Service culture as a factor of the sustainable development of the restaurant business

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FEDERAL STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

OF HIGHER EDUCATION

NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Saint Petersburg School of Economics and Management

Department of Management

Bachelor's thesis

Service Culture as a Factor of the Sustainable Development of the Restaurant Business

Kovaleva Anna Aleksandrovna, Basurin Maksim Vitalievich

Saint Petersburg 2020

Abstract

Despite the fact that the first private restaurant in Russia opened more than thirty-three years ago, the level of service culture of most establishments is currently at a very mediocre level. The study is aimed at identifying weaknesses in the service of Casual Dining restaurants and at finding ways to solve related problems.

The aim of the research work is to develop recommendations to improve the level of service culture as one of the main factors in the development of the restaurant business and their introduction into the work of the restaurant under study to obtain results. The object of the study is casual dining catering restaurants and the processes taking place in them. The objectives of the study are:

identify and justify the need to improve the service culture in this area;

describe the organizational and economic characteristics and analyze the main performance indicators of the Tabasco restaurant group;

analyze the quality of service of the Tabasco restaurant group;

develop proposals to improve the culture of serving the Tabasco restaurant group and evaluate their effectiveness.

The research methodology is based on the integration of the system, process, program-target and structural-functional approaches to the formation of an effective mechanism for monitoring and improving the quality of service in public catering establishments. To solve the set tasks, combinations of various methods of scientific knowledge were used, such as system-functional, comparative, economic-static, economic-mathematical and other instrumental analysis methods. To determine the real financial situation of the restaurant and identify its weaknesses, its financial analysis was carried out over the past 3 years. A survey among restaurant visitors was also conducted, the processing of the results of which was carried out using modern information technologies using the programming language Python.

Table of contents

Introduction

1. Theoretical foundation

2. Analytical section

Conclusion

Reference list

Appendix

Introduction

The food sector is the most competitive in the market economy of Russia. A large number of small and medium-sized catering enterprises forces to constantly improve the organization of services, to increase the efficiency of communication processes. The effectiveness of catering facilities to a large extent depends on the right customer service strategy and creates additional competitive advantages. It is a set of measures to improve customer service in the field of food that is the key to successful restaurant operations.

The restaurant business services have their own functional features, which must be taken into account when organizing the work of restaurants. The intangibility of these services or intangible nature is one of its main features. This feature means that it is impossible to demonstrate, see, try, transport, store, package, or study the service until received. In this regard, both buyers and sellers experience problems. It is difficult for the customer to evaluate the service until the moment of its acquisition, therefore, in an effort to reduce uncertainty, he will analyze the external signs or evidence of the quality of the service. Guest get an idea of ??the level of service judging by the restaurant's location, interior, equipment, staff, provided product information and price. [Kravchenko, 2014]

The next important feature of the restaurant business is the inseparability: inseparability of the production and consumption of the service suggests that it is impossible to produce for the future. It is possible to provide a service only when an order arrives at it or a specific consumer appears. Since the guest is a direct participant in the service process, the interaction between the seller and the consumer of the service affects the final result of its provision. Thus, if the waiters in the restaurant do not know how to properly present dishes and serve the guest, then, regardless of the features and sophistication of the cuisine, the overall rating of visitors will be low, and their judgment about it will most likely be negative. Variability of quality or variability assumes that the quality of the same type of service varies widely, depending on the time and place of delivery, as well as on the contractor.

The individuality of customers implies the individuality of services. First of all, the human factor has a significant impact on quality. The condition of the service provider at the time of its production can greatly affect its quality. Variability and fluctuations in the quality of service is the main cause of customer dissatisfaction. [Kravchenko, 2014]

Non-persistence of services is also their important distinguishing feature. If the demand for services becomes higher than supply, then it is impossible to fix it with the same ease as, for example, in trade. Excessive supply leads to lower profitability. The restaurant cannot accumulate the required number of seats in two days, in order to then receive twice as many customers. Here, the supply of a service means the ability to produce it, and this ability must be combined with demand. If the combination of supply and demand has not occurred, the value of the service is irretrievably lost, as, for example, an unoccupied table in a restaurant represents a definite loss for the owners.

