andy Pepper

Front Office Supervisor at

Barceló Buxton Palace Hotel

53810_BARCELO_HOSPITALITY_CAREERS_AD.indd 1 15/6/10 15:03:16

������������������������������������ ���������������������������� ������������������������� ������������ ������������ ������ ������ ����� ���������� ����� ����� ����������������� ����������� ������� ����������� ��� � ��� ����� ��������� ����������������� ��� � �����

� �������� �­����� ��������������������� ���������� ���������� ������

tmdc_nsah_press_ad 15/6/10 14:17 Page 1

07

CustoMEr Service 2010

87% of Those who provide cusTomer service TraininG for Their sTaff develop This TraininG in-house pEoplE 1st

0 20 40 60 80 100

AVERAGE IS AVERAGE – EXC

ELLE

NCE

IS C

OMPE

TITI

VE A

DVAN

TAGE AVERAGE

74.37%

According to the n A T I o n b r A n d S I n d E x the UK ranks 14th equal of 50

nations for its perceived welcome –

behind Italy, Japan and Switzerland

worldwide brands of excellence These companies provide great customer

service and are well known brands of

excellence all over the world. They are

setting the bar high for industry to follow!

south west airlines

Search ‘South West Airlines Steward’

on YouTube.

ritz carlton

www.ritzcarlton.com

ustomerService C

“We reported 9% L4L growth last

year, understanding what our customers

“want” is at the heart of what we

strive to do – we have to know that the

service, product and environment we

deliver excites and entices”Tim Bacon MD Living Ventures

r E C o M M E n d E d r E A d I n gThe Service profit Chain by Hesketh, Sasser and SchelesingerMoments of Truth by Jan CarlzonCustomers for Life by Carl SewellAt America’s Service: how your Company Can Join the Customer Service revolution by Karl AlbrechtService America!: doing business in the new Economy by Karl AlbrechtSetting the Table by Danny Meyer

Hospitality BenchmarkVery little data has previously existed

concerning customer service performance

in the Hospitality sector and while many

are quick to pick holes the reality is much

more typical. There are excellent, poor

and there are the majority grouped

around the average – 74.37%.

Only those businesses scoring

above 95% can be truly

considered as excellent.

Worryingly, more sector employers report

that their staff do not have the necessaryskills

to meet their business needs – rising from 19percent two

years ago to 26 percent in 2009.

180,000 people working in the sector are not considered to be fully proficient in their

jobs – a significant increase of 40,000 since 2007. People 1st

Unless you have 100% customer

satisfaction... you must improve.

Horst Schulz, former Ritz Carlton Hotels

Chief Executive Officer

WHEN WE DO IT WELL IN THE UK WE DO IT AS WELL AS ANyWHERE IN THE WORLD! WHO CAN HELP yOU AND WHAT CAN yOU DO FOR yOUR BUSINESS FOR LITTLE OR NO COST?

08Components of delivering world class customer service:

• Knowledge – of your customers and competitors

• Engagement – a team engaged in the cause

• ManagementExcellence – knowledgeable managers who coach, enthuse and focus on delivering excellence

• Professionalism– having a professional, skilled and knowledgeable team

• CapacityManagement – scheduling, systems and processes that facilitate successful delivery

Excellent customer service provides differentiation and competitive advantage. The accessibility of cheap travel and pressures on disposable income is causing customers to be ever more discerning. If you are not delivering world class customer service in the eyes of your current and future guests then all the marketing in the world will only hasten the stampede towards your competitors.

The top performers illustrate that excellent customer service can be delivered by major brands, independents, full or fast and 5* or budget

WE ARE GOOD AT PROCESS AND SySTEMS BUT NOT AS STrOnG IN WArMTH AND HOSPiTAliTy

The lowest score was 13%

and slightly more businesses

returned results around the

average than would be

anticipated from a normal

population distribution

in partnership with The Mystery Dining company; who provide professional trained visitors,

technology expertise and guidance; we have now visited

1048 businesses and the research is revealing.

15 businesses scored

100% - 1.4% of the sample

69 businesses scored 95% or more – 6.6% of the 1048

businesses visited

in every sub-sector and region,

customers rated businesses

more favourably on skill-based

questions than personality-

based questions

In 60% of visits where a problem was experienced, staff did not take the opportunity to create a positive outcome

When your team demonstrates

excellent behavioural skills,

illustrating warmth of

welcome, genuine interest

in the customer and a

perception of their needs,

then you will receive high

customer loyalty results

THE INDUSTRy BENCHMARK OR AVERAGE IS 74.37%

09

BENCHMARKING IS CRUCIAL TO BUSINESS THESE DAyS. KNOWING

HOW yOUR OPERATION IS PERFORMING AND HOW CUSTOMERS

RATE IT IS VITAL. THE ACADEMy’S HOSPITALITy BENCHMARK

PROGRAMME ADDS ANOTHER IMPORTANT TOOL IN THIS KEy AREA,

GIVING AN OPPORTUNITy FOR A BROAD RANGE OF HOSPITALITy

BUSINESSES TO ACCESS VALUABLE DATA. BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS ARE

THIS yEAR’S HOT TOPIC; yOU HAVE TO STAy AHEAD OF THE GAME’.

Peter Martin, Peach Factory

“Wereported9%L4Lgrowthlastyear,understandingwhatourcustomers“want”isattheheartofwhatwestrivetodo–wehavetoknowthattheservice,productandenvironmentwedeliverexcitesandentices.”TimBaconMDLivingVentures

Understanding your customers and what they really think is essential – what really matters to them? The best performers like Living Ventures typically take a deep interest in what their customers think and act upon what they learn.

You might think your service is good but do your customers? Is your service consistent? Consistent delivery of excellent service is vital if you wish to develop customer loyalty, recommendation and brand value.

Many companies cannot afford to invest in the set up costs required to establish a mystery visitor programme for their business. Those that can afford and recognise the importance of establishing this valuable knowledge source unfortunately only have access to their own results, against their specific questions – questions which typically check company process rather than customer opinion – not surprising as the results are often part of KPIs and bonus schemes.

We need to know how we are doing, what customers think about our service and share the intelligence, because rest assured the competition is. Not just those traditionally considered as competitors but Supermarkets, Cinemas, X Boxes and many others as they are all vying for customers’ precious disposable income and time.

The new Hospitality Benchmark now makes mystery visitor insight available to all – no set up costs and shared intelligence – keeping industry informed of its current performance and the opportunities to be better.

nowledgeCustomer ServiceK

“Poor first impressions jeopardise loyalty. More than

half of respondents said that they would not return to an

establishment when their first impressions were poor.”

BHA

The region which has the

highest customer loyalty

(A.K.A. net Promoter) score is

yorkshire & Humberside,

scoring 42

The highest scores on average were from restaurants that had a host (4% higher)

ON 36% OF OCCASIONS SOMEONE

DID SOMETHING OVER AND ABOVE

ExPECTATIONS

‘We are using the Hospitality Benchmark Programme

in our Maison Blanc operation and it has certainly

been a key component in helping to grow the sales

and profitability of the business. it also provides

invaluable guest insight.’

Simon Wilkinson, cOO of the KOUT Food group

ospitality Benchmark CustomerService H

The newest and most innovative thing you can do for your business may be to master the “basics” that everyone knows and no one executes consistently (like caring behaviour, service with flair, and employee appreciation). Because unlike Nehru jackets and boy bands, the basics of great service never go out of style.jim sullivan

“We are using the Hospitality

Benchmark Programme in

our Maison Blanc operation

and it has certainly been a key

component in helping to grow

the sales and profitability of

the business. It also provides

invaluable guest insight.”

Simon Wilkinson, COO Kout Food Group

For independent, assured

assessment & celebrationsign up today.

Join Maison Blanc, Living Ventures,

Fifteen, Babylon Roof Gardens

and others!

Your results – how you compare

to your competitors,

sector and hospitality – unique insight –

excellent value!

ACCESS TO A SET OF INDUSTRy BENCHMARKS, ENABLING

INDIVIDUAL OPERATIONS TO ASSESS HOW THEIR

PERFORMANCE COMPARES TO THE REST OF THE SECTOR, IS AN

INDIVIDUAL TOOL TO HAVE FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONTINUALLy

STRIVING TO IMPROVE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Nicola Belfrage,

Editor, Essentially Catering

Our Guarantee

We will never name and shame –

we will celebrate the best!

10

The Hospitality Benchmark programme is a unique mystery visitor scheme not only providing feedback from professional customers but benchmarking business to business and business to sector, region and industry.

Only £195 ex VAT plus reimbursements for 3 visits which includes:

• Nosetupcosts

• 10fixedbenchmarkquestions

• 6questionsofyourchoice

• In-builtCustomerLoyalty(akaNetPromoter)scores

• ProfessionaltrainedbutunpaidcustomersprovidedbyourpartnerTheMysteryDiningCompany

• Exclusive“thoughtleadership”reportsunpickingthelatestdata

• Onlineaccesstoresultsandcomparisons

Nine indicators of service behaviour are measured, your customer loyalty assessed and a ‘net promoter’ score

produced, all of which is benchmarked against market sectors, geographic regions and the hospitality industry. The sample base for this programme is industry wide and has been developed specifically for the National Skills Academy for Hospitality.

Businesses are also able to build in an extra 6 business specific questions with assistance available to help decide the best way to structure and use these extra questions.

Each business is provided with an individual site access code to analyse their standards by site, sector and region. Each business has a support analyst who will answer any questions concerning the programme and the benchmarking information.

The programme costs £195 (ex VAT) plus reimbursements for 3 visits, equivalent to £65 per visit which can be carried out on a frequency to suit the business needs.

For more information visit www.hospitalitybenchmark.com

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

Service indicators Do you deliver across the board?

• Personality measures: welcome,

warmth, confidence, interest

• Skills measures: pace, training,

product knowledge

• Reflection measures: value-for-

money and likelihood to recommend

• Compare performance: with your

company, sector and industry

ospitality Benchmark CustomerService

11

“Customersdonotseecostasadifferentiatoratall–service,notprice,iswhatmakesthedifference”UKCustomerSatisfactionIndex(RetailFood–Sector).

For more information about the Institute of Customer Service go to: www.instituteofcustomerservice.com

100% scorers from april 2009 – april 2010

kings lodge – kings langley

hunters – kings langley

Baytree restaurant – melbourne

oriental Gourmet – carshalton

Blostins – shepton mallet

waitrose – marlborough

maison Blanc – farnham

maison Blanc – Guildford

Bush nook hotel – Gisland

The manse – eastbourne

Travelodge – leatherhead

Toppers – Bury st. edmunds

aladdin Balti – northampton

mcdonald’s drive Thru – east Grinstead

fifteen – jamie oliver – westland place

My Sites - The sites you selectedCustomer Loyalty Scores for 18.02.2010 - 27.03.2010

My Region - South East, London

My Company

My Sector - Restaurant

All Sectors - The whole industry

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

35

20

20

1929

A p o W E r F U l M E A S U r E

o F C U S T o M E r l o y A lT y,

I T p o l A r I S E S y o U r

p r o M o T E r S A N D

D E T r A C T o r S

Calculated as:

percentage of customers likely to

recommend (where they rate 9-10)

minus

percentage unlikely to recommend

(where they rate 1-6)

Hospitality Benchmark Programme

Drive up your customer loyalty

Validated feedback on 9 indicators of service behaviour

Track your customer loyalty score

Quantify the factors that influence whether people would recommend

Compare internally and against national benchmarks for your sector

Add your own custom questions

Generate stories to inspire outstanding customer service

Get support to analyse the results and improve your business

Do you have loyal customers

promoting your business?

were you one of The 1048 Businesses visiTed in our iniTial samplinG?check online at www.excellencefound.co.ukif you would like your report email: benchmark@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.ukcost £25

HuntersBar&RestaurantattheKingsLodge,KingsLangleyscored100%inavisitbytheHospitalityBenchmarkProgramme.

Unless you have

100% customer

satisfaction...you

must improve.

Horst Schulz, former Ritz Carlton

Hotels Chief Executive Officer

“ W h E n C o M p A r I n g S E C T o r S , r E S T A U r A n T S W I T h h o S T S p E r f o r M E d b E S T ”Hospitality Benchmark

57% of employers reported that they were unhappy with the customer service skills of their team People 1st

ustomerService ProfessionalsC

12

“in 60% of

visiTs where a

proBlem was

experienced,

sTaff did

noT Take The

opporTuniTy To

creaTe a posiTive

ouTcome”

HoSPITAlITY BencHmArK

87% of those who provide

customer service training

for their staff develop this

training in-house people 1st

Blend in-house with excellent

external development!

Jim Sullivan, American guru speaking in

London recently, made his beliefs clear:

• Most internal training courses take no account of

how adults learn

• Most internal courses tell people what to do

• When you tell people what to do you tell them to

stop thinking

• Don’t tell people what to do – teach them to think!

PrAcTIcAl SKIllS DeveloPmenT• From plate carrying to

serving wine

• From order taking to

guerdon

• From pulling a pint to

serving a gin and tonic

• operating a till, check in or

order device

Make sure your team have

the skills required!

confIDence• If you have no knowledge

of a subject or product

there is no chance you

are going to enter into a

conversation about it.

