ISSN 1656-8788

CLOSING THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GAP

DecemberJanuary 2006
Ms. Josephine Navoa

Intense development, consolidation and growth present challenges in todays companies that arguably exceed those seen in the past. The new ways to win seem to counter tradition. Act small like an entrepreneur. If you are big, stay nimble. And be intimate with your customers. Focus on strengthening relationships and remember that you are a customer service-based business. Companies that are able to keep a customer focus will continue to be successful even when availability of options and price will no longer be key differentiators for potential customers.

environment that is tailored to their situation. In the light of these examples, it is interesting to note that recent studies revealed that questions about perceived value are not usually present in industry satisfaction questionnaires. If ever the ratings are often not impressive. There is still room for companies to better understand value.

Critical Strategy
One cannot touch the issue of value without including service quality. Most industry managers agree that customer service is the most critical strategy to long-term viability more than any other initiative. In many industries, price no longer differentiates companies. This is an important concept because in the absence of a value (quality service) differentiation, price ends up being the factor most widely used by customers to make purchase decisions. Progressive companies need to understand: (1) how customers define value (quality service); (2) deliver on the standards set; and (3) effectively communicate to the customers to close the gap between customer perceptions and customer expectations. Unless companies understand and adjust to these changes during the design, marketing, and delivery of services, they are unlikely to succeed.

Topics on leveraging customer care strategy has allowed companies to offer a more holistic portfolio

The movement to develop intimacy and understanding of how customers define value has grown from a groundswell to a tidal wave. Value reflects a customers wish to get more for the money, time and effort they have invested. The first step in creating value involves understanding what value means from the customers point of view, how value perceptions are formed, how they can be influenced, and how customers relate service quality and price to perceived value. Many companies address the value issue by providing a variety of services, price options, and flexibility. Others focus on specialized service in niches of the market where customers can get

Introducing the Customer Service

Gaps

Model

for

The Gaps Model of Customer Service Quality was developed by Valerie Zenthaml and Texas A&M University Center for Retailing Studies. It outlines the potential roadblocks that hinder a service organizations ability to close the gap between customer expectations (the standards or reference points by which a service experience is provided) and perceived service (the customers perception of what actually did, should or will occur.)

proposed store design. The results of that research helped shape the design of the building and service programs that were being developed. We can never know too much about the changing needs and expectations of our customers.

Gap 2: Not selecting the right service standards

Accurate perceptions of customers needs are important, but not sufficient for delivering superior quality service. Sometimes the service standards are not designed properly due to a belief that the standard is unattainable, e.g., adapting a standard of 100 percent satisfaction in a specific area. Although these assumptions are valid in some situations, they are often rationalizations for management to tackle headon the difficult challenge of setting service standards. When setting service standards, it is important to have commitment. The quality of service is determined by the standards set. Employees need to understand how the company and customers define a quality job by having quality standards clearly defined. Employees performance should be measured and addressed accordingly. Leadership is also important when addressing standards. As Nordstrom President, Bruce Nordstrom has said, Employees will do what is clearly communicated, consistently measured and openly rewarded every single time. Strategic measurement systems are also necessary to close this gap. If customer satisfaction is to become a focus of strategy, companies must incorporate state of the art measurement systems. These systems should be backed by reliable research and be carried out in a manner consistent with satisfaction measurement protocol. In an effort to help with this issue, some mystery shopping companies have created national benchmarks. These companies collected up to 100,000 surveys in 1998 and benchmarked the results to create the first mystery shopping satisfaction database. By using a standardized survey tool the process of creating superior quality standards was accelerated. Industry benchmarks are available in many different industries including automotive, housing, medical, and retail, etc.

