What's routine for the "old hands" among caterers, new catering businesses have to learn through hard-won experience. With our checklist, we want to make it easier for you to get started and help you keep improving. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important success factors for caterers. To offer excellent service, get recommended, and receive repeat bookings, there are a few points to keep in mind. Here's your overview:

Before the catering event

If you received your booking via a platform like heycater!, the first points to check off are:

• Have you accepted the order in your account?
• Have you received an order confirmation?

Regardless of whether it's a direct booking via your website or phone, or an order via a catering platform:

• Are all the key details known (from the order reminder or booking): date and time, delivery location, number of guests, and schedule?
• Have you checked the route? What's the traffic situation, are there any road closures? To deliver your catering on time, it's very important to check for potential delays in advance.
• Is delivery accessible, or is there anything special to note? Where's the setup location, is parking available, is access straightforward, which floor is the catering expected on, is there an elevator, and how big is it, will your equipment fit?
• Have you noted the delivery time window?
• What's the infrastructure on-site like? Is there electricity and the required connections, are the needed devices available, is there a freight elevator, what's the lighting like?
• Are refrigeration options, storage space, kitchen space, and buffet tables available?
• Is your equipment complete and in good condition? (chafing dishes, fuel gel, dishware, cutlery, napkins, glasses, table linens, decoration, signage including allergens)
• Has your service staff been briefed?
• Are your hygiene documents complete? (health department certificate, health certificate, documentation of training)

During the catering event

You've prepared your catering optimally, now make sure everything runs smoothly on-site:

• Greet the customer upon arrival
• Make sure your catering is set up and presented appealingly
• A professional, friendly, and well-groomed appearance from your staff is important.
• Remember to label dishes and indicate allergens (mind the language)
• Clarify pickup for the catering: when should it be picked up, from where, and who is the point of contact?

After the catering event

Follow-up is also important, to leave a good impression and be well prepared for your next catering job:

• Make sure pickup is reliable: be on time at the pickup location and check everything is complete.
• Was the venue left clean and tidy? (empty trash, dispose of leftover food after checking with the customer, return furniture, clean surfaces)
• Also check your inventory: is everything complete and undamaged?

By the way: if your catering was booked through heycater!, a contact person from our sales team is available to answer any questions.

heycater! supports your catering business

We've made it our mission not only to connect customers with the best business catering, but also to support new and established caterers in getting more bookings and increasing revenue. On our blog, you'll find plenty of tips for your catering business, for example on online marketing. Want to increase your visibility and benefit from our experience and reach across Germany (and beyond)? Sign up as a heycater! partner. We're happy to support you!