• Knowledge and skill

develops confidence

which increases customer

interaction and sales.

KnoWleDge• Have your team tasted

every food item?

• Have they tasted every wine

and beer?

• Where does the product

come from?

• Can they offer unique facts

about products?

• Do they know cuts of meat

or vegetable seasons?

• Do they know the specials?

It is essential that the team have the skills and knowledge necessary so

that they can execute within the cause and environment thereby driving

customer engagement, loyalty, sales and profit:

• Practicalandtechnicalskillsaswellasanabilitytoorganiseand

delivertoexciteandenthuseguests

• Serviceandsalesskillsexecutedinrecognitionoftheneedsof

theindividualcustomerinfrontofthemarealsoessential–

teammembersarenotclonesandneitherarecustomers

• Productknowledgeiscriticalasthisknowledgesupportedby

practicalandserviceskillsdeliversconfidenceandsales

Research by People 1st identified three basic components required to

achieve world class customer service training:

• Therightcontentisessentialtodevelopskillstoallowpeopleto

executeeffectivelyintheworkplace

• Managementsupport–thereisnopointtrainingyourteamifthe

managersandsupervisorsdon’tunderstandandsupportitsdelivery

• Excellentexecution–evenifyouhavetherighttraining

programmecontentitispointlessifthestandardofdeliveryis

notconsistentlyexcellent

“The percentage increase in sales since the course is 85%. Even colleagues have asked me what I do differently.” Godwin Bright Mensah – Delaware North – Emirates Stadium

We are talking to customers more and in new ways that enable us to understand what our customers want. Fewer people leave with a sandwich and this means that on a normal day, when we used to sell 40 pizzas, we’re now up to 50 or 55. our customers are busy and we’ve learned how to deal with the pace at which our customers live their lives. Chef de partie

“We are hanging onto staff, which has meant huge savings in the cost of recruitment and our staff turnover is well below industry standards.” Manager

The programme has helped me to see how the whole system works, how we make a profit and to understand how budgets and stock ordering fit into the business. Butler

“Because staff - from different departments - come together on the courses they get a new understanding of the part they play in the business. We’re seeing some surprising results.” Shared information leads to staff becoming more independent and “in some cases bypassing me altogether.” Manager

It bought customer service to life for me - both what I already do right and what I can do differently. Meeting room Catering Assistant

“We have five opportunities a day to impress and a single failure will be remembered - a queue that is too long or a latte that isn’t up to scratch. If we make a mistake we have to win them back to make them fans again. The restaurant is clearly succeeding in this and spend per head is going up.” Manager

13

EASy AccESS FOr EMPlOyErS:• BOOK DIRECTLy ONTO AN OPEN COURSE

AT WWW.ExCELLENCEFOUND.CO.UK

• LIAISE DIRECTLy WITH A LICENSED FACILITATOR WHO WILL DELIVER THE COURSE FOR yOUR TEAM

• DEVELOP yOUR OWN LICENSED FACILITATOR – 3 DAy PROGRAMME AND ASSESSMENT – £2000

orldClassCustomerService ProfessionalsW

research shows academy proGrammes deliver TanGiBle roi

GOOD SERVICE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO

ASK FOR ANyTHING, SO THE BEST WAy TO

ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER’S ExPERIENCE IS

TO HAVE WELL-TRAINED STAFF THAT KNOWS

HOW TO MEET AND ExCEED CUSTOMER

ExPECTATIONS By FOCUSING ON WHAT THEy

NEED BEFORE THEy HAVE TO ASK

Jim Sullivan

We all want to deliver world class customer service for every guest and this exciting programme develops the knowledge, skills, efficiencies and confidence to make this possible. regardless of whether your hospitality business is big or small, this programme will help teams raise their game and delivery to the top and bottom line - we want it for all our team members and management.Charles prew, Chief Executive, Barceló Hotels

WorldClassCustomerServiceProfessionals–1dayProgramme

COST£85exVATPERCANDIDATENationalCoverage

A world class programme for team members which works in tandem

with the Coaches programme for managers (see page 27) – a national

qualification which delivers demonstrable return on investment.

Modules include:

Whatisyourrole?

Whatmakescompaniessuccessful?

Whatskillsareneededtoexceedcustomers’expectations?

CharacteristicsandcostofBadService

CharacteristicsofExcellentService:

• Procedures:Addressingtechnicalskills,productknowledge,

organisationalaspectsandcustomerexpectationsatapersonaland

professionallevel

• Behaviours:Addressingcommunicationskills,complainthandling,

knowingyourcustomer,sellingtechniquesandfriendliness

Only delivered by Facilitators licensed and endorsed by The National Skills

Academy Hospitality

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

3 keY LeSSOnS 1) In the hands of a great server who engages their guests,

customers will happily spend more money.

2) A great server experience means that current customers will enthusiastically recruit additional customers for your restaurant (without you having to spend one penny in advertising).

3) If a restaurant only hires some enthusiastic servers or only trains some of their servers to suggestively sell, then every other customer is likely to have a variable experience. This means they’re more likely to be disappointed, more likely to spend less, and more likely to never recommend you to their friends or family.

At 12:30 pm on July 27, 1991 I went to a well-known Denver area sports bar. I remember the time and date so exactly because that’s the day a server recommended, and I tried, a “Gar-bage” Burger for lunch. That experi-ence changed forever the way I would think about the connection between the customer and the customer-facing crew. In fact, it opened my eyes to a completely new way of looking at service and selling in the restaurant business.The night before - July 26, 1991 - I participated in a Denver restaurant volleyball league tournament. Our team lost badly, early, and often that night, as we usually did. No matter, that merely meant we bought the first round, and in a tournament featuring nine other teams, we braced ourselves for a long night.

Designated drivers were thank-fully in force and that evening I learned two things: first, bartenders are merely pharmacists with a limited inventory, and second, never question your wife’s judgment. Look at who she married. The next day I had off and woke up both late and hungover. I called a fellow restaurant manager and asked if he wanted to meet for lunch at the aforementioned sports bar, locally famous for their burgers and beer. He agreed and we met at half past noon. After being seated, an energetic server named Anne greeted us with a smile, two big ice-waters, and a quick once-over. “Well, well, well,” she said in a friendly, but not familiar, voice. “Did we have a good time last night gentlemen?” We mumbled something in the affirmative. George was wear-ing sunglasses and mine eyes had seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. And they looked like roadmaps. “Close your menus,” she sweetly

commanded. “Let me make this easy on you.” We gratefully complied. “I want to make this the best lunch you ever had…you like burgers?” she asked. We nodded. “Good,” she continued, “Cuz even if you didn’t, you’d love ours. They’re a third-pound of 100% ground chuck and they’re fresh, not frozen, ever. Here’s what I’m thinking…” She paused slightly to ensure she had our attention. She did. “Do you like mushrooms and onions? Yes? Good. Because our mushrooms are jet fresh from Pennsylvania, and we saute them for hours in red wine and beef bullion. And we use Vidalia onions, straight from Georgia, the sweetest and best there are. Sound good?” We nodded. She continued. “Here’s the plan, we chargrill two ground chuck burgers, cover them with the sautéed ‘shrooms and onions, and finish everything off with double slices of Wisconsin cheddar cheese, which we’ll then put in the broiler until that cheese gets bubbly and melts all over the burg-ers, mushrooms and onions. We’ll lay them on a butter-grilled toasted sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle and jalapenos, and fill up the plate with our homemade skin-on French fries and then…” “We’ll take em,” said George, cutting her off. We were both salivating. She smiled sweetly. “Just one more thing I’d suggest. Let me also bring you each a cup of our homemade green pork chili on the side. You can dip each bite of the burger in the chili and you won’t believe how good it tastes. It’s not on the menu, but we call it a ‘Garbage Burger.’ It is the best burger you’ll ever have. Sound good?” Good? We could have ordered and eaten her description! “We’ll take them and I’ll have another water when you get a chance,” I said. Anne paused. “Maybe

a pitcher of iced tea?” she countered. “The caffeine might help?” Another good idea and we agreed.

.

Well that Garbage Burger was the most messy, drippy, juicy, gooey, sloppy and best burger I’ve ever had, before or since. Having led us from water to iced teas, Anne then or-ganically upgraded us to two icy cold Heinekens mid-burger as we devoured every morsel of this truly interactive and delicious meal. A regular burger and fries at this restaurant listed at $5.95. The loaded Garbage Burger obviously cost more, but we didn’t mind, not when you’re in the hands of a great server who knows how to connect with her guests and make a memory. Our tab was $28 and we left Anne a $20 tip. It was worth every penny. We talked about it all the way home, told our wives and even shared the experience with our colleagues at our weekly manager meeting three

days later. Two of them decided to go to the same restaurant that day to get a Garbage Burger. Unfortu-nately, Anne was not their server, and disappointingly, the experi-ence was not the same. When they requested the Garbage Burger, the server stared blankly back at them. “Never heard of it,” she said. That’s OK, our colleagues explained, it’s got mushrooms, cheese, jalapenos and sautéed onions on it, and - but then she hastily interrupted. “Those are all extra,” she snapped. No problem they explained, they still wanted them on the burger, and they’d also like a side of the homemade green chili to dip the burger into. “Gross!” the server replied.

“You wanna dip a burger in spicy pork green chili? Seriously?” They re-plied in the affirmative, she shrugged and wrote it down. Before she left the table she warned, “I’m gonna have to total this all up first and let you know how much these are going to cost before I turn it in to the kitchen.” Ouch. Not surprisingly, her mood affected the food and the meal was as disappointing as the service. One of our friends later called me at the restaurant and asked: “What in the world did you guys see in that place? Our server acted like we were inter-rupting her job rather than being the reason for it.”

True story, every bit of it

How to Sell a GarbaGe burGerby Jim Sullivan Ceo SulliviSion.Com CopyriGHt 2008

Customers want us to respect three things in

exchange for their business: their time, their

trust and their money. Smart operators earn that

respect by hiring smart, providing value in every

interaction, and habitually consistent training.

That’s how you sell the sizzle - and the “Garbage”

burger - every time.

since consistency is the foundation of trust and trust is the foundation of repeat business, can you see what happens when one server enthusiastically engages your customers and the others do not?

for more insiGhTs from jim sullivan visit www.sullivision.com

Two different wait team members – two very different experiences!

Question – Which do you want in your team?

The warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, skillful and confident waitress

delivering a great experience or the team member who is an expert at

sales prevention?

14

do whaT you do so well ThaT your cusTomers will wanT To see iT aGain and BrinG Their friends. Walt DisnEy

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to

keep getting what we’re getting”

Stephen Covey

TheAcademylauncheditsfirstTrainingCentreinCoventryonthe9thJuly2010andwillbelookingtoopenfivetrainingcentresinthefuture.Thanks to the support of Travelodge the Academy is able to provide the industry with increased accessibility to the very best training and development.

The centre will deliver:

• WorldClassCustomerServiceFacilitator• WorldClassCustomerServiceCoach• WorldClassCustomerServiceProfessional• FranklinCovey’s7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople• CapacityManagement

The training centre is also available to book for conferences, meetings andinternal training at competitive rates- making excellence more accessible.

To book online: www.excellencefound.co.ukEmail: excellence@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

cademyTraining CentresA

15

The Science of Smiling ProfeSSor AdriAn furnhAm | univerSiTy college london (ucjTSAf@ucl.Ac.uk)

OIL THE WHEELS OF COMMErCE WITH A SMILE!David McHattie

16

Everyone understands the imperative nature of delivering excellent customer service which is only possible when skills, knowledge and positive behaviours are demonstrated every day by the team.

They define the brand and determine whether customers are:

• Goingtopayyouareturnvisit• Preparedtorecommendyoutofriends

andcolleagues

Technical skills, effective processes and product knowledge together create an environment that facilitates confidence, sales and excellent customer experiences.

When we broke down all the key elements toinclude in the new World Class CustomerService Programmes what became clear was thatone key behaviour, which does not require training and yet bookends any great experience, was to SMILE and the team need to be engaged, enthused and willing.

In the current climate it seems easy to say we can’t afford to train, we have no budget. While I acknowledge that developing the key skills and knowledge costs money, it is irrefutable that a smile costs nothing.

Howvaluableisasmile?

We commissioned the eminent psychologist Adrian Furnham, University College London, to explore the Science of Smiling.

Furnham’s paper clearly demonstrates that such is the power of a free smile that we would all be better served by encouraging this infectious practice to benefit relationships, sales and profitability. Free and profitable has never been more pertinent.

But a final word of warning – make sure it’s the right smile!

“A smile is a universal welcome” – Max EastmanThe ‘science of smiling’ was founded by Charles Darwin who noticed that smiling is universal whereas many other non-verbal of body language behaviours, such as gestures or physical contact, differ between cultures and are therefore probably learnt. We all begin smiling at 5 weeks of age – and as babies we all quickly learn that whereas crying may get the attention of adults, it’s smiling that keeps it. Darwin also observed that smiling and laughter often occurred together and concluded they had similar origins. Smiling, it is argued, is the outward manifestation of happiness and serves to begin to connect us to others. We are ‘pre-wired’ to connect with others via this system.

