“Dadu’s – the kitchen away from home!”

Date: 17-September-2009

Time: 2-15 PM to 2-30 PM

Location: Bishuda’s at XLRI, Jamshedpur

Background

I was back at XLRI from the term break. Not much had changed and I thought I’d take a walk to good old Dadu's for a ‘morning snack’ having gotten up at 2 PM on a lazy Thursday and just about in time for a 2:30 PM lecture. As I turned the corner, I thought to myself, just a couple of terms left – and then I might never see this place again … Dadu’s, truly, the kitchen away from home …

Prior Expectation

As all XLers will attest, Dadu’s offers a decent range of food items at affordable items. Being the only daytime food provider in the campus, other than the various messes, it can act as a lifeline, especially, when the mess workers have an off day, which of late has happened more regularly than one would believe. In this instance however, I had simply missed lunch having got ready to face the day only by 2:15 pm (the mess closes at 2:00 PM). Hence, I went to Dadu’s and I expected prompt service as I did not expect to be a second late for my 2:30 PM lecture.

Basis for Expectation

In an earlier post, I had decried Dadu’s OPEC-like policy of continuously raising prices. This time however, I feel softened in my stance towards the noble college caterer. His life has always been in XL and he is as much a part of the XL ethos and spirit as the XL professors or all the batches that have come, gone and those that will come.

But away from emotion, I think when one concedes that Dadu provides one with fresh rolls and patties at practically any reasonable time of the day (8 AM to 10 PM) and that too, prompt, personalized food offerings, I think the hankering over price seems out of place. At any rate, my biggest concern here was time, and the seconds were slipping away …

Actual Experience

Dadu greeted me and his assistants immediately took my order for a chicken sandwich and a ‘badaa chai’. He then enquired about my Mumbai home trip and vacation. There was the odd mention of the increase in the spread of swine flu across the nation and the improvement in the rain situation in most states, except Jharkhand, where the sun continued to beat down, unceasingly and mercilessly … He asked me to sit down and feel comfortable. The chicken sandwich and ‘badaa chai’ soon arrived and I consumed them with relish. While leaving, Dadu, the eternal businessman, asked me to inform the international exchange students of the quality of his wares, and on promising to do, I made my way back to the learning center …

Service Trinity Model

Core Service

o Good quality foodstuffs at convenient prices o Prompt service and truly ‘fast’ food

Funding Mechanism

o Customer Pays o Company cuts down on costs as well, since Dadu does not keep chairs or a table or furniture to make ourselves comfortable, hence keeping costs to a minimum

Customer Management System

o Greets customers and also remembers their favorite orders (mine is anything with chicken in it J) o He gives small amounts of credit to regular customers, which is useful, if you’re looking for a quick snack between lectures and forgot to take your wallet with you, as I often do!

Employee Management System

o He pays his loyal employees reasonable wages, I think, since not much employee turnover (the same faces again and again) – of course, some are his family members o He encourages his employees and uses basic motivation by making each handle a specific role – one only makes the rolls, one the sandwiches, one the coffee, etc.

Tangibility vs People/Possessions

	People	Possessions
Tangible Acts	Dadu’s
Intangible Acts

Separability vs Core service/Delivery

	Core	Delivery
Separable	Dadu’s
Inseparable

The Service Process Matrix

	Degree of Interaction and Customization
Degree of labor Intensity		LOW	HIGH
	LOW	Service Factory Dadu’s	Service Shop
	HIGH	Mass Service	Professional Service

Outcome, Interaction and Physical Evidence Quality

· Outcome was good as I got to eat something and in just 10 odd minutes flat.

· Interaction with Dadu and his assistants was pleasant and friendly – always that way and something I will probably miss at some point later on ...

· Physical evidence was not great – the shop looks a bit shabby, but it belies the friendliness and warmth (including the heat, oh for a cooler at Dadu’s) inside.

SERVQUAL Ratings

Dimension	Rating	Remarks
Tangibles	3	The lack of proper seating and poor cooling are the reason for an average rating
Reliability	4	Dadu is considered fairly reliable and of late, his prices have remained stable, leading XLers to stop by in droves
Responsiveness	5	Easily, the biggest selling proposition – prompt service is the cornerstone of Dadu’s service and it seems a sustainable competitive advantage – for most times of the day and year
Assurance	5	The entire service provided by Dadu’s is assured for the most part, be it promptness of delivery or quality of food
Empathy	5	The conversation about my vacation and myriad topics helped me to spend my idle waiting time more interactively and interestingly

[Rating is given on a scale of 1-5; 1=Very Bad, 2=Bad, 3=Neutral, 4=Good and 5=Very Good]

Critical Analysis & Suggestions

· Dadu’s is not the best service provider around, but he’s certainly the best food provider around for quite some distance – and that’s a pretty decent achievement as well! J

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