To partially compensate for lost profits, you need to:

determine the optimal ratio between supply and demand using price differentiation, which allows to reduce demand during peak periods;

offers additional alternative services;

reservation of tables. [Gruzinov, Gribov, 2011]

An important factor in the effectiveness of the restaurant is the service culture aimed at serving customers based on the development of certain rules, procedures, practical skills. The service culture is dictated by the policy of the enterprise, supported by a system of rewards for service personnel and several other events. Modern quality management of restaurant services consists of the following parameters:

Service management is a holistic integrated management model that serves as the basis for making effective management decisions in the field of creating and implementing services, both in a separate area and in the complex as a whole;

Labor cooperation, which is a collective work aimed at a common result, partnership and functional cooperation;

Restaurant product quality management - an integral part of service management;

Personnel management, whose functions include retraining, advanced training, staff development of all restaurant divisions. [Durovich, 2015]

The mentioned parameters represent the management of the process, or development. His competence includes all planned, organizational and controlling activities focused on managing the restaurant in a highly competitive environment. Integration of functions and a new concept of production processes ensure an increase in the efficiency of results, an increase in the speed of processes and an improvement in the quality of customer service, which implies a reduction in restaurant costs, as well as optimization of the technology for servicing guests in order to increase their satisfaction in the face of increased demands and expectations regarding quality.

The success and popularity of many restaurants is directly dependent on the culture and quality of service, on the attentive and polite attitude of the staff towards visitors. American restaurateurs revealed a relationship between food quality and quality of service, affecting the overall impression of the visitor on the restaurant (table 1). [Reichheld, 1990]

Table 1 The relationship between food quality and quality of service

Thus, it is obvious that the main product - food - is not the only component of the restaurant service. If the service is not of a high enough level, the vast majority of customers will negatively evaluate the restaurant and replace it with the services of competing establishments. The main indicators of the quality of restaurant services are presented in table. 2 (in practice, these indicators are specified and supplemented depending on the specifics of the restaurant). A. Weinzweig, an expert in the field of service in catering, believes that service consists in satisfying consumer expectations. In the book “Impeccable service. To make every client feel like a king ”, he solves the problem of the need to ensure corporate standards of service, which include certain actions on the part of service personnel: identifying and satisfying the client's desires, providing the client with more than he expects (table 2). [Gruzinov, Gribov, 2011]

Table 2 Key indicators of the quality of customer service

Since it was determined that the restaurant business is characterized by a very high level of competition, another option for a business improvement strategy is high-quality and varied service. Today it is not enough just to open a restaurant and expect visitors to come to it, as it was in the mid-1990s. It is necessary to develop a competitive strategy in the field of service, without it, no restaurant today can count on success.

During the consideration of this issue, we can say that work in the conditions of a low culture of service will certainly bring losses to the restaurant business. Thus, for successful activity in the restaurant business, it is necessary to develop measures to improve the quality of the services provided.

Taking into consideration all of the above factors, it can be assumed that the quality of service directly affects the profit of the restaurant and is one of the key factors in the formation of the empirical opinion of the client about the institution. Creating and maintaining a high-quality service is one of the top management priorities in the restaurant business.

The aim of the study is to develop recommendations for improving the quality of service, based on a combination of the interests of all participants in the process, effective reproduction and use of resources.

The object of the study is casual dining catering restaurants and the processes taking place in them.

In the framework of the thesis, it is necessary to identify the questions that will be fundamental for the formulation of research objectives.

Research questions are:

What are the benefits of having a developed service culture?

How can a service culture be improved?

How did the economic performance of the Tabasco restaurant chain evolve after changes in the service culture?

The research questions include the answers to several questions, united by one topic.

The objectives of the study are:

identify and justify the need to improve the culture of service in this area;

describe the organizational and economic characteristics and analyze the main performance indicators of the Tabasco restaurant chain;

analyze the quality of service of the restaurant chain Tabasco;

develop proposals for improving the culture of serving the Tabasco restaurant chain and evaluate their effectiveness.

1. Theoretical foundation

In order to identify the most important theoretical issues related to the topic of the thesis, it is necessary to conduct a literature review of research and publications. The structure of literary analysis consists of several parts:

Summarizing and critical analysis of the theory related to the problem on which the study focuses. During the analysis of literary sources, the relationship of the studies under consideration will be highlighted, the conclusions obtained as a result of the work will be demonstrated, problems will be identified whose solution was the aim of the researchers. After analysis of the literature, it will be feasible to determine the final problem, the practical solution of which will be laid down in the practical part of the study for a particular restaurant;

Identification of relevant problems that were not fully resolved in previous studies. At the stage of identifying unresolved problems, a thesis will be indicated that will be proved by compiling recommendations in future work and comparing the results according to the main evaluation criteria obtained after the implementation of the recommendations;