Service quality focuses on satisfying customers needs in the hundreds of little moments of truth that make up the customers perception. Satisfying these moments of truth, one at a time, make customers come back. LCCM Research Digest (Sept. 2005)

For example, when you visit a fast-food restaurant, you expect a level of service significantly different from what you would encounter at an expensive restaurant. Many factors affect customers expectations. These include marketing, advertising and sales promotions as well as innate personal needs, word-of-mouth and competitive offerings. Knowing what customers want and how they assess what they receive is the best way to design effective services and position your company for success. Let us briefly discuss the four key potential gaps.

Gap 1: Not knowing what customers expect

It is important to know what customers and their family members expect. Sometimes this is as simple as sitting down with the customers on a regular basis and having a conversation. At times it can involve much more detailed and rigorous research including industry focus group discussions, satisfaction surveys and structural brainstorming. Recently, one company took the time and effort to perform several detailed focus group discussions with customers and potential customers to discuss what they liked about a

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Gap 3: Not standards

delivering

the

service

References
James, Mike (2006).Closing the Gap. Retrieved on Dec 17, 2006 from http:// www. lrqa. Com / comsite/ template. asp? name=compublications_review_closing_gap . Nowell, William (2005). Closing the gap to Customer Satisfaction. Retrieved on Dec. 20, 2005 from www.servicetrac.com

Standards need be backed by appropriate resources (people, systems, and technology). By far the most important resource is people. Progressive companies need to ensure that the people they hire have a customer service attitude and a real appreciation for the senior customer. Companies have learned that the way they deliver service is much more important to the overall perceived quality that the array of services they provide. Employees need to understand the role they play in the company and its ability to deliver on its mission. They need to work as a team and be trained properly. As new industries develop, it will become increasingly important for technological advances such as interactive CDROM to be put to use before the employee is ever allowed to meet the customer.

Ms. Josephine Navoa Full time Faculty School of HRM and Tourism Research Interests: Quality Service, Food Processing and Nutrition Contact Number 736-02-356 loc. 60

Gap 4: Not matching performance to promises

La Consolacion College Manila Quality Policy

Promises made by companies through its advertising, sale force and other communications may raise customer expectations. If communications set up unrealistic expectations for customers, the actual experiences will be disappointing. One prevalent area this can happen is during the initial meeting and adjustment period. Research has shown that potential customers have a great deal of apprehension about the purchase process.

The administrators and personnel of La Consolacion College Manila are committed to continuously improve its quality management system, meeting student clientele and regulatory requirements This objective shall be accomplished through the application of the following: 1. Student Clientele Satisfaction. We perform task with the student-clients in mind to provide quality education and academic services. Continuous Improvement. We seek to continuously improve our services and processes, promote individual and holistic excellence through technical and professional competence, communication skills, religious- values education and information technology, and enhance safety in our community and environment. Effective Quality system. We will comply with the requirements of the international standard for quality system.

2.

Pulling it all together

Making your company customerfocused starts with a mission and a vision, including the process through which the companys values are designed to complement customers values and are brought to life in the day to day operation of the company. Superior quality requires attention to details and to the measurement of perceptions, expectations and systems to address issues. It also requires leadership to continue to drive the values of the company to the front line interactions that each employee has with each customer. Management and front-line service providers must understand their goals and have resources to deliver what is promised.

3.

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PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES AND THERAPIES

Dr. Francisco Raul D. Salvador

As future health care providers in the field of nursing, the nurse will formulate his/her nursing care management in mental health practice based on psychosocial theories and conceptual models of treatment. Nursing care management refers to the whole gamut of the nursing process used as a tool that is unique to the nursing profession. This involves five processes: (1) Assessment; (2) Diagnosis; (3) Planning, (4) Implementation; and (5) Evaluation of the health needs of clients. A nurse therefore, needs to have a sound knowledge on the concepts related to human behavior, be it adaptive behavior (psychology) or maladaptive behavior (psychiatry). These theoretical frameworks and models of treatment are then useful to the students not only in helping their clients as a professional nurse but also for their own personal growth. Todays mental health treatment has an eclectic approach. Since the causes of mental illness are multifaceted, the realm of mental health treatment incorporates almost all the concepts and strategies from a variety of sources. These psychosocial theories and therapies have produced many models that are currently use for individual and group therapy and the various treatment settings. Before this subject matter is understood, it is important to define theory and model. A theory is a statement that explains or describes a relationship among events, concepts, or ideas. Early theories evolved through observations and deductions. Modern theories are developed through observations and research. Model on the other hand, is an example of pattern that helps explain a theory. Theorists use models to help explain their ideas simply.

