londonpa
Newbie
Posts: 23
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« on: June 04, 2008, 04:40:53 pm » |
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The article about biscuits in the boardroom on DeskDemon's home page made me laugh. But, I guess there's a serious side to it too. I always put out my boss's favourite shortbread for meetings and never serve chocolate ones because he doesn't like them. I don't want to be held responsible for losing a deal - so do you think I should buy some for tomorrow's meeting with the bigwig clients? Decisions, decisions! I'd love to hear which biscuits you provide and is it one for the client and one for me.... one for the client and one for me.....!
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gee4
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« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2008, 09:25:27 pm » |
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This is rather a sticky wicket for me.
If refreshments are required for a meeting, we place an order for hospitality from the canteen. Whilst we may request shortbread or perhaps scones if it's a morning meeting, you take pot luck as far as biscuits are concerned.
I am not paid enough to purchase buscuits every time there is an important meeting. If a deal cannot be made in a boardroom, believe me it has nothing to do with biscuits. The bullying and harrassment I have repeatedly taken from one of my directors over the best part of a year on the subject of biscuits would not be believed. However I have ridden the storm and come out the other end.
The last and only occasion I purchased biscuits for a meeting, they were not touched. If I wanted to work in the catering business I would have chosen that as a career.
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Katie G
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« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2008, 09:47:43 pm » |
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I'm with Gee on this one, 100%. Compared to the other things we have to contend with, track, plan, coordinate, and just "make happen", listening to whining about biscuits (or over here, cookies) is just ridiculous.
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peaches2160
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« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2008, 07:18:48 am » |
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I'm with you on that one. Take what you get and don't complain about it. Every now and then when I can't sleep, I'll bake cookies and take into the office. I have not started the habit of cookies for meetings unless it is a client or a training, then only afternoon meetings. And too I can not afford to buy them out of my own pocket. I call a caterer and have them delivered.
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itsme_calista
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« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2008, 08:38:43 am » |
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I only have biscuits/cookies for board meetings. And so people don't moan I buy those variety packs with contain both plain and chocolate.
We have one customer who comes in for early meetings and I have to provide bacon butties for those meetings! And another customer who won't accept a buffet with eggs or fish on (even if I provide a variety of other foods)!
Thankfully this is once in a blue moon and my caterers are wonderful!
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laurafmcdermott
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« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2008, 01:27:48 pm » |
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Cookies for client meetings off-site only. Other than that, if you come to our office you get coffee only.
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raindance
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« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2008, 01:42:55 pm » |
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I must admit that I find the type of biscuit thing rather irritating.
Quality of catering is important, but if a deal were to hinge on the provision of this or that food item, then I would consider it a deal not worth making. The exception being, of course, catering for religious and medical diets.
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dettu
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« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2008, 03:20:04 pm » |
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Callie, is your customer a food allergy sufferer? They can't eat food from a buffet where the offending item is on the same tray, even if it seems to be far from their own food. Often, caterers and servers give no thought to this and handle all the food with the same gloves (or hands, yikes), thereby contaminating everything on the tray. For this reason my highly allergic son can't eat plain biscuits/cookies unless we can verify absolutely that nobody has touched them with hands that touched nut-containing food. It's not diva behavior, just trying to keep the kid alive...
AFA paying for meeting refreshments out of my own pocket: NEVER. What kind of madness is that? Unless I were to be reimbursed immediately.
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itsme_calista
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« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2008, 04:44:44 pm » |
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Dettu, I'd really love to say that an allergy could be the reason however, I have it on good authority that the guy is just picky! Apparently he hates the smell of fish, I have no idea about the eggs though.
My boss is on Atkins and the caterer always do me an extra plate for him with a variety of Atkins friendly food on, that caused a rumpus when others found out! Thankfully the people creating a fuss have moved on!
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raindance
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« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2008, 09:45:10 am » |
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In my company, we have a few directors and staff who have quite serious allergies: dairy, fish, shellfish and gluten being the culprits. So, their lunchpacks either have to be in individual sealed packs or at least on separate platters.
We had an important meeting recently and ordered a slightly more expensive lunch for everyone with some extra items such as cake, wine etc. One of our directors complained to me that we should have that standard of catering at every meeting - completely failing, of course, to see that it would cost a lot more.
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