Over the last two days, I have come across scenarios at some of the most revered eateris in Kolkata (Calcutta if you may), which are unsavoury, at least to me!
At Peter Cat ... They believe that if the size of the entourage doesnt fit with the size of their table, you are not allowed in. So, if theres 2 of you, and they have a table of 4 which is vacant, perish the thought of having the chance to dine there. They would much rather leave the table vacant (on the assumption that they will get 4 covers soon!) ... One could argue that if they took in the 2 diners, 4 people would be inconvenienced (did i get that right?). But I dont think they have such altruistic thoughts behind this.
Or, take Flury's for that matter ... For some reason, the establishment believes that people dont drink (or, maybe, that they shouldnt drink) Tea or Coffee along with their Lunch. Presumably, which is why, they refuse to serve Coffee if you go there at Lunchtime. I had gone there with a colleague, and ... I was going to have a Pastry, and she decided to have Coffee (presumably because of a Diet!). And, the bearer told us that he cannot serve Coffee! Of course, he still wanted me to have the Pastry!
This doesnt take anthing away from the Food. The Chello Kababs are every bit as they ought to be, and Flury's still makes up the best Muffins.
Strangely, this is something I havent come across anywhere except Kolkata, though, by no stretch of the imagination could I hold this against the City i love ...
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6 comments:
Utilization versus Customer is a post that made me ponder over the the thought for quite some time! (I mean hats off to you to have instigated me to think!!!, something which i seem to be doing so rarely).
The concern is there, no denying to the fact, but its just that, according to me, probably here, we are looking at it from a different perspective altogether.
What you experienced in Flury's, well I quite agree with u, its the most unsavoury experience to have come across, I jus hope Flury's guys come across your blog someday and do something about it.
Peter Cat experience of yours, is something, which I feel you could have been a bit less satirical and more understanding. Based on my assumption (please do correct me if I am wrong) I think you faced such a situation at that time of the day (or night) when it was overcrowed with foodies like you and me. At such challenged times, I think their strategy is a perfect blend of optimum utilization and customer satisfaction. Now think of this following scenarios, if you please
a)On a warm and pleasant Sunday afternoon, when the lady of the house go for a kitchen strike, the man decides to treat the family to Chello Kebabs@Peter Cat. So the happy family of four arrive at Peter Cat at half past one to have their lunch.
b) At the same time, a newly married couple also reach the joint. The husband wants to impress his outstationed wife with the delicacies of Chello Kebab, which the wife has never tasted before.
c) Three friends decide to Lunch out at Peter Cat and have some genuine adda. So they reach there at around the same time.
d) Two lovers who now stay in different parts of the country due to their career have met after a couple of months and they decide to revive their fond memories by having a lunch at their favorite joint, Peter Cat.
Now in a situation like this, these 4 groups have reached Peter Cat more or less at the same time( a couple of minutes difference, may be)and they are all having to wait outside as the place is overcrowded at the moment. In this situation, a table of four gets emptied inside. Now let us assume that "d" came in first at 01:28PM, then "a" at 01:30PM, then "b" at 01:32PM and "c" at 01:33PM. And after waiting for about 10 minutes since then, say it is now 01:43PM, the first table gets emptied, which is a table of 4.
In this situation, I feel it is pretty apt for the management to give that table to "a" since they are four members, rather than "d who have come 2 minutes early, because if they give tht table to "d", they are under utilizing their resources, and furthermore, you never know when the next table of four will get emptied, n if the next table tht gets emptied is a table for 2, then they will not be able to utilise it despite have coming 2nd. So if you are talking about first come first serve thesis, then, despite coming 2nd, this group will have to wait since they cannot be accomodated in a table for 2! They will have to stay back n the table would go to "b" though they have come last, isnt it?
So I think when its overcrowded, the best thing the management can do is categorise their resources (in this case their seating arrangements), as table for 2, 4, 6 and so on, and accordingly categorise their waiting customers in groups of 1 and 2(for table for 2), 3 and 4(for table for 4), 5 and 6 (for table for 6) and so on, and map them accordingly! Isnt that a better option? Think about it!
But having said that, when you are hungry, and waiting outside Peter Cat, visualising the delicious Chello Kebab you are going to have soon!, rational thinking doesnot come easily and naturally! So I understand what you might have felt then, but still atleast now I would rather want you to aprreciate their strategy to "Optimise utilization and maintaining maximum Customer satisfaction" given their own logistic constraints!
The problem that we have in Kolkata is that there is disparity in the population of the city and the number of options that we have for hanging out/dining out etc, as a result of which we end up being in a queue always! may be you can write about that in your next blog, what say?
Actually, it wasnt me, I was already digging into the Chello Kababs, it was a group of ladies waiting outside ...
I must add, though, that for all I am writing, the Chello Kababs are delicious. Every bit as they have been ...
It was very enjoying reading your blog since I was your happy accompanist. But i just have one objection.. was it very necessary to include tha fact that my innocent coffee was for diet purposes???... U know the reasons.. after that sinful chelo kababs i dint wat to add more sins @ flurys.. and true to our family culture we ate 1/4 th of the muffins
Why do you have to do that to the poor Muffin? Do justice to it, please!
Atul how are your sweet meats faring?.. I hope you are doing them justice.. In fact i found your blogs very interesting indeed(possibly the best way to indulge in the thought process of an individual).. I agree with the feelings & feedbacks of the employees that if we can bring even half of the blogging concept to the KM community, it will change the way we are valued.. From the junks that people see us today we can drive business
I do agree with you. As we can see from here, there is so much more which can be shared by way of a blog, than can be shared in a formalized document.
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