Major component of Freuds work

The following are Freuds major contributions to psychiatry

A health care provider is someone who "provides" health care. Physicians, nurses, dentists, chiropractors, physical therapists, psychologists, etc. are all health care providers. Photo from: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/psych.htm#whatisprofessional

Level of awareness Freud believed that human personality functions at 3 level of awareness. These are conscious, preconscious and subconscious levels. The conscious level refers to the perceptions, thoughts and emotions in which the person is aware of. The preconscious consists of thoughts and emotions that can be recalled with some effort. The subconscious (Freudian slip) is the realm of thoughts and feelings that motivate a person even though he or she is totally unaware of them. This includes most of the defense mechanisms and some instinctual drives or motivations. Freud believed that we are motivated by what is in our thoughts and feelings. A good example of this case is about the recent movie by Leonardo di Caprio, The Aviator in which he impersonated the famous man Mr. Hughes. Mr. Hughes is an obsessive compulsive person and he always want

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to attain perfection in all his undertakings. However he also developed a maladaptive behavior in the form of vigorous and frequent washing of hands and had fear of shaking hands with other people. The frequent washing of hands is symptoms of unresolved conflict in the subconscious mind of Mr. Hughes and probably because he also had fear of germs (germ phobias) which explains his symptoms.

4. Latency (5 to 11 yrs) - In this stage, there is resolution of oedipal complex or penis envy. Sexual drives are channeled into socially appropriate activities such as work and sports. There is formation of superego at this stage. 5. Genital (11-13 yrs) - This is the final stage of psychosexual development and biologic capacity for orgasm which involves the capacity for true intimacy Psychopathology or maladaptive behavior results when a person has difficulty in making a transition from one stage to the next Psychoanalytical therapies a. Dream analysis - This is one of the primary methods of psychoanalysis and involves discussing the clients dreams to discover the meaning behind and the significance of such. b. Free association- In this method the therapist tries to uncover the clients true thought and feelings by saying a word and asking the client to respond quickly with the first thing that comes to mind. Transference occurs when a client displaces onto the therapist attitudes and feelings that the client originally experienced in other relationships. Counter transference occurs when the therapist displaces on the client attitudes or feelings from his/ her past. For example a nurse who has teenage children and who is experiencing extreme frustration with an adolescent client may respond by adopting a parental or chastising tone.

Personality structure Freud believed that the mind has 3 interacting structures namely: id, ego and superego. Id is the storage site for early childhood experiences and instinctual drives for self preservation, reproductions and association with others. It is governed by the pleasure principle. Ego is part of the mind in active awareness and is reality based. Superego is the last to develop and has 2 parts: Conscience and Ego Idea. Conscience punishes through guilt and anxiety when behaviors move away from standards. Ego ideal is that which rewards us with feelings of satisfaction and well- being good behavior.

Concept of mechanism

anxiety

and

Defense

Freud believed that individuals have conflicts embedded within themselves and use psychological tools to lessen their negative feelings in the form of defense mechanism. These would include denial, fantasy, regression, and rationalization. Example of denial behavior is a diabetic patient who still eats ice cream and chocolates

Five stages development

of

psychosexual

Developmental Theories
Ericksons psychosocial development

Freud believed that sexual energy or the libido is the driving force of human behavior. This has five stages of development. These are: 1. Oral (birth -18 months) - In this stage, the major site of tension and gratification is the mouth, lips and tongue. Ego develops on this stage. 2. Anal (18-36 months) In this stage, the anus is the major site of interest (toilet training) stage.

