For example, if you think the management should change its caterer, talk first to the kitchen staff. What do they think? Have they worked in other places with different caterers? What do your co-workers think? Maybe your disgruntlement is a matter of personal taste rather than quality.
For example, you might write “Company X has been using Caterer Y for the past seven years. During this time, the number of available entrees has decreased from five to two. The amount of vegetarian-friendly items also has decreased with some days there being none. ”
For example, you might write, “I recommend that Company X switch to another caterer. Company X has several other caterer options. Caterer W and Caterer Z both offer larger menus and have comparable costs to our existing provider. Furthermore, because Caterer Z offers daily vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free entrees, they could better meet the needs of our workforce. Caterer W offers fewer vegan-specific items but also could be a good choice. A survey completed in 2011 showed that 40% of our employees are vegetarian, 10% are vegan, and 2% are gluten-free. ”
To switch caterers, we will need: 1. To end our contract with Caterer Y 2. Ask Caterers W and Z for trial tastings 3. Choose one of the firms 4. Sign a contract with the chosen firm. The costs should be comparable to our current costs with Caterer Y. As long as we finish our contract term with Caterer Y, there should be no financial penalties. Furthermore, if our employees like the new food more, their workplace satisfaction is likely to improve.
Needed: sub-committee for caterer evaluation (4 people from different parts of the company), 2 hours for tasting, 3 hours to write the report.
”As this proposal demonstrates, Caterer Y has decreased its entree offerings over the past seven years. Caterers W and Z offer comparatively priced, more diverse options. I recommend that we do trial tastings with these caterers in order to choose a new food supplier for this office. This in turn likely will boost employee satisfaction and retention” Mention specific monetary or quantitative benefits. For example, will your innovation cut costs? Say so. [7] X Research source Outline qualitative benefits. Sometimes a company benefits in ways we cannot quantify with hard facts or numbers. If you will increase employee happiness, mention this. These improvements can be just as valuable as quantitative ones.
Remember to tailor your proposal according to your target audience. It’s really important to articulate your message in a clear and concise way that will truly resonate with the ones reading it. Once you know who that person is, see whether an in-person meeting is possible. Oftentimes, people respond to requests for change better when speaking face-to-face. Otherwise, send a paper copy or if not possible, an email. [10] X Research source
