Those of us in the messenger service industry focus a lot on procedures, ease of use, access to product, and service steps, to name a few, all in the hopes of giving our customers the best overall experience . When these processes are down, we believe that this is “everything we need” to ensure a steady flow of satisfied customers. But we are leaving out an important aspect of service and something very valuable to a customer in need.
What does allergy have to do with messenger service?
For those employees in the food service industry, how do you let your customers know that a specific food item contains one of the top 8 allergens? Do you use signage, list listing, or are your employees educated enough to provide accurate information to any customer who asks? This is more important than you might realize.
According to FARE, Food, Allergy, Research, & Education, each year in the U.S., 200,000 people need emergency medical care for a food allergic reaction. I bet you didn’t realize the number would be so high.
So how can any business provide the great service they offer if the majority of the population cannot be sure that the food they serve contains an ingredient attendance that customers could send to the hospital? If there was ever a chance to make a big impact on the lives of millions of consumers he wants to tell consumers about any allergens.
What are the top 8 food allergens?
In the US, these 8 items are classified as the main food allergens and must be clearly identified.
- Eggs
- Fish
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Maorach
- Soy
- Nuts
- Wheat
4 extra food items are considered problematic and increasingly anxious.
- Gluten
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Sulfites
Following from FARE:
- “Researchers estimate that 32 million Americans have food allergies, including 5.6 million children under the age of 18. That’s one in 13 children or about two in every room- school.
- About 40 percent of children with food allergies are allergic to more than one food.
- Studies published in 2018 and 2019 estimate the number of Americans of all ages who have strong allergic symptoms to certain foods:
- Shellfish: 8.2 million
- Milk: 6.1 million
- Peanut: 6.1 million
- Nuts: 3.9 million
- Egg: 2.6 million
- Fish: 2.6 million
- Wheat: 2.4 million
- Soy: 1.9 million
- Sesame: 0.7 million ”
Armed with these facts, every business must make as much of an effort to inform their customers of any potential risk of allergens as they do in the process of allergens. improving their policies, practices and service standards. Consumers should not worry about food allergies.
Attention to customers with food allergies
Excellent customer service outlines the potential needs of a customer. An anxious consumer should not have to choose between what they are “experienced” in which there are no allergens (like steamed fruits or vegetables, for example) as opposed to one of the industry’s other amazing offerings. Consider the amount of money lost from ready-made buyers who are unsure about a possible product that may contain allergens.
Too many service employees are unaware of the ingredients, and do not have quick access to the information to help a concerned customer. The customer must wait to find a manager or chef who could have the information. If a great service is to be “fast, available, and focused on the needs of the customer”, it is clear that these actions are missing the mark.
And let’s not talk about the potential liability issues of serving an allergic customer something you “thought” was safe.
How to prevent an allergic reaction
In reality, it is not always possible to prevent a consumer from getting an emotional reaction to the food you are selling. Business is not perfect and error-free. And some consumers may not know they are allergic to a particular food until they eat it. But there are many ways to reduce the ability to react. Use the “PICKA 5”.
- P.re-polluting re-polluting
- I.nform Any Allergens Staff present
- Hold a preshift meeting with staff to discuss any changes to the schedule offered or new products being used. Consider the allergenic products included.
- C.food surface Sanitize food between uses
- K.delete your allergengen file
- A detailed list of all the items you offer, including a sample or picture of the label listing the ingredients.
- A.lways Post on Allergengen Statement
- This posted statement outlines the steps the industry is taking to prevent cross-contamination and allergens in food.
With proper cooking techniques and information sharing, you’ll be better prepared to serve your customers who may be concerned about an allergy-causing ingredient. And you can be sure that your business is a reliable vendor again and again as you show that you care about their safety.
Image courtesy of lsretail.com/warning-may-contain-nuts