Definition of key concepts, analysis of their study and development of concepts on the topic of thesis. The purpose of the analysis is to gain the ability to grasp the systemic connection in the development of research on a selected topic, which can be achieved using a detailed review of the literature on the introduced conceptual apparatus. Also, the analysis will allow to determine the structure of interconnections within key concepts and their significance;

Lots of modern researchers and authors of scientific works on the topic of “service culture” are of the same opinion about its practical significance. So, for example, Taranenko E.A. in the 2018 article “Culture of service and quality of service in Russia”, notes that the role and importance of the culture of service and quality of service is that the study of culture by a person as a result of receiving high-quality service and maintenance, giving a charge of humanism and helps in the perception of universal values. Conditions are formed and created, a way of life of people is developed, and the importance of socio-cultural services as means of socializing a person is determined. The relevance of this topic is determined by the unstable economic situation of the country. Maintaining and improving the customer base today is determined by the main way to maintain market positions. The author also clarifies that most companies understand this and use various quality control options depending on the field of activity. Lack of service can lead to unpleasant consequences that worsen the image of the company. In the study, the concept of “service culture” is defined as a system of exemplary labor standards, a high level of values ??and ethics of behavior, the principles of which depend on the national traditions of the country, as well as modern service requirements and reflect the quality of customer service. The quality of service has a direct impact on the desire and needs of consumers to re-contact this seller or supplier. Thanks to a sociological study, the quality of customer service in various business fields was studied. [Taranenko, 2018]

Another point of view that has applied value in the restaurant business is that service culture is a key element of corporate culture. Pesha A.V. in the publication “Formation of a service culture as the basis of the corporate culture of service sector organizations” of 2013 substantiates the importance of building a corporate culture in service sector organizations. The author notes that at the present stage of development of service sector organizations, the key point in the struggle for the market is a service culture that ensures compliance with the rules and norms, guides the same values ??in achieving goals and forms an internal and external image using it and other conditions. The paper shows the results of a study where the main value of the corporate culture of service industry organizations is determined by the service culture. The analysis of customer perception of the level of development of service culture, which indicates the existence of a direct relationship between customer satisfaction and a high level of service culture. The main conclusion of the study is that the service culture, being the center of the corporate culture of service sector organizations, with targeted and systematic formation and attention to development, acts as the main competitive advantage of organizations in this field of activity. [Pesha, 2013]

Both above-mentioned points of view are supported by E. Mkrtchyan, E. A. Popova in the 2015 study “The Role of Service Culture in the Restaurant Business”. The authors introduce the thesis that the success of restaurant business enterprises is determined by the range of products and the quality of services provided. In the research process, a service culture is defined as an important component of a catering business. The service culture is dictated by the policy of the enterprise, supported by a system of rewards for service personnel and a number of other events. It is clarified that it is produced by each enterprise independently, therefore, it can be exceptionally low in one enterprise, and high enough in another. The manifestation of a high service culture is determined through the behavior of personnel who clearly knows how to act in any situation and what customers and management expect from it, as well as the fact that a high culture level makes all the employees purposeful and makes them respect their company. The main conclusion of the study is to determine the competitive advantage, which is a developed and implemented restaurant service system for restaurant guests, which employs attentive staff. This format of work with visitors allows you to focus on the quality of service and finds additional opportunities for solving the marketing policy of the enterprise and allows you to form a new consumer group. [Mkrtchyan, Popova, 2015]

Strikingly contrasting results, compared with previous studies, were obtained by researchers from a country with pronounced cultural characteristics that are not similar to the countries of the authors listed above. This study is an example of the neutral impact of service culture on customer satisfaction. “A study on the impact of service quality on attitudes and perceptions in the restaurant business”, sponsored by Korean researchers Sun-Sik Ahn, Yeon-Oak Park and Beong-Ho Kang, set out to provide a better understanding of how service quality affects on the attitude and behavior of customers in terms of loyalty, as well as how its influence depends on the type of restaurant (family restaurant or fast food restaurant). The results of the study are summarized as follows. Firstly, the perceived quality of service, which consists of food, service, menu and atmosphere, has had a significant impact on customer satisfaction with food, menu, atmosphere and service, as listed. Secondly, the study examined the impact of perceived quality of service on future expectations, and it was found that only food was a significant factor. Thirdly, the ultimate customer satisfaction has impacted their repeat traffic in the future. Fourthly, the stability of the result and the confidence of satisfaction in the future affect the customer loyalty to the restaurant. The authors determined the meaning of marketing in the restaurant business in that service providers should be one step ahead in understanding the quality of service perceived by customers (food, services, menus and atmosphere). In addition, they should understand that establishing long-term relationships with customers by providing high-quality services directly affects the efficiency of their business. It was also noted that management in family restaurants and fast food restaurants should include improving service quality in their employee training programs.  [Alml, Padd, Kang, 2011]