Developed by Erik Erickson (1902- 1994). This theory states that psychosocial growth occurs in sequential phases and each stage is dependent on the completion of the previous stage and life task.

Jean Piagets Cognitive Stages Development ( 1896-1980)

of

Personality is the result of interrelated cognitive and emotional or affective functions.

3. Phallic/oedipal (3-5 yrs) In this stage, the genital is the focus of interest is penis envy in girls and oedipal complex in boys

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Stages of Development Sensorimotor birth to 2 years: child develops sense of self as separate from the environment. Pre operational 2-6 years: the child develops the ability to express self with language, understand symbolic gestures and begins to classify objects. Concrete operations 6-12 years: the child begins to apply logic to thinking, understanding spatiality and reversibility and increasing social interactions. Formal operations 12- 15 years and beyond child learns to think and reasons in abstract terms, further develops logical thinking and reasoning and achieves cognitive maturity. Exploitation phase - the client makes full use of professional services offered. Resolution phase - the client no longer needs professional services and gives up dependent behavior

Humanistic Theories
Humanism focuses on a persons positive qualities, his/ her capacity to change and the promotion of self esteem. Theories on humanism include Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Carl Rogers-client centered therapy wherein clients are geared towards self actualization.

Behavioral Theories Interpersonal Theories

Harry Stack Sullivan( 1892-1949) Behavioral Theories belongs to a school of thought that focuses on observable behavior and what one can do externally to bring about change. Notable theorists are Ivan Pavlov: classical conditioning and B.F. Skinner: operant conditioning

He believed that inadequate or nonsatisfying relationships produced anxiety. He introduced three developmental cognitive modes namely: protaxic, parataxic and syntaxic mode. Protaxic mode is the characteristic during infancy or childhood, parataxic mode begins child begins to connect experiences and syntaxic mode when person begins perceive self and analyze experiences If you will notice Freud, Erickson, and Sullivan have similarities. Freud is more on psychosexual, Erickson is on psychosocial and Sullivan is on personality development and interpersonal development. He introduced the concept of therapeutic community or milieu therapy with young men with schizophrenia.

Existential Theories
Existential theories emphasize that behavior deviations result when a person is out of touch with himself/herself/ the environment. Goal of existential theories is to help the person discover authentic sense of self and emphasize personal responsibility for ones self, feelings, behavior and choices. The mode of therapy to allay psychopathological conditions are: a. Cognitive therapy - focuses on immediate thought processing. b. Rational Emotive Therapy believes in the notion that people have automatic thoughts that cause them become unhappy. He used the ABC technique to help identify the automatic thoughts. A- activating stimulus Bblank in the persons mind that he/she must fill in C- is the excessive inappropriate response. c. Logotherapy - searching for meaning in life d. Gelstalt - is identifying the feelings and thoughts in the here and now (Dito lang at ngayon lang). The therapist use gestalt therapy to increase clients elf awareness by writing and reading letters, journaling, and many other activities to put the past to rest and focus on the present.

Hildegard Peplau : ( 1909-1999)

Hildegard Peplau was a nurse theorist and clinician who built on Sullivans interpersonal theories and saw the role of nurse as a participant observer. She then develop the nurse on patient relationship Four phases of Nurse- Patient relationships Orientation phase- is directed by the nurse and involves engaging the client in treatment, providing explanation and information and answering questions answering questions. Identification phase client works interdependently with the nurse, expresses feelings and begins to feel stronger.

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e. Reality therapy focuses on the persons behavior and how that behavior keeps him or her from achieving life goals.

