News Releases
CURA SERVICE COLLEGE REINVENTS GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY;
ROLE OF “GEN-Y” SERVERS
OREFIELD, PA, October 31, 2006 - Cura Hospitality reinvents gracious hospitality and the role of “Generation-Y” (Born between 1981 and 1995) service team members just entering the workplace by sending 1,200 servers back to school to enhance customer service through its new Cura Service College.
According to Cura President and Founder Mitch Possinger, many of today’s restaurant servers are young, perhaps in high school or college, and may not necessarily possess important skills such as how to greet customers, properly take an order, set a table, and present and remove plates and serviceware. It’s the basics, Possinger says, but studies show that in addition to great tasting food, guest satisfaction is largely driven by the attentiveness of servers and the timeliness of the service, of which “Gen-Y” members have a direct impact. “Making a great first impression with diners will ensure a pleasant, positive dining experience and helps servers feel more confident about the hospitality workplace and in their search of a work-life balance,” says Possinger.
Cura responds by offering new hires and current staff an opportunity to learn by attending Server Development 101, the first course of many to be available through the Cura Service College. To appeal to its “Gen-Y” staff members, the first class is designed with the “student” in mind. Participants receive a Cura redesigned hospitality handbook, class syllabus, practice quizzes and pocket-size dining room and tray service standard guides complete with visuals of proper table and tray set-ups.
Students will use course materials during their three-day session where they will begin by shadowing an appointed trainer throughout the course of their shift; focus on technique and concepts from day one; begin to provide some assistance with the meal service during day two; and on the last day, assume the complete responsibility of serving one table under the guidance of a trainer. They are then assessed a final exam.
To help make learning and remembering the fundamentals of proper hospitality service easy and fun, managers and supervisors use “Service Tips in a Flash” at the daily pre-meal service meetings to reinforce the standards. This Cura developed pocket-size binder features a collection of 30 tips and famous quotes for enhancing hospitality.
The launch of the Cura Service College is the first of many additional guest satisfaction supports towards ensuring optimal dining experiences at Cura. “Earlier this year, we created a guest focused team to devote energy and resources to maximize the Management of Guest Experiences,” says Possinger. “The investment in staff through the Cura Service College, as well as future guest satisfaction initiatives, will allow us to fine tune our customer focus in order to deliver outstanding guest satisfaction results at all service levels.”
