You’ve put in countless hours of your time to make sure your picnic will be a huge success. After all, your group is great, and you want them to know they are the best.
Now imagine after all the planning, the follow up phone calls jockeyed into your breaks, and numerous decisions to be made, the big day comes. You drive into the park dressed for a memorable day of fun in the sun.
Thirty minutes before the meal is scheduled to start, no sign of the caterer. You call them and receive an answering machine. What are you going to do? Fifteen minutes before lunch, the catering crew drags in. They explain they took a left instead of a right and were detoured 30 minutes. The excuse is drowned out
as you call on your friends to help the caterer unload.
Ten minutes later all the equipment is unloaded. Lunch is finally served thirty minutes behind schedule. You tell yourself it’s alright. Everyone seems happy and the crowd is flowing through.
What now? Someone calls you over. It seems the caterer ran out of chicken before he and his family could get served. About this time people are coming back for seconds they won’t get. You try to act composed, but your face can’t hide your combination of embarrassment and anger.
You set out to find the lead caterer and explode as you find him hiding behind a tree sipping a coke and taking a smoke. What else could go wrong?
This story was not told to scare you, rather to open you up to some of the possibilities of using a caterer. Being involved in planning, I know you are programmed for winning. You just need to know the rules of the game, and believe me there are a few in planning a successful picnic.
The Ten Biggest Mistakes Made Planning A Picnic
1. Not Sampling The Food Before The Event
You would be surprised how many people call up a caterer and book an event without tasting the food. This is critical. What happens if the food is not what you expect? You leave yourself open to looking bad in front of all your guests and their family. Believe it or not more people will remember the “cold, tasteless fried chicken”, rather than the true meaning of this special event, a day of camaraderie and friendship.
A good caterer will “insist” you sample the menu before you commit. If the caterer hesitates, they may have something to hide. It’s better to uncover potential problems on the front end.
2. Failing To Have A Budget & “Goal” In Mind
You know the importance of setting goals. Goals are a focal point to rally your team around. The vision of attaining these goals is what keeps everyone motivated and on course. A picnic is no different.
You had better have a vision of the end result. Do you picture self-service box lunches, or would you prefer guests casually enjoying a traditional St. Louis barbecue with all the fixin’s?
The second part of the equation is your budget. Knowing in advance how much money you have to spend will save you time in exploring options. There is nothing more frustrating than having a specific meal in mind without the budget to see it through.
3. Basing Your Decision Just On Price
The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” rings truer today than ever. Competition is such that one caterer can not afford to over-price their service. Most caterers should be within 5%-10% of each other for similar menus and levels of service. You’ll find someone offering a rock bottom price is cutting corners somewhere.
You need to make sure and compare apples to apples. Is clean up included in the price? What about the serving tables? Are they included and what type of covering is included? Is the food cooked fresh or re-heated? What about portion size? What happens if the caterer runs out of food? How many servers are included?
The list goes on and on. You see, all caterers are not created equally. You owe it to yourself to make sure you know what you’re paying for. This will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises.
4. Choosing One Entree Instead Of Two
Most group meals consist of a “minority” of guests that have special diets and/or desires. Years ago you could order one entree and be sure everyone was happy. Today, you need to consider adding another entree. Perhaps a vegetarian spaghetti or a chicken dish added as another main course would accommodate all.
Not every event requires two entrees, but is advisable to find out on the front end. Take an informal survey of co-workers before you make a decision. A professional caterer should have options available to please everyone without breaking your budget.
5. Forgetting To Explore All Possible “Options”
The price of two cars with different options can vary as much as $5,000. Caterings are no different in the fact options can add to the price tag. The opposite can also ring true. If you are willing to forgo certain extras, you might be able to negotiate a lower price. Make sure you ask about the “base model” catering if you are on a tight budget. Most caterers will work with you.
If you have a larger budget be sure to ask about the extras. You just might have enough to add the homemade pumpkin pie to your menu.
6. Not Getting References
What does a caterer’s customers have to say about them. Don’t discount the importance of references. You’ll find out things about a caterer he might not otherwise disclose.
There are two types of references. The first is the references provided by the caterer. Don’t hesitate and call these references. “Word of Mouth” references are people you or your friends know that have used the caterer. You need to know whether they enjoyed the food, received good service and whether the meal was served on schedule. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of your own questions.
