2. Explanation of significance of the service encounter
3. Analysis of managerial implications
4. Essay format & presentation

Answer:

Introduction:

A company can be identified as a set of operational activities. The service or the products we get from a company are the external dealings of the enterprise. It is not the complete picture of the operational and managerial process of an establishment. There are a lot of activities involved in the back end of the company which plays a crucial role in providing the best quality service to the consumers. However, in the service industries appropriate alignment of the backstage and front stage operations is a prerequisite for obtaining customer satisfaction. For the successful completion of this project, I have selected food service industry, i.e. a restaurant, named “Farmhouse Kings Cross.” It is an Australia based restaurant with a great popularity among the consumers.

Discussion:

As described by Spirin and McGregor (2013) the front stage operation of a service organization can be identified as “the interaction the customer or service consumer has with the service.” The front stage process is the client-oriented activities of business. This is the segment of your business procedure that the customer experiences.

e="text-align: justify;">In the restaurant business, the front stage activities are the dining room experience of the consumers. In the case of my selected restaurant “Farmhouse Kings Cross”, I would like to call it a gourmet restaurant. The front stage operations of this establishment are the food quality, the service of the waiters, the behavior of the staffs, the ambiance of the dining hall and much more. As mentioned by Kanyan et al. (2016) with the advancement in the information technology the front stage activities are being hugely influenced for the customers. Farmhouse Kings Cross is providing the customers the opportunity of online booking (Farmhousekingscross.com.au 2016).

Moreover, the organization is also providing the great welcome greetings by two employees as the door; they have three employees who direct the customers to the tables. In this restaurant, you will have an attendant who will receive the orders from you. Within 5 to 10 minutes, the order will be placed before the customer. The employees are always there for the customers. After the dining, the customers can pay via online payment or an employee is there for the cash receiving service at the counter.

On the other hand, a significant number of issues can be identified as the backstage operational activities of a restaurant establishment. Here, in my selected restaurant the backstage operational activities are the kitchen, staff management, an audit of the accounts and the supply chain management of the establishment (Zainol et al. 2014). The organization has a role specification in the kitchen. There are one chef, two sue-chefs, and other stuff with specified functions. The group collects its requirements (the veggies, chicken, and other food or cooking items) every day at six a.m. in every morning. The restaurant has a warehouse near to the kitchen. Three employees are always there to serve in the store. Moreover, there are anther five employees who transport the requirements of the kitchen from the store (Farmhousekingscross.com.au 2016).

However, while discussing the backward operations, the HRM policy of the organization cannot be ignored. The team is providing a proper amount of compensation to the employees. Moreover, as per my collected information, the team is also providing security measures to its employees. It is helping them to ensure better dedication from the employees (Duarte et al. 2013). In addition, the organization maintains a regular auditing procedure to ensure financial clarity. It helps the establishment to operate in a better-organized manner.

Figure 1: The Flow Chart of the Front and Back Stage Operation of “Farmhouse Kings Cross”:

Source: Developed by the author

Since the servicing market is becoming increasingly cutthroat, it is becoming more significant for essential provisions such as commodities or services to be acceptable to gain a competitive edge. The progress of every aspect in the consumer correlation creates this continual edge, particularly service encounters. This encounter is a course via which customers communicate straightly with any service. By interacting between themselves in a very short or over a longer period, service contacts may build a relationship with each other. If a consumer experiences a long-lasting helpful connection with a known source, an association might expand further. Therefore, growing value-producing service encounters during service deliverance ought to be considered one of the top precedence in a service advertising policy (indianresearchjournals.com. 2016).

Although initial dealings in the contact flow are probably imperative, every encounter can be vital in deciding consumer fulfillment and constancy, along with a compound representation of the organization in the customer's mind. First-time meetings will generate an initial idea about the group. In these circumstances, the consumer normally does not have any foundation for evaluating the structure, and the first telephonic communication or in-person experience with an ambassador of the organization can play a crucial role in the consumer's opinion of the aspects and the apparent service deliverance. Positive interactions will provide an image of being first-rate whereas negatives have the opposite outcome. Conversely, a combination of both will make the consumer feel uncertain of the organization's value, hesitant of its stability in service deliverance, and susceptible to the attractions of contenders. For instance, a patron of "Farmhouse Kings Cross" could have multiple constructive encounters with their account handler or vendor. Following these, there could be helpful interactions with the operations team that arrange the food services. Nevertheless, downbeat incidents with the servers or the bookkeeping unit and the invoicing process can end up in a blend of in general experience. This disparity in encounters could keep the clients doubting the excellence of the firm and future experiences. Every service interaction with customers and the service departments promote or demote the possibility of a long-lasting association (Centreforaviation.com 2016).