Smiling iS poSitively contagiouS“Most smiles are started by another smile” – Anon There is a great deal of scientific evidence to support the idea of body-language mirroring (a process behavioural scientists refer to as ‘postural echo’), where we sub-consciously reflect the stance and facial expressions of others. Or, put another way, that smiles can be contagious. People also respond to – and evaluate – those who smile differently and more positively than those who do not. As Ella Wheeler’s poem “Solitude” rightly suggests, “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone.” Furthermore, there is physiological evidence that smiling has hormonal and physiological consequences which make us feel better and want to smile more. Smiling is what psychologists call ‘the expression of positive effect’. The sequence of events goes like this:1. Most external events (seeing a person, hearing a joke) but also internal events (like a memory) arouse, through brain activation, an emotion

2. This affects the facial nerves that produce emotional expressions but also other physical systems like heart rate and skin conductance3. The actual expression is modified by other nerves that are activated by (cognitive) thought processes4. There is feedback from the face to the brain

Smiling is not just a display of happiness – smiling also increases happiness.

Winning SmileS “A smile is something you can’t give away: it always comes back to you” – Anon Bring these factors together and it’s clear that a smile can establish a virtuous cycle between the ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’. A virtuous circle where it would not be counterintuitive to suggest that the individual who makes the first move is likely to have a distinct advantage – after all, a smile could be viewed as a ‘gift’ which has a positive impact on the receiver. Consequently, in hospitality and sales situations a smile from the vendor increases the possibility of the customer smiling which, in turn, increases trust and liking and subsequently a mutual sense of co-operation and helpfulness. Smiling doesn’t just bond people together – it oils the wheels of commerce.

culture and Smiling“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight” – Phyllis Diller There may be cultural differences in rules of smiling: when learned behaviours dictate whether it is appropriate to smile or not. For instance it has been demonstrated that in the United States of America people smile more in the south than the north with the cultural division running along the Mason-Dixon line.

It has also been observed that the British smile less than many other groups because of their ideas about the virtues of the ‘stiff upper lip’ and not appearing emotional. When the British do smile they keep their teeth hidden and pull their mouths sideways rather than upwards. One explanation for this ‘pursed smile’ is that for a long time a small mouth was considered more attractive and desirable in the UK. But times have changed, and in a 24/7 service-led economy maybe it’s time to celebrate the impact of a warm and welcoming smile.

The world’s expert on the creation of smiles is Paul Ekman who has studied all of the facial muscles and psychological motives to produce a unique system of classification:

1. The felt smile which is long and intense and shows all the signs of positive feeling associated with amusement, contentment and pleasure from stimulation2. The dampened smile is a real smile where people attempt to suppress or conceal the extent of their positive emotions3. The flirtatious smile is partly

embarrassed because the person gazes or faces away from the person of interest.4. The miserable smile is a ‘grin and bear’ it smile indicating stoicism about negative emotions5. The Chaplin smile is a contorted supercilious smile that, in effect, smiles at smiling6. The fear smile and contempt smiles are misnomers because neither have anything to do with positive emotions though both can have a “smiley mouth” and dimples

The below are of particular interest to smiles in hospitality and Ekman also notes deliberate smiles that signal a particular message:1. The qualifier smile encourages the recipient into returning the smile2. The listener response smile which simply indicates that everything heard is understood. It is an encouragement to continue

3. The compliance smile acknowledges the price of a product or service.4. The coordinated smile is a polite co-operative smile showing agreement, understanding and acknowledgement

Should We practice Smiling?“You’re never fully dressed without a smile” – Martin Charnin A smile can affect a person’s reputation. Politicians, movie-stars and media people practice smiling – so should those in the hospitality sector practice smiling too? Well, there are things practiced ‘smilers’ learn not to do: open your mouth, unless you are laughing; produce a sudden ‘flash’ smile; have a choreographed smile that bears no relation to what you are saying – and saying “cheese” produces fake smiles! Indeed, much of the work undertaken by psychologists has been into the way we distinguish between genuine and fake

smiles – and fake smiles stand out a mile. Technically we can define the physiological difference between a genuine and fake smile: two muscles are involved (zygomatic major and orbicularis oculi). Real smiles involve both muscles whilst fake smiles only use the former. The most insincere smiles engage the mouth more than the eyes, in a sense only half a smile – and it takes a real professional to produce a convincing fake. Practice at your peril!

concluSion“Smiling makes you feel better about yourself – and it always makes other people think better of you” – AnonEncouraging and celebrating great smiles within the hospitality industry is no mere publicity stunt, because everything that lies behind a warm and genuine smile points to excellence:

1. Employees that feel good about themselves and the service they are offering2. Businesses which have a positive attitude towards their staff and customers3. Customers that feel that they have received great service and value for money Charles Gordy tells us that “a smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks”. Given the evidence explored in this article, I think that we can safely say that in the hospitality sector a smile really is an inexpensive way to improve your business.

Now that really is something to smile about!

ReferencesCollett, P. (2003) The Book of Tells. London: DoubledayEkman, P. (2001) Telling Lies. London: WW NortonFurnham, A. (2000) Body Language at Work. London: CIPDJames, J. (2008) The Body Language Bible. London: VermillionMorris, D. (1977) Manwatching. London: Jonathon CapePease, A., & Pease, B. (2004) The Definitive Book of Body Language London: OrionVrij, A. (2000) Detecting Lies and Deceit. Chichester: Wiley.

Targets – Sales and Fun

Chase the Fiver is a motivational and upselling

tool that can be performed in two different ways.

You would start by:

Selecting a product line, a specific product to

encourage your team to sell e.g. Bottles of wine /

coffees / desserts or a particular special.

You would then give the £5 to the first person who

sold that specific product, until the next person

sold one and they would then take possession of the

£5. This will continue until the end of the session

with the last person holding the £5 able to keep it.

Alternatively the more

traditional version is:

The first person to sell one of the specific products

takes the £5. The person who then sells 2 items,

then has the right to possession of the £5 (the £5

can only be claimed when you have sold one more

than the last person).

according to a Gallup poll in the u.s.

reported by the harvard Business review:

• only 20% of employees are engaged and committed

• while 54% are neutral in their

engagement – essentially they show up

and do just what is expected

What do you do to engage

team members, ensuring

they turn up, bring their

skills, professionalism

and experience to work

every day and contribute to

the cause?

ngagementCustomer Service

“Consequently, in hospitality and sales situations

a smile from the vendor increases the possibility of the

customer smiling which, in turn, increases trust

and liking and subsequently a mutual sense of

co-operation and helpfulness. Smiling doesn’t just bond

people together – it oils the wheel

of commerce.”Professor A Furnham

E

17% disengaged

costs U.S. business

$300 Billion

per annum

sEE tHE possiBilitiEs

“The Guy who invenTed The wheel was an idioT.

The Guy who invenTed The oTher Three, he was a Genius!”siD CaEsar

Democratising the skies South West Airlines

17

Team engagement is imperative and can be an excellent opportunity for competitive advantage.

You can train all you want and have a rigorous recruitment and selection policy, but if the team don’t bring their skills and personality traits to work every day delivering excellent customer service, then it is all for nothing.

Leadership creates the desire to perform – to deliver world class customer experiences and gain competitive advantage.

Strategies for improving engagement:

• Builda“NobleCause”• Measureandrewardsuccess• Incentiviseexcellentperformances• Competitions–aroundagreedtargets• Linksuccessfulperformancewithfunorgames

Even Boris joined in on Southbank last Summer

Post

ed o

n w

ww

.sm

ileso

fbri

tain

.co.

uk

Taken from smiling on Facebook

One smiling fan caught

up with Alexandra Burke

SMilES OF BriTAin: A READy-MADE ONLINE TOOL FOR yOU TO BUILD ENGAGEMENT IN THE TEAM AND ENCOURAGES A KEy ELEMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Can you spot the fake smile? Take the BBC’s ten minute, twenty

question test – www.tinyurl.com/2u7sh

could you or one of your Team Be a finalisT or indeed The smile of BriTain 2010?

Park Lane Smile

Competition 2010

As part of the Smiles of

Britain campaign, several of

London’s most prestigious

hotels on Park Lane

participated in the hope

of gaining the title of

Park Lanes ‘Smiliest’ Hotel

2010. Over the course of

one month, more than 400

pictures of team members

with the brightest smiles

were uploaded to

www.smilesofbritain.co.uk.

In order to select the

winning individuals, we

enrolled assistance from

industry figures to help

with the judging process.

The judges included Mark

Lewis, Group Editor, Caterer

and Hotelkeeper; Jess rees,

Visit London Partnership

Marketing Manager; Nick

Scade, Chairman, Academy

of Food & Wine; Anne Pierce,

CEO, Springboard and Bob

Cotton, CEO of The British

Hospitality Association.

The Hilton Park Lane was declared the overall winner and claimed the title of Park Lane’s ‘Smiliest’ Hotel 2010.

Did you Know?

• IT IS ESTIMATED THAT TODAy’S LEARNER

WILL HAVE 10-14 JOBS BEFORE THE AGE OF 38

• 1 IN 4 WORKERS TODAy IS WORKING FOR A COMPANy

THEy HAVE BEEN EMPLOyED By FOR LESS THAN A yEAR

• THE TOP 10 IN DEMAND JOBS IN 2010 DID NOT ExIST

IN 2004

richard riley,

Former UK Secretary of Education

y o ! S M I L E SThe yo!Sushi crew took Smiles of Britain by storm by uploading over

2 5 0 S M I L E S and Banny from the Harrods outlet made it

all the way to the Smiles of Britain 2009 final (see page 20)

milesofBritain Customer ServiceS

18

Vis

hn

u, T

he

Mar

riot

t P

ark

Lan

e

Katharina,

The Hilton

Park Lane Hotel

Surprise yourself!

Identify the facial expression

from only a person’s eyes

www.tinyurl.com/ckrj3

in 1940 john Gallo was sacked from ford’s river rouge plant because he was “caught in the act of smiling”

“Aready-madeonlinetoolforyoutobuildengagementintheteamandencouragesakeyelementofcustomerservice”

Smiles of Britain engages your team and creates a focus on the essentials of world class customer service - SMILING.

It’sFREEanditalsoallowsyouto:• Createyourowncompanypage• Motivateyourteam• Giveyourteamtherecognitiontheydeserve• Celebrateandrewardyourwelcomingteamsmiles• HelpussetaworldrecordAllyouneedtodois:• Setoutyourinternalprizes• Encouragetheteamandletcompetitionand

recognitiondotherest• Pickyourteamwinners

All smiles are automatically entered to WIN the Smile of Britain 2010! www.smilesofbritain.co.ukTo set up your bespoke company page, including your logo and only your teams’ smiles, contact: smiles@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

The most insincere smiles

engage the mouth more than the eyes,

in a sense only half a smile – and it takes a

real professional to produce a convincing

fake. Practice at your peril!

Professor Adrian Furnham,

The Science of Smiling, 2009

finalisT joins The Team“the smiles of Britain Final was an exciting experience. the finalists were from all over the uK, so it was great meeting new people. our first activity was laughing yoga – definitely a unique experience! it felt very silly, but everyone got involved and by the end i genuinely could not stop laughing and smiling. We had an amazing lunch whilst the professional hair and make-up team gave everyone a makeover, which made me feel like a celebrity. With touch ups all day and a professional photo shoot, i felt extremely pampered! During the evening we had a meal at Babylon rooftop Gardens, with a tour of the gardens and a meal with other professionals from the hospitality industry. the winner was announced over dinner and we were also treated to having some of our questions answered and read out which was really funny!!!” neimisha patel

neimisha is now doing her 42 week university placement with The national skills academy hospitality

19

n Interview with... Peter Vaughan, Chef Proprietor & Smile of Britain 2009 A

WhatdoesitmeantoyoutobetheSmileofBritain2009?

I feel honoured and I continue to be the happy, smiley person that I always am. Even when I am not in the best of moods, I always count my blessings and respect that every person can benefit from a happy smile here and there.

Howdiditfeeltogetintothefinal21andgoontowin?

It’s always a wonderful experience to get through to the finals of any competition. I was surprised when I heard that I won because everyone did so well and they were all nice people who were the sort of people you would want as neighbours.

Whatdoyouthinkyouhadabovetherestofthecontenders?

I do have a lot of energy & buzz and I can keep going for a long time - I guess it’s because of my work pattern. I don’t flag after a long day and seem to have my own philosophy on life and original ideas, I’m a typical Aquarius. I love meeting people from different ethic backgrounds and view points, it intrigues me.

Whoinspiredyoutobeachef?

Keith Floyd. He simply loved food and drink! On his programme it was the ingredients that were important, not him and he was so knowledgeable about the country or style of cooking that he was doing.

Whatadvicewouldyougivetothoseenteringtheindustry?

You should not go into the hospitality industry with a romantic impression that it’s all glamour and fun. This is a competitive and fast moving industry.

For many, they give it everything and then burn out after 10 or 20 years. For me I advise that you look at what you want to achieve and aim for excellence, but then once you achieve that dream, you enjoy it and live it. Otherwise you may fall down this continuing search for perfection which sadly I’ve seen can start to destroy what you once were.

