Don’t scrimp on quality

I ordered a pizza recently at a popular chain which I have been patronizing ever since it opened. Obviously their pizzas, especially the kind I’ve been used to ordering, are a long way of from what they used to be. Gone are the tons of toppings and instead of a zesty sauce you get more grease. The mouthwatering photos I see on their food billboards and ads are far from the real thing.

They still have customers though. Not as many, but the place certainly isn’t empty. I wondered whether I am the only one who noticed the difference in quality between their past and present fare, or the only one who seemed to mind. But I made a note to myself that the next time, for the same cost, I could just eat at my favorite Chinese restaurant. It’s nothing fancy, just a little bit more than a hole in the wall, but at least the owner is still serving the same quality dishes.

During these hard times, perhaps restaurants and even food manufacturers are more tempted to alter their recipes and substitute cheaper ingredients to cut costs and protect their profits.

Some would raise prices while serving inferior food. Others would tweak their products so as not to raise prices while keep their costs down. In both cases, I think their loyal customers are bound to notice the difference in the long run. They will be destroying the relationships they built with their customers over the years.

I can understand their dilemma. They have to contend with rising prices of basic commodities, transport costs due to costlier fuel, increases in the price of wheat, sugar, dairy and other basic ingredients, and other pricing pressures like the cost of electricity.

But I want to tell these restaurants, if you have to scrimp, please don’t sacrifice quality, don’t sacrifice flavor or taste.

I don’t know if you could replace high-cost ingredients with low-cost ones while maintaining the same quality, but even if you can’t, I think people are willing to pay a little bit more if they can get their money’s worth.

Don’t alienate your customers by shortchanging them or by cutting corners. They are already stretched by high fuel prices and a weak economy, just like you. They need and want to eat well, at the very least.

Your sales may not suffer in the short term, but once your loyal customers start noticing that you’ve been fiddling with their favorite dishes or menu items to their detriment, they will seek other establishments who can offer them value for their money. You might find them patronizing the neighbor-hood carinderia instead.

In the end the bottom line for success is the same: you have to produce the best quality product for the best price possible. If you can do that, you will get good customers who keep coming back.

Swine flu

As I write this, the Philippines now ranks 8th worldwide in terms of laboratory-confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1), overtaking Argentina and Japan, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is urging corporations to quickly draw up contingent business continuity plans ahead of what the Department of Health called “the second wave” of the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic.

This early, we are encouraging firms to find ways to ensure the least possible workplace disruption, before the feared second surge overwhelms us. Workers have to be assured the least possible stoppage in their jobs and income.

Our concern here is to protect not just the occupational health and safety of our workers, but also to secure their gainful employment and livelihood.

In the weeks ahead, the country could see the number of workers wishing to, or being required to stay home suddenly rise to a level that could further threaten the already frail national economy.

In its Pandemic Update 57 released at 5 p.m. on July 3 (Manila time), the WHO reported that the Philippines, with a total of 1,709 cases (one death) has overtaken Argentina, with 1,587 cases (26 deaths) and Japan, with 1,446 cases (no death).

According to the update, the seven other countries with the greatest number of Influenza A(H1N1) cases are the United States (33,902, 170 deaths); Mexico (10,262 cases, 119 deaths); Canada (7,983 cases, 25 deaths); the United Kingdom (7,447 cases, three deaths); Chile (7,376 cases, 14 deaths); Australia (4,568 cases, nine deaths); and China (1,814 cases, no death).

Completing the top 15 are Thailand (1,414 cases, 3 deaths); New Zealand (912 cases, no death); Singapore (878 cases, no death); Spain (760 cases, one death); and Brazil, (737 cases, one death).

In the WHO’s prior Pandemic Update 56, released July 1, the Philippines had ranked 10th worldwide in Influenza A(H1N1) cases, just behind Argentina, China and Japan.

Since then, the Philippines had reported 848 new cases; Argentina, no new cases; China, 296 new cases; and Japan, 180 new cases.

As to the rest of Southeast Asia, South Korea reported no new cases (total, 202); Malaysia, no new cases (total, 112); Vietnam, eight new cases (total, 131); Brunei, 56 new cases (total, 85); and Cambodia, one new case (total, seven). Indonesia still reported no new cases, keeping its total only at eight.

According to the latest WHO update, a total of 89,921 cases of Influenza A(H1N1), including 382 deaths, have been reported in 107 countries. Of the total, 12,720 new cases and 50 new deaths were reported between July 1 and July 3. –Ernesto F. Herrera, Manila Times

ernestboyherrera@yahoo.com