Practical evidence of the above points is the study of Muhammad Agigi Ali, Dorosh Afshin Rahnam and Ali Hosseinpur from 2012 under the title “Assessment of factors affecting customer loyalty in the restaurant industry”. According to the results obtained, food quality is the most important factor affecting customer loyalty in the restaurant industry. In addition to food quality, the restaurant environment was identified as the second most important factor affecting customer satisfaction in the restaurant. The third most important factor affecting customer satisfaction was the quality of service, which, according to the calculation results, had an increased positive coefficient along with the ones listed above. The result of the study is considered practical evidence of the thesis "Quality of service positively affects customer satisfaction", which is one of the main criteria for a repeated visit to the restaurant and directly determines the rate of increase in profits. [Haghighi1, Dorosti1, Rahnama, Hoseinpour, 2012]

Service management literature emphasizes the importance of the human factor in delivering superior service, because customer perceptions of exceptional service are often associated with personal interactions with employees. The relationship between the guest and the staff is especially important in the highly competitive restaurant industry. Several key variables that affect customer satisfaction and retention in catering have been identified. Studies in this area prove that there is a positive correlation between the quality of service and the client's intentions to return to a restaurant with a high service culture. Quality of service is an integral part of the success of the restaurant. Successful restaurant managers are constantly focused on improving all areas related to customer satisfaction. Although caring for guests of catering should be included in each area of ??activity of managers, they are not solely responsible for the result of customer satisfaction, because closer contact with the latter is established by service personnel. Thus, it is in the interests of the restaurateur to develop systematic and comprehensive processes based on employee loyalty to visitors and obligations to provide and improve the level of service that their customers expect.

After reviewing the literature and summarizing, there can be identified a problem that has not been studied in previous researches and has a specific and applied character for a particular restaurant under study. The above literature touches upon and reveals many issues related to the culture of service, but in its overwhelming majority of articles only indicate and describe the fact of the significance of the culture of service for the restaurant business. For the research conducted as a part of the thesis, it is necessary to solve the problem "Why is the service culture a factor in the sustainable development of the restaurant business?" Scientific and journalistic literature at this stage of its development gives a full-sized and comprehensive answer to the question posed.

At this moment of the research it is necessary to determine the basic concepts and terms that are necessary to solve these problems and will continue to be used precisely in this understanding of the context. The concepts that need to be developed and described for the research work:

“Quality”;

“Service”;

“Service culture”;

"Factor of sustainable development".

The concept of “quality” was first studied by Aristotle in the 3rd century BC. He defined quality as the difference between objects or differentiation on the basis of "good - bad." The international standard ISO 8402 defines quality as “the totality of the properties and characteristics of an object related to its ability to satisfy established or anticipated needs”. Thus, the requirements of consumers to service directly follow from their needs. In the 1970-1980s the problem of quality and service culture was considered by many well-known economists. Nevertheless, the content of this concept remains largely debatable, and in modern market conditions it requires a new rethinking. The next stage in the development of the concept of “quality”, which will become fundamental for the restaurant business, was determined by L. A. Samsonov in assessing the quality of trade services. He first applied the concept of "ideal and real quality." “Ideal quality” was understood as full compliance with the needs and expectations of consumers, “real quality” reflected the degree of compliance with the actual capabilities and resources of the enterprise. Studying the researches of predecessors and trying to answer new questions that arised in the process of development of the world and the economy, Professor A. I. Kunaev in the 1990s introduced a new concept into scientific theory - “the quality of consumer services in retail”. The concept included three components: the quality of goods and services; assortment of goods and services; consumer services system. In turn, Professor T. I. Nikolaeva defines the concept of “quality of trade services” as creating the most favorable conditions for the selection and purchase by the population of the necessary goods. The concept of "culture of trade", in her opinion, is the ability of the industry most fully, in compliance with public interests, to satisfy the requirements of consumers. A. Feigenbaum, working in the same years indicates the ever-changing and elusive nature of quality, depending on the needs of the buyer, and defines quality as a “moving target”. He also emphasizes that "quality is what the buyer is talking about, not what the engineer or the seller is talking about, and not what is written on the slogan." J. Harrington defines quality as "satisfying or exceeding customer requirements at an affordable price." O.V. Pambukhchiyants understands the culture of commercial services as an organizational culture aimed at serving customers based on the development of certain rules, procedures, practical skills. The variability of the interpretation of the concept of “quality” depends on the point of view and on the paradigm of values through which the concept will be applied. Based on all the above data, a direct relationship between quality and customer satisfaction (in particular, restaurant guests) can be approved. [Osipov, 2010]