Points to consider Understanding of the psychosocial theories and treatment modalities can help nurses select appropriate and effective intervention strategies to use with clients. But it is important to remember the following:

Crisis Intervention
A crisis is a turning point in an individuals life that produces an overwhelming emotional response. The stages of crises are the following: 1. Exposure to stressor - anxiety 2. Ineffective coping - anxiety increases 3. Person make all attempts to deal with the stressors 4. Coping attempts failed > significant distress The three categories of crises include the following: 1. Maturational or Developmental - predictable events in the normal course of life 2. Situational unanticipated or sudden events that threaten the persons integrity 3. Adventitious or social crises

1. No one theory explains all human behavior 2. No one approach will work with all clients 3. Becoming familiar with the variety of approaches will increase your effectiveness in promoting clients health and well-being 4. The clients feelings and perceptions about her or his situation are the most influential factors in determining his or her response to therapeutic interventions

References Morrison- Valfre, Michelle ( 2005). Foundations of Mental Health Care. Mosby.USA. Videbeck, Shiela ( 2005). Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 2nd edition. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.USA.
Dr. Raul S. Salvador Full time Faculty School of Nursing Research Interests: Pharmacology, Psychiatric Nursing, Mental Health Contact Number 736-02-356 loc. 72

Treatment modalities
Individual psychotherapy 1. One to one 2. Client- therapist relationship 3. Theoretical beliefs strongly influences the her style of therapy: Cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytical Group therapy 1. Family 2. Education 3. Support Group 4. Self help group

MENU PLANNING 101

Mr. Edilberto Tawagon

For most of us, the term menu connotes an image of the bill of fare, a list of food served as an elegant folio, showing the food and drink offered by a restaurant. However for operating personnel of a food service establishment, it signifies something more. It is the production plan governing almost every phase of the establishment and many uses. These uses demonstrate how integral the menu is to the functions of a good service operation. Generally, we consider the menu in two ways: a) as a working document for the back of the house and, b) as published announcement to patrons out front. In the former, it serves a variety of

functions. It is a purchasing guide, a work order to the kitchen or pantry, and a service schedulethe basis for charting staff assignments in all departments. In the second, it is the product list and price schedule and the primary means of advertising the food, beverages and services. A good menu should lead patrons to food selections that satisfy both their dining preferences and the merchandising priorities of the proprietor. It can also inform patrons of the hours of operations, of special services available,

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and may even include a narrative material on the history of the establishment and its locale. From start to finish and from front to back, the menu is clearly the blueprint and show card of a food service. This makes, menu planning a very important craft.

building, the sanitation requirements and the kind of equipment that will be put in it. From the investors standpoint, it names the product, selects the market, and calls the tune in merchandising and sales promotion. For some operations, it may even be the trademark of the business. Once the menu is developed, a number of management factors are known. Overall costs may be established, the type and number of personnel required are included, as well as what foods and equipments should be purchased. Also known are the basics of when and how the items should be prepared and served. The menu will even influence cost control, record keeping and accounting. Steps in Menu Preparation The steps in menu formation are: (1) understanding the needs of the operation for which the menu is planned; (2) understanding some of the basic factors and requirements of menu planning; (3) pricing the menu; (4) setting it up in the form it is to take and deciding on the kind of, and size of the print, colors, decorative effects and other factors; and (5) analyzing the popularity of items to be sure an adequate menu has been constructed.

What is a Menu?
The first coffeehouses and restaurants did not use written menus. Instead, the waiters or waitresses recited available items from memory. Some Parisian operations had a big board that stood near the entrance, describing the foods of the day. The maitre d hotel would stand near the board and, as guests arrived, described the various offerings to them and took their orders. Eventually, some restaurants in Paris started the custom of writing a list of foods on a small board. The waiter hangs this on his belt as a reminder. Other early food service establishments set up large board that listed menu items. The need to have some record not only for customers but for cooks and others, led to the written menu which finally evolved into some of the elaborated merchandising mediums today. The word menu comes from the original French meaning detailed list. The term is derived from the Latin minuteus, meaning diminished from which we get our word minutes. Based on this, we can say that a menu is a small detailed list. Instead of menu some may use the term bill of fare. A bill is an itemized list and fare means food, so we can say that the term means an itemized list of foods.