This will prove to be your best source of information. Think about it. Would you let a friend make the wrong decision? Of course you wouldn’t and neither would one of your friends.
7. Thinking The Caterer Won’t Run Out Food
Have you ever been to a party and they run out of food? How did it make the host look? Running out of food is the biggest catastrophe for an event. Make sure your caterer provides you a written guarantee they won’t run out of food for the number of people you agree on.
8. Failing To Find Out What “Service” Is Included
As mentioned earlier, you get what you pay for. This includes service. Find out exactly what the caterer does as part of his service.
Will they stay till the end and clean the entire area or just through the meal? Who is responsible for the trash? Does the caterer plan on setting up and serving the meal, or is it a drop-off catering (one where the food is left in aluminum pans)? You need to be aware of what you are getting for your money. This allows you to receive the service you expect and prevents any unexpected surprises for you before, during or after your picnic.
9. Not Having A Plan For Extra Guests That May Show Up
As good a job as you will do in taking reservations and estimating the number of guests, there will always be some people show up unexpectedly. Usually, a caterer will require you pay for the exact number of guests you guarantee. If fewer guests show, you’re stuck paying for food you didn’t use. If extra guests join in, you are more than likely going to run out of food.
Some caterers use a “flexible guarantee”. You give the caterer a guaranteed number of guests, and the caterer guarantees there will be enough food to feed an extra 10%. If extra people show, you pay for them. If they don’t, you’re not on the line for uneaten meals.
If you are afraid fewer guests will show up than expected, you can guarantee a lower number. The 10% leeway will protect you in the event you guessed wrong. Again, the advantage to this is that you minimize your investment in meals that go uneaten.
Make sure you insist on this kind of guarantee. There are many reputable caterers that offer the “flexible guarantee”.
10. Using A Caterer That Doesn’t Guarantee Your Experience
Guarantees are a part of doing business for most industries. This protects you, the consumer, from not getting what you expect. You have a right to receive what you expect.
Look for a caterer that guarantees their product. An example would be a guarantee that if the caterer runs out of food, you don’t pay. Make sure you go into your picnic knowing you are covered. Don’t place the risk on your shoulder. You’re giving up your valuable dollars. You have every right to expect a guarantee for your event.
What Happens When You Avoid The Ten Biggest Mistakes Made Planning A Picnic
Now imagine after all the planning, the follow up phone calls jockeyed into your breaks, and numerous decisions to be made, the big day comes. You drive into the park dressed for a memorable day of fun in the sun, and it really is.
The caterer has been waiting for you for fifteen minutes. You show them where lunch is to be served, and politely excuse yourself. You go to the softball field for fifteen minutes of last minute preparation. You return and to your amazement the buffet is set up ready to go.
The smell of the fresh cooked barbecue permeates the park. You can’t wait to eat, and the head caterer makes you up a small plate before guests arrive. You can’t believe the freshness. You’re ready for another plateful, but you stop yourself. There’ll be plenty later.
The crowd arrives, and everyone makes a bee line for the buffet. You overhear someone comment to his wife, “This is unbelievable. I never expected a barbecue to be so nice. It’s as nice as the brunch served at the country club.” You smile inside as you walk by. You know you’ll get extra brownie points for this.
Meanwhile, some of the bigger guys are loading up their plates for the second time. They’re surprised it’s an “All You Can Eat Buffet”. They love that challenge, and remember they couldn’t even get seconds at last year’s picnic.
All day long everyone is hunting you down. They are really impressed with your skills in planning a picnic. You’ve never had so many compliments. Imagine, all because you picked a great caterer.
You’ll definitely have a memorable catering. The right choice will make it a pleasant memory.
I look forward to personally working with you on your successful picnic.
Exceed Expectations,
Kendall Matthews
Barbecue Apostle ™
P.S. – Ms. Piggies’ Smokehouse & Catering Company is the only barbecue caterer with a 120%
Guarantee. We guarantee your full service barbecue catering will have the best barbecue you have ever eaten, and you will not run out of food. If you feel the barbecue did not live up to your expectations, and we ran out of food…You have the right to demand a 100% refund plus a 20% credit for your next catered event. GUARANTEED!
P.S.S. Let us help you make your picnic a huge success. I’ll have you out as my guest to sample our food and explain how we can make you look like a hero. If you’re busy, my team will bring some great barbecue out to you, no obligation.
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