What we do
Exceeding customer expectations through understanding
Named by the Financial Times as one of the most innovative law firms in Europe, our multinational client has its headquarters in London, where our 35 team members provide catering services for around 1,000 customers every day. This includes breakfast, lunch and evening meals in the restaurant, as well as fine dining, hospitality and events in a client-services lounge.
At the start of our relationship, our customer-centric process began with research to understand in detail what our customers were looking for. We hosted a variety of events and pop-ups in the restaurant, showcasing different styles of food and service. Feedback from these gave us valuable insights into needs and preferences, enabling us to devise a service strategy that maintained customers’ interest – and resulted in a 30% increase in sales. The strategy included a loyalty scheme and cost-of-living bundles, and incentives for our team to recommend certain items.
Building interest in the in-house offer
Our research also included benchmarking with the local competition. There are many food options around the company’s offices, so we knew we’d need to work hard to keep our customers in the building for their meals, providing an all-day destination with flexible menus. We organised events that would be very difficult to find in the vicinity – such as pizza-making workshops, pastry and bread-baking classes, and cocktail-mixing sessions. These created a strong following among the regular lunchtime customers, and fostered a deeper connection with our team. The company’s employees became more loyal to our services, and were much less likely to seek alternatives outside.
An inclusive environment
Community and inclusivity are extremely important to our client, so the company was very happy for us to include team members from Unity Works. Unity Works is a charity that helps people with learning disabilities prepare for, and enter, the world of work. As well as transforming the lives of the individuals concerned, our client gained recognition from the British Association of Supported Employers (BASE) in its Employer of the Year Awards.
Minimising waste
To support our client’s sustainability goals, we pledged to reduce food waste by 15% per employee by the end of 2023. As part of this, we worked with the University of Sheffield on a study to analyse customers’ waste-disposal habits when using restaurant bins. The survey revealed common misconceptions about waste categorisation, such as the confusion between plastic and biodegradable cutlery. Using the insights from the study, we implemented a new sticker system to show customers which bins to use. This resulted in a substantial increase in compostable waste and reduced contamination in other waste streams. With waste being efficiently directed to the correct areas, our client’s waste costs decreased by 20%. Another initiative involved introducing call-order hot drinks, rather than using large flasks; this reduced coffee-flask waste by 15,000 litres a year.
“BM is an exceptional partner. The team’s dedication and collaboration ensure we consistently receive outstanding service. They play a crucial role in the success of our hospitality offering, embodying our ethos with great enthusiasm.”
Results
30%
increase in sales
20%
reduction in waste costs