The study of the concepts of “service” or “maintenance” has recently been devoted by many specialists to their publications. One of the most famous consultant in the field of service abroad, whose work appeared in Russia, is John Tschohl. John Scholl's experience is quite large: being the owner of the international company Service Quality Institute (Institute of Service Quality) with headquarters in Minneapolis and offices in more than 40 countries, including Russia (the company was recognized as one of the leading companies in the creation and implementation of service training methods). J. Tschohl has devoted service research to more than 25 years. John Tschohl is the author of First-Class Service as a Competitive Advantage. In 2006, Tschohl was the keynote speaker at the Service Leadership Strategy conference in Moscow; in 2007, he held a number of master classes in Russia. D. Tschohl identifies quality, culture, service speed as key competitive factors and argues that most companies in the world provide low-level service. According to domestic experts, the works of John Shawl answer many questions in the field of service, fill the "vacuum" in the methodology and practice of service as an enterprise strategy. John Tschohl convinces readers that quality of service is an effective sales tool and provides a sustainable competitive advantage. This is often the only competitive advantage a service company has. J. Tschohl proves that the quality of service is the secret weapon of effective business. A study of the genesis of the concept of “service” showed that this word has English roots (service) and in translation means a service, the provision of services, maintenance, assistance. Modern dictionaries give a close interpretation: "service - the provision of services, the satisfaction of domestic needs." Some experts perceive the service in a broader sense, not limited to consumer services: “service is actually a maintenance when it comes to consulting, design, dry cleaning, hairdressing salon, etc.” Consequently, the terms “service” and “maintenance” used in Russian practically mean the same thing. However, as shown by studies conducted by I.V. Christophorova "there are some subtleties in the perception and use of these definitions." According to G. A. Avanesova, the service “is a vague understanding related to the provision of assistance, the provision of various benefits to the population,” while “service is a focused, technologically advanced service process based on professional training of personnel, entrepreneurial calculation management and generally a high degree of efficiency.” According to I.V. Christophorova, more logical and consistent is the approach in which the service is interpreted in the context of additional services as “a kind of “binding” ” of the main service. It gained distribution due to the complex nature of services in many service industries, in particular in the restaurant business. It is the integrated service strategy that is the basis of С. Lovelock's concept of “Service as a Flower”. He considers a single complex consisting of a basic service and additional services or maintenances. L. Kamilina, specializing in services in the salon business, in her book “Luxury Service. The pink book of the manager”, reveals the secrets of mastery for high-class services, recommends using the knowledge of client psychology in the provision of basic and additional services. Thus, the review confirms that the service is considered by many authors as additional services that provide quality and service culture based on knowledge of consumer psychology, taking into account their consumer behavior. Akhaminova L. B. in the study “Improving the organization of services in the restaurant business” defines the concept of “service culture” as one of the main criteria in evaluating the performance of catering workers. The main factors determining the culture of service, the author emphasizes the availability of modern material and technical base, the types and nature of services provided, the quantity and quality of products, the introduction of progressive forms of service, the level of advertising and information work, the professional skills of catering workers. The culture of service at a high level increases the competitiveness of the enterprise, which is very important in market relations. [Osipov, 2010] It is noted that in the future, the restaurant business will increasingly focus on attracting repeat customers and stimulate additional costs on their part, offering a wide range of dishes and drinks and a high service culture, which, in the highly competitive market of restaurant services, is an important factor in the development of the restaurant business. An important responsible task for restaurants is the creation of a good reputation of a high-quality service enterprise. The "high quality of service" of guests is ensured by the collective efforts of the employees of all the restaurant services, constant and effective control by the administration, work to improve forms and methods of service, study and introduce best practices, new equipment and technologies, expand the range and improve the quality of services provided. For research, it is necessary to more accurately determine the role and functionality of each of these concepts for the restaurant business. [Chudnovsky, 2015]