Iknowyouworkinschoolsdoingtheadopt-a-schoolcookingscheme,doyoubelievethistobethebestrouteintoenthusingyoungpeopleaboutcooking?

I love teaching and working with kids on healthy cooking programmes and projects. It is one of the few skills that a child will use all 5 senses while performing. Cookery helps build self-confidence and time management skills, money management, maths and hopefully something truly delicious at the end. It’s best learnt when you’re young and then you have a lifetime to refine your skills and implement your dream.

What’snextforyou?

To help do my part in making the hospitality of the UK as polished as it can possibly be for the 2012 Olympics. This is a golden opportunity for our country to shine and show how good & how happy we are in the hospitality industry.

“Let’s show how good &

how happy we are in the

hospitality industry” PeterVaughan

S M I L E S o n T o U r

our regional tour last summer began on

Monday 26th and ended on the 15th July.

It was an exciting few weeks visiting all 9

regions. We are looking forward to our 2010

tour and will be looking out for your smiles.

To check out our Smiles visit

www.smilesofbritain.co.uk

I was delighted to be a judge for

The Smiles of Britain 2009 final.

This campaign is devoted to celebrating the importance

of great smiles and encouraging world class

customer service which is critical as Britain prepares

to welcome the world for the 2012 Olympics.

Congratulations to all the finalists who illustrate the

warm, welcoming faces of Britain.

Sandie Dawe, CEO, Visit Britain

Sian Pearson – Living Ventures

(Second Runner Up,

Smiles of Britain 2009)

Pratima Ghartraj – McDonald’s (Runner Up, Smiles of Britain 2009)

Poonam Bohorun McDonald’s Rebecca Gray Darlington College

Arthur Packet

Hilton Hotels

Benjamin McEwenLexington Catering

Kieron Woodhouse

Virgin Active

Maria Harrop Darlington College

20

Banny CordovezYo!Sushi

Maddy Walsh

inalists ofSmiles of Britain 2009F

Pratima Ghartraj McDonald’s

Kyle Lazenby Darlington College

Sophie Ward

• Yo! Sushi• Hilton Park Lane• AEG

• LG• The Berkley• Threadneedles• The Lanesborough• The Hyatt

• Christophers• Baldwins Omega

• The Andaz• Heathcotes• St Brides

Spa Hotel• Grosvenor

House Hotel• The Hoxton Lodge• Marriott

• Premier Inn• Las Iguanas

A huge thank you to all companies that supplied prizes to the campaign:

Seredannith Leav McDonald’s

Erwin De JongRestaurant Associates

Sian Pearson Living Ventures

Upload your Smile on

www.smilesofbritain.co.uk

(Smiles with the most comments

and highest rated may make it to

the final).

Help us set a world record!

Who will be the finalists of 2010?

Jimmy KennedyBarcelo Hotels

21

Tanya LudriecusArtizian

Hannah BradyBournemouth & Poole College

Kezia Junger

Peter Vaughan

The Bistro Devizes

Neimisha Patel Manchester University

Smiles of Britain WINNEr 2009

Train the Trainer (Practical Training Certificate and Group Training Certificate)

Management and Leadership

Mentoring, Coaching, Personal Development

Customer Service

Focus on Food Profits

A library of training materials available to buy off the shelf and deliver in house through your own trainers

C A L L TO D AY O N 0 8 7 0 0 6 0 2 5 5 0

E info@stonebow.co.uk | W www.stonebow.co.uk Stonebow, 2nd Floor Armstrong House, 38 Market Square, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1LH

N E E D B E T T E RT R A I N E R S ? With 40 years’ experience, Stonebow’s courses have become a badge of quality recognised throughout the industry. Stonebow has developed a portfolio of training courses which have a flexible approach to address specific require-ments and deliver maximum return on investment.

With extensive experience working almost exclusively with service businesses, Stonebow has developed specific expertise in the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries by delivering the best ‘Train the Trainer’ programmes in the industry, helping businesses build capacity and become more competitive.

Stonebow also works with industry to build internal training functions and add value to existing training programmes.

Stonebow primarily provides bespoke training and development for individual companies. This not only allows us to provide our clients with programmes that match their training needs, but is much more cost effective where larger numbers of staff require training.

Contact us to discuss your requirements as we deliver the following courses both on a bespoke basis, and as open courses:

We love this business!

www.baxterstorey.com

John Cassidy Photography for our team head shots on page 49.Capturing Personality and Inspiring Confidencewww.johncassidyphoto.co.ukemail: johncassidyphoto@mac.com

Jeremy Rata for his innovative & excellent photographs within the handbook.www.jeremyrata.com

22

The Academy would like

to give huge thanks to:

23

ManaGEMEnt& Leadership 2010

Develop the customer service and coaching skills that deliver

business growth and competitive advantage

it is pointless training your staff without training the manager who is their role model and leader

2 day course – national Qualification cost £190 ex VATSee page 27

Capacity Management could be described as how to make more money with less effort while improving your service, efficiency and productivity!

1 Day Introduction to Capacity Management Programme now available!

Course open to all | Only £125 ex VAT

per candidate See page 28-29

henniGan scoops

resTauranT manaGer of The year

David Hennigan of The crown at Whitebrook,

monmouth won the 2010 restaurant manager of the

year title, succeeding previous winner Peter Avis of

Babylon roof gardens; an outstanding winner and

industry ambassador.

An excellent competition by The Academy of food

& Wine, endorsed by The national Skills Academy

Hospitality which celebrates excellence in front of

house management.

anagement&LeadershipM

T

24

(left to right) David McHattie, Chief Executive of the National Skills

Academy for Hospitality; David Hennigan, 2010 Restaurant Manager of the Year; Academy of Food & Wine Patron, Lord Thurso MP

Quality is free, by Phil Crosby

Quality without Tears, by Phil Crosby

The Absolutes of Leadership, by Phil Crosby

out of Crisis, by W. Edwards Deming

Made In America, by Sam Walton

The Service profit Chain,

by Hesketh, Sasser & Schelesinger

Moments of Truth, by Jan Carlzon

Customers for Life, by Carl Sewell

Service America!: doing business in the new

Economy, by Karl Albrecht

At America’s Service: how your Company Can Join

the Customer Service revolution, by Karl Albrecht

our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding

Under Any Conditions , by John Kotter

Leading Change, by John Kotter

r E C o M M E n d E d r E A d I n g

Managers and leaders are not only the visionaries, guides, coaches and implementers of business strategy and continued growth but are importantly the guardians and nurturing force behind our next generation of talented managers and leaders:

• Rapidsectorgrowthhasnotalwaysbeensupportedbymanagementandleadershipdevelopmentforthetalentedtechniciansandentertainersappointedintomanagementroles

• Arethecriticalfactorinstaffturnover

• Createanenvironmentthatfacilitatesasuccessfuloperation

Management and Leadership “development” often only takes place in house and on the job. This does not necessarily provide the best personal development to ensure the growth of the individual or their ability to excel as managers and leaders. A blend of in house, on the job and external best in class development solutions will provide the best results.

Often the best programmes are beyond the reach of small or medium sized businesses – either they don’t know which are the best or the price is deemed prohibitive.

The Academy is dedicated to helping develop management and leadership talent by identifying leading intelligence and providing access to the very best solutions, whether in the form of:

Franklin coveyDevelop the finest Management and leadership skills and behaviours3 day programme for individuals or businesses Only £895 ex VATBook now, see page 25

Disney Institute’s Approach to:

Leadership Excellence• 1 day seminar 13th & 16th September

Quality Service• 1 day seminar 14th & 17th September

Inspiring Creativity & Brand Loyalty• 1 day seminar 15th September

Book now, see p32

• Qualifications

• MasterClasses

• Seminars

• InsightandIntelligence

The 7 habits of highly effective people

habit 1 Be proactive

habit 2 Begin with the end in mind

habit 3 put first Things first

habit 4 Think win – win

habit 5 seek first to understand Then to be understood

habit 6 synergise

habit 7 sharpen the saw

3 day open courses or company courses – Book Now: www.excellencefound.co.uk

£895exVATperpersonincludes pre psychometric test, book, CD, bag and certification.

This Franklin Covey programme is an inspirational solution – currently beyond the reach of the vast majority in the sector. It is a central component of any programme to develop the finest Management & Leadership skills and behaviours.

On Franklin Covey’s “The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople” Programme, individuals:

• Learn how to take initiative

• Develop a mission, vision and values within their organisation

• Learn how to balance key priorities

• Improve interpersonal communication

• Learn how to leverage creative collaboration

• Apply principles for achieving a balanced life

• Develop increased influence and laser-like focus for critical issues

This programme is used as a foundation stone for many large PLCs and is now available through The National Skills Academy Hospitality Training Centre.

Delivered by National Skills Academy Hospitality accredited Karen Skingley, an approved Franklin Covey facilitator.

he 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Programme T

25

Urgent

not Urgent

important crises

Pressing problems

Deadline driven projects

meetings

Preparation

Preparation

Prevention

Values clarification

Planning

relationship building

True re-creation

Empowerment

not

ImportantInterruptions, some

phone calls, some mail,

some reports

Some meetings

many proximate pressing

matters

many popular activities

Trivia, busywork

Some telephone calls

Time Wasters

“escape” activities

excessive T.v.

Is the majority of your time

spent on urgent crises or

deadline driven problems

“leadership: The art of getting

someone else to do something you

want done because he wants to do it.”

Dwight D. eisenhower

PEOPlE 1ST rEPOrT:• The sector has a requirement for 58,000

additional managers by 2017.

• 50% of managers do not possess the minimum

level of qualification required for their position.

• Before establishing their business, just under 2/3

of new owners had no experience of working in

the sector.

• 26% of employers report that their managers lack

the required skills.

• Approximately 50% of sector business start-ups

fail within their first three years.

• Micro businesses account for 76% of all sector

businesses and approximately half of the workforce.

However, these employers are much less likely to

offer their staff training or receive funding to help

support training.

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

“We are hanging onto staff, which

has meant huge savings in the cost of

recruitment and our staff turnover is

well below industry standards. All this

at a time when the fall in the pound’s

exchange rate means that staff (many

of whom are from overseas) may be

looking to move away from the UK.”

manager

v v

Over the past decade we have seen huge growth in both the size and diversity of the hospitality sector. However research illustrates the need for a continued focus in the critical area of management and supervisory development.

The successful delivery of world class customer service is dependent upon the knowledge, skills, enthusiasm, commitment and coaching ability of the managers and supervisors.

Excellent managers create the environment that lends itself to the cause and engages the team, thereby allowing the team to deliver world class customer service and experiences that develop customer loyalty and growth. Without developing the management customer service and coaching skills all the team member training in the world only serves to waste the opportunity and disappoint those team members who have been enthused by their development.

There is no point developing skills and knowledge in the team if the management is not aware what has been learned and are equipped to work with the team to develop the business specific plan and put it into action delivering the shared goals.

Such coaching and customer service development is provided by the WorldClassCustomerServiceCoachprogramme. This 2 day programme for managers and supervisors is available nationally through a network of excellent Licensed Facilitators and works in tandem with the 1 day programme for team members (see page 13).

anagement ExcellenceManagement&LeadershipM W

“We all want to deliver world class customer service for every guest and this exciting programme develops the knowledge, skills, efficiencies and confidence to make this possible. regardless of whether your hospitality business is big or small, this programme will help teams raise their game and deliver to the top and bottom line - we want it for all our team members and management”charles prew, chief executive,

Barcelo hotels

87% of those who provide

customer service training

for their staff develop this

training in-house.

People 1st

Be hospiTaBle in-house

wiTh a Blend of exTernal

developmenT!

jim sullivan – american Guru

speakinG in london recenTly

made his Beliefs clear:

• moST InTernAl TrAInIng

coUrSeS TAKe no AccoUnT of

HoW ADUlTS leArn

• moST InTernAl coUrSeS Tell

PeoPle WHAT To Do

• WHen YoU Tell PeoPle WHAT

To Do YoU Tell THem To SToP

THInKIng

• Don’t tell people what to Do

– teach them to think

26

The Book of the YearDriveThe surprising truth about what motivates us, Daniel H. PinkFor anyone who leads people or wishes to lead people this book is a must. This book will make you rethink everything you do to motivate those around you.

What really drives high performance - not the external rewards you thought. A transformational book!

“It has made a team of the 15 of us and you can definitely see the difference in the teams of those manag-ers who have been through the course. You can tell straight away as you walk around the building. You can spot their staff by their posture, their attentiveness and the speed at which they work, and we are selling more. On those occasions when my staff work a bar, we consistently get higher takings - an average increase of 85%.” Godwin Bright Mensah - Delaware north - emirates Stadium

v v

“Because staff - from different departments -

come together on the courses they

get a new understanding of the

part they play in the business. We’re seeing some

surprising results.” Shared information leads to

staff becoming more independent

and “in some cases bypassing me altogether.”

