Eric Slater
HFT 379
- Food and beverage operations contribute to the overall guest experience at the resort by giving the guest a time to relax and enjoy a good meal. Sharing a meal with loved ones or those who you may have gone on a trip such as one like this really makes a trip memorable. This is especially true when the food is good, drinks are flowing, and service is top-tier. When a staff member at a restaurant attends to you with a smile and asks questions it really makes the experience much more enjoyable and may bring you back like it did at Butch’s. Personally I enjoyed how they accommodated each guest, especially me when I had ordered a lot of food. In terms of service, quality, and atmosphere I noticed that each place had a unique feature to them that made them different from one another. An example of this would be Butch’s which had a more upscale atmosphere while service and quality was top-tier. For the places that were more diner style I noticed that the service was good, quality was decent. And the atmosphere matched what you had been expecting. From a managerial perspective, F&B leaders balance guest satisfaction with operational efficiency, staffing, and cost control by firstly training, without training the operational efficiency would not be as well off as it was in each restaurant we went to. Staffing was above the norm that I saw at many places, it seemed like each restaurant had more than enough staff members to accommodate each guest without one feeling as if they weren’t being served in a timely manner. Lastly, other than the buffets that were around the resort, the cost control was kept managerial by having a certain plate size (Food) which wasn’t too big or small for each guest. For me personally I felt full after every meal and did not think I was being underserved. Guest experience functions as a competitive advantage in food and beverage operations by making the place in this case restaurants as a destination rather than just a place to get food and beverages at. Making a memorable experience for the guest makes it different from just an ordinary restaurant. You feel welcomed and important even if each guest is experiencing the same thing. It’s important to keep a high standard for each team member to follow so this functionality can go smoothly and accordingly. Guests may feel more inclined to go to the restaurant that makes them feel welcomed rather than a place that just serves them and goes on with their day. If I were managing one of the F& outlets such as Pinta’s, I would direct my team members in different directions such as having teams for each station. My only concern would be confusion as many different people were serving us as guests. Having one team member serving the guest as the main server will make each guest feel like they are cared for rather than having multiple at one time. This will also help balancing the work load as well.