I never thought that I would be compelled to write another post about the manner in which oatmeal is served at the IHI Annual National Forum at the Marriott World Center in Orlando.
Let me take you back to the original posts from 2010: 1, 2, 3, 4. Short version: The ladles (see above) provided to guests on the breakfast buffet were too large relative to the bowls, so oatmeal was being spilled all over people's hands and their bowls.
Unsanitary and messy work-arounds were developed by the guests (like using the tea cup seen above.) I wrote a blog post about the issue, and the hotel responded by eliminating self-service and assigning staff to serve oatmeal at several stations, providing them with slightly smaller ladles.
Now, three years later, I stopped by an oatmeal station and noticed that the ladle used by the server was still too large relative to the bowl size. So even with an experienced server, the oatmeal often spills over the edge of the bowl onto the hand of the server and the outside of the bowl. The server then has to use a small towel to clean off both the hand and the bowl.
I say, sympathetically, "That would be easier with a smaller ladle."
Response, "These are the smaller ladles. We use them instead of the regular ones when this group [i.e., IHI] is here.
"You mean you use bigger ones when there are other groups here?"
"Right."
I'm speechless.
Let me take you back to the original posts from 2010: 1, 2, 3, 4. Short version: The ladles (see above) provided to guests on the breakfast buffet were too large relative to the bowls, so oatmeal was being spilled all over people's hands and their bowls.
Unsanitary and messy work-arounds were developed by the guests (like using the tea cup seen above.) I wrote a blog post about the issue, and the hotel responded by eliminating self-service and assigning staff to serve oatmeal at several stations, providing them with slightly smaller ladles.
Now, three years later, I stopped by an oatmeal station and noticed that the ladle used by the server was still too large relative to the bowl size. So even with an experienced server, the oatmeal often spills over the edge of the bowl onto the hand of the server and the outside of the bowl. The server then has to use a small towel to clean off both the hand and the bowl.
I say, sympathetically, "That would be easier with a smaller ladle."
Response, "These are the smaller ladles. We use them instead of the regular ones when this group [i.e., IHI] is here.
"You mean you use bigger ones when there are other groups here?"
"Right."
I'm speechless.
The only reasoning I can offer - from someone who worked in food service in college - is that the ladle sets the portion size. The problem is the unwillingness to use a ladle that is half the portion size which would be dipped twice instead of the ladle that is full portion size.
ReplyDeleteI also worked in Walt Disney world, just around the corner from this resort, and understand the volumes of people that this hotel is dealing with on a daily basis. Not to mention the turnover of the hotel staff.
This is very funny. Thanks for posting.