Manager

Cost£190exVATpercandidateDeliveredbyNSAHAccreditedFacilitatorsNationalCoverage

Modulesinclude:Whatisyourrole?Whatmakescompaniessuccessful?Whatskillsareneededtoexceedcustomers’expectations?CharacteristicsandcostofBadService

CharacteristicsofExcellentService:• Procedures: Addressing technical skills, product knowledge, organisational

aspects and customer expectations at a personal and professional level• Behaviours: Addressing communication skills, complaint handling,

knowing your customer, selling techniques and friendliness

TheChallengeofManagementThe crucial role of managing customer service performance in your outlet and why employees aren’t performing as they should. CoachingandFacilitatingSkills• Common methods of communication, questioning

techniques and handling answers• The importance of effective listening and feedback• What are the derivable benefits and results from

group work and how to handle difficult situations CascadingSkills• Understanding the four levels of development• Training needs analysis • How coaching can improve employee performance. Choose from

a range of coaching activities appropriate for your outlet• Role models and how they are used to develop team dynamics

ReturnonCoachingInvestmentCompile your own operational checklists covering all aspects of procedures and understand how to use different performance evaluation tools to measure the quality of your customer service.

W27

“The very first person i found needed coaching was actually myself.

“I have since become more aware of behaviour and its impact on others. I now consider my work objectives and in what way I could engage my team in order to achieve them. We have since scored 100% on our mystery guest report for period 12!”

front office manager

A customer

service course

that delivers

tangible returns

on investment.

learn the fundamentals of world class customer service• How to implement• How to set your business up for success• How to coach your team to deliver

professional level training with

the yo!sushi Team

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

orld Class Customer Service Coach 2 day Programme

Capacity management provides a systematic way to bring consistency to your service quality and team

experience, while maximising volume throughput to grow sales and improve profitability.

Whereistheopportunity?Arangeoftypical

businesscomponentsprovidetheopportunityto

growcapacityandthereforebusinessvolume:

• Car Park – if it’s full or even looks full guests

drive away• Tables – at peak times, all tables are occupied but

larger tables have empty seats

• Food Ordering – whether at a specified order

point or with the wait team, it’s negative for

guests to queue or wait to order

• Queue Management – whether at reception to

check in, or worse at check out

• Drink Orders – customers waiting up to 20

minutes for drinks to be served or dispensed and

delivered to table is revenue limiting

• Peak Periods – are they “survived” rather than

being a seamless efficient experience for team and

customer?• Section Sizes – too large and elements of your

desired service or moments of truth suffer – too

small and it’s wasteful

• Food Wait Times – can all the food be delivered

within ideal parameters?

• Kitchen Equipment – is some equipment idle

and others over capacity, becoming the limiting

factor for efficient food production?

• Glasswash and Potwash – system delays limit the

service• The Bill – at check out or payment, do guests

have to ask and wait?

These challenges are opportunities which with a

little structured thinking and application can be

resolved by degrees. Each step forward will return

sales and profit growth and provide competitive

advantage.

Capacitymanagementidentifiesthecurrent

barrierstoimprovedperformanceandestablishes

improvedsystems,planningandstandardsto

increasethebusinessescapacityto:

• Eliminate wasted guest time – the aim is not to

reduce the experience time

• Improve the workplace experience of the team –

driving morale and tips

• Increase the volume of guests served at peak

times• Standardise improved service performance across

all service periods

• Improve volume and efficiency facilitating

investment in price or value

Given the economic challenges facing hospitality

businesses, capacity management has never been

more appropriate. There are many opportunities and

benefits it offers, that can and should be explored

and exploited. Capacity Management is equally

applicable whether operating a Bar, Restaurant,

Hotel or Kitchen - in each case delivering benefits to

the customer, the team and the business.

apacity Management Management&LeadershipC

CrEATE VALUE Or PErISHIn developing customer value one of two key strategies can be adopted:

28

Re-invest margin in

quality or value

Staff training,

scheduling

and incentive

Supply

Chain

Efficiency

Capacity Management

of productivity

Value & VolumeCycle

Reduce Costs

Increase Volume

Increase Value to

Customers

Increase BuyingScale

• niche or boutique – a focus on customer service and design to provide a unique experience which separates your business from the large scale value / volume operations

• cost and efficiency leadership – a focus on training, staff scheduling and incentives to drive volume, thereby driving capacity and productivity to increase buying power, reduce costs and further increase quality and value.

Whether adopting a value and volume approach or a niche experience, then managing in and ultimately designing in efficiency is the only way to maximise the customer and team experience that will provide competitive advantage and sales growth. capacity management is a key component in the creation of value, where value is defined not simply by price but by quality, personality and customer service.

The Academy now offers 1 day Capacity Management course Only £125 PEr PErSOn (Ex VAT)

Capacity Management is a scientific,

systematic process to maximise

volume throughput and customer

experience.

Time is precious!a proportion of guests eat

out because they can’t be

bothered to cook or haven’t

got time to cook.

yet during a 1 hour 30

minute meal experience

over 1 hour is spent waiting:

• waiting to get a seat

• waiting for drinks

• waiting to order

• waiting for food

• waiting for tables to be

cleared• waiting to pay

Service Quality =

Expectation / Perception

Start with consistency

then improve the quality.

Get it under control first!

PrODUCTIVE? To achieve profiT and GrowTh oBjecTives in an increasinGly

compeTiTive markeT requires new and hiGher levels of

sTandardised service, efficiency and value.

MAKING ExCELLENCE ACCESSIBLECapacity Management techniques are typically only available for the largest companies – a function of the expertise, detailed work and investment required. The National Skills Academy Hospitality now brings such intelligence and expertise within the budget of every business.

BOOK NOW EITHER:• Open courses available at the Academy

Training Centre: www.excellencefound.co.uk

• For closed company groups of 12+ contact: capacity@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Capacity Management1 day course – The Principles of Capacity Management

An introduction to Capacity Management delivered in 1 day by National Skills Academy Hospitality endorsed Capacity Management expert.

Overview

Candidates will be given an insight into the potential talent within their existing business.

How to look at your business through a different lens – consider new approaches, unearth practical solutions that can be taken back to the business and unleashed to improve capacity, productivity, sales and profitability

waiTresses makinG desserTs limiTs sales!evidence suggests that not only do waitresses lack the skills, controls or speed to be best placed to make desserts – they typically lack the desire and if they are in the kitchen making desserts they cannot be selling or delivering world class customer service.

29

Labour SchedulingUnsatisfied Demand and Waste

Num

ber

of s

taff

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Hours of operation07:0

0

07:3

0

08:0

0

08:3

0

09:0

0

09:3

0

10:0

0

10:3

0

11:0

0

11:3

0

12:0

0

12:3

0

13:0

0

13:3

0

14:0

0

14:3

0

15:0

0

15:3

0

16:0

0

16:3

0

17:0

0

17:3

0

18:0

0

18:3

0

19:0

0

19:3

0

20:0

0

20:3

0

21:0

0

21:3

0

22:0

0

22:3

0

23:0

0

23:3

0

Actual Staff

Number

Ideal StaffNumber

unsaTisfied demandCustomers face an

understaffed operation – with staff unable to deliver

the service they wish or indeed make the sales

possible.

wasTeOperating with team

members when no sales are generated, particularly in the early or late hours

of operation, is labour best redeployed.

Labour SchedulingUnsatisfied Demand and Waste

Actual StaffNumber

Num

ber

of s

taff

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hours of operation

07:0

007

:30

08:0

008

:30

09:0

009

:30

10:0

010

:30

11:0

011

:30

12:0

012

:30

13:0

013

:30

14:0

014

:30

15:0

015

:30

16:0

016

:30

17:0

017

:30

18:0

018

:30

19:0

019

:30

20:0

020

:30

21:0

021

:30

22:0

022

:30

23:0

023

:30

Ideal StaffNumber

Wheredotheteamparktheircars?

Whatisyouraveragemealexperiencetime?

Howdoyouhandlebookings?

Table size - cover utilisationOn busy sessions - your tables are full but you have empty seats.

It’s not about making it easy to get large parties in.

The money is in the twos and maximising the number of covers being utilised.

25% Restaurants operating at peak sessions and turning away guests typically have between 17% and 25% of their covers unoccupied. what is the cost of this?

Only £125 ex VAT per person

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

ForecastingDo you keep a diary of weather conditions, special events, promotions and sales? Ordering, forecasting and scheduling the future is so much easier when it can be done in light of historical performance factors

Modules covered include:• What is Capacity Management?

• Mapping the guest pipeline

• Mapping the production pipeline

• Measuring and influencing capacity

• Identifying and releasing bottlenecks

• Capacity Management – Value Added

• Top tips and practical solutions

Houstons in the USA – consistently one of the finest customer service experiences – waiting team members are responsible for only 3 TaBles.

A Sense of Urgency, by John Kotter

Multi Unit Leadership: The 7 Stages of building

high-performing partnerships and Teams,

by Jim Sullivan

The one Thing you need to Know,

by Marcus Buckingham

The power of Ethical Management,

by Ken Blanchard

gung ho!, by Ken Blanchard

The one Minute Manager meets The Monkey,

by Ken Blanchard

how to Motivate people, by Michael LeBoeuf

The Servant Leader, by James A. Autry

rules of Thumb: 52 principles for Winning at

business without Losing your Self,

by Alan M Webber

r E C o M M E n d E d r E A d I n g

Given their importance in terms of

the future growth of the sector, the

lack of managerial skills remains

a key concern. 39% of businesses

who state they had skills gaps

in their workforce said that

management skills need

improving. This is higher

than the average across the

whole economy (36%) and an

increase from 2007 (26%)

People 1st

dvanced apprenticeshipsat Living VenturesA

“ I k n o w n o t h I n g t o r E S t A u r A n t, B A r S u p E r v I S o r o r m A n A g E r ”

In partnership with Living Ventures, the North West based restaurant group, The National Skills Academy has developed the new Advanced Apprenticeship Management Development Programme. The programme now offered by Living Ventures, endorsed by The National Skills Academy Hospitality and accredited by Edexcel provides the opportunity for newcomers to the industry to develop the right skills, product knowledge and financial acumen to run a successful pub restaurant or bar. The Advanced Apprenticeship defines a new benchmark for apprenticeships and allows talent to develop the skills and knowledge at a variety of levels, before finally graduating with a level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. Small to medium sized businesses find it difficult to gain accreditation for internal programmes. By working with Living Ventures we have developed a model that once the framework reviews are completed and funding made available can be adopted by others who share the same pride and aspirations as Living Ventures. This is the first Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship in the sector and was launched by the then Secretary of State Andy Burnham at Living Ventures excellent “Grill on the Alley” in Manchester.

30

Sophie – The Real Apprentice“Started out as a waitress, quickly became in-house trainer”

“People would die to work for Living Ventures”

“All the team really root for you to succeed”

http://www.hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk/vox-pox-real-people/

Living Ventures Graduates, Executive Team and the then Secretary of State Andy Burnham

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

Westminster Kingsway

College is the first

provider to be endorsed

by the Academy for its

excellent delivery of the

new IOH Qualifications.

The new Institute of

Hospitality Qualifications

are Vocationally-Related

Qualifications (VRQ)

suitable for managers

or those aspiring to

management in the

hospitality, leisure and

tourism industries.

All awards have been

designed in consultation

with industry and the

Sector Skills Councils.

The three Qualifications

at Levels 2, 3 and 4

are accredited by the

Qualifications and

Curriculum Authority,

and are available via the

National Qualifications

Framework.

They provide the

underpinning knowledge

required for management

within all key areas

of business, focusing

on leadership, career

progression, business

skills, specialist subject

knowledge and the

promotion of Continuing

Professional Development

(CPD).

These awards are

already approved by the

Sector Skills Council,

People 1st, and provide

flexible units of CPD

which build up into

nationally accredited

qualifications at

Introductory, Intermediate

and Advanced levels.

The National Skills

Academy Hospitality and

its Quality Committee now

endorses and accredits

the delivery providers at

Westminster Kingsway

College for the Institute of

Hospitality Qualifications.

Acknowledging the

excellence in both content

and delivery.

“only 23% of

micro-businesses know who

to contact for training funding

compared to 30% of small to

medium size enterprises and 48%

of medium and large employers”

People 1st

AcAdemy Accredits

excellent delivery

of ioH QuAlificAtions

“Management is efficiency in

climbing the ladder of success;

leadership determines

whether the ladder is leaning

against the right wall.”Stephen R. Covey

T h E A C A d E M y o f f o o d A n d W I n EThe Academy’s purpose is to identify,

promote and maintain the highest

professional standards for the education

and training of Food and Wine Waiting

staff and Bar Assistants in the UK Hotel,

restaurant, Catering and Bar Industry.

“lead and inspire people. don’T Try To manaGe and manipulaTe people. invenTories can Be manaGed BuT people musT Be led.” ross peroT

inSTiTUTE OF HOSPiTAliTy The institute of Hospitality exists “to promote the

highest professional standards of management

and education in the international hospitality,

leisure and tourism industries.”

31“Management is

doing things right;

leadership is doing

the right things.” Peter f. Drucker

“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.”Henry Kissinger

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

“Well delivered, engaging and presented

with passion.”

“The response throughout the business has been overwhelming…it has brought huge clarity to

the business.”

“Excellent, interactive and interesting.”

For more information or to book your place please log on to:www.excellencefound-disney.co.uk or contact christine Martin, Peach Factory ltd.E: christine@peach-factory.com M: 01704 550383

Disney institute is brought to you again this year by

The national Skills Academy Hospitality.

