Connecting with the Customer

Creating World Class Customer Service

ObjectivesReview the purpose of the Child Nutrition Program in schoolsExplore the characteristics, needs and wants of your primary customer Identify key factors in delivering “World Class” customer serviceDevelop a personal plan to increase customer satisfaction and create loyal fans

World Class Customer Service =

Customer Satisfaction =

Loyal Customers

So what?

Why should we care?

USDAOBESITY

TEST SCORES

HEALTH

Customer Service• Involves everything related

to the School Nutrition Program and everyone who influences the customer's eating practices

• Is a combination of product, price, support, information, and delivery that has value to the customer

Kids as Consumers…By 2030 there will be 87.8 million kid consumers (up to 17 years old)Average American child watches between 25,000 and 40,000 TV commercials per yearAdvertising to kids:

- $17 billion a year- $4+ billion in fast food

The marketing seems to be working…

Teens spend $160 billion a yearChildren (up to age 11) spend $18 billion and influence parental purchases of almost a half a billionTweens (8-12 years) heavily influence $30+ billion spent by parents

“K”oodiesRetail food sales for kids (3-11 years) = $75+ billion accorded to Packaged Facts4 out of 5 households prepare a “home cooked” meal 3+ nights per week96% eat ethnic foods on regular basis

The Changing Kid Palate

Two thirds of the American Culinary Federation named gourmet kid’s cuisine as HOT culinary trend in 2009Young adults (25-34) are experimental diners and have highest interest in trying gourmet, specialty and ethnic foods…and sharing with their kids

Identify Your Customer

Who are the primary customers?What influences the needs and wants of the school nutrition customers?What factors or groups influence customers’ eating habits?

Developmental Characteristics, Needs, and

Wants

Ages and stages of development

PsychologicalEmotional

MentalSocial

Physical

What does a student customer expect?

Food, atmosphere, staff, and service line to look just like the food they purchase in a restaurantQuick service, value for their moneyTo be greeted by a pleasant serverFood that looks attractive, fresh and tempting

How do you connect with the

student customers in your school?

People

People

What Students SayWhat Students Hear

People#6 “Next”#5 “What do you want?”#4 “Come on and get

moving.”#3 “Stop talking”#2 “Enter your Pin, Try Again.

Just tell me your name and I will do it!”

#1 nothing!!

People“Hi, how can I help you today?”

“Great to see you today, hope you enjoy your meal.”

“Great choice, that’s one of my favorites.”

Attributes of World-Class Customer Service Associates

Empowered

FriendlyQuickEfficientEager to please and caringOptimisticGood listenerPoised

Self-Managed

KnowledgeableCompetentUnderstand customersAttentiveSpeak clearlyHonest and fairProblem solvers

Place

School Nutrition Environment

- Sights - Smells

- Sounds

Cornell Food and Brand LabMoving and highlighting fruit increased sales of fruit by up to 102%

Naming veggies and displaying the new names increased selection of vegetables from between 40% - 70%

Placing white milk first in coolers has resulted in an increase of up to 46% in white milk sales

Cornell Food and Brand LabThe first highlighted entrée on the lunch line has an 11% advantage over the second option

The number of students consuming “healthy items” increased by 35% after the introduction of a “healthy choices only” convenience

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Product

Food Must ...

Look GoodSmell GoodTaste Good

Different Taste Buds…

Monell reports that children have taste buds inside their cheeks and palate in addition to on their tongues

Children rank texture above taste

Not just the “what”… but the “how”

Cornell & London Metropolitan University study: -Kids prefer entrees in LOWER segment of plate (adults prefer center) -Kids prefer plates with 6-7 colors of foods (adults prefer 3) -Kids prefer “figurative designs”

Key Principles of Food Presentation

ColorShape

SimplicityTextureVariety

Colorful Serving Line

Colorful & Appetizing

Texture & Shape

Texture NamesGrilled Chicken StripsMild Mozzarella CheeseCrisp Mixed GreensHearty Red Kidney BeansCreamy Dressing

Crunchy Baby CarrotsTender CornRipe Green Tip Banana Crusty Whole Wheat RollCold Chocolate Milk

Simplicity and Food Variety

Shapes: Food Variety

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What does “quality” mean to you?

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Food Quality

EVALUATION FACTORS

Appearance How the food should look

Texture or Consistency

How the food should feel in the mouth and how it cuts

Flavor How the food tastes

Service Temperature

The ideal temperature for serving the food

Quality Factors during Production

Standardized recipesProduction equipmentProduction schedulesSanitation practicesFood production handling techniques

Quality and Preparation Techniques

O·A·LObserve

Ask

Listen

Assessing Customer Satisfaction–OAL

Observe, Ask, Listen

Did the customer consume the food selected? If not, did you ask why not? OAL

Did the customers appear to have a positive attitude toward the food as they came through the line? If not, did you ask why not? OAL

Why Do We Evaluate Customer Service?

• To know what our customers think of our service.• To gain ideas and suggestions for improvement.• To identify problems and solutions for solving problems.

Why ask customers their opinions?

Customer feedback lets you know how they rate the products and services

Customers evaluate quality in terms of their own experiences and perceptions

Perceptions are reality to the customers and influence how often they choose school meals.

Why ask customers their opinions?

Customers make their decisions every day about whether to eat or not...what they will choose from the variety offered and whether or not they will eat the food they select

Why ask customers their opinions?

The customers’ opinion about the school nutrition environment influences their decision to eat or not to eat

Customer feedback provides a basis for building a customer-focused program

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Require Planning

Good Results…

Importance of a Plan

The secret of success lies in careful planning based on a solid understanding of what you want to achieve.

Healthy and Customer-Friendly School Nutrition Environment

Customer-Focused

Remember, your life today is what your choices have made

it. Thanks for making your choice

school nutrition!

In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

Our services are provided through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition

programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Service.