Quality - the presence of essential features, properties, features that distinguish one object or phenomenon from others. The word "quality" is constantly used in relation to absolutely all goods and services. At that point, cafes and restaurants are not unique. Moreover, almost no self-presentation of a restaurant is complete without these concepts. Quality is one of the main arguments in attracting customers to the restaurant. The success of marketing activities of the restaurant and customer satisfaction largely depend on how accurately you can find out what customers put into this concept in your restaurant and use it. Of course, the most interesting is the idea of ??quality directly from the restaurant customers. Unfortunately, answering this question is quite difficult, because, obviously, the answers to it can vary significantly depending on the type of restaurant, cuisine, characteristics of customers who visit it. Nevertheless, you can highlight the traditional basic quality parameters, the answers to which you can already get yourself in your restaurant through a customer survey, or in other ways. [Rozova, 2015] If we analyze customer reviews of various restaurants, it becomes clear that visitors quite clearly share the quality of food and the quality of service. Then you can select the main parameters for each component. For a menu, as quality a customer can consider:

Conformity of the assortment to your expectations. If the client sees something that he would not expect to see in this cafe, then the criticality of perception automatically increases;

Portion size (moreover, expectations here can be directly opposite depending on the price category and stereotypes of restaurants perception);

Beauty of serving;

Appearance showing freshness;

Taste sensations.

In restaurants, there are basic standards of service necessary for the smooth operation of the institution. Some enterprises use all the standards and create them themselves as needed, some are limited to a few classic ones. But, one way or another, the standards must be adapted to each institution individually. Depending on the concept, type of establishment, portrait of guests and portrait of the team. [Taranenko, 2018]

Service in a restaurant is a sequence of actions by staff from meeting a guest to his departure from the establishment. This also includes behavioral patterns, communication guidelines, facial expressions and gestures. There are no clear rules, the choice of tools depends on the expectations of the public and the concept of business. The higher the level of the restaurant is, the more stringent are the requirements for the quality of service; in the field of interaction this applies, first of all, to responsiveness to the wishes and requests of guests, and general goodwill. The main standards usually include:

standards of cleanliness (cleanliness of the hall, working areas of staff, entrance group, etc.);

standards of appearance (uniforms, shoes, hairstyles, jewelry, manicure, makeup, etc.);

guest service standards (scenario of service, conflict situations, compliments and loyalty, meeting guests with children, sales, working with objections, guest feedback, etc.);

standards for serving food and drinks (rules for the removal of food and beverages, compliments and treats, serving time);

serving standards (before the guest arrives, during his stay, after saying goodbye to the guests, between meals, etc.). [Prokofieva, 2015]

The standardization of service and the competitive advantage of the institution are closely related things. First you need to get feedback from customers to understand what and how to standardize. If guests expect fast service in the daytime, then the speed of serving meals is important to them. If visitors want to find a good conversationalist at the waiter, then in such establishments, as a waiter, they usually have “their buddy”. The most difficult thing is with the emotional side of the issue: the lethargy and indifference of an employee will instantly cross out the most impeccable service. The restaurant, which is visited due to the optimal price-quality ratio, optimizes the technological chain. [Gradov, 2015]

The speed and ease of maintenance predetermine the success of such an institution. There are completely different landmarks at the place where people come to eat. The waiter, who was able to tell beautifully about the dishes and advise something, is more likely to earn tips, and the restaurant will receive regular customers. Another common strategy is “proximity to the consumer”, which involves an individual attitude to each guest. The values ??that the concept of the restaurant carries, its mood should be close to the whole team, from the waiter to the director. Most customers can use the options listed below to evaluate the service.

serving speed - while fast serving is good in fast food, where it is already clear that the food is ready. But in a more expensive restaurant, despite the fact that many preparations were also made in advance, it is not always necessary to rush. The client must understand that the food is being prepared and he will receive all the freshest directly from the fire.

speed of service - this includes a lot of aspects. The main ones are the waiters' response to customer signals. For example, if a client tries to attract the attention of staff with words or a gesture, and does not get a reaction, then this already goes into the category of personal discomfort, unlike when the client has not yet “reacted”. Pay attention to how a client who has not been seen behaves - he behaves like a person who was ignored.

customers highly appreciate the “humanity” in communication. Formalized texts offered by the restaurant for communication often “robotize” communication. This is understandable, since the level of the waiters is very different, there is a shortage of qualified personnel. [Rozova, 2015]

One of the important components of the quality of service is the quality of maintenance. Today, in the conditions of fierce market competition, strong trusting relationships with customers become a decisive factor for the long-term prosperity of the company. High-quality customer service is not only one of the competitive advantages, in many areas it has become the only competitive advantage. Quality of service is the new standard by which customers judge product quality. Currently, the quality of service and the culture of service are equated and used in the same meaning, however, they have some differences that are important to determine.

