Best Caterers at the Amex ?

[Lady Bracknell]

There is a huge huge difference between a business finding its feet and the total cluelessness of Sodexo. Alarm bells should be ringing loudly in his head right now. He has screwed up the catering big time and he really needs to address the issue and not put his head in the "bedding in" sand.

This.

I doubt that any caterer can achieve perfection because someone will always find something to complain about. But hey, there's a huge difference between perfection and the sorry excuse for a catering service that's currently being provided. If Sodexo had been prepared to invest time and money in recruitment, selection and most importantly, training, there should be no need for an extensive bedding in process. They are caterers, ffs. They should know how to cater. For starters, just how hard can it be, given the extensive systems available, to stock a pie kiosk and keep it adequately stocked when you know what time the match starts and what the expected demand is likely to be? In fact, you don't have to have any expertise in catering to know that the majority of people buy pies before the match and at half time. Cooking up a mountain of pies at 5pm just means that pies will be thrown away.

In most professions, the idea that you could turn up, turn in a shit job and then be excused for it on the grounds that nobody should expect better from the outset would be laughable. As indeed will be the reputation of the club if they can't get this sorted.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I do not normally complain. But the staff in the WSL (far North end bar) need to learn how to pour a pint of harveys. I don't mind paying £3.90 for a pint, but don't expect it to have an inch of froth on it when served. It took me 10 minutes to get it refilled. Is this just me??

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This.

I doubt that any caterer can achieve perfection because someone will always find something to complain about. But hey, there's a huge difference between perfection and the sorry excuse for a catering service that's currently being provided. If Sodexo had been prepared to invest time and money in recruitment, selection and most importantly, training, there should be no need for an extensive bedding in process. They are caterers, ffs. They should know how to cater. For starters, just how hard can it be, given the extensive systems available, to stock a pie kiosk and keep it adequately stocked when you know what time the match starts and what the expected demand is likely to be? In fact, you don't have to have any expertise in catering to know that the majority of people buy pies before the match and at half time.

In most professions, the idea that you could turn up, turn in a shit job and then be excused for it on the grounds that nobody should expect better would be laughable. As indeed will be the reputation of the club if they can't get this sorted.

I totally 100% agree. Kiosks and bars do not need any bedding in time; their operation model is as simple as it can get. I have been to numerous festivals, huge outdoor gigs, pop up things with external caterers and they all seem to hit the ground running. They have to as they do not get the luxury of a bedding in period. And you hit the nail regarding training. I feel quite angry about the willing and able staff being let down by their employer.

 

[kevo]

I totally 100% agree. Kiosks and bars do not need any bedding in time; their operation model is as simple as it can get. I have been to numerous festivals, huge outdoor gigs, pop up things with external caterers and they all seem to hit the ground running. They have to as they do not get the luxury of a bedding in period.

Interesting that the Lindley Group did seem to hit the ground running, but Sodexo seem to have ballsed it up again. Completely out of pies everytime I've queued up so far! How does that happen?

 

[HenryC]

I will continue to have a pint before and after a game and maybe a coffee after on a cold day...

However, the service and pricing of food is ridiculous so I'll save my money.

A great shame as I'd be very happy to support my club by spending cash if I felt it was worthwhile.

I'm sure thousands of others feel the same way.,,

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Interesting that the Lindley Group did seem to hit the ground running, but Sodexo seem to have ballsed it up again. Completely out of pies everytime I've queued up so far! How does that happen?

Quite. Everything leads me to the conclusion that Barber simply went for the cheapest deal on the table. But hey, buy it or the player budget will be cut.

 

[Stat Brother]

Irrespective of the company running the show, the ESL has never had persistent problems.
I even did a customer satifactory poll a while ago and it came out top.

I wonder what the serving point per head is for each stand.

 

[kevo]

Quite. Everything leads me to the conclusion that Barber simply went for the cheapest deal on the table. But hey, buy it or the player budget will be cut.

But they lose out because they don't sell so many pies (or whatever). I queued for a pie against Derby, had to have a hot dog instead. Never again.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

But they lose out because they don't sell so many pies (or whatever). I queued for a pie against Derby, had to have a hot dog instead. Never again.

Agree. What they presented to Barber is one thing. The reality of winning the deal and the subsequent recruitment/scaling up and execution is different.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Interesting that the Lindley Group did seem to hit the ground running, but Sodexo seem to have ballsed it up again. Completely out of pies everytime I've queued up so far! How does that happen?

The recruitment process and training with TLG was thorough and meticulous, visits to the kiosks, how to work the tills, how to stock food and beer, prepare and plan for the day, including how to pour a pint of beer and lager when 20 recruits poured ( and threw away 50 pints ). Whoever decided to bin them when they improved things no end in 4 months is a clueless buffoon.

 

[ROSM]

Irrespective of the company running the show, the ESL has never had persistent problems.
I even did a customer satifactory poll a while ago and it came out top.

I wonder what the serving point per head is for each stand.

I don't buy food now (no kid friendly veggie options except for chips which are over priced), but yesterday the Harveys service at the south end of east lower was slow and poor on basic levels (short measures, pouring and serving out of order based on who shouted loudest etc).

If the statement that lindleys were ignored due to poor pitch despite a half decent track record then it sums up the style over substance approach now deployed by our CEO.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I do not normally complain. But the staff in the WSL (far North end bar) need to learn how to pour a pint of harveys. I don't mind paying £3.90 for a pint, but don't expect it to have an inch of froth on it when served. It took me 10 minutes to get it refilled. Is this just me??

WSU kiosk at North end the same, after the match, it took ages to get the girl serving to understand we wanted 2 pints of Harveys.
They ran out at approx 5.15.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

Short measures were the order of the day in the North Stand yesterday. In the main people were accepting of them for the simple reason that it was better to get less than a pint than it was to die of thirst. Again, it was a training and support issue because the helpful and friendly person manning the pump had no idea how to pour a pint of real ale and had also not been provided with an adequate container for foam/spillage. But it is a good job that the Licensing Officer hadn't made a surprise visit...

 

[KZNSeagull]

Who is reporting these issues back to the club?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The club got rid of a caterer that was not doing the job, got one in, that did and then sacked them so what is the point in reporting the issues to the club ? Head Honcho obviously knows best.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Who is reporting these issues back to the club?

Whistle blowing is a dangerous pastime these days.

 

[kevo]

Who is reporting these issues back to the club?

Someone could just send Mr Barber a link to this thread, (politely) telling him that a lot of the fans are unhappy with Sodexo and don't understand why the Lindley Group were sacked. He's pretty good at responding to issues in his programme notes, so it would be interesting to see what explanation he provides.

 

[BN9 BHA]

WSU kiosk at North end the same, after the match, it took ages to get the girl serving to understand we wanted 2 pints of Harveys.
They ran out at approx 5.15.

Did not go for a beer at half time but it must have been chaos.
After the match when they ran out of Harveys the girl serving did not suggest we go to another kiosk or did we want lager or cider, she may as well have said go home.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Whistle blowing is a dangerous pastime these days.

Why is this whistle blowing?

I am assuming that those complaining about the catering have the club's best interests at heart, and I am sure that the club would welcome the feedback. The club were made fully aware of the customer service issues with Azure and their contract was cancelled as a result, so I really don't see a reason why it would not happen again - once this lot have had a chance to improve.

 

[Crennis]

Sodexo produce great food... In the contractors accommodation of Mount Pleasant airbase in the Falklands, maybe we could pinch there staff every other saturday?! Foreign lass who served me in WSU yesterday didn't seem to have a clue what Coke was...