1. Establish UAH's Goals
Raise the satisfaction rates within the community regarding the dining services of UAH. 2.
2. Describe the Problem Situation
The lack of satisfaction in the dining services at UAH is a not necessarily a big problem, but it is still a problem that should be taken into consideration. The lack of satisfaction could become a bigger problem in time if no efforts are made into increasing the satisfaction rates of the dining services at UAH.
3. Determine Threats and Opportunities Related to UAH's Goals
Strengths and Opportunities:
The dining services of UAH have many strengths and opportunities to increase their satisfaction rates. For example, the students of UAH are required to have a meal plan that allows them to pay for their food or snacks in any dining area on campus. The dining services of UAH also hold special events such as “Seafood House,” “Mardi Gras Dinner,” and “Retro Diner Dinner.” With the special events, there are special menus that are planned to coordinate with holidays such as the Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick’s Day, all of which are advertised on UAH’s dining services social media. UAH also provides promotions where you get X many dining dollars for every X many dining dollars you purchase. The UAH dining services also sell reusable tumblers that give the owner unlimited refills on campus all semester. There are also apps, such as Tapingo and Bite, that allow for the menu to be seen and for orders to be placed by phone. Finally, the UAH dining services allow for students to use their extra Charger Bucks/Dining Dollars to give back to the community by purchasing pre-made packages to donate to those in need in the Huntsville community.
Not only does the UAH dining services have many strengths, there are also opportunities to be made to help increase their satisfaction rates. For example, UAH could allow for the dining dollars to be rolled over between semesters instead of expiring. The UAH dining services could also allow the dining areas to stay open later during the week. UAH could also provide more options for those with dietary restrictions, such as for those that are vegetarian.
Weaknesses and Threats:
While UAH’s dining services have many strengths and opportunities, it also has a few threats and weaknesses. For example, UAH does not provide a variety of food options for those with dietary restrictions. The hours that the UAH dining services are open is also a weakness. The dining services at UAH usually close around eight at night during the week, and some don’t open until eleven the next day. The hours of the dining services are quite inconvenient for those who have classes early in the morning or late at night. The dining hours and the variety of food options often lead to the UAH community to eat off campus at other food chains. The dining services of UAH also lack speed during certain times of the day, such as the lunch rush. The lack of speed leads to large traffic and overcrowding in the dining areas. Another threat to the success of UAH’s dining services would be receiving negative reviews.
4. Select and Research Your Target Audiences (Please report the results from your survey from last week in this section.)
Demographics:
The target audience of the survey about UAH’s dining services includes the students and faculty/staff of UAH. Of the eleven people who took the survey, two were teachers and nine were students. Of the nine students, six are freshmen, two are sophomores, and one is a senior. Of the eleven people who took the survey, four were male, six were female, and there was one who chose other. Two of the elven surveyors are vegetarians, one is on a dairy free diet, and one is on a pomegranate free diet. Regarding what meal plans the surveyors have, one has Option 1 (21 meals per week and $200 Charger Bucks per semester), two have Option 2 (14 meals per week and $300 Charger Bucks per semester), one has Option 4 (95 meals per semester and $700 Charger Bucks per semester), one has Option 5 ($555 Dining Dollars per semester), four have Option 6 ($325 Dining Dollars per semester), and one has no meal plan.
Questions About the Food on Campus:
Of the eleven surveyors, eight said that UAH could enhance their dining experience, but three said that UAH could not enhance their dining experience. When asked what UAH could do to enhance their dining experience, the eight surveyors gave suggestions such as having to-go boxes and milkshakes in the Cafeteria, having more vegetarian options, and to not require commuter students to have a meal plan. When asked if their dietary needs were being met, six surveyors replied yes and five replied no. The surveyors who replied yes, commented that there was a great variety or that there were no dietary needs to be met. Those who replied no, commented that there were no milkshakes, limited options for those on a diet, and few options available for vegetarians. Regarding which of the dining areas are visited most, three chose Chick-fil-A, four chose the Cafeteria, one chose Papa John’s, one chose WOW Cafe, and two chose other. Regarding the speed of the dining services, one surveyor chose extremely fast, five chose moderately fast, four chose average, and one chose extremely slow.