The service culture at a catering enterprise is the organizational culture of a catering enterprise aimed at serving visitors based on the development of certain rules, procedures, practical skills. The service culture is dictated by the policy of the enterprise, supported by a system of rewards for service personnel and a number of other events. Today, there is a widespread understanding of the service culture in the narrow sense as a combination of politeness rules (ethics of behavior). However, this concept should be considered much broader, in all manifestations of its constituent elements. Service culture is an integral part of the general culture of society. And it should be considered as a certain level of development (degree of perfection) of the service process, which is expressed in psychological, ethical, aesthetic, organizational, technical and other aspects. In catering, all these aspects are interconnected and interdependent. [Rysev, 2016]

Service culture is developed by each enterprise. In one enterprise, it can be very low, in another it can be quite high. The manifestation of a high service culture is determined through the behavior of personnel who clearly knows how to act in any situation and what customers and management expect from it, as well as the fact that a high level of culture makes all employees purposeful and compels them to respect their company. The service culture in the field of catering is a complex integrated concept, the terms of which are:

safety and environmental friendliness during servicing;

aesthetics of the interior, creating comfortable conditions of service;

the presence of a sufficient amount of tableware, appliances and table linen;

knowledge of the psychological characteristics of the individual and the psychological characteristics service process;

knowledge and observance by staff of ethical standards of service;

knowledge and observance of the rules establishing the order and priority of servicing guests;

knowledge of special rules for the offer and dispensation of various dishes and drinks, as well as technical skills and techniques for serving them;

knowledge of the basic rules of table setting. [Bozhuk, 2016]

One of the basic rules of a service culture is safety and environmental friendliness. At any catering facility, first of all, the safety of life, health and property of guests should be ensured both under ordinary conditions and in extreme situations. The building should have emergency exits, stairs, clearly visible information signs, providing free orientation of guests. Catering enterprises should be equipped with warning systems and fire protection equipment provided by the Fire Safety Rules. At catering establishments, sanitary and hygienic norms and rules established by the sanitary and epidemiological surveillance authorities regarding the cleanliness of the premises, the state of sanitary and production equipment, waste disposal and effective against insects and rodents must be strictly observed. Security at the catering facilities begins from the moment of designing the kitchen and other technological rooms. Without creating normal conditions for the work of the kitchen staff, it is impossible to guarantee high-quality processing of products and the subsequent preparation of dishes. Sanitary rules and norms (SanR&N) recommend allocating Ѕ or 2/3 of its area under the kitchen of a restaurant. The lack of production facilities violates the technological process, without which it is impossible to maintain food safety. This also applies to the organization of food storage. For proper storage in the kitchen there should be enough equipment, including refrigeration, ensuring the preservation of the quality of products. To ensure customer safety, attention must also be paid to the cleanliness of dishes and appliances. The required degree of cleanliness and a certain disinfection are guaranteed by the washing process in dishwashers, which takes place at high temperature using special detergents. Special safety requirements apply to service personnel. First of all, all personnel must be trained in safe working methods, know and comply with fire safety measures, labor protection rules and safety measures. All employees of the enterprise must be subject to a periodic medical examination. Upon admission to work, they are required to undergo a medical examination and take a course on sanitary and hygienic preparation. [Bogusheva, 2013]

The next rule of service culture is the aesthetics of the interior and the creation of comfortable service conditions. The interior is an internally organized space of premises of catering enterprises, which simultaneously acts as an environment of action (the technological cycle of servicing guests is carried out in it) and a medium of perception (it has the ability to have a strong emotional effect). The interior design decision should take into account the specialization of the catering company, the contingent of customers for which it is designed, the methods of service used, and a number of other factors. With all this, it is important to maximize the relationship between the interior and the environment surrounding the enterprise: landscape, urban area, street. This is achieved by applying various architectural techniques, which often plays no less role for an enterprise than good cuisine. Of particular importance for the decoration of the premises of catering facilities is the solution to the problem of color and lighting. Color and light must be subordinate to the customer service process. The color scheme should be carefully thought out in order to create an atmosphere of coziness, comfort, safety and tranquility in the service rooms. The main organizing and functional element of the interior of catering facilities, which affects the creation of comfortable service conditions, is furniture. The nomenclature and types of furniture products used in restaurants, cafes, bars, in addition to general (functional-technological, ergonomic, aesthetic), are subject to the following special requirements:

compliance of furniture with the nature of the work of enterprises, since self-service or service by waiters affects the area of the table, designed for one place behind it;

convenience - the ratio between the height of the table and the height of the seat of the chair, the height of the armrests and the back of the chair (the most comfortable size is 20-31 cm - the distance from the seat of the chair to the countertop);

hygiene, which is ensured by the use of materials meeting this requirement. [Shadrin, 2015]

