Handling customer requests

Every business should decide who takes allergen orders, such as a supervisor or head chef. All staff should know who that person is. When a customer tells you about an allergy, follow the same steps each time.

Step one: listen, and ask which foods they need to avoid. Step two: check the matrix, recipe or label. Do not rely on memory. Step three: explain what the dish contains and any risk of cross-contact. Step four: write the requirement down, for example on the order slip. Step five: pass it to the person making the food in writing, and get them to confirm they have received it. Step six: make the food, then label it clearly. Step seven: when you serve it, tell the customer that it meets their request.

Never guess. 'I think it's fine' is a dangerous sentence. A colleague's memory does not replace the record. If you cannot confirm something, say so honestly. Customers would much rather hear 'I can't be sure' than be given the wrong answer.

Here is an example. In a pub, a customer says she has a sesame allergy and asks about the burger. The server checks the matrix, which shows sesame in the bun. She asks the chef, who has a plain bun but toasts all buns on one shared toaster. The server tells the customer about the toaster. They agree the plain bun will be heated separately on a clean tray. The order slip says 'SESAME ALLERGY' and the chef confirms it.

Removing an ingredient does not always make a dish safe, so think about cross-contact each time you adapt a dish. Group bookings need extra care. If a party ordered in advance, check with each person on the day, before you serve the food.