The Role of Menu

The job of a menu is basically to informinform patrons of what is available and the price, if included, as well as kitchen personnel of what is to be produced. Better yet, it is the central management document around which the whole service operation revolves. The menu should be known at the initial stage when planning a food service enterprise because it describes the very nature of the undertaking and the scope of the investment. The menu helps the operator determine the design and construction of many features of the

A menu sample which contain a list of the dishes to be served or available for a meal. Photo from: www.bookcruise.com/ Celebrity/celmenu.htm

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Who prepares the Menu?

Because of the overriding importance of the menu, the person doing its planning should be skilled and suited to the job. The person should know the needs of the operation and of the market. He should also know a lot about food its preparation and presentation. He must be aware how operational constraints such as cost and available skilled labor should be considered. The planner should also be able to visualize how the menu will appear graphically. Communication is a primary requisite of a written menu and the one preparing should be aware of what should be communicated to patrons. Menu planning is a time-consuming and detailed task and should not be attempted when a person is tired, out of focus, or in a hurry to get the job done .A combination of operation and communication skills plus mental alertness will make menu planning a manageable project. more. Other hotels may need a lunch and dinner menu only, and others may need three menus for the three main meals. In large operations, menu writing is so demanding that a special department may be needed to do the job. Menu needs will differ with differing types of enterprise. A hotel may have a fine dining room, a steak house, a fish salon, cafeteria, and a tavern that offers food. Each operation needs a specific type of menu. A hospital will have a general menu for most patients, and then augment it with foods for special diet menus, such as low sodium, low fat, low calorie, and diabetic menus. The menu for a club where people eat and drink before a show will be much different from that gourmet restaurant the requirement for faster service in the clubs makes the difference. The patrons of an operation will also affect the menu. Some operations will have special childrens menu and even one for teenagers. An operation that offers a special price on a meal if the diners eat early or during slack periods may find it quite suitable to have a special menu that features foods senior citizens like because this may be the big share of this patronage. Menu differs also because of the occasion. For a business conference an operation may need five different menus to take care of the days patronage; breakfast, lunch and snack.

Items needed for menu planning

What are the tools needed to prepare a menu? First, quiet room where one can work without disturbance. A large desk or table is needed so materials can be spread out. These include a file of historical records on the performance of past menus, a menu reminder list, a file of menu ideas and sales mix data indicating which items may draw patrons away from specials and operations wants to sell. A list of special occasion and holiday menus should be on hand. Costs and seasonally of possible menu items should also be available.

Basic Considerations to Menu Planning

1. Nutritional needs of the people to be served This is of prime importance especially in hospitals, residence halls, home for children and the senior citizens, where the groups takes all their meals.

Menu planning factors

A new menu should be planned sufficiently in advance of actual production and service to allow time for the delivery of items, to schedule the required labor and to print the menu. Some menus must be planned six or more months in advance of use. Others can be planned a day in advance. Operational needs will dictate how far in advance of use new menus should be prepared.

2. Food Habits determined by regional, racial and religious factors. In the Philippines, food preferences as influenced by regional, original can be attributed to the kind of food abundant in the region. Examples are the dominant use of coconut milk by the Bikolanos and Ilongos; fresh vegetables and bagoong by the Ilocanos; and sauted foods by the Tagalogs.

Number of Menus
A number of menus may be needed by single operation. A hotel like Ceasars palace in Las Vegas will need eight different menus for its eight different dining areas plus menus for its specialty dining units. Some may need even

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Religious restrictions affect the acceptance or rejection of the meals we plan. That Moslems dont eat pork and Seventh - day Adventist are vegetarians should be considered by the menu planner; and the days of abstinence observed by the Catholics should be o0n the menu planners guide.

7. Season and climate The weather influences ones food choice. A cold drink is more appealing that a hot soup or a cup of coffee on a hot day. On the other hand, nothing is more welcome than a hot, meal on a rainy day. The menu planner should also feature special menus to draw attention to holiday and special functions like Valentine, Easter, Christmas, graduation, hospital day, etc. Food which certainly are good buys in season than when just coming into or going out of season should be incorporated into the menu.

