Escaping the B&I bubble

My one tip for working effectively in the B&I sector is get outside the B&I bubble! I am unashamedly a magpie – looking and learning from others. Take time to look what brand leaders are doing in other sectors, and don’t just think the obvious – ‘RETAIL’. Ask yourself, what can we learn from the construction industry? They are world leaders in H&S, how do they engage their team members? What about the airline industry? It’s fiercely competitive and the airlines look for every millimeter of difference they can, to gain market share. Challenge yourself to learn from their investment in the customer experience.

I am very lucky to receive excellent support from my colleagues. Without their support I couldn’t deliver. People genuinely care about each other, and get things done. My colleagues go the extra mile, with a smile. As a result morale is high, this naturally leads to higher productivity and consequently better results. Information flows freely and our flat structure means we don’t have to go up through a chain to get approvals; we are empowered to take ownership.

I was nominated because the 365 Pin board developed with my team, Val and Emma, made a measurable difference to the way we were able to engage with our customers and it increased sales.

I didn’t expect to win the award because I have been shortlisted three times and I know that the standard is high and the competition is tough.

I really enjoyed the awards evening. Mark Durden-Smith’s witty repartee and compering made the whole event flow naturally. The presentation of the awards between the courses allowed you to listen to each nomination and hear why the winners were chosen. And of course, all the food was delicious, but the desert was my favourite.

I couldn’t quite believe it when my name was announced as the winner. I sat stunned and my colleague Steve, nudged me and shouted, “It’s you!”. I felt added pride because my Mum and Dad were my guests because it was their 50^th wedding anniversary. I had wanted to celebrate with them AND I wanted to be at the awards too.

Winning the award has generated lots of social media chatter and positive PR for the bartlett mitchell (this is great for Google ratings) and it’s a massive pat on the back for the marketing team.

I like entering these awards; these are some of the ways I believe we have benefitted

• Great way to share best practice (even if you don’t win)
• An opportunity to benchmark against yourselves against the best in the industry
• Raises the profile of your company to prospective and current clients
• Excellent for attracting talent – we all want to work with the best
• Winning has been a morale booster and made the team feel proud.

The above can be found in b&i catering magazine and you can read the full article here