NOW FINISHED: Help create PizzaExpress' Service Charter and have the chance to win £250 of PizzaExpress vouchers

[Carriemumsnet]

You may recall many moons ago we asked for your thoughts on what makes the perfect restaurant/ cafe for mums (here), but we cannily didn't tell you who was asking the questions as we didn't want that information to skew your answers? Well we can now reveal that the company who wanted to garner your collective wisdom was > PizzaExpress and the reason they wanted to know is that they are in the process - in their words - of "creating the PizzaExpress of the future".

The first of their new generation restaurants will be unveiled on Oct 21st in Richmond (that's London not Yorks - sorry Yorkshire folks) and there'll be invites for Mumsnetters to road test it, with a chance to feedback and tell them what you think of the new concept before they start rolling it out elsewhere. Anyone interested in knowing more now, there'll be a blog about it live from Sept 17th here

They're introducing things that have the potential to keep children happy and occupied, like communal kids' drawing tables, and silent, interactive video screens created by the same chaps who did some of the great games at the Tate Modern. And they promise that there'll be room for buggies - one of the top things to come out of the survey It's going to be open all day, starting at 8.45, serving brunch and freshly baked daytime treats. The idea is that Richmond should feel like a bit like a 'living lab', where lots of new ideas are going to be tested out. The ones that work, they'll roll out, the ones that don't, they'll ditch.

One of the major themes that emerged from the initial survey was the difference good service makes to whether you frequent a cafe/ restaurant or not and PizzaExpress now want to create a Mumsnet Service Charter that they can use to help train their staff. Carrie is going to be videoed as part of their training, talking about what it's like to be a mum and what mumsnetters want and expect from good service. The idea being that this should help their waiters understand parents' needs and help them to help us make it through the day (or at least the bit of the day they spend in PE).

So go ahead - tell Pizza Express what three things would make your day (in terms of service). They can't guarantee to incorporate every single suggestion, but hopefully some themes will emerge that they can build into a realistic Service Charter.

We'll kick off:
Someone helping you with your buggy/ double buggy -rather than tutting when you struggle thro the door
Someone offering you something edible - even if it's just bread and water when you first sit down, and just being nice....
Sharp pencils
Good to get that off the MNHQ collective chest , now it's over to you. Everyone who offers suggestions for the Mumsnet /Pizza Express Service Charter on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will receive £250 of Pizza Express vouchers.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

1. Toddler menu at a reasonable price. Pre-school kids don't eat a lot at all and while I've found Pizza Express to be friendly with the kids it's a lot to pay out for the amount she picks at.

1. Delivering food to toddlers really quickly or having something to keep them entertained while you wait (e.g. colouring stuff)

1. Have a family area or try to keep the families near each other. I hate being sat in a restaurant with my kids hoping they aren't disturbing the couple on the next table.

Haven't had time to read all suggestions. I think Pizza Express is already very family friendly. My suggestions:
Space to get a buggy through the doors and parked somewhere without getting in everyone's way
Toilets on both floors if applicable - my local PE has two floors, they usually seat people upstairs and its a long trek down a spiral staircase to get to the toilets - not ideal when your little one announces that they need a poo just as your nice hot pizza arrives
More pudding options for children (frit/custard/mini muffins?)

Doesn't anyone mind that PE is dull, overpriced crap?

That nothing is actually cooked there (unless you count putting bought-in, defrosted dough topped with sauce out of a can, in an oven as cooking)?

I think it's a bloody outrage.

I didn't know that they bring in frozen bases.

Is that really true?

How much time can it bloody take to make a base?

FFS!

I used to like them - maybe about 10 years ago or so, they did those lovely pizzas with an egg on.

Thing is though, Jenai - is that there are so few options for families. Particularly outside London. You want somewhere not upmarket but not McDonalds. I can see why it is popular. Thgouh I have never taken the children there.

No screens - i would avoid anywhere that has screens - and we eat in PE quite a lot because our local one has such good staff

Perhaps they could make sure their waiters and waitresses actually get their tips and they're not used to make up the minimum wage.

Fucking hell, who has got a conscience these days?

Nicer more varied adult menu
Half portions for children of all the dishes
No screens, please

Other than that I do actually like the children's menu (its quite fun), its the adult food that leaves a lot to be desired!

is that right, posieparker? i really hate that.

I think actually it was a bit more complicated than that - it was all exposed in an industry-wide campaign to make tipping fairer, and as far as I can remember, the claim was that the group that owned them used tips to make up minimum wages at