Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant

Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant, (JAMR), is a small restaurant offering 23 main entrees prepared in a traditional Mexican style with an array of ingredients from eight different basic stocks. Designed in a Mexican style with authentic Mexican music, JAMR promotes customers to experience the overall theme. Though JAMR has a positive customer base there, are concerns that JAMR is experiencing full customer satisfaction. Surveys conducted showed sixty seven customers happy with experience and cost, however, sixteen customers unhappy with the food delivery time. Long prep time, restricted seating and 45 minute wait times on prime days posed a concern. In addition, nonexistent waiting area forces customers to stay outside as JAMR does not accept reservations.

Quality for JAMR means focusing on the customers’ needs and expectations. The food should be served timely and prepared properly. Food from external suppliers must meet quality standards, and the service staff should provide an experience that is accommodating to the customer. Some of the concerns are due to JAMR’s internal failure costs. The irritability of the cook is part of the delay in meal prep time due to not having the quality food that he is expecting to prepare and serve, causing meal times to increase to twenty minutes from twelve minutes. JAMR’s external failure cost arises from the quality of the product that is being delivered. The poor product causes the cook to be frustrated, which results in the customers’ displeasure with their meal, leading to customer dissatisfaction, service, and potential reputation of the restaurant.

Conclusion

JAMR has an opportunity to improve quality, through analyzing the restaurant’s processes to determine what needs to be changed. Due to shipments of poor quality food, the supplier needs to be notified to rectify the problem and the manager or cook needs to inspect food upon arrival. When high quality food is delivered, the cook will be able to prep meals quicker, reducing time from twenty minutes back to twelve. If poor food delivery persists, contact the supplier or hire a different supplier to remedy the issue. JAMR can also improve customer wait time by making an area where drinks can be served in a quaint indoor atmosphere, and JAMR could provide carry out service for customers who do not have time to wait. Long term, JAMR may need to look at expansion from a 58 seat restaurant to a larger location if business continues to grow. Consistent documentation of customer feedback surveys will help guide JAMR in the right direction as quality, satisfaction and prompt service needs to be their top priority to maintain the business.

References

Bateman, T., & Snell, S. (2013). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive

World. (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill-Education

5-Step Critical Thinking Decision-Making Process Matrix
Step 1: Identify the problem(s) and uncertainties.
What exactly is the problem… * No waiting area/limited spacing. * 45 minute wait time for seating. * 20 minute meal prep time from 12 minutes. * Poor food product from supplier. * Unhappy cook due to poor quality of food. * Delivery time of food to the table. * Does not except reservations. |

The problem is this … * Though JAMR has a positive customer base there, are concerns that JAMR is experiencing full customer satisfaction. Surveys conducted showed sixty seven customers happy with experience and cost, however, sixteen customers unhappy with the food delivery time. Long prep time, restricted seating and 45 minute wait times on prime days posed a concern. Nonexistent waiting area makes customers stay outside as JAMR does not accept reservations. |

This is an important problem because… * Customers want fast service. * Customers expect quality service and food. * Customers want a comfortable atmosphere. |

The key question(s) that needs to be answered to solve this problem is… * How quality should be defined at the restaurant. * Identify the restaurant's costs of process failures. * How can processes be improved upon at Jose's Restaurant? |

Step 2: Obtain information.
The following information is needed to answer this question… * What are the internal failures? * What are the external failures? * What is JAMR’s definition of service, reliability and value? * What is the cause for the extended meal prep time? * What is the cause for the 45 minute wait times? * How do customers feel about the quality of product that is being delivered? * What is the outcome of the satisfaction surveys? * What does JAMR not accept reservations? |

Some important assumptions I am using in my thinking are… * Why is there no waiting area? * Why would JAMR accept a product before inspection? * Does JAMR not accept reservations due to the concerns of the current extent of wait times? |

The points of view relevant to this problem belong to… * Customers * Suppliers * Managers * Cook * Wait Staff |

Step 3: Make predictions about the future.
If this problem gets solved, some important implications are… * Where will the money come from to add spacing and possibly staff? * The inability to keep up if JAMR continues to increase in business. * Possible need to hire additional staff. |

If this problem does not get solved, some important implications are… * Continued poor customer satisfaction surveys. * Competing businesses with less wait time and quality food. * Loss of business due to poor reputation. |

The potential alternative solutions to solve the problem are… * Process analysis * Add a waiting area to the already existing restaurant. * Change in location of business. |
Note: if the problem is one-dimensional, there may be just one correct solution.