3. Physical Facilities include equipment and layout. A well-planned menu will tend to consider equipment available for food storage, preparation, cooking and meal service. It will tend to distribute the work load for the cawa, oven, range, grill and steam equipment instead of overloading any one piece or creating a convergence of activity in any one area. In availability of certain glassware, chins or silverware may force the menu maker to omit some interesting menu.

8. Availability or relation to market The location of the institution and its accessibility to the market will influence what to incorporate into a menu. Some institutions which are short on a commodity like electricity and which depends on shipments from key cities for their dairy needs would hesitate to include cottage cheese, yogurt, or even ice cram on the menu.

4. Personnel-number of employees, their skills and abilities The variety of foods introduced in a menu is influenced by the skills, abilities and efficiency of the employees as well as the total man hours available.

9. Food characteristics and combinations Students and graduates of HRM can talk even in their sleep about the need to consider color, texture, flavor, shape, temperature, consistency and methods of preparation in menu planning, however, in practice, many have difficulty translating theory into action. Contrasts in: a. Color gives eye appeal and helps sell the food to the customers b. Texture- structure of food is best detected by the feel of the food in the mouth. Crisp, soft, grainy, smooth, hard, and chewy, describe food texture. c. Consistency is the way foods adhere together. Runny, gelatinous and firm are adjectives to describe, consistency. d. Flavor- basic flavors are sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Also to consider are strong and mild flavored vegetables and spicy foods such as shrimp curry and chili con carne. e. Shape of foods- variety in forms and sizes adds to eye appeal. f. Temperature chilled juice before hot entre and cold salad ice cream and coffee.

5. Budget- raw food cost, labor cost and operating expenses Management sets the percentage of income to be spent on raw food, labor and operating expenses. Much of the financial success of the operation depends on the relation of the raw food cost and cooked portion costly to the budget allotted to food since food is usually the most costly and most variable expense on the budget.

6. Type and style of service The method of serving food to the patient, student, or guest will vary according to the kind of institutio The weather influences ones food choice. A cold drink is more appealing than a hot soup.

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a. Method of preparation serve items fried, broiled, baked, or boiled. Vary further use of different sauces.

A daily fish feature maybe used to: Offer a different choice to regular customer; Feature a special cuisine or event; Take advantage of seasonal availability/quality/produce; Test the market for future menu items Feature and test a particular selling price range

Types of Menu
A la carte An a la carte menu (from or off the card to the order) has all the dishes listed in each course individually priced. The menu is designed to enable to enable customers to choose the meal according to their own needs and tastes. A true a la carte menu should provide: A full listing of dishes available to the customer; Each dish priced separately Dishes prepared and cooked to order A choice of dishes within each specific course A limit on the number of course according to the operations needs A reflection of the type of operation, the expected turnover and the customer profile in the overall and complexity of the menu.

It should not be used to get rid of leftovers or be called special if it is not.

Menu Planning Guidelines Harmonizing courses and dishes The arrangement of a first class dinner consists of selecting the various courses so that the dishes harmonize. In order to achieve this balance: Each dish should be different composition and method of cooking. in

Cycle Menu Another kind is the cycle. This is a menu that is made up for a certain period. For example, 7 days. At the end of the seventh day cycle, the menu is repeated. The cycle menu is used often in institutions such as hospitals, but hotels and others also use them. Some cycle menus are not seen by the patrons but only used by the production staff. When a cycle menu is used in operations where the patrons stays fairly long, such as in nursing homes, prisons, or on long steamship journeys, the cycle must be longer. Some operations on this type may have four cycle menus that change with the seasons of the year to allow for seasonal foods as well as menu variety. Holiday require special meals to mark the occasion.