When organizing the interior, one should not forget that modern people today are concerned about environmental protection and their own health. This position imposes certain restrictions on the flight of imagination of the architect and designer. When decorating, there is a tendency to use environmentally friendly materials manufactured in environmentally friendly industries. Interior design has also been successfully used as a marketing and branding tool. The peculiarity and individuality of the interior of the restaurant, cafe, bar become the most important accents in the advertising of these enterprises, help to create their own unique image, to form an image of a highly comfortable, reliable, respectable enterprise in public catering.

Another important condition is the availability of a sufficient amount of tableware, appliances and table linen. An important condition for ensuring a high culture of service at catering facilities is the availability of a sufficient amount of tableware, appliances and table linen, which are kept in perfect order. At catering establishments, dishes of various types are used: porcelain, earthenware, glass, crystal, metal, wooden, plastic, disposable tableware. The number of dishes, its completeness depends on the type of the enterprise, its capacity, variety of the menu, working hours, forms of service, category and some other factors. Cutlery used in catering is divided into two groups: main and auxiliary. The main devices are intended for eating, auxiliary - for the layout of dishes. When choosing cutlery, you should pay attention to ensure that they match the dishes in style. At catering establishments, various types of table linen are used for decorating the hall and serving: molletons (lower covers for tables), tablecloths, napkins, waiters' hand textile. [Anosova, Borestoranykina, Lifanova, 2014]

Knowledge of the psychological characteristics of the individual and the service process is also necessary, as well as are the above factors of service culture are. Knowledge of the basic psychological laws allows people in various situations to find psychologically correct solutions, helps not only to influence other people, but also to develop in themselves the qualities that are necessary in a particular field of activity. Psychological phenomena that occur during the interaction of people are investigated by social psychology, one of the applied branches of which is the psychology of service, or the psychology of maintenance. In the service sector, general patterns have a peculiar coloring. For example, the communication of service personnel with customers is characterized by features that are absent in the working team and family. Therefore, in order to understand the behavior of a person acting as a guest, a service employee needs to know the psychology of the service process - particularly, the motives, reasons and goals that guide customers when visiting a restaurant; individuality, age and other characteristics of demand, etc. Currently, much attention is paid to the study of the personality of the client, the identity of the employee of the catering company and their relationships in the service process. The food industry is a specific area where communication between people takes more than 90% of the working time. The ability to establish psychological contact with a guest is the professional quality of employees of a restaurant, cafe, bar and other catering establishments. Knowledge of the psychology of service will help staff:

Understand customer behavior in order to choose the best option for their service;

Get the cognition of employee's inner world in order to consciously regulate his own behavior. [Gee, Coates, Nicholson, 2008]

Each person is formed in society as a unique person with its individual signs, properties, characteristics. Psychology distinguishes people by temperament, which manifests itself as a set of individual psychological characteristics of a person, characteristic of his behavior and activity, in particular, tempo, rhythm, intensity of mental processes and conditions, characteristics of the person's mental state, expressed in the degree of emotional excitability, life activity. There are four types of temperament: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic. Temperament is the most common characteristic of a person, leaving an imprint on his activities. The staff of catering facilities should take into account the peculiarities of customer temperament, since servicing each of them requires completely different tactics. For example, a choleric client reacts very quickly to the surrounding reality, is quick-tempered and harsh, often very indignant. Therefore, when serving it, the waiter should show maximum attention, endurance, and respond quickly to his request. The waiter should always be ready to reduce the increased excitability of choleric. Phlegmatic people are characterized by slowness, and in the process of serving such people you need to take the initiative in your own hands and be persistent in offering a choice of dishes and drinks. In the management of service processes at catering enterprises, it is also very important for managers to know the type of temperament of the personnel of the contact zone. For example, a sanguine waiter successfully serves customers, but it is difficult for him to carry out unenlivened, monotonous operations performed when serving a large group of customers. A choleric waiter is indispensable for serving a large number of customers, but has poor self-control in tense, conflict situations. The phlegmatic waiter is steady, balanced, but cannot work at a fast pace, which causes irritation for customers. The melancholic waiter is friendly, responsive, seeks to avoid conflicts, but is slow and touchy.