Marketing Operations and Management

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Operations and Management. Answer: Introduction In business operation, there are two critical stages involved. First, there is front stage where the client facing activities of a business occur: marketing, sales and service or product delivery. This is the part of a business operation that the client directly experience. Second, there is back stage which makes up all the administrative and support activities that must be followed and undertaken to adequately deliver the Front Stage processes (Buckingham, 2008). Back stage activities are invisible and support front stage. Herein is discussion of the front and back stage activities of a restaurant. Front stage activities In restaurants, this is a crucial stage that determines how huge the business grows. Analysis of front stage activities is necessary in any business. Absolute cleanliness in the restaurant, customer care is paramount. Customers coming to the restaurants must be well received. Customers requests and orders they give must be taken well and food provided in a timely manner (Goffman, 1999). The program for the day dictates the arrangement of chairs in a restaurant. Customers are required to enter the restaurant and identify convenient seats. Customer look at the menu to choose a meal or drink that suits them. Here, customers and attendants meet and communicate. Attendant notes down the meal that the customer wants such as drinks, snacks, main course meal etc. Back and front stage personnel interact at this stage. Attendant goes to the chef with an order from the customer. The chef promptly works on the order by the customer and gives it back to the attendant. The responsibility of the chef is to package the food in a manner most attractive to customer (Lovelock, 1991). The front stage personnel (customer attendant) take food as packaged by the back stage personnel (chef) to the customer. When the customer has eaten and is satisfied, he/she interacts with another back stage personnel who is the cashier. The cashier ensures prompt payment for the meals consumed. The cashier is supposed to handle the customer in an esteemed manner. In a restaurant with modern technological advances like Wi-Fi, television, music system etc. some support personnel are required to connect the customers phones or laptops so that they can enjoy internet services. They must ensure that relevant channels and entertaining music is played at any given time. Restaurants toilets cleanliness and maintenance must be assigned to a staff. Toilet cleanliness must never be ignored. In front stage great care is supposed to be observed to ensure that everything happens fast without customers waiting longer. Supplies required at the restaurant must be timely procured. For business to grow employees absenteeism of must be discouraged for business to grow. Standards of operation must be laid and followed. The management must set to suppliers clear quality standards for foodstuffs (Menear Hawkins, 1999). Only what is available in the restaurant should appear on the menu. General hygiene of the restaurants staff should be adhered to. Easy identification dictates that staff wears tag or uniform. Back stage activities Back stage processes include: human resource (HR), marketing process, accounting process, customer service, and customer retention services. In the restaurant the human resource manager is responsible for ensuring smooth relationship between employees and in interviewing and recruiting competent people to run various departments of the restaurant. At times the human resource manager will solve disputes between employees and customers or employees alone. Customers sometimes raise complaints concerning mistreatment by certain employees which must be responded to in a timely manner (Pine Gilmore, 2011). This strategy keeps customers. Adoption of diligent marketing is necessary. This is done by having a dedicated team to advertise the restaurant through mainstream and social media. The marketing team must therefore update regular and potential customers on new developments and changes within the restaurant. Customer suggestions and recommendations on the business should be thoroughly considered. A key role is played by the accounting section of a restaurant. This is a key department and ensures that employees are paid in time and hence deliver to their best. The accounting process pays suppliers of the restaurants foodstuff; drinks and other convince products in a time. Suppliers are therefore able to deliver goods in time. Great customer satisfaction will be ensured. The restaurants stock levels are monitored by accountants. Accounts contact suppliers and order for items. This way they are able to detect goods that are few in stock and alert suppliers. Keeping and caring for customers is paramount. The customer care must be done by professionals who understand the organic structure of the place and systems and can direct customers accordingly in case of queries. They take of calls first time or regular customer interested in booking meals. They are supposed to be adequately informed on every service and items available in the restaurant. Adoption of proper initiatives to keep customers is necessary. Occasionally, regular customers can be rewarded by being given some special treatments like free meal, a discount or wished well during their birthdays. The customer retention desk must develop a strategy for getting feedbacks from customers (Schlenker, 1980). Managerial implications From the discourse above, we can say that both front and back stage processes are crucial in business operations. Front and back stage operations have many managerial implications. In front stage, customers and their expectations must be managed. The staffs that interact with customers directly must be well trained and followed up to give the restaurant a good image (Shoemaker and Cynthia, 2013). The problems that might arise between customers and employees must be dealt with amicably and timely. In the back stage, market management strategies to retain and attract customers must be laid. For customers to enjoy, suppliers and bills must be paid. Payment of employees must be done in time to avoid go-slows, absenteeism or poor service. Conclusion Front and back stage are crucial business operations which must be outlined at the start of a business. The two stages are interdependent and a failure in one stage directly affects the other. Employment of a competent manager is critical to facilitate and coordinate operations. References Buckingham, D. (2008). Youth, identity, and digital media. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. Goffman, E. (1999). Presentation of self in everyday life. 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