General Disposition towards UAH:
When asked to rate their satisfaction with the food provided by UAH, four surveyors chose extremely satisfied, two chose moderately satisfied, two chose slightly satisfied, one chose neutral, one chose slightly dissatisfied, and one chose extremely dissatisfied. When asked to rate their satisfaction with the variety of food provided by UAH, three chose extremely satisfied, three chose moderately satisfied, one chose slightly satisfied, one chose neutral, one chose slightly dissatisfied, one chose moderately dissatisfied, and one chose extremely dissatisfied. When asked to rate their satisfaction on the quality of food provided by UAH, four chose extremely satisfied, three chose moderately satisfied, two chose slightly satisfied, one chose neutral, and one chose extremely dissatisfied. When asked to rate their satisfaction with the UAH’s dining hours, one chose extremely satisfied, four chose moderately satisfied, one chose slightly satisfied, three chose neutral, one chose moderately dissatisfied, and one extremely dissatisfied. Finally, when asked why dissatisfied with the dining services of UAH, the comments included discussing the dining hours, the variety of food, and commuters being required to have a meal plan.
5. Develop a theme for the program or campaign
UAH Dining Charges Towards Success
6. Develop the objectives for the plan or campaign
Expand the variety of dietary options at UAH
Increase rates of satisfaction of dining services provided by UAH overall by 15%
7. Create strategies to accomplish the objective
Regarding expanding dietary options at UAH, UAH should discover what dietary restrictions the community has, and should begin implementing different options at the dining areas for those with dietary restrictions.
Regarding increasing the rates of satisfaction with the dining services provided by UAH, UAH could assign duties to allow for changes in the dining hours, UAH could implement changes in the meal plans, or UAH could bring in new items to the menus.
8. Develop tactics to implement the strategies
In regard to discovering what dietary restrictions the community has and begin implementing different options at the dining areas for those on dietary restrictions, UAH could send out a campus wide survey about dietary restrictions or set up suggestion boxes at the dining areas to get an idea from the public on what type of options they should include for those that have dietary restrictions.
In regard to assigning duties to allow for changes in the dining hours, implementing changes in the meal plans, and bringing in new items to the menus, UAH could assign current or hire new employees to open the dining areas earlier on weekends and keep the dining areas open later during the week. UAH could also allow dining dollars to roll over between semesters instead of expiring, or not require commuters to have a meal plan. Also, UAH could add new items to the menus such as milkshakes in the cafeteria.
9. Create evaluation techniques
UAH can use the feedback received through the dining services website, surveys, suggestion boxes. UAH can also use the increases found in the dining services based off of satisfaction with the quality and variety of the food.
10. Develop a budget (if necessary)
The only thing I think would require costs would be paying employees for working overtime in order to expand the dining hours, which would only be about $8 per hour for every person working overtime. Sending out surveys and/or setting up suggestion boxes only cost someone’s time, and even then it’s not much time only about 5 minutes. In regard to adding new items into the cafeteria and expanding the dining hours, more revenue will be brought in than currently, therefore covering the cost of the employees working overtime.
11. Work out a time table
Q2 FY 19
Establish the objectives for the campaign ○Find employees willing to work overtime
Train employees (if they are new instead of current)
Q3 FY 19
Begin making the surveys to send out to the public and make the suggestion boxes about dietary restrictions
Decide how much to expand the dining hours
Send out the surveys
Evaluate feedback received through surveys and suggestion boxes
Q4 FY 19
Actually begin expanding the dining hours
Begin implementing changes to the menus regarding dietary restrictions according to the feedback from the surveys and suggestion boxes
Q1 FY 20
Evaluate whether the changes have helped meet the objective to raise the rates of satisfaction with UAH’s dining services among the public
12. Assign any necessary personnel
For the dining hours to be expanded, the assigned personnel will include either current or new employees who are willing to work late or come in early on weekends.
For the surveys and suggestion boxes, the assigned personnel will include the university’s dining services team, such as Luisa Morenilla, the Unit Marketing Coordinator.
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