The Delivery Window Standard
Five steps that bring the tray to the door within five minutes of the time quoted. A call made before a delay is forgiven; the same call after it rarely is.
- Who
- Order takers, runners and the in-room dining supervisor
- When
- From the end of the order call until the guest opens the door
- You need
- The ticket screen with timers, the quoted time, a phone at the pass
- Measured by
- At the door within 5 minutes of the quote
- Guest called before any delay
- No arrival over 5 minutes early unasked
5 steps
01
Start the clock
Write the quoted clock time on the ticket and in the system, next to the room number and any allergy. From that moment the kitchen, the runner and the supervisor all work to the same number.
Say this
“412 · 2 covers · quoted 20:40 · NO NUTS”
Common mistake Everyone keeping their own clock. The kitchen counts from the ticket, the runner from pick-up, nobody from the guest.
02
Check halfway
At half the quoted time, the supervisor checks every open ticket on the screen. Any dish not yet on the pass with 10 minutes to go is flagged, and the chef is asked for a firm clock time.
Say this
“Chef, 412 is quoted for 20:40. What time will it be on the pass?”
Common mistake Checking only when the guest rings to ask where the food is. By then the delay is already theirs to manage.
03
Call before late
If the order will miss the quote by more than 5 minutes, phone the guest before the quoted time passes. Apologise once, give a new clock time, and offer to send any drinks or cold dishes ahead.
Say this
“Mr Okafor, your dinner is running ten minutes late and will be with you at 20:50. I’m sorry.”
Common mistake Waiting until the food is ready so you can call with good news. The guest has been watching the door for 15 minutes.
04
Never too early
Arriving more than 5 minutes before the quote is also a miss: the guest may be in the shower or on a call. Phone first and ask whether to bring it now or at the agreed time, as AAA asks.
Say this
“Ms Rossi, your breakfast is ready a little early. Shall I bring it now, or at 07:30 as planned?”
Common mistake Knocking early because the kitchen was quick. The guest opens the door in a towel and the speed becomes the complaint.
05
Log the time
When the door opens, the runner records the real delivery time against the quote. At the end of the shift the supervisor reads every miss over 5 minutes and writes down its cause in one line.
Say this
“412 · quoted 20:40 · delivered 20:43 · on time”
Common mistake Logging only the late ones, from memory, at the end of the night. The pattern of dish, hour and lift never shows up.
Your Honest Quote Times
The time your order takers quote should come from your own kitchen on a busy night, not from the menu. Fill it in with the chef and pin it by the phone.
Breakfast
- Quiet hour, in minutes
- Busy hour, in minutes
- Slowest dish
- Who checks the screen
Lunch and dinner
- Quiet hour, in minutes
- Busy hour, in minutes
- Slowest dish
- Who checks the screen
Late night
- Quiet hour, in minutes
- Busy hour, in minutes
- Slowest dish
- Who checks the screen
Fill it in with the chef at Monday’s briefing, using last week’s delivery log. Each order taker quotes from it from Tuesday. Rewrite it at the start of each season or whenever the late-delivery log shows a new pattern.
The Standards Library.
No. 59 · In-Room Dining
The Tray Set-Up Standard
Five steps from the knock to the closing door. The guest chooses where the meal is laid, and nothing on the tray is lifted, poured or moved without asking.
No. 60 · In-Room Dining
The Tray Collection Standard
Five steps for getting used trays out of rooms and corridors. A tray left by a door is seen by every guest on the floor, and most of them never ordered.