TGIF!! Well, at XL, its not too significant - neither does TGIF have its outlet in Jamshedpur, nor does a Friday mean two days of recess ahead. However, that does not stop our indomitable spirits. With workloads still reasonably low, and the unpalatable mess food a big deterrent (or should I say stimulant), we decided to step out and dine.
Coming to a consensus on where to eat is a big decision here. While junta wanted to have pizzas or continental, at Jamshedpur you're not exactly spoilt for choice. After a lot of deliberation, at long last we settled for our good old "Novelty".
When we reached the restaurant, we realized (ruefully) that a major chunk of the city's population had also zeroed in on the same haven, and to make matters worse, had reached just before us. (Did I hear Murphy's Law being muttered?) We had no choice but to wait.
Chairs had been laid out on the road to accommodate the guests who'd have to wait. The line of chairs was long; long enough to reach within smelling distance of "Cocktail", the liquor outlet. (while for us this isn't an issue, one must remember Novelty is after all a family restaurant) The security at the gate though was extremely friendly, as he noted our name and the number of seats beside it. Our turn arrived earlier than stated/expected, but we weren't complaining.
Having seen Novelty when it was still in its nascent stages, I can spot the differences in its interiors now. Seats have been cramped in to account for as many guests at one go as possible. (the logic: why not?even post-expansion, we are running the show full-house) There is also a distinct change in the decor; things having been made more articulate in recent years.
Novelty has in place a dual system, with waiters to clean tables and serve the food, while a maître d' is in charge of table allocation and taking orders, etc. We ordered soup and kebabs for starters. One of the orders, one "Hot and Sour Soup" was particularly insipid, while in general too, the quality of food seemed to be stooping. Is capacity expansion causing quality to take a hit - we wondered. The maître d' offered to change the soup upon being apprised of the same. What returned after ten minutes in the name of soup was just the diluted version of the earlier, mixed with chilly sauce.
The main course too was nothing to go ga-ga over - overall, the food was disappointing. This is specially so, since we have started to expect a certain quality from a place as Novelty, and when that is not delivered, customers go dissatisfied. Also, customer selection is one area which the management needs to look into. (It is not too pleasant for a family coming in for dinner to discover the seats squeezed next to them occupied by drunken louts)
The prices at the place are still reasonably economical, and the XLRI discount makes it better for us. However, stepping out of the doors of what is touted as one of the best restaurants in Jamshedpur, one cannot help ponder:
Has the success Novelty has achieved been deserving? Is there scope for a new player to give it a tug? How much of a a bearing does increased demand have in degradation of quality? And, above all, has "Novelty" been able to do justice to its name?
SERVICE RATINGS
a> Reliable - 2 (Thus far, no further)
b> Assurance - 4 (Inherently, the restaurant is perceived to be maintaining quality standards, the brand value propels assurance levels)
c> Tangible - 3 (Changes in decor and seating arrangement have ultimately led to greater clutter inside the restaurant. The restaurant has every probability of losing its sophisticated clientele. Also, augmented lighting is switched off prior to guests parting the restaurant, which should be consciously avoided)
d> Empathy - 3 (Difficult to judge in case of restaurants. However, the attitude of the waiter upon being complained to regarding food quality reflects politeness, and at some stage may be considered as empathy)
e> Responsiveness - 4 (Reasonably good. Staffing inside appear optimum)
[ 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Excellent ]
Coming to a consensus on where to eat is a big decision here. While junta wanted to have pizzas or continental, at Jamshedpur you're not exactly spoilt for choice. After a lot of deliberation, at long last we settled for our good old "Novelty".
When we reached the restaurant, we realized (ruefully) that a major chunk of the city's population had also zeroed in on the same haven, and to make matters worse, had reached just before us. (Did I hear Murphy's Law being muttered?) We had no choice but to wait.
Chairs had been laid out on the road to accommodate the guests who'd have to wait. The line of chairs was long; long enough to reach within smelling distance of "Cocktail", the liquor outlet. (while for us this isn't an issue, one must remember Novelty is after all a family restaurant) The security at the gate though was extremely friendly, as he noted our name and the number of seats beside it. Our turn arrived earlier than stated/expected, but we weren't complaining.
Having seen Novelty when it was still in its nascent stages, I can spot the differences in its interiors now. Seats have been cramped in to account for as many guests at one go as possible. (the logic: why not?even post-expansion, we are running the show full-house) There is also a distinct change in the decor; things having been made more articulate in recent years.
Novelty has in place a dual system, with waiters to clean tables and serve the food, while a maître d' is in charge of table allocation and taking orders, etc. We ordered soup and kebabs for starters. One of the orders, one "Hot and Sour Soup" was particularly insipid, while in general too, the quality of food seemed to be stooping. Is capacity expansion causing quality to take a hit - we wondered. The maître d' offered to change the soup upon being apprised of the same. What returned after ten minutes in the name of soup was just the diluted version of the earlier, mixed with chilly sauce.
The main course too was nothing to go ga-ga over - overall, the food was disappointing. This is specially so, since we have started to expect a certain quality from a place as Novelty, and when that is not delivered, customers go dissatisfied. Also, customer selection is one area which the management needs to look into. (It is not too pleasant for a family coming in for dinner to discover the seats squeezed next to them occupied by drunken louts)
The prices at the place are still reasonably economical, and the XLRI discount makes it better for us. However, stepping out of the doors of what is touted as one of the best restaurants in Jamshedpur, one cannot help ponder:
Has the success Novelty has achieved been deserving? Is there scope for a new player to give it a tug? How much of a a bearing does increased demand have in degradation of quality? And, above all, has "Novelty" been able to do justice to its name?
SERVICE RATINGS
a> Reliable - 2 (Thus far, no further)
b> Assurance - 4 (Inherently, the restaurant is perceived to be maintaining quality standards, the brand value propels assurance levels)
c> Tangible - 3 (Changes in decor and seating arrangement have ultimately led to greater clutter inside the restaurant. The restaurant has every probability of losing its sophisticated clientele. Also, augmented lighting is switched off prior to guests parting the restaurant, which should be consciously avoided)
d> Empathy - 3 (Difficult to judge in case of restaurants. However, the attitude of the waiter upon being complained to regarding food quality reflects politeness, and at some stage may be considered as empathy)
e> Responsiveness - 4 (Reasonably good. Staffing inside appear optimum)
[ 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Excellent ]
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