Corporate events can be tricky to pull off at the best of times as rarely in life do events come around where guests tend to be quite so critical. Yes, it’s about having a good time and making good things happen, but at the same time it’s also the kind of event where even the slightest thing that goes wrong will be held against you, your brand and your business – not to mention shared among gossiping crowds for the indefinite future.
This is why it’s of the utmost importance to really be thoughtful and careful when it comes to selecting the appropriate corporate event caterers. Going it alone probably isn’t a realistic option, but at the same time it’s crucial to acknowledge that there’s more to the selection process than just finding a company that’s cheap enough and signing on the dotted line. The simple fact of the matter is that it’s your reputation on the line and your event, which in turn means it’s you that has the final say in everything.
So, with this in mind, here’s a quick overview of just some of the mistakes businesses make on a regular basis when hiring corporate event caterers, in order that you might avoid every last one of them:
1 – Having No Input at All
First of all, it’s natural to feel as if a massive weight has been lifted from your shoulders and to pretty much leave everything to your catering team. However, if you find that when the big day, weekend or week comes along there’s something not to your liking, it’s far too late to do anything about it. You didn’t check, you didn’t give any real input and so it’s down to you to bear the blame when things go wrong.
2 – Choosing at Random
As mentioned above, one of the worst things anyone can do when looking to hire caterers for any event at all is to choose a provider at random. The reason being that while there’s always a chance you’ll land on your feet and be well looked after, there’s just as big a chance you’ll end up with a team you’d have been better off not bothering with. Rushing your decision, not carefully looking into all available options or in any way choosing blindly represents a recipe for failure.
3 – Ignoring Word of Mouth
If you’ve heard from plenty of other people that there are holes in the catering company’s services, it’s really not worth taking the risk of bothering with them. It could be by way of feedback published online, reports you’ve come across via social media or even just the accounts of contacts you’ve spoken with – all of these and more represent red flag warning signs not to be overlooked.
4 – Favouring Frugality Above All
There’s nothing wrong with being frugal to a degree and nor is there anything to say you must spend an absolute fortune on catering. But at the same time, if you give your guests even the slightest inkling that they mattered less to you than your own budget, you can’t expect to be taken seriously. You don’t have to go so far as to lavish every last one of them with riches, but at the same time there’s no room for making it abundantly clear you cut corners everywhere to save cash.
5 – Menu Inequality
Chances are the catering team will come up with the menus, but you yourself will have final say on what makes it and what doesn’t. As such, it’s technically your responsibility to make sure all bases are covered in terms of vegetarian options, any restrictions by way of guests’ religions and any allergies/sensitivities. There’s nothing worse than becoming known as the business that spoils most of its guests rotten while making vegans go hungry…this kind of discrimination can be fatal for a brand’s reputation.
6 – Lack of Experience
Something else to bear in mind is the way in which business functions are very different in nature than say a wedding or a birthday party. As such, it’s best not to just assume that any catering team can take care of things as good as any other – those with plenty of experience in this exact field are almost always more likely to do the job best of all.
7 – Not Asking Questions
Last but not least, assumption tends to be the mother of all headaches in most areas of business and this is no exception. When the time comes to make a booking for an event catering services, it’s crucial to arm yourself with a list of questions and make sure that nothing is left even remotely cloudy. Leave yourself in the dark and you really have no cause for complaint when you find yourself stumbling into obstacles.
