About Fred
Customer Service
– Fred is an acclaimed International Consultant in the customer services sector. He consults with international brands across a multitude of business sectors, aiding them to instil a first class level of service within the DNA of the business. When filtered through to the customer facing experience, it is consistently proven to deliver higher repeat business and brand loyalty.
– The Good Service Charter is a framework with which to deliver a first class level of customer service within an organisation, whether that be a small independent bakery, right through to a multinational conglomerate. Fred has developed the Good Service Charter to ensure it applies directly to any sector, industry or business, it is geared towards maximising the impact of staff members through a clear understanding of key principles of first class customer service.
Speaking
Often referred to by his peers as the “Service Jedi” or “Service Guru”, Fred has proven himself to be an inspiring and honest speaker. As one of the few professionals whose material can be tailored to impact small intimate group environments, right through to large gatherings of international business leaders, Fred has proudly worked with an eclectic and impressive portfolio of businesses.
Restaurant Consultant
With over 30 years’ experience and a multitude of awards for exceptional service in the restaurant sector, Fred is able to draw upon an unique level of experience to provide Restaurants and Hotel Groups with the level of care and attention to ensure many years of future success.
- Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year Hotel Cateys
- Best Front of House – Tatler Awards
- Best Front of House – Tatler Awards
- Best Hotel Bar – Imbibe Awards
- Nominated Manager of the year at the Cateys Awards
- Personality of the year at the National Restaurant Awards
- Educator of the year at the Imbibe Awards.
- Manager of the Year at the 30th Cateys
- Nominated Industry Legend of the year at the Imbibe awards
- Honorary MBA from the University of West London in March
- Food Service Award at the AA Awards
- Charity Initiative of the year at the Eat Out Awards
Television Personality
Fred’s first notable on-screen role arrived in the form of BBC2 show Michel Roux’s Service, during which Fred co-hosted alongside the two-star Michelin chef. He went on to assume the roles of Maître D and Cupid in the hugely popular Channel 4 show, First Dates, culminating in a BAFTA Award for Best Reality and Constructed Factual show in 2016. Two years on, the series shows no sign of losing its edge, and 2018 and 2019 will see both First Dates and First Dates Hotel continue to make irresistible viewing out of some unlikely matches.
In 2017 Fred showed off his flair in food and drink, presenting The Ultimate Shopping List on Channel 4 with Michel Roux jnr and Jay Rayner. Fred continued this theme and furthered his prominence across primetime television with the commission of his own restaurant entrepreneur format, Million Pound Menu (BBC2). The show returns in 2019. Later this year will also see him team up again alongside Gino D’Acampo and Gordon Ramsay in The Ultimate Road Trip (ITV1, 9pm), where the trio compete in a variety of hilarious challenges, each bidding to prove their homeland is superior to the others.
Charity work
Fred co-founded Galvin’s Chance in 2008, a charity initiative to help disadvantaged young people get in education, training and full time employment within front of house in the best hotels, restaurants and bars in London.
Fred launched on Christmas Day 2012 National Waiters Day to celebrate all Front of House staff and inspire people in hospitality careers.
In December 2015 Fred launched The Right Course, a new charity initiative to teach prisoners how to run restaurants straight in the heart of the prison.
In January 2016 Fred received the British Citizen Award for his charitable work.
Fred is currently the General Manager at Galvin at Windows, the award winning Michelin-starred restaurant on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane.
He is a keen runner and amateur boxer and his motto is “learn forever, enjoy life and make a difference”. His interests include philosophy, history, business and sports. He lives in Peckham and is the proud father of two beautiful children, Andrea and Matteo- Lucien.
Speaking
Fred is referred as the “Service Jedi” or “Service Guru” by his peers and much of the British press. He has over 25 years of experience and is both an inspiring and very well respected figure in the Hospitality industry.
He co-hosted Michel Roux’s Service on BBC2 and is a regular on British national radio. He is the main man behind several high profile charities and events including National Waiter’s Day. Fred is also the creator and Director of The Art of Service.
He is an experienced coach and trainer and one of the very professionals whose talks resonate both in small private sessions and with large gathering for worldwide corporations.
Fred worked in some of London’s most celebrated restaurants and since May 2006 holds the position of General Manager at the awards winning Michelin star Galvin at Windows. Very few speakers equal Fred’s credibility, passion and breadth of experience in the field of customer service. Fred has delivered talks in many formats, including management team building, team training and coaching, trade events, board briefings, after-dinner speeches, motivational presentations and public seminars.
Fred ’s speeches are unique, informative, entertaining and provocative. He speaks enthusiastically about the contribution of great service to a customer’s experience, a brand’s longevity and reputation as well as its link to business survival and profitability.
For Fred it is about making excellence a habit in every part of life, teaching people about ownership, the beauty of rigor and discipline and helping delegates take responsibility for living their vision and values to the full. Fred is comfortable talking to any sector and any audiences – customer service principles are the same across industries. Fred is very involved with many of his own charitable activities. When time allows he is happy to make time to speak and support other charities and worthwhile causes.
The Good Service Charter
Is Growing Your Business Your Number One Strategic Priority?
To be honest, I would be surprised if it isn’t. Have you got an effective plan to grow your business? If not, and you want a compelling and proven solution, read on. Most organisations I talk to understandably place a great deal of importance on developing better and better products to grow their business, often requiring large sums of money to research, test and manufacture improved offers. This is valuable work, but it is unlikely to set your business apart from its competitors. Why? Because the harsh truth is that your competitors will be doing exactly the same thing. The organisations out there that ARE achieving and sustaining growth year after year are those that have placed customer service at the heart of their strategic plans – like Lush and First Direct, for example. They have learnt that it is their service reputation (along with their brand and product range) that attracts customers. And that it is service, and the relationship it allows them to build with their customers, that creates loyalty and means customers come back to them rather than go to a competitor. The great news is that creating an amazing customer service experience within your business costs much less than it does to develop a new product.
So Why Aren’t More Companies Investing in Customer Service?
Lots of organisations shy away from placing customer service at the centre of their growth plans because of one simple reality: service is delivered through a business’s people. And people are inherently complex, unpredictable and… well… utterly and wonderfully human. I actually love and embrace this challenge, having spent 25 years mastering how to deliver great customer service through people and well thought through processes and systems. This know-how has now been organised into two very simple business solutions:
- The ‘Good Service’ Charter – A set of principles and practices to follow that will define exceptional customer service for your business.
- The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid – An easy-to-follow organisational change path that will bring these principles and practices to life.
Think of The ‘Good Service’ Charter as your Highway Code and The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid as the step-by-step lessons you take to master the skill of driving.
What is The ‘Good Service’ Charter?
The ‘Good Service’ Charter encapsulates and describes in detail the very basics needed for setting up and sustaining the right customer-focused culture within your business. The Charter aims to be the guiding light and ‘go to’ reference document to help every service professional within your organisation understand what it means to provide great service. Equally, the Charter describes exacting best practices to deliver memorable experiences that will be valued by increasingly demanding and knowledgeable customers. Although the Charter is primarily about delivering great customer service, it also provides simple and straightforward context around how great customer service drives long-term business survival and profitability.
The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid
The ‘Good Service’ Charter should be used in conjunction with The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid. The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid is a free-of-charge change model, specifically designed as a self-sufficient and effective organisational process that helps you to set up and drive extraordinary customer service in your business. By following the step-by-step sequence of change mapped out in The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid, your business will be able to implement the messages in The ‘Good Service’ Charter, enabling your organisation to change its practices and drive results. All you need to do is follow the chronological instructions in The ‘Good Service’ Pyramid to bring The ‘Good Service’ Charter to life. Assign owners, objectives and deadlines and follow up very closely until you get there.
Is The ‘Good Service’ Charter right for you?
The simple answer is “yes”.
The ‘Good Service’ Charter is aimed at any business in any industry or sector. The principles and values of the Charter and the very nature of human nature mean that its teachings will be valid and relevant for a big corporation, an independent group or a small business. The Charter has all the ingredients you need to transform your organisation into what you really want it to be, whether you are part of the hospitality industry, a financial institution or bank, an NHS-run hospital, a car manufacturer or a large telecommunication company. Service defined through The ‘Good Service’ Charter is THE way to give your business its higher purpose – one your people can get behind with passion, conviction and enthusiasm.
Don’t wait till tomorrow when your business growth journey can start today.
The ‘Good Service’ Charter is available to download online for £50 + VAT.
The Charter is a 16-page, 4,700-word PDF.
“The ‘Good Service’ Charter is only the first step towards fully understanding the Gospel of Service. If you would like more of the working details behind the Charter and the Pyramid, or be guided through the programmes by my team of experts, please click on the link for my bespoke change support and training programmes.”
The Art of Service Training Programmes
Customers are the new experts. They do their window shopping online and have a global view of the best and worst in your business. For you to stand out from your competitors, you need a competitive edge – and, increasingly, the quality of service your prospective customer gets is the key differentiator. Fred Sirieix, the award-winning General Manager of Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows and star of Channel 4’s First Dates, has spent a lifetime practising and teaching how to deliver great customer service. Now, for the first time, Sirieix and his team can offer you an insight into the difference excellence in service can make to your business with The Art of Service.
The Art of Service comes three initial levels of training:
a. Introduction
- Presentation – The Art of Service with Q&A
b. Half day
- Presentation – The Art of Service with Q&A
- Customer journey role play with Q&A
c. Full day
- Presentation – The Art of Service with Q&A
- Vision, values, objectives and the 10 Golden Rules of service
- Customer journey role play with Q&A
- Problem and outcome workshop
- Action points and owners
For those who decide to fully embrace The Art of Service, there are four additional packages:
- Mystery shopper
A mystery shopper programme is available. The number and frequency of visits and the reporting process will be tailored to your business’s defined needs and requirements.
- One-week immersion program
One-week immersion programmes are available. Fred Sirieix and his partners will be secretly (or not, depending upon your preference) embedded in teams within your business for three days. They will work alongside the team and will witness at first hand the service offered to customers. At the end of each day, a report will be produced and sent to your organisation’s leadership.
On day four, Fred Sirieix and his partners will meet with the senior leader to discuss the findings and prepare for the seminar on day five.
- Day five seminar
- Presentation – The Art of Service with Q&A
- Vision, values, objectives and the 10 Golden Rules of service
- Customer journey role play with Q&A
- Problem and outcome workshop
- Action points and owners
- Management and measurement system
Senior managers will be coached and taught how to use our bespoke management and measurement system. SMART targets will be discussed, agreed and set and will involve all levels of management within your organisation or department to ensure total accountability, ownership, visibility and urgency.
- Full day training and coaching specifically on the management and measurement system
- Three days compromising a full day immersion in your business, a day of meeting with senior leaders, managers, supervisors, and staff to fully understand your business, and a day of implementation, training and coaching on the system.
- Long-term immersion programme and The Passport to Good Service
The long-term immersion programme is a combination of all the above with the added benefit of the creation of your bespoke customer journey and includes the introduction of The Passport to Good Service. This programme is bespoke and varies from organisation to organisation. The exact scope and length will depend on your needs, objectives and time frame for delivering the results.
The Passport includes:
- Front page with the name and details of the individual staff member
- Personal statement
- References from their direct line manager
- Qualifications
- Skills
- Vision
- Mission
- Values
- Objectives
- The 10 Golden Rules of service
- A to Z customer journey with all key touchpoints clearly identified
- Training
The Passport to Good Service comes with a Fred Sirieix quality stamp on your website once all staff have completed the programme. This will be recognised by all other approved organisations and customers alike.
My New Book – Secret Service
My New Book – Secret Service
A great restaurant is as much about the service as the food. It’s about the smile when you arrive, the way you’re seated at your table, the glass of your favourite wine appearing as if by magic. Nothing is too much trouble. The art of perfect service may seem effortless but what’s really going on behind the scenes…?
From belligerent Michelin-starred chefs to Bollinger-swigging managers, Britain’s best-known, best-loved maitre d’ is here to lift the lid on life behind the scenes of the world’s best restaurants. With over 25 years’ experience of charming guests, Fred Siriex has seen and heard it all, and as always, he’s here to help.
In Secret Service Fred shares his hilarious and hair-raising tales of life front-of-house, divulging his philosophy about how to ensure a first-class restaurant experience, and showing who’s ultimately in control in the dining room. Pull up a chair, settle in and prepare for the juiciest meal of your life as Fred reveals the highs, the lows and the keys to life on the other side of the table, all in his own inimitable style.
Art of Service
The Art of Service is a board-based interactive training activity that demonstrates how to achieve great customer service. Its objective is to train staff in the very best aspects of hospitality and service. It raises the bar by teaching your staff exactly how to meet customer’s expectations. The focus is on the people in your business – how they perform, learn and represent what you and your business stand for. The below game is the original Art of Service Restaurant game. If you want to discuss adapting The Art of Service to your business, industry or sector please contact Fred by clicking here.
Time of play
Pairing Game: 30 minutes to one hour
Restaurant Game: One hour to three hours
Key benefits:
- Improves front of house skills
- Enhances your customers dining experience
- Promotes the highest levels of excellence
- Tests knowledge and skills of staff in a dynamic and fun way
- Reinforces your business vision, mission values and objectives for all staff
- Links the business vision with each individual’s vision
- Promotes a sense of pride in the work, teamwork, ownership and participation
- The overall aim is to raise the standard, expectations and job satisfaction of waiting staff in order to improve customer service and increase profits.
Different uses for The Art of Service
The Art of Service can be used to develop your business and your people in several ways:
- Interviews and Recruitment
The Art of Service can be used as part of recruitment and selection process. The main game provides opportunities for role-play while the shorter Pairing game will reveal a candidate’s understanding of your business’s Vision, Mission and Values (while at the same time also revealing their own). The Art of Service also provides the opportunity for you to compare multiple candidates simultaneously.
- Staff Induction
Give new starters a fast track introduction to your business, identify development needs and align their values with that of the business.
- Staff Development
On-going staff development is easy with The Art of Service as you create new levels of self-sufficiency within the organisation whilst building team spirit across the business.
- Management Training
Whether an experienced Manager or a staff member wishing to develop into a Management role, the games Facilitator role will develop management skills.
- Business Strategy Development
The Art of Service pairing game helps to develop the Vision, Mission and Values for the Business.
- Customer Satisfaction Training
Bring to life customer scenarios, reappraise KPI’s and agree new processes and procedures that will drive CSI improvements and enhanced customer loyalty.
We also offer a wide ranging and fully integrated business consultancy service.
To contact us please click here
Testimonials
‘Fred is passionate about his profession and his desire to teach is infectious – What a great tool!’
– Michel Roux Jr – Le Gavroche
‘Quite simply…Fred talks more sense on how to deliver world-class customer service than anyone else I have ever met. The Good Service Charter will make a huge difference to the automotive industry’
– Jason Dawe – Automotive Consultant and Sunday Times journalist
‘Miele have worked with Fred Sirieix on a number of occasions. Simply put, Fred has been inspirational within our business. He has delivered a number of seminars which have made our colleagues and customers radically reassess how we go about providing a premium customer service. He does this by demonstrating how the excellence which is just par for the course in a top restaurant and how it can be delivered in any setting, whether that be a delivery driver or a sales advisor. This is achieved by some brilliantly entertaining storytelling which serves to show how to achieve that ‘magic touch’ which makes a customer feel uniquely special. Fred has been the catalyst for Miele raising the bar in the customer service standards we set and achieve’
– Dominic Worsley – Marketing Director Miele UK
‘Fred’s Charter is an essential document for anyone serious about service excellence – it’s a great resource for staff training’
– David McKown – Education & Training Catey Winner 2015 & Director of University Hospitality Seminars.
‘Any business that understands its success comes from offering great service should have Fred on speed dial’
– Kate Noakes Director of Concept Development – Pizza Hut Restaurants.
Bespoke Service & Contact
The Art of Service is very proud and excited to offer the following services:
- New! Bespoke service for small independent businesses
to create your very own The Art of Service - Mystery customer program
- Customer service assessment
