Catering is one of the most important parts of any event or private party, be it a wedding celebration, a birthday party, or a corporate event. Here are the seven things that should raise a red flag, warning signs to avoid that provider by all means.
1. Long Reaction Time
A good catering company will always reply to inquiries from potential clients within a very short time. Even if they don’t provide you with a custom quote right away, they should, at least, acknowledge your inquiry and let you know by when you can expect to receive the information.
2. No Willingness To Offer Tastings
Suppliers who are confident in the quality of their offering will always invite you to attend a tasting session prior to committing to an agreement. If they don’t offer a tasting, you should ask for it. If they refuse, cross them off your list and move on to other suppliers.
3. No Experience With Your Specific Type of Event
A great catering service that handles only trade fairs and corporate events can fail at providing food and drink services to a wedding party. The best way to avoid further problems is to narrow down the preliminary shortlist to companies with a long experience with your specific event type, and with raving reviews from their other customers.
4. Lack Of Transparency Regarding Their Staff
The chef is arguably the most important person in a catering company. All potential suppliers should be open and transparent when it comes to the work experience and the credentials of their chefs. They also need to be able to explain how they handle their recruitment processes, and what check ups they perform on their future employees. The quality of the waiters can make a huge difference to the success of your event. A good place to find more resources is at the www.mosocatering.com website.
5. Lack Of Flexibility
While most caterers prefer to prepare standard menu options, they also need to acknowledge special needs of some of the guests. They have to be willing to provide alternative menus for allergy sufferers or for guests who have to follow strict dietary restrictions. The refusal to cater to such special requirements should be a sign for you to move away from their services.
6. No Cancellation Plan
Large events require a lot of planning. When book such services one year in advance, you have to ensure there will be a convenient way out, should you need to cancel your plans at some point in time. Good suppliers should be willing to refund your deposit. They should also state the steps required for you to get a full refund.
7. No References
Never hire a caterer without checking out some references of their other clients. Most service providers will offer you their handpicked choices of clients to show you how good they are. Nevertheless, a little digging can take you a long way. The lack of web references isn’t a good sign.
These early warning signs should help you rule out unacceptable options. Consider using this list to find the best supplier for your next event.