The composition and the making of individual dishes must be excellent. These should be well prepared and cooked , tastefully garnished and have distinct character The harmonizing effect is obtained by arranging the menu items so that each is distinct from all others, and bears no relation in appearance to the preceding or following menu items. This is especially critical when compiling table dhot menus. Raw materials should be carefully selected having regard for the season of the year and the availability of seasonal produce. The various meats and other ingredients forming one course should not be repeated in another course; again this is important when compiling table dhote menus. Sauces used in the preparation of the menu items or served as accompaniments must be distinctly different in color, taste, flavor and texture.

Carte du Jour Carte du jour (card of the day or feature of the day) is most used in operations as an adjunct to the regular menu, whether an a la carte or table dhote. These can be offered daily, weekly or on cycle basis. The dishes offered should be quite different from those featured on the regular menu.

Criteria for Planning Considerations which go into planning menu items must reflect the character of the operation, the service period, the type of customer and the

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menu item price. The following set of criteria can be used when planning menus: 1. Identify the type of menu style needed and the number of covers. 2. Establish the number of courses and the number of dishes to be offered in each course. 3. Observe the season of the year, and be guided accordingly. Certain procedure items are better when they are grown locally and are in season. Seasonal menus are also easier to adjust for price increases. 4. When introducing seasonal items on the menu, other dishes or/and courses should harmonize with these items. 5. Everything that is needed for the preparation of all menu items should be purchased in the best possible condition, at the right price for the right quality and quantity. 6. From the beginning to the end of the service of the menu items, correct methods and techniques should be used in the preparation and the service style as adopted by the operation. Hot dishes must be served hot; cold dishes must be served cold. 7. Every menu item should be correctly and adequately described.

Third Course

Light/fruit based/wet/mild flavour/prepared/low cost/cold

The next draft may be further developed, depending on whether the menu version is acceptable to the client, the type of operation and the budget. First Course Quenelles of Tasmanian trout poached on light dill sabayon

Second Course Grilled gum-smoked lamb filled with herb butter Third Course Strawberry and yogurt mousses with fruit coulis

It is always best to approach menu planning by developing and balancing as many variables as possible and then selecting appropriate dishes.

References
Kotchover, Lendal (2000). Management by Menu.Mc John Willey and Sons. USA. West and Wood (2003). Food Service in Institution. Mcmillian Publishing Inc.USA

Mr. Edilberto Tawagon Fulltime Faculty School of HRM and Tourism

Menu Variables The stages or steps in menu planning can range from complex to simple. For example, planning a state banquet for 1500 guests can take months of preparation and planning, whereas planning a simple fast-food menu can take half an hour. Most menu planning begins with a customer (target market) need. This is usually followed by addressing the overall menu needs in relation to specific menu planning principles. A first draft is produced, which is usually devoid of actual dishes. This is composed of menu planning variables which must be considered in order to balance the menu. First Course Light/seafood/soft/wet/mild flavour/easy to prepare/ moderate cost/ poached/hot Heavier/ low-fat/ red meat dry/ medium flavour/easy to prepare/medium cost/ grilled/ hot

Research Interests: Product Development, International Cuisine, Meal Management Contact Number 736-02-356 loc. 60

LCCM Research Digest is published by the Research Center that serves as the sounding board of up to date ideas and actions related to research and classroom management and material delivery of the faculty in the different schools of the College. It encourages and welcomes condensed versions or a short summary of research or review essays, conference papers, lecture notes, teaching guides and other classroom materials for its bimonthly publication. Editorial Board: Sr. Imelda Mora, OSA, President, Mr. Geronimo Suliguin Jr. OIC-Research Center, Dr. Divina Edralin, Consultant Managing Editor: Carmela R. Claud For comments, suggestions and contribution, call (632) 736-02-35 loc. 21 or 313-05-09 or e-mail us at res@lccm.edu.ph. Also visit http://researchdigest.blogspot.com.

Second Course

The Research Center is now accepting contributions for the February March Issue. Feel free to visit us for inquiries.

LCCM Research Digest

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