Step 4: Make decisions by choosing among alternatives.
What is the best solution and why… * Add carry out for those who want food, but do not want to wait. * Determine if current supplier is providing quality food as quality is a high priority. * Inspect food upon arrival to directly call the supplier to inform them of any concerns. * Continue customer surveys so JAMR to continue moving in the right direction. * Add a waiting area with that is comfortable and provides drinks while waiting. * Long term, locate a bigger space possibly in the same vicinity to maintain customer base. |

Step 5: Implement the decision, evaluate performance, and learn.
In business, the fifth step in the decision making process is implementation. In the MBA program, most times you will end with Step 4 since you will not have the opportunity to implement. You may be asked to develop an implementation plan and recommend how you will evaluate performance in some assignments.

Brief 3 Rubric
Total 75 points Criteria | Unacceptable | Acceptable | Proficient | Student Score and Comments | Develops an opening paragraph that introduces the case. | Vaguely develops an opening paragraph that introduces the case or does not have an opening paragraph.(0-3 points) | Develops an opening paragraph that introduces the case and, for the most part, fulfills assignment requirements.(4 points) | Develops an opening paragraph that introduces the case and demonstrates solid ability to accomplish the assignment.(5 points) | | Discusses how quality should be defined at the restaurant. | Vaguely discusses how quality should be defined at the restaurant or completely off the topic.(0-7 points) | Discusses how quality should be defined at the restaurant and, for the most part, fulfills assignment requirements.(8 points) | Discusses how quality should be defined at the restaurant and demonstrates solid ability to accomplish the assignment.(9-10 points) | | Analyzes the costs of process failures. | Vaguely analyzes the costs of process failures or completely off the topic.(0-7 points) | Analyzes the costs of process failures and, for the most part, fulfills assignment requirements.(8 points) | Analyzes the costs of process failures and demonstrates solid ability to accomplish the assignment.(9-10 points) | | Recommends how processes can be improved upon at the restaurant. | Vaguely recommends how processes can be improved upon at the restaurant or completely off the topic.(0-11 points) | Recommends how processes can be improved upon at the restaurant and, for the most part, fulfills assignment requirements.(12-13 points) | Recommends how processes can be improved upon at the restaurant and demonstrates solid ability to accomplish the assignment.(14-15 points) | | Integrates established operation management principles into the discussion. | Rarely integrates established operation management principles into the discussion.(0-7 points) | For the most part, does a good job of integrating established operation management principles into the discussion.(8 points) | Consistently does a good job of integrating established operation management principles into the discussion.(9-10 points) | | Synthesizes relevant information and materials to provide evidence of critical thought. | Synthesizes information at a minimal level. (0-3 points) | For the most part, effectively synthesizes information, which supports main ideas. (4 points) | Consistently and effectively synthesizes information, which provides strong support to main ideas.(5 points) | | Develops ideas with clarity and logic. | Demonstrates little clarity and logic. Readers have difficulty following the line of reasoning.(0-3 points) | Develops ideas with clarity and logic. Readers can generally follow the line of reasoning.(4 points) | Develops ideas with clarity and logic. Ideas flow smoothly from one to another and are clearly linked to each other.(5 points) | | Uses supporting documentation that has been properly references and cited. | Inadequate or minimal use of supporting documentation or not properly referenced or cited.(0-3 points) | For the most part, uses supporting documentation that is properly referenced and cited.(4 points) | Consistently uses supporting documentation that is properly referenced and cited.(5 points) | | Considered holistically, demonstrates the ability to write at the graduate level. | Considered holistically, the student demonstrates an inadequate ability to write at the graduate level.(0-7 points) | Considered holistically, the student demonstrates an acceptable ability to write at the graduate level.(8 points) | Considered holistically, the student demonstrates a proficient ability to write at the graduate level.(9-10 points) | | SubTotal Points | | Turnitin.com | Did not turn paper into Turnitin.comMinus 10 points | ---- | ---- | | Revisions based on the originality Report | Did not revise paper based on the originality reportMinus 10 points | ---- | ---- | | Grammarly | Did not revise paper based on Grammarly.Minus 10 points | --- | --- | | | | | Total Points = | |