Operational Challenges and Tools to address them: Jollibee vs. Tropical Hut Hamburgers

Jollibee

Quality of Service -

In terms of customer service, we have selected the Vito Cruz branch for our research due to its proximity. In on our effort to acquire information from Jollibee management (Vito Cruz Branch), we were unsuccessful in gathering vital information due to confidentiality policies. According to the store manager, they are not allowed to divulge any information about the company.

Anyway, when we visited Jollibee on a busy time during lunch hour, we noticed how many customers lined up to order food and the line got longer that it seemed that the cashiers cannot efficiently take on orders (longer wait time for customers).

Another thing we noticed were the timely bussing of tables, for new customers to have “clean tables” to eat on. The reason behind it was they didn’t have enough staff assigned for the dining area.

I ordered for champ hamburger and they told me that I needed to wait for 15 minutes of which I patiently did. When 15 minutes had passed, I tried to follow-up my order and tried calling a waiter. Since there were a lot of customers, the waiters were so busy and nowhere to be found. Most of the time they were turning their back on customers.

Operational Tools Used:

Proper forecasting/scheduling Tool such as Time-Series Analysis should minimized error or lost opportunity in providing good customer service to clients. This should answer to the lack of manpower in the dining area thereby having enough staff to cater to the needs of the customers.

In addition, Jollibee staff should also undergo periodic customer service training which falls under human train and development.

Quality of Products

Second item would be based on the failure of Jollibee to provide customers their products (chicken joy) that Jollibee had to close 72 stores due to problems in the supply of chicken. (http://www.rappler.com/business/industries/176-food-and-beverage/65659-jollibee-temporarily-closes-stores) During those times I had the experience of ordering chicken joy at the Guadalupe outlet and to my surprise the cashier told me that they don’t have chicken but instead offered me other items on the menu. It is the same fear that management would face in the future due to lack of system implementation planning and scheduling.

Operational Tools Used:

The tools that have been used here are the ones under Project Management Model specifically Gantt Charts, Critical Path Method, Critical Path Analysis and PERT.

Tropical Hut Hamburgers

Quality of Service

As we also tried acquiring information from Tropical Hut Hamburgers Estrada cor. Taft branch, the store manager told us that they are not allowed to divulge any operational information to public even if it is for educational purposes. The manager even told us to ask permission from their main office if we like.

Since we didn’t have much time to go with her suggestion, we just tried to observe how customer service was implemented during lunch hour.

As compared to Jollibee, there’s not much customers in Tropical Hut Hamburgers. Most of the customers were old people, few were in the range of 15-29.

In terms of customer service, during that time we only noticed 1 staff at the dining area. Other customers also had problems asking assistance/follow-up from the waiter.

Another would be cleanliness of the establishment. I guess they have to work on improving the ambience of the outlet. It is not only the Taft branch, we also tried surfing the net in order to find materials of which led us to this site (https://looloo.com/p/tropical-hut-hamburger-kapitolyo-pasig).

Operational Tools Used:

The operational tool that should be implemented here to straighten up the customer service problem would be under human training and development. Tropical Hut Hamburgers staff should also undergo periodic customer service training which shall also include sanitation or cleanliness.

Quality of Products

The recipe and taste of Tropical Hut Hamburgers have always been the same. And that is why most of its customers are from the mature ages. The question here is how can Tropical Hut increase their customer base and include younger generations.

The way we see it is that of the small number of outlets that Tropical Hut Hamburgers only has. Based on the site (http://www.munchpunch.com/tropical-hut-hamburger/metro-manila?p=3) it has only 35 outlets to date up against Jollibee’s 750 outlets.

Operational Tools Used:

In order to come up with what new in the market/industry, one has to do research to develop its products. Here is where Research and Development comes in to make innovative and new products. Tools that can be used here are surveys, questionnaires, feasibility studies and sampling.