The rivalry amongst restaurants is cutthroat, and one needs to give their all to be thriving in this industry. Innovative ideas and policies by the managers help advance business and get the notice from rumbling stomachs from all over (WordStream 2016)!

Decide on Menu: Farmhouse Kings Cross's goal in this tactical decision department of operations is to provide affordable and likable dishes. As such, the serving sizes and prices of its dishes are based on the most modern consumer expectations.

Quality Management: The restaurant aspires to take advantage of item quality within limitations, like expenses and cost limits. It uses a line method to uphold quality consistency that pleases consumers’ hope about the restaurant in this matter.

Job Design and Human Resources: Farmhouse Kings Cross's human resource strategies involve training for skills needed in the kitchens or production areas. For this zone management, personal and managerial knowledge is also implied upon to support the firm structure.

Inventory Management: Farmhouse Kings Cross’s goal for this department is to minimize inventory costs while supporting operations. Local mediators and dealers synchronize with the managers to supervise their stock (Panmore Institute 2016).

Using technology: Technology in the promotion can lead to successful, widespread alertness of a restaurant and its qualities. With the help of social media tools, like blogging, tweeting and posting pieces connected to a restaurant’s food fashion may increase social consciousness about its good points.

Marketing: Restaurants can offer customers memories of significant events of their lives. PR promotions are compatible for restaurants as they present customers with a feeling of association and assist in building lasting relationships (Smallbusiness.chron.com 2016).

Conclusion:

A right alignment of the front stage and back stage operations is typically essential for the successful running of a service organization. As such organizations' success fundamentally depends on the service encounter; it is important for them to manage rightly and align the front and backstage operations of the organization. Here, in my selected organization, the establishment is effectively lining up the both the operations. The success of the customer service and excellent dining experience, the right management of the logistics, HRM policy, and kitchen tasks are hugely important. Identifying the front stage and back stage operations are necessary for the managers to implement strategies with the aim of improving the service encounter. In my selected case, the management has identified that the dining service can be improved by introducing more verity in the menu. Hence, they are trying to improve the staffing and realigning the salary structure.

References:

Academia.edu. 2016. Other customers in a service encounter: examining the effect in a restaurant setting | Aby Gerbi Tremolada - Academia.edu. [online] Available at: https://www.academia.edu/6897234/Other_customers_in_a_service_encounter_examining_the_effect_in_a_restaurant_setting

Duarte Alonso, A., O'neill, M., Liu, Y. and O'shea, M., 2013. Factors driving consumer restaurant choice: An exploratory study from the Southeastern United States. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 22(5), pp.547-567.

Farmhousekingscross.com.au. 2016. Farmhouse Kings Cross. [online] Available at: https://farmhousekingscross.com.au [Accessed 19 Aug. 2016].

indianresearchjournals.com. 2016. indianresearchjournals.com. [online] Available at: https://indianresearchjournals.com/pdf/IJMFSMR/2013/May/16.pdf

Kanyan, A., Ngana, L. and Voon, B.H., 2016. Improving the Service Operations of Fast-food Restaurants. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 224, pp.190-198.

Panmore Institute. 2016. Wendy’s Operations Management, 10 Decisions, Productivity - Panmore Institute. [online] Available at: https://panmore.com/wendys-operations-management-10-decisions-areas-productivity

Smallbusiness.chron.com. 2016. [online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-core-operational-strategies-15488.html

Spirin, G. and McGregor, J., Dash Software, LLC, 2013. Bar or restaurant check-in and payment systems and methods of their operation. U.S. Patent 8,498,900.

WordStream, 2. 2016. 25 Restaurant Marketing Ideas: Tips & Strategies to Win in the Food Business | WordStream. [online] Wordstream.com. Available at: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/01/14/restaurant-marketing

Zainol, N., Rozali, A., Rahman, A., Razali, M.A. and Rezo, K.H., 2014. Customers Complaint Behavior Toward Restaurant Services. Mohamad Azli and Rezo, Khairul Hidayat, Customers Complaint Behavior Toward Restaurant Services (September 8, 2014).