Event Catering Do’s and Don’ts

Catering is much more than being an expert in your culinary cuisine. It also includes people skills and excellent customer service. There are many pieces to the puzzle that make for a successful catering event. There are many do’s and don’ts that are simple to remember. Here are a few to help get you through your next event.

DO what you are good at

While any good catering business should have a variety of culinary delicacies, chances are there is one area or item that you are best at. Whether it be desserts, pastries, or soul food, finding your best attribute and something you can advertise as a signature item or area will serve you best. Or perhaps your best is weddings, so you want to focus on that area. Whatever your specialty is, focus on that and don’t stray. This will provide your catering business with a higher rate of satisfaction, rather than trying to please everybody and doing a poor job of it.

DO be fair with your pricing

Let’s face it; the first thing your customers will want to know is the pricing for your catering services. And while you want to be sure to give yourself credit where it’s due, you should also recognize the budgets of your customers and the reality of other catering competition. It is important to know your competition and their prices, and know your worth in order to find a good balance for your pricing while still earning enough money for yourself. This can be difficult at first, and you might need to price your services lower until you build up experience and a clientele, but with time you will know how to effectively price your services so that both you and your customers are satisfied.

DON’T stress out

Easier said than done, right? While the catering business can be a stressful one, it is important to be able to manage the stress and pressure in order to get the job done effectively. If your customers see you stressing out throughout the process, they will begin to stress out and the overall experience might not be pleasant for anyone involved. It is best to be prepared and organized prior to an event in order to avoid stress, and to know and practice effective stress management strategies for those unplanned stressors that are sure to come up.

DON’T ignore what your customers want

While you might be used to doing things a certain way or have strong opinions about what might work best in a situation, it is important to remember the customer is always right. If your customers want a certain item or they desire the event to be catered a certain way, it is okay to express your concerns but the ultimate decision is theirs.