PORTLAND Ore. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
The crux of the training program is to increase employees’ understanding of cultural differences among customers and each other so that they can offer better service, especially at a time when consumers are cutting back on spending, officials said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“From a business standpoint, we’re trying to increase our market share,” said Steven Hiatt, director of the food and nutrition department, which operates 13 retail food outlets, catering, patient meals and dietetics for the 450-bed hospital. In addition to the diverse hospital clientele, the food outlets draw customers from nearby downtown Portland. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
By comprehending cultural differences, employees also can foster stronger loyalty from diverse customers, operators and diversity consultants said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“This is the core of targeted marketing: To sell effectively, you have to understand someone’s need,” said Gerry Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to improve diversity in the restaurant industry. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Operators lose opportunities when their employees don’t understand cultural nuances and how people of different walks of life view good service, Fernandez said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“At a time when people are trying to build traffic and increase check averages and grab every sale, they can’t have untrained multicultural employees who are on a different page when it comes to what good service is,” he said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Further, management must know how to engage them, he added. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Research has shown that when minority groups feel welcomed and accepted at an establishment, they become very loyal to it, said Riikka Salonen, program manager for cultural competency for the food and nutrition department at OHSU. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“Especially among Latinos, Asians, Asian-Americans, African-Americans and Africans—they are loyal to a service provider even though a competitor would provide a lower price,” she said. “They stay with the service providers who provide the higher level of service and respect.” —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Salonen and training manager Tatiana Grabowski developed the program, which is being taught in an eight-hour class on Saturdays. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
The workforce in the food and nutrition department at OHSU is highly diverse. About 30 nationalities are represented among the 300 employees. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“Our goal is not so much the ‘Golden Rule,’ but what we call the ‘Platinum Rule’: Treat customers the way they wish to be served,” Grabowski said. “The training is giving them the tools and opportunity to do that.” —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Food and nutrition employees learn to consider what customers want and how customers perceive good service, Salonen said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“We are looking at more than just economics and ethnic backgrounds,” she said. “How can we exceed the expectations of customers with disabilities? How can we overcome challenges with language barriers, and not just in the customer base but between multicultural teams?” —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Some customers have different perceptions about eye contact and personal space, and people of different cultures or faiths may have different food preferences, she said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“If a customer asks if the food contains any pork, our employees can recognize that it’s not just the food, but it might be a faith-related preference,” she said. “So they learn to ask additional questions. If they offer an alternative, they might ask if the customer minds if there is seafood in a dish. We’re giving the big picture to our employees so that they can be proactive and wow the customer.” —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Managers already are seeing an improvement in employees’ attitudes and performance, Salonen said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“Some of our immigrant employees are saying: ‘The training changed how I view myself. I have more self-esteem and confidence to solve problems,’” she said. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
Nearly finished with training the employees in retail food and catering, the department will move to those employees who will be involved in the room service program OHSU plans to roll out next year. —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
“We had an institutional look at everything we did,” Hiatt said. “As we move into patient room service, we want to push our business out there and understand the needs of our customers.” —In a push to improve customer service and increase repeat business to its foodservice operations, the food and nutrition department at the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital recently launched a new, multicultural customer-focused training program.
