(Self-crafted Jack-o'-lantern)
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Sunday 28 October 2012
Customer Service…
“Customer service can either ramp up
or ruin your business which I believe sane restaurateurs will nod their heads.”
A recent luncheon buffet at Basilico
has bowled me over with its impeccable service. Other than the usual fastidious
customer service such as changing of cutlery and tableware when necessary,
topping up our glasses or making sure we are snugly ensconced at our designated
seats…what impresses me the most is when I approached the Restaurant Manager
for directions to the restroom, he offered hospitably to walk me all the way to the privy even though I am no celebrity
diner! Later I learnt that he is called Nicholas and also a Frenchman. Kudos!
In this incident, I am won over more
by the customer service than the fare. But I would still highly recommend this fine
dining establishment to those who want to try bona fide Italian cuisine but yet
pay one price only to relish. (http://www.regenthotels.com/EN/Singapore/Cuisine/Basilico)
Just when there’s a good example, there
is also a bad example which left me feeling embarrassed and sored about my
dining experience to date:
It has always been my regular habit to
arrive slightly earlier than the reservation’s time to explore the milieu. On a
fine Saturday evening, my special dining companion and I arrived 5.50pm
(reservation was 6pm) at a Peranakan restaurant@ Katong, Singapore. To our
dismay, we were been turned away curtly by the restaurant manager who commented
that ‘it’s not 6pm, we are not open’!
Not even an apology was offered or words of affirmation with a smile.
“Please Mr Manager, only 10mins to go,
can’t you just let us in and take a seat or speak nicely since we come all the
way to patronize. Also, it is not as though we will start ordering and eating
punctually!” That’s it! I won’t be
coming back again, only to be embarrassed; especially when I bring my guest/s
along for food tasting. What a poor model
in customer service!
Nonetheless, I shall sign off with
another excellent example of customer service which I encountered lately. On a
Friday evening after work, I rushed over to 40 Duxton Hill to meet a chum for dinner.
Having been disorientated about the bearing, I ended up at 40 Duxton Road
instead which happens to be adjacent to the actual location. My poor chum got
to abandon her scored table and come out to fetch me. But Mr Daniele Fiore, the
GM of Latteria Mozzarella Bar kept the table intact and not only
that, he waited outside the entrance out of concern. “Good to see you!” he warmly greeted us.
The wait staff who served us were well-informed
of the courses we had. They liltingly explained the ingredients involved as
well as the cooking methods executed for each dish. It is uncommon nowadays to
find wait staff so enthusiastic and passionate in serving.
Next, during our last course, we
decided to request to move to the patio due to the overwhelming air-con even
though business was brisk at that time. The waiter feed backed to the GM
promptly and not very long, our request was granted the moment a table was
released once its guests had departed. We continued shooting the breeze with
more drinks thereafter. That night, I went home grinning from ear to ear
feeling very fulfilled. “I will return, for sure!” (http://www.latteriamb.com/)
Sunday 14 October 2012
The Clever Moves of J-Pot
J-Pot is a dining concept from Jumbo which
means ‘Hotpot Singapore Style’!
And why do I say this concept is
brilliant?
I have tried variation of hotpot
(Chinese steamboat) and here is my two cents worth:
Each diner owns an individual hotpot
which is hygienic and fuss-free; no worry of other diners scooping that coveted
tiger prawn! Furthermore, you can select your own soup from their extended
list. (My favorite is ‘Herbal’)
Their
menu is an I-pad fixated on a retractable drawer of each table. You need not
raise your hand to signal the waiter to take down your order; just DIY! You can either choose
their À la carte or set menus.
We chose
the latter as we couldn’t really decide on the variety of ingredients. I prefer
this selling strategy compared to buffet, which usually you will find copious ‘Ball
Stuff’ such as chicken balls, fish balls, octopus balls, beef balls and other
‘balls’. We want to savor real meat, fresh seafood and not ‘fake balls’!
Having
also tried À la carte Buffet before which you can order unceasingly from the menu
for one price. The peeve is you will feel very disturbed if the next table
‘keeps ordering’ and the waiter ‘keeps adding dishes’ non-stop to their table!
Same
thing applies to the beverages. We ordered J-Pot’s free-flow home-made barley
for one price and the diners just have to refill themselves at the beverage
counter. We would not want the wait staff to ‘keep checking on our glasses and
topping-up’, especially at the moments when we are so engaged in bantering.
Another local
dining trend that I have been observing lately is the provision of foldable
racks for diners to store their bags so that we can sit and dine comfortably. Quite a thoughtful customer service!
The only ‘buffet-style’ you can find here is a long sideboard offering free-flow
of condiments and relishes for you to mix and muddle. (For e.g. roasted sesame
seeds, chili oil, minced garlic bits, sesame oil et al.) Feel free to unleash your creativity but don’t create a mess like I did!
It is best to book in advance to avoid
the hassle of queuing and waiting which we encountered on a Tuesday evening
after work. (For more info, pls visit http://www.jpot.com.sg/)
The tab amounted to SGD80plus for two, despite choosing the cheapest set menu
and beverages. Hence, my only reservation in returning is the premium pricing!
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Bottle Design
If you are into F&B bottle design, you might be
interested to explore this website for inspiration:
Somehow or other, this Heineken
Cube brings to mind, the square watermelon*! Don't they bear some resemblance?
* http://pn-box.blogspot.sg/2010_07_01_archive.html
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