SkillsUSA Week: Partner Day…Hospitality and Culinary Arts Partner with Essex Tech to Focus on Service Orientation
As we continue our SkillsUSA Week Celebration, we are delighted to share with you a recent partnership between the Hospitality and Culinary Arts programs at Whittier Tech and Essex Tech.
Photo Courtesy of Whittier Tech
Culinary and Hospitality students studied customer service in depth during the Whittier Tech SkillsUSA Framework Friday lesson called “Service Orientation.” They, along with their teachers, decided that in order to understand excellent customer service, you, in fact, needed to experience it yourself.
The Hospitality Teachers from Whittier Tech ran an activity where students conduct a mystery shopper service evaluation. After connecting with Essex Tech, they put a plan in place to do this activity at their restaurant and, in exchange, invited them to come to Whittier Tech to do the same!
Juniors Alannah Noone from Salisbury, Dani Figueroa-Alvarado from Haverhill, Paul Sadek from Haverhill, Sophomores Aiden Neumyer from Georgetown, Yeshua Bertocchi from Haverhill, Charris Hawkins from Haverhill, Juniors Al Fraser from Haverhill and Ethan Chaput from Haverhill
On Wednesday, December 7th the students took the “Service Orientation'' SkillsUSA assignment further by experiencing excellent food and service at the restaurant at Essex Tech. They were served a 5-course meal by Essex Tech students and then evaluated their service skills with that mystery shopper checklist upon returning to campus. This collaboration created a sharing of best practices from students at both schools and a newfound appreciation for excellent service!
When Whittier Tech hosted Essex Tech on January 25th, Whittier students showcased tableside service, and table crumbing, and mastered the order of service for this group. It was an incredible experience for all and a great way to connect members from one technical school to another.
