"Operation CD" persuader emerges new identity and faces new challenges
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On September 18, Beijing issued the "Guidelines for "Practicing CD Action to Stop Catering Waste".
Various dining venues have responded to the call and set up "CD Action" persuaders.
The work of these persuaders involves all aspects of ordering, eating, and receiving meals, and they will also encounter customers’ incomprehension during persuasion.
However, under the influence of a good social atmosphere, the work of persuaders has gradually become smoother.
At 7:30 pm on October 21st, Xiaona took advantage of the night to arrange the tables and chairs in the restaurant neatly, and then cleaned the ground with a mop.
For Xiaona, this is the easiest moment of the day, because she finally doesn't have to concentrate on staring at the customers.
After working in this staff restaurant for more than three months, Xiaona was recently notified that she would take up a new position: "Operation CD" counselor.
On September 18, Beijing issued the "Guidelines for the "Stop Catering Waste Practicing CD Action" for nine scenarios including social catering stores at the promotion meeting for the special promotion and guidance activity of the "Stop Catering Waste Practicing CD Action".
In response to the call, various dining places have set up "Operation Discs" persuaders to remind diners to order less, continue, and no leftovers.
How does the work of these persuaders actually proceed?
Is the persuasion going well?
The reporter interviewed a number of persuaders from various catering establishments to understand the implementation of the "CD Action".
They are there for ordering, dining and receiving
20-year-old Xiaona was introduced by a fellow villager. In June, she came to a staff restaurant of a large catering company in Beijing from rural Shaanxi to work as a waiter. She is usually responsible for helping the back kitchen pull goods, washing vegetables, and maintaining the hygiene of the restaurant during meal times.
In order to implement the "CD Action", the restaurant has set up 10 persuaders in the lobby, which are served by waiters and handicapped workers including Xiaona.
According to Xiaona, because the restaurant is a self-service restaurant, some customers have "big eyes and small stomachs", and some customers are picky eaters, and there will indeed be waste.
Therefore, when replenishing dishes, persuaders should observe the customer’s taking behavior to see if there is an obvious phenomenon of taking more meals; when cleaning the table, pay attention to whether there is "eat half and throw half" behavior; when dumping residual garbage, whether to return Many dishes are left unfinished.
If so, customers need to be reminded in time.
During a breakfast shift, Xiaona ran into a customer who took two eggs for a long time but only ate egg whites. Considering that the customer might be embarrassed, Xiaona wiped the table next to her and greeted the customer.
"I first introduce myself as the persuader of Operation CD-ROM, and maintain a good communication attitude." Xiaona recalled.
After communication, Xiaona emphasized the importance of a balanced diet to the customers, and the customers accepted her suggestions.
Sister Guo, who works in an old-fashioned restaurant store in Beijing, has come to Beijing from a rural area of Hebei to work hard for ten years. She is already the front office manager and she has also become one of the ten newly installed "CD Action" advisers in the store.
She assumes the role of persuader, and also requires actively guiding customers to order "subtraction" in the ordering process: "Our restaurant's dining consumption is mostly based on gatherings. It is usually difficult to grasp the large table ordering, so the persuasion will be based on the number of people. It is recommended that customers order dishes with the number of minus 1 or minus 2, and add it if it is not enough.” Guo said, “Our responsibility is not only to guide consumers, but also to supervise whether the waiter correctly guides customers to order meals, and to Provide timely feedback and adjustments to the problems found."
New identity also has new difficulties
In most catering establishments, the persuaders of Operation CD-ROM are usually served by original catering waiters such as Xiaona and Guo.
Guo Jie believes that “the waiter has the experience of communicating directly with customers, and is also familiar with the problems and various situations that occur during the meal. Such a setting is good for restaurant management and prevention of waste persuasion.”
And Xiaona revealed to reporters that to grow from a novice waiter to a persuader, she needs to overcome some obstacles.
"Opening your mouth is like criticizing others. The most difficult thing is to say the first sentence." Xiaona believes that originally serving as a waiter only serves customers, and her status as a persuader means that she needs to interfere with customers' dining behavior. She is very Worry about causing disgust from customers.
Such worries really happened to the counselor Zhang Ning.
The hot pot restaurant in Handan, Hebei where Zhang Ning works is located in a shopping mall on the East Third Ring Road in Beijing.
In a gathering of many people, Zhang Ning proactively reminded customers during the ordering session: "You can order half of the vegetables first, and then add them after eating."
After hearing this, one of the guests was a little unhappy and said: "I can't afford to eat." To ease the embarrassment, Zhang Ning immediately explained, "Of course you have to eat hot pot to be happy. You can keep your stomach and eat something special. We will send you another piece of noodles." This will allow customers to order the meal smoothly.
Zhang Ning told reporters that multi-person gatherings in hot pot restaurants are most prone to food waste, including food waste, side dishes, fruits, and spices.
"The treaters are afraid that the invited ones will not eat well, so they will take the initiative to eat more, for fear that they will appear stingy if they are less. These are understandable. As a persuader, customers can usually keep their minds and really eat. We won’t finish, we will pack it for free.”
A good social atmosphere helps persuaders perform their duties
During the interview, the reporter learned that in addition to setting up persuaders, various catering establishments have also formulated a number of measures to provide support and assistance for persuaders in all aspects.
As a long-established store, the restaurant where Sister Guo works prepares for the "CD Action" before customers order a meal, such as the small dish menu launched on June 24; a variety of hot and cold dishes for one person , The amount of dishes is two-thirds of the average.
After the customers have finished their meal, Sister Guo will also suggest that the customers pack the remaining meals, provide packing bags for free, and present small gifts such as "economy pacesetter" signs and sticky notes.
The staff canteen where Xiaona is also installed a full-coverage camera to directly target wasted personnel.
The restaurant manager told reporters that he had observed through a camera that a customer had more than half of the noodles left in the recovery area, so he immediately went to communicate and understand the situation, and explained the meaning and function of the "CD Operation" to the customers.
"If serious waste occurs repeatedly, we will remind the customer through the work unit of the customer. If the circumstances are serious, the card will be locked to restrict their dining behavior."
The "CD Action" implemented in the whole society this time is no longer a unilateral action of catering units, but has also received support and cooperation from all sectors of society.
A customer dining in the restaurant told reporters that not only did he see relevant reports on TV news and the Internet, his own community also posted propaganda slogans, organized a knowledge contest on food conservation, and his work unit also conducted relevant conference presentations and exchanges. .
"This kind of atmosphere will cultivate our dining concepts and habits. The persuader only needs a little hint to play an effective role."
According to Sister Guo, the restaurant’s approach to curbing food waste has also been supported and understood by more and more customers. “When customers come to order, they will also actively ask the waiter how the order is appropriate. At this time, the persuader’s duty is not serious. Persuasion, but to provide various conveniences and help to stop food waste."
Liu Xiaoyan