Early in the morning, I received a call from the hotel manager. “Ms. Jackson, a large number of customers have food poisoning. They say the breakfast delivered this morning was the issue. Now, other customers are panicking and demanding to check out. What should we do?”
My heart sank, realizing the gravity of the situation. “Wait for me, I’ll be there right away.”
I hung up the phone, quickly gathered my thoughts, and drove to the hotel.
Upon arrival, I immediately called a meeting with the relevant department heads and found out the cause of the problem. Multiple customers had reported that the breakfast delivered by the hotel had an unusual smell and unknown contents, suggesting a possible food hygiene issue.
The news spread quickly, and Mr. Lowe, who had previously worked with us, arrived upon hearing the rumors. He understood the importance of the hotel’s reputation and stepped forward to vouch for the hotel, insisting that our hygiene standards were in no way compromised. His intervention helped calm many of the customers who were demanding to check out.
I explained, “Our hotel conducts strict daily food sampling. The food has just been sent to a professional testing agency, and no problems have been found.”
So where was the issue?
In the kitchen, I asked the staff about the procedures and any changes in personnel that day. One of the assistant chefs mentioned, “I saw an unfamiliar face today. He said he was new and was helping to prepare breakfast.”
My heart skipped a beat as I realized that this “new person” might be the key to the problem.
“We’ve been short on staff, so I really thought he was a new recruit.”