32

The national Skills Academy Hospitality is proud to present Disney Institute, one of the most respected and highly regarded professional development organisations, both here in the UK and across the globe. Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, we have created an even bigger 2010 programme.

live the ‘business behind the magic’ and bring your skills back to your team! These innovative and bespoke training programmes will raise your skills and knowledge to help deliver some of the best customer service in the world!

Disney Master-classes

1 day course: 13 & 16 September 2010• Adapt proven Disney leadership strategies and best practices to our organisation.• Develop and communicate your leadership vision.• Establish and maintain effective processes and structures to meet goals.• Apply the strategies that Disney leaders use to foster individual responsibility

across your organisation.• inspire commitment and leadership development in others.• implement your own action plan to align your vision, goals and continued development.

Disney’s Approach to leadership Excellence

1 day course: 15 September 2010• Discover time tested practices and principles that build and fortify brand loyalty.• identify the impact brand loyalty has on your financial performance and reputation.• Adapt proven concepts and practices for optimising creativity.• Employ techniques for delivering a collaborative culture.• Sustain a competitive advantage for your organisations

Disney’s Approach to inspiring creativity & Brand loyalty

1 day course: 14 & 17 September 2010• Develop an organisational culture that supports the consistent delivery of quality service.• Evaluate the Disney approach and tailor it to your business.• Design quality service standards and processes to raise the level of customer satisfaction.• create metrics to gauge the needs, perceptions and expectations of customers. • implement a strategic plan for monitoring delivery of seamless customer experiences.

Disney’s Approach to Quality Service

Very few will get the opportunity to learn on site at the Disney institute, Florida so we wanted to bring Disney to you! increasing access to

Disney’s excellence so that hospitality has the opportunity to benefit from best practice.

Excellence is competitive advantage!

As part of the

Management

and Leadership

portfolio this year,

five winners from

the hospitality

industry were given

the opportunity to

attend the Disney

Institute, Orlando on

a bursary supplied

by the Academy.

The Disney Bursary

was worth over

£4,000 per delegate

and each delegate

received 3.5 days of

training on people

management, flights,

access to four parks,

accommodation and

transfers.

Mark Maltby,

Programme Director,

The National Skills

Academy Hospitality

accompanied the 5

winners;

Irene Lo Porto,

Duty Manager,

The Athenaeum

Hotel

Lianne Dye,

Academy Licensed

Facilitator, Hit

Training Ltd

Sue Buckley,

Operations

Project Manager,

Punch Taverns

Duane Vanner,

People Manager UK,

Beds & Bars

John Pitt,

Hospitality Lecturer,

Trafford College

Winners were

selected from

a variety of

competitions. One

bursary went to

a partner of Visit

London, one to an

Academy Facilitator,

another to a

hospitality lecturer.

Finally to a

participant in a

Disney webcast

and a ‘post your

best customer

service story’ on the

Academy’s forum!

A few remaining

places are available

for the October trip

Book Now! www.excellencefound-

disney.co.uk

“inspirational!”“The speakers were enthralling…

loved every moment.”

World-class leadership development and the unique opportunity to attend a 3 day bespoke training course at Walt Disney World® including behind the scenes tours and insight, 5 nights accommodation at a Walt Disney World® resort hotel.Join our executive trip to the Disney institute, Florida where a small group from industry will step into the “living laboratory”, learn about the leadership shadow and become part of the team. Trip to take place October 2010.

Executive Trip to Disney Institute World HQ, Orlando, Florida

Delivered directly to your team, wherever you may be in the UK or Europe! With each Webcast purchased you will receive 5 logins to use throughout your teams. This unique and innovative opportunity allows you to build in part of the Disney ethos and applications direct to your teams, which will compliment training programmes and meetings already in place.

For more details: www.excellencefound-disney.co.uk

Disney Webcasts

Tickets Limited Book Now!

33customer Service coaches Programme Enables supervisors and managers to allow those that have attended the professional level World class customer Service Programme to address technical skills, product knowledge, organisation and deliver beyond customer expectations. (See page 27 for more details)

“The average revenue increase is just below 10% - a direct result of the World class customer Service Programme.”Manager

Management

Hospitality Benchmark ProgrammeAn insight to how successful your managers and teams customer service is, allowing you to know:• What your customers think• Where standards are failing • Awareness and message your brand delivers• How you compare to sector, industry and

your competitors(See pages 10-11 for more details)

‘We are using the Hospitality Benchmark Programme in our Maison Blanc operation and it has certainly been a key component in helping to grow the sales and profitability. it also provides invaluable guest insight’Simon Wilkinson cOO Kout Food Group

Essential Management information

Disney bursary

“i doubt there was a leader or manager in the room who didn’t think... i can do this and realise my organisation’s vision and values.”

“Fabulous content –

i will go again!”

Life is what you make it. Opportunities are always there. But if you snooze, you lose; and if you snore, you lose more. Phyllis George

Career Path: > Hotel School

> Worked in every department

> Charity work, Bangladesh

> Hotelier

> Chairman nspirationI34

I f y o u D o n ’ t D I S t I n g u I S h y o u r S E L f f r o m t h E C r o w D , y o u ’ L L j u S t B E t h E C r o w D . rebecca Mark – Employment

“My secret weapon is

my staff” Gordon Campbell Grey’s

Inspirational Journey

Despite my love of innovative design and technology, I remain firmly in the belief that ultimately it is all about service and regard my staff as my true secret weapon.

many thanks to all the great industry personalities and leaders that have taken time out to meet with us and allowed us to share their inspirational stories with you. They are truly inspiring people and provide a benchmark for the rest of us to aspire to. The good news is that the opportunities are endless!!Who or what inspires you? Tell us at:inspiration@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

“Great Future Waiting for You”

Advice“There are some really exciting career opportunities in

the hotel industry to suit a broad range of people, from

those seeking a career in hotel management to budding

chefs, from potential sommeliers to those interested in a

career in corporate hospitality and events.”

Career Path: > Law degree > Solicitor > Business owner

As an employer, people working in our

business are our most precious asset.

The industry offers staff the chance to

develop as an individual and as an employee.

Julia Hands’ Inspirational Journey

Anything is possible....Here are just a few of our inspirational leaders who are represented onwww.excellencefound.co.uk. These people are well known in our industry and provide an excellent example of what can be achieved in a career in hospitality.Find out how they got to where they are, what they love about the industry and their mistakes and experiences - proving to us all that anything is possible!

“60 Years of Experience and Going Strong”Elena Salvoni’s Inspirational Journey

Istartedworkat14intheragtrade

althoughIdidn’tenjoyfactorywork.

Iwaspersuadedbyafriendwhowas

workingasawaitresstotrymyhandatthatprofession.

ItwashereIstumbleduponmytruevocation.Ilearnt

theropesunderMrBossibutwhentheCaféBleu

burntdownImovedtoBianchi’sunderMrPaccini

“whotaughtmeeverything”.Istayedherefor30years,

thenretiredbutsoongotboredsoamnowI’mback

workingthelunchshiftatElena’sL’Etoile.

CareerPath:>FactoryWork>Waitress>Maitred’

“We have an Oscar room in the restaurant in which only Oscar winners can eat!”

“From transport cafe to Michelin Stars”Brian Turner’s Inspirational Journey

35

“The Naked Chef”

Jamie Oliver’s Inspirational Journey

CareerPath:

>Helpedinparents’restaurant

>Leftschool(aged16)

>CateringCollege

>Onthejobtraining

>TheNakedChef

Itookanearlyinterestinfood;myparentsruntheirownhighly

respectedpub/restaurantandIwasfrequentlyfoundhelpingoutin

thekitchens.Myfascinationforfoodcontinuedtogrowandat16Ileft

schoolandcompletedmytrainingatWestminsterCateringCollege.

AfterspendingsometimeworkinginFrance,followedbyAntonio

Carluccio’sNealStreetRestaurant,London,Ijoinedtheacclaimed

RiverCaféwhereIworkedforthreeandahalfyearsalongsideRose

GrayandRuthRogers.Iwastheninatelevisiondocumentaryabout

theRiverCafé.Soonafterthedocumentarywasaired,Iwasofferedmy

owntelevisionshowandTheNakedChefwasborn.

Career Path:

> On the job training > Chef Lecturer

> Chef de Cuisine

> executive Chef

“I have run the London Marathon” My Story:I have done loads of TV work as a Chef including This Morning, Ready Steady Cook and I was a judge on Master Chef. As well as the TV work I do, the other major commitment I have is to the training of young people within the industry which I enjoy doing with passion and dedication. My latest project is helping with the Schools FutureChef Competition

i STArTEDAS A POTWASHEr

WILLIAM BAxTER’S

INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEy

CAREER PATH:

> POT WASH / HND HOTEL & CATERING

> ASSISTANT MANAGER

>AREA MANAGER

>DEPUTy CEO

My STORy:

I STARTED AS A

POT WASHER AND

WAITER AT THE

SELFRIDGE HOTEL

IN OxFORD STREET.

I THEN GAINED A

HND IN HOTEL AND

CATERING INSTITUTIONAL

MANAGEMENT BEFORE

JOINING P&O’S SUTCLIFFE

CATERING AS AN ASSISTANT MANAGER.

I ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS TO BECOME AREA MANAGER OF THE

THAMES VALLEy.

SINCE THEN I HAVE FORMED, MANAGED AND SOLD A FEW

COMPANIES AND AM NOW WORKING AS DEPUTy CHIEF

ExECUTIVE OF BAxTER STOREy.

36

Best Place to WorkBest Place to Stay

thecavendishlondon.com Reservations: +44 (0)20 7930 2111

Cavendish17x8Best100.indd 1 9/2/10 14:24:35

Join the team and we’llshow you what Latin Lifeis all about; it’s fast and

furious, edgy and eclectic,with authentic fresh foodand feisty cocktails from

the southern hemisphere.

We’re an independentbusiness and you’ll reapthe benefits. We offer

industry-leading trainingsystems and a rewarding

package of incentives.

If you’re passionate abouthospitality and service,eager to develop yourskills and can take the

pace, you could be whowe’re looking for…

Las Iguanas Limited. 38 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2LG • careers@iguanas.co.uk

watch us in actionsee where we are apply online

CHEFS • GRADUATES • RESTAURANT MANAGERSkick off your career, or take it to the

next level with Las Iguanas, the award winningLatin American restaurant group.

find out more at www.iguanas.co.uk

1281 LI NSA advert AW NEW SIZE:Layout 1 14/6/10 08:54 Page 1

G R O U P

Some serious foodfor thought...The Northcote Apprentice Scheme

Northcote Group Head Office, The Three Fishes, Mitton Road, Mitton, Nr Whalley, Lancashire BB7 9PQTel 01254 826960 www.northcote.com www.ribblevalleyinns.com

If you have an appetite for a real career opportunity, this could prove very, very tempting.The Northcote Apprentice Scheme has already launched the careers of several people currently racing to the top of our profession. Now it could be your turn. Whether you want a future as a chef or as front-of-house manage-ment at a leading establishment, this is the ideal chance to work for a thriving group of companies, learning your skills in-house and on day-release at college.Initial study is to NVQ Levels 1 – 3. The programme is one of the best our industry has to offer and the level of commitment required from you is considerable. But in return for your hard work we can offer you an exceptional experience, the guidance of a top award winning team, and the confidence to set your career sites very high indeed.For more information contact Kelly Topping HR Advisor on Tel 01254 826960 or email ktopping@northcotegroup.com

37

Chefs 2010

y o u n G c h e f a c a d e m i e sIncluding the excellent compass Junior chef Academy, these 10 week Saturday morning cookery classes operate at colleges

nationwide to provide structured practical skill development. The programme

culminates in the 11-16 year olds preparing and serving a three

course meals to friends and family.

Inspiring a generation of future talent to take a fresh look at a career as chef!

ExcEllEnT cOllEGESDESIRE THE 706 SUITE OF CHEF qUALIFICATIONS NO MORE!

THE DIPLOMA IN PROFESSIONAL COOKERy PROVIDES THE

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING THAT INDUSTRy REqUIRES.

THERE ARE IN ExCESS OF 200 COLLEGES DELIVERING CATERING

qUALIFICATIONS – LESS THAN 80 DELIVER THE INDUSTRy FAVOURED

DIPLOMA.

THE NATIONAL SKILLS ACADEMy HOSPITALITy, ITS BOARD AND

qUALITy COMMITTEE AUDIT ONLy ENDORSE THOSE COLLEGES

DELIVERING THE DESIRED qUALIFICATION TO OUR ExACTING

STANDARDS.

chef ApprenticeshipsDespite the focus on Apprenticeships from government and the desire

from industry for this important work-based development route:

• We do not have any Apprenticeships we can officially identify as

excellent and universally available

• Any work to develop these at this point would be wasted until the

Apprenticeship Framework changes are agreed and implemented

• The deficit and how this is to be addressed means uncertainty as to

the funding for over 18s

Chefs,orthelackofskilledchefs,remainsthemostspokenaboutskillsshortage,butmuchworkhasbeendonetoensurethattheindustrynotonlyhastherightdevelopmentvehicles,butprogrammeswhichdevelopapipelineoffuturecheftalent.It is not necessary to keep creating more chef solutions in an already cluttered landscape of development options in this area. We have harnessed the excellent solutions in the sector which clearly map out the path to continued success that the industry needs to rally around, embed and support and grow these initiatives.

hefsC38

Chef Master ClassesconTinued developmenT for chefs

and aspirinG home cooks! experienced chefs

aT The Top of Their Game share Their skills

and Tips To provide viTal conTinued personal

skills and knowledGe developmenT in a series

of excellenT chef masTer classes.

It’s not TV – enjoy the smell and

taste while asking questions of

the experts!

FutureChefSo much more than simply an

excellent competition, 8000

competitors from 800 schools enjoyed

the inspiration and nurturing

afforded to the 12-16 year olds

that entered Future Chef.

Changing perceptions and developing

a pipeline of great chef talent!

http://futurechef.springboarduk.net

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

APPROVED

A

PPROVED

A D

A

D

crAFT GUilD OF cHEFSFounded in 1965, the association represents the interests of its chef members who come from all areas of the foodservice and hospitality sectors and work in a wide variety of positions, from students and trainees to top management. The chef association provides support, education and celebration through a network of chefs dedicated to developing chefs. www.craftguildofchefs.org

DeliveringtheindustrypreferredProfessionalCookeryDiplomatoexcellentstandards,ensuringarichveinofgraduatetalentwiththeskillsindustryneedstocreatevaluetodayandforthefuture!Colleges that deliver the Diploma in Professional Cookery can take advantage of our robust accreditation process which recognises excellence in both content and delivery standards.

Colleges who fulfil the stringent proof requirements of The National Skills Academy, the Quality Committee and Board are granted use of the logo – if you are presented with a CV carrying this logo be assured the individual has developed the right skills in the best college, graduating with the skills industry requires for the future.

xcellentCollegesE

AcADEMy OF cUlinAry ArTSFounded in 1980, the Academy of culinary

Arts is concerned with raising standards and

awareness of food, food provenance, cooking

and service. its objectives are equally focused

on the new generation of young industry people

through its education, training programmes and the

provision of career opportunities.

To be nominated to join the Academy is a great accolade, as it is to earn a Master of culinary

Arts or win an Award of Excellence bestowed by the Academy of culinary Arts.

“lEADinG THE HOSPiTAliTy PrOFESSiOn By ExAMPlE; SHAPinG iTS

FUTUrE THrOUGH EDUcATiOn”

www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk

quality committee membersisabell hodgson, Head of centre for Hospitality and retailing management, leeds metropolitan University

john cousins, Director, The food and Beverage Training company

john williams, executive chef, The ritz

mike stapleton, consultant

michael shepherd, general manager, Hilton Park lane

philippe rossiter, fIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

South Westwww.thecollege.co.uk

South Eastwww.chichester.ac.uk

East of England

www.ccn.ac.uk

East of England

www.colchester.ac.uk

North Eastwww.darlington.ac.uk

York & Humberside

www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk

North Eastwww.ncl-coll.ac.uk

South Eastwww.southdowns.ac.uk

West Midlands

www.themanchestercollege.ac.uk

North West www.trafford.ac.uk

Londonwww.courses.tvu.ac.uk

West Midlands

www.ucb.ac.uk

central London’s College

Londonwww.westking.ac.uk

Forfulldetailsofaccreditedcollegesvisit:

www.excellencefound.co.uk

employers and Chefs….

If your local college does not

deliver the Diploma in Professional

Cookery encourage them to do so.

If your local college does

deliver the Diploma:

• encourage them to seek the

endorsement of the National

Skills Academy Hospitality so

you can be assured of delivery

excellence

• offer placements and mentoring

for their students

• provide Chef Master Classes or

guest lectures

39

young chef young Waiter

The young chef young Waiter is the longest established

competition in the Hospitality industry and its winners are among

the most admired. They include such top-line chefs as Marcus

Wareing, Mark Sargeant and Simon King, winner of the Waiter

competition in 2000.

young chef young Waiter is more than a competition

judged by some of the industry’s finest and best known chefs

and front of house professionals. it is also an education. it

enables students in the industry under the age of 25 to gain

extra knowledge and greater confidence – and so

boosting their career prospects by demonstrating

their true talent and passion.

www.ycyw.org.uk

John Williams, Menu Sonata, a Tasting Menu from The ritzWhat is it? A menu packed with refined dishes that

feature on the tasting menus of The ritz Hotel’s

world famous award winning restaurant, with the

executive chef, John Williams.

When? 12th october 2010

Where? café Spice, 16 Prescott Street, london, e1 8AZ

How long? 3 hours

Who’s it for? Anyone who wishes to experience

detailed and refined cooking at its best and to gain a flavour

reference.

Cost? £125 per person

Menu Sonata:• Warm oyster with cucumber tagliatelle and caviar

• Butter Poached lobster with ginger and cauliflower

cream puree

• fillet of Turbot with baby leeks and morels

• cutlet of venison with forestiere garniture

• lime vanilla Posset with exotic fruit and mango sorbet

Booking details: binay@cafespice.co.uk or call 020 7488 9242

National Skills Academy Hospitality – Dating Agency?Are you prepared to guarantee graduates with merit or

distinction an interview?

If so join the 10 pilot companies who have, contact:

chefs@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

First chef - employer interviews took place in June 2010

at Westminster Kingsway College. Our pilot group of

10 employers were able to interview and employ merit &

distinction students from 13 endorsed colleges. Yearly

events taking place: get in touch to keep posted!

hefMasterClassesC

40

C h E f S A d o p T A S C h o o LDeveloped and operated by the Academy of Culinary Arts, this excellent programme reaches 800 schools - educating, inspiring and equipping primary aged children with the vital skills of practical cookery and food knowledge.

Educating and inspiring children to taste, understand and enjoy the pleasures of cooking and eating food.www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk/chefs-adopt-a-school

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

Whetheryou’re12,120oranywhereinbetween,fantasticChefMasterClassesareavailabletoyou.1 day classes available are great for students, professional chefs or keen cooks looking to improve their skills and knowledge.

TypicalCoursesavailable:

• StephenPini,AnItalianMaster-class

• TonyTobin,DishesthatStandtheTestofTime

• SteveMunkley,CreatinganAuthenticFineDiningChineseRestaurant

• PaulGayler,AMaster-classwithCheese

• JohnWilliamsMenuSonata,TastingMenuMaster-class

• CyrusTodiwala,AParseeMaster-class,TheZoroastrianCuisineofIndia

Cost:£125perpersonBooknow!www.excellencefound.co.uk

Restaurant Manager of the Year An initiative set up by The Academy of Food and

Wine. It endeavours to find someone who has

all the skills needed to be a top class restaurant

manager in today’s demanding climate - great

business acumen, bags of personality and

confidence, the ability to get on with people and

a thorough knowledge of his or her trade. The

winner will also have the sensitivity to judge

when customers want to chat and when they

don’t and, crucially, be able to recruit, manage

and motivate his or her team.

www.afws.co.uk

Anexcellent10weekprogramme,typicallyrunningonSaturdaymorningsbyprofessionalcheflecturersofferingyoungenthusiastsaged11-16afantasticopportunitytolearnatcollegeandgainconfidenceandskills.Initially developed by Compass Group, this programme is supported and endorsed by industry - an excellent example of industry and education collaborating to provide valuable skills for enthusiastic future talent.

Learnhowtoprepareandcooktherecipesfor:

oungChefAcademiesY

• Pizza • Chelsea Buns • Cream Horns • Spicy Roast Chicken • Victoria Sandwich with Butter Cream Icing • Fresh Pasta • Risotto

• Chicken Pie • Chicken Teriyaki • Noodles and Stir Fry • Flan Normande Sweet Pastry • Choux Pastry • Moka Gateau

In the final week, students prepare a three course meal for family and friends to celebrate their graduation with a celebrity chef.

TypicalProgrammeContent:• How to work safely and hygienically following

the health and safety rules that apply to a kitchen environment

• What constitutes hazards within a kitchen

• Knife skills and safety rules

• Personal hygiene and protective clothing standards

• Using basic kitchen equipment safely and appropriately

• Dietary and nutritional awareness for those who may have special dietary requirements

• Identify the 5 main food groups

The Nestlé Toque d’Or

An inspiring challenge for

catering students at college and a

unique opportunity for students

to demonstrate their skills by

creating their own distinctive

“place to eat”. Participants are

challenged to create an original

concept. If successful, their “place

to eat” will come alive as they

take ownership of the Toque d’Or

restaurant, allowing each college

to produce a three course menu

for 100 guests. The students are

set with a task of designing a

restaurant concept and theme,

whilst also complimenting the

style of the menu they had

crafted.

Toque d’Or is a true test

of everything students have

learned, underpinning in a

practical way the learning

gained whilst at college.

Bringing together food service

skills, professionalism, creativity

and teamwork.

www.nestle-toquedor.co.uk

41

list of colleges that run the junior chefs academy:Accrington & Rossendale College www.accross.ac.ukBlackpool & Fylde College www.blackpool.ac.ukBournemouth & Poole College www.thecollege.co.ukCity College Norwich www.ccn.ac.ukDarlington College www.darlington.ac.uk

Herford College www.hct.ac.ukKendal College www.kendal.ac.ukLancaster & Morecombe www.lmc.ac.uk

Leeds City College www.leedscitycollege.ac.ukLiverpool Community College www.liv-coll.ac.ukMerton College www.merton.ac.ukNew College Nottingham www.ncn.ac.uk

Newcastle College www.ncl-coll.ac.ukRedbridge College www.redbridge-college.ac.ukSouth Devon College www.southdevon.ac.uk

Suffolk College www.suffolk.ac.ukThames Valley University www.tvu.ac.ukTrafford College www.trafford.ac.ukUniversity College Birmingham www.ucb.ac.uk

Waltham Forest College www.waltham.ac.ukWestminster Kingsway College www.westking.ac.ukThe colleges marked in blue are also accredited by the National Skills Academy Hospitality for their excellence in the delivery of the Professional Cookery Diploma.

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

nspirationFutureChef winners for 2009 & 2010

ILast year Luke Thomas defeated

7,500 other entrants to win the

FutureChef 2009 title. Luke said

“I was determined to win in 2009,

it has changed my life totally. The

whole experience from the school

heat to winning in London…

fantastic! Then working in a 3

Michelin Starred restaurant in

Rome and working at Gary

Rhodes W1 - I wish I could do

it all over again, but judging this

year at the National Final was an

unbelievable experience.”

Now only a year on and Luke

is running a cookery club on a

Monday evening for his friends

and teachers, with the possibility

of producing a cookery book. He

is looking into a ‘Ready, Steady,

Cook’ event with a fair-trade

theme. He has also worked at

a local butcher that specialises

in award-winning sausage

production. Also a local company,

Cosmopolitan, has taken an

interest in Luke and at every

opportunity he is down in their

development kitchen in Deeside

experimenting with frogs legs,

monk fish and sushi.

Luke uses interesting fresh

ingredients and supports local

companies to create different

dishes with teenage appeal.

Elwen Roberts, HCC’s consumer

executive, recently said “Luke

is a fantastic young chef and he

has a passion for using Welsh

lamb in his cooking. Hopefully

his enthusiasm for using quality

products such as Welsh lamb and

Welsh beef will be an inspiration

to other young chefs.”

Luke now has a promising

future as a chef, assured by the

industry leaders and super chefs

who were involved within the

competition. Brian Turner himself

believes that ‘Luke Thomas is

a young man with a real talent,

more than that this lad has so

much enthusiasm and is so self-

motivated; he is destined to get to

the top.’

2010’s winner was Kerry

Johansen, who fought off stiff

competition from 11 other

finalists, impressing a panel of

high profile judges with her menu.

Johansen said: “I practised my

menu day and night! I’ve been

Photography by Jeremy Rata www.jeremyrata.com

Photography by Jeremy Rata

www.jeremyrata.com

42

Developing Future Talent

A variety of excellent training

already exists.

We know of and lament the lack of

structured cooking skill development

in our schools but in response industry

has not sat idly by, developing a range

of solutions which provide young talent

with the opportunity to explore, learn

and grow.

Chef skills are in demand and cooking

offers the individual a rich, rewarding

and varied career.

really focused on winning this

year.” She worked throughout the

year with her mentor chef Gareth

Billington, Executive Head Chef

for Sodexo Prestige at Everton

Football Club.

Gareth said: “Kerry has focused

on improving her knife skills and

flavours with support from me and

all the Sodexo chefs at Everton.”

These young chefs need guidance

and the inspirational leaders,

programmes and schemes now

available provide opportunities for

the younger generation to develop

their skills further and give

themselves the best future possible!

aDvice for young chefs going into competitions:“RemembeR you’Re cooking foR chefs, they say they want flaRe and foR the plate to look good, but the Real scoRing comes fRom putting the flavouRs togetheR. flavouRs aRe the key, they should be a chef’s ethos.”John williams, executive chef, the ritz

“The number of talented British chefs

opening new restaurants and running

michelin-starred establishments is

heartening. If they can help encourage

other british-born youngsters into the

industry, we can be sure that their numbers

will increase and standards will rise.”

Bob Cotton, Chairman, The National Skills Academy Hospitality

43

Take your competitions to the next level and study at a Junior Chef’s Academy or find a College or University that delivers the Professional Cookery Diploma. For more details see pages 38-39.

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D

Photography by Jeremy Rata www.jeremyrata.com

‘The Futurechef programme reaches thousands of 12-16 year olds every year helping them learn how to cook,

developing their skills and gaining experience of

the incredible career opportunities that exist in the

sector. With the development of our wider programme

of master classes, demonstrations, work experience and skills sessions the industry has the

ideal platform to spot future talent, nurture it and ultimately

employ highly motivated young people who will be the

culinary stars of the future.”

Gareth Edwards, Education Director, The Springboard charity

44

E-Academy 2010

E-aCaDEMy

lAUncHES AUTUMn 2010 - WATcH THiS

SPAcE AT WWW.ExcEllEncEFOUnD.cO.UK

-AcademyEOneeveninginthelateautumnof1971,RayTomlinson,workinginalaboratoryinMassachusetts,watchedacomputerthesizeofafridgereceivingalineoftexthehadtypedintoasimilarlybulkymachinepositionedametreaway–theworldsfirstemail,sentfromtomlinson@bbn-tenexa-theworld’sfirstemailaddress. Just 39 years later, one billion emails are sent every day and the exponential growth of online communication and the accessibility of the internet and high speed broadband is changing the way we live, work and learn. The advances in online learning, particularly in the last 10 years, have been highly significant. Our understanding of what good e-learning should look like is now much better understood and therefore the offer is more sophisticated and highly effective from the early pioneering e-learning days of “point and click”. The Academy recognises the importance, value and role of online learning and that this discipline has more than earned the right to sit alongside the more traditional learning routes. It is not a replacement for one-to-one learning, or classroom based education – it is a welcome addition and alternative, which adds value and a wealth of choice to the learning portfolio and offers the learner and the employer unlimited possibilities. The Academy has developed an E-Academy which recognises and reflects the opportunity and flexibility e-learning provides, which has been developed in association with highly experienced and talented practitioners and designers, to showcase the best in class provision that is available.

EmployersThe online academy is for employers who need to provide

training to their staff, including compliance training

that all staff must do and all employers have to show

evidence of, such as health and safety and food hygiene.

However, subjects such as customer service, IT skills and

management development will help teams become more

efficient and more productive.

Let’s not forget that there can be other benefits for

employers. It can increase employee engagement so that

staff feel their development needs are being addressed.

This in turn has been proven to reduce staff turnover

(which is costly) and improves morale.

EMPlOyEES (AnD POTEnTiAl EMPlOyEES) it’s also for individuals working in the hospitality industry or perhaps those in training or education who are considering a career in the industry. They’ll be interested in what training and qualifications are available to them. They’ll want to find out what it’s like to work in the industry and they may well be keen to see the kind of jobs that could be available to them. They will have a natural curiosity to see and understand what it is like to be a Sous chef or a General Manager of a Park lane Hotel. For them, the attraction will also be in getting a ‘feel’ for the industry. Hearing from others about their experiences, seeing people in action, getting the customer’s perspective as well as just finding out what opportunities are available to them and how to move quickly through an industry that offers any number of highways to success.

The benefits of online learning are manifold, well researched and published. BECTA produced a report in November 2009 which concluded, “classes wiTh online learninG, wheTher compleTely online or Blended, on averaGe produce sTronGer learninG ouTcomes Than learninG face-To-face alone”. There have been numerous academic studies published (in excess of 200 in the last three years in the UK) which now point unequivocally to the fact that digital learning can support and positively promote learning and development outcomes. Leadingresearchersinthisfield,theASTD-MasieCenter,studiedandevaluatedtheexperiencesofmorethan700employeeswhoundertookE-Learningandconcluded;• 87%preferredtotakedigitalcoursesduringworkhours• 52%preferrede-learninginaworkplaceofficearea• 84%wouldtakeasimilare-courseifofferedagain• 78%saidtheygenerallypreferrede-learningtoclassroomtraining

Intel in their research, “The Positive Impact of E-Learning” from 2009, reviewed 42 papers on the subject of E-Learning and concluded that “overall The effecTs of TechnoloGy on sTudenT ouTcomes may Be GreaTer Than previously ThouGhT.” Thebenefitsforemployersarewellunderstoodaswell,CIPDpublishedthefollowingresultsfromtheiremployersurveyin2009;• Almostthree-quarters(71%)ofemployerscurrentlyusesomeform

ofE-Learninginthedeliveryofworkplacelearning• Two-fifths(42%)ofemployershaveincreasedtheiruseof

E-Learninginthelasttwoyears• Inthecurrenteconomicclimate,whenlearningbudgetsare

decreasing,organisationswereexpectingtospendthesameorincreasetheirexpenditureonE-Learning

Even in the face of the economic downturn, 40% of employers expected their overall training budget to decrease, but only 12 % planned to reduce online learning. The use of 2.0 technologies will almost certainly further integrate the use of digital learning and the rate of change is exponential. For providers and learners, the only meaningful way of addressing the pace of change is a planned, considered but faster integration of learning technologies into our mainstream learning and development.

45

WHo’s it For?

C o n S U M E r S

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A DThe e-Academy is a site which has a broader appeal to anyone with a passion and interest in food and drink. As a nation we are becoming ever more aware of the need for good nutrition and healthy eating and there is a huge audience out there which wants to find out more and more. The e-Academy recognises this and our service focuses on lifestyle learning, which is fun, interactive and features all sorts of ‘how do you do?’ clips, tips, hints and advice.

46

SocialNetworking 2010

Hot Cat UK is the fastest

growing professional network for people working in

hotel and catering and those

currently considering hospitality as a

career. It is for people looking for a

slightly more sophisticated approach to

professional interaction. They are constantly adding

new content to make meeting people easier and

more fun, combined with a network of people within the

industry to bounce your ideas back and forth with.

25% of the world’s

population is

online

The forumwww.excellencefound.co.uk/forum provides

members with access for:

• Exclusive competitions

• Sharing ideas and latest thinking

• Discussion with peers

• Podcasts

We can also set up private areas for your team or

organisation.

What is social media worth? http://mashable.com

Facebook: $11.5 billion

Zynga: $2.6 billion

Twitter: $1.4 billion

linkedIn: $1.3 billion

THErE ArE A nUMBEr OF DiFFErEnT SOciAl nETWOrKinG SiTESSITES; Facebook has more than 500 million active users, 50% of those active users log on to facebook in any given day. The average user has 130 friends. 500 billion minutes per month are spent on Facebook. The average user is connected to 60 pages, groups and events. There are more than 25 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each month.

MySpace is the largest Social Network in North America and maintains a dominant position as a media site, primarily aimed at youth, giving them the opportunity to relate to brands and bands, as well as self-express. MySpace has more than 110 million monthly active users around the globe. On average 300,000 new people sign up to MySpace every day.

Twitter allows users to update their ‘followers’ with 140 characters of text. Twitter has 105,779,710 registered users and 300,000 new users sign up every day. Twitter receives 180 million unique visitors per month. There are 600 million search queries on Twitter every day. There are over 100,000 Twitter applications. 37% of active Twitter users use their phone to tweet.

Foursquare is a social city-guide that helps show you nearby places and rewards you for doing interesting things. Through your phone, it gives you and your friends new ways of exploring your city. Visit restaurants, bars, cafes etc. and be pin-pointed to your exact location. Update on your experience, earn points and unlock badges to discover vouchers, prizes and rewards.

ocial NetworkingS

Whatisasocialnetwork?

A social network is made of individuals or organisations which are tied

or connected by common interest or friendship. It allows users to build

their own social networks for each circle of consumers/business contacts,

allowing you to advertise amongst the people who are specifically interested

in your product.

Social Media is no longer the thing that we all fear and companies are

embracing it every day to connect with their consumers and market

their products in new, innovative and cost effective ways. Yes it is time

consuming, but the results can be astonishing if done well - some have

hundreds of thousands of fans. Our ‘Smiling’ on facebook has accumulated

8,000 fans in just 7 months with recent levels of interaction exceeding

2,000 per week and is run by our team on a daily basis.

Social media is evolving continuously and there are more networks being

created all of the time - especially into the world of Apps, which are set to

be the lead in all mobile marketing in coming years. There are already

hundreds of Apps for the industry, whether you’re looking for a

place to eat, connecting with friends in local places in your city

via Foursquare, or even vouchers for your favourite places.47

WATcH OUT FOr FUTUrE SOciAl MEDiA EVEnTS

By FOllOWinG US

FAcEBOOK The national Skills

Academy Hospitality

FAcEBOOK Smiling

Become a fan on:

Follow us on:TWiTTEr Hospitality AcadamyTWiTTEr Smiles of Britain

otesN

48

49

The team at the National Skills Academy Hospitality is dedicated to identifying inspirational solutions that support companies and individuals to gain competitive edge in Practical Skills - particularly Chefs, Management and Leadership and Customer Service. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the Academy or would like to contact one of the team please get in touch, see contact details overleaf.

eetTheTeamM

John ChapmanNatalie Martin

Stephen Mannock

David McHattie

Lindsay Campbell

Frances Sturt

David PepperMark Maltby

Neimisha Patel

USEFUl cOnTAcTS

50

The Academy TeamDavid McHattie CEODavid.mchattie@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

David Pepper Programme Director (Hospitality Benchmark & Training Centres)David.pepper@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Frances Sturt Marketing & Media Co-Ordinator Frances.sturt@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Lindsay Campbell Operations Directorlindsay.campbell@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

John Chapman Programme Director (Chef Master Classes, Young Chefs Academy, Disney Institute) John.chapman@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Mark Maltby Programme Director(World Class Customer Service) Mark.maltby@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

natalie Martin Marketing & Communications Manager natalie.martin@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

neimisha Patel Events Co-Ordinator neimisha.patel@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Stephen Mannock Programme Director (Chefs, Competitions & Quality Assurance including Colleges) Stephen.mannock@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

ProgrammesWorld Class Customer Service customerservice@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Hospitality Benchmark www.hospitalitybenchmark.com excellence@hospitalitybenchmark.com

Junior Chef Academy/Chef Master Classes/Professional Cookery Diplomachefs@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Capacity Management capacity@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Disney Institute Programs www.excellencefound-disney.co.uk christine@peach-factory.com

Programmes (continued)Franklin Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly effective People” Programme covey@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk www.excellencefound.co.uk/covey

Institute of Hospitality Qualifications awardingbody@instituteofhospitality.org www.instituteofhospitality.org

engagementSmiles of Britain www.smilesofbritain.co.uk smiles@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

CompetitionsFutureChef www.futurechef.springboarduk.net greggb@springboarduk.org.uk

Young Chef Young Waiter www.ycyw.org.uk / ycyw@bha.org.uk

nestle Toque D’or www.nestle-toquedor.co.uk

Uk Restaurant Manager of the Year www.afws.co.uk

OrganisationsThe British Hospitality Association www.bha.org.uk / bha@bha.org.uk

The Academy of Culinary Arts www.academyofculinaryarts.org.uk info@academyofculinaryarts.org.uk

The Academy of Food & Wine www.afws.co.uk

The Craft Guild of Chefs www.craftguildofchefs.org

People 1st www.people1st.co.uk

Institute of Customer Service www.institiuteofcustomerservice.com

Institute of Hospitality www.instituteofhospitality.org

Springboard www.springboarduk.net

Marketing and PR expertise for Leisure, Hospitality and Tourism

To find out more, call us now on 01296 714745 or email ann@elliottpeople.com

www.elliottpeople.com

StrategyResearch

PRBranding

NPDDigital

Professio

nal Cookery

food ProduCtio

n and Cooking

kitChen serviCes

food and Beverage s

erviCe

housekeePing

front o

f house r

eCePtion

Multi-s

killed h

osPitality serviC

es

hosPitality suPervisio

n and leadershiP

advanCed aPPrentiCeshiP

Professio

nal Cookery advanCed aPPrentiC

eshiP

INTRODUCINGBTEC APPRENTICESHIPS

MORE suPPortfor MORE suCCessful

aPPrentiCeshiPs

CONTACT US:telephone: 0844 576 0045

email: btecapprenticeships@pearson.com

visit www.pearsonwbl.com/btecapprenticeships

customer insight, benchmarking & celebration

www.hospitalitybenchmark.com

call: 01225 470999

Address:The National Skills Academy Hospitality55-56 Queens HouseLincoln’s Inn FieldsLondonWC2A 3BH Phone: 01895 817003Email: excellence@hospitalityskillsacademy.co.uk

Created and produced by:

www.excellencefound.co.ukwww.smilesofbritain.co.uk

we aRe a not foR pRofit oRganisation which exists to seRve hospitality – by industRy, foR industRy. without the immense suppoRt we have Received fRom many individuals and businesses we would not have been able to pRovide businesses and individuals with solutions and invest in ouR fiRst handbook - youR guide to excellence in hospitality tRaining.Thank you!

Identifying inspirational solutions that support companies and individuals gain competitive edge in Practical Skills - particularly Chefs, Management and Leadership and Customer Service.

A

PPROVED

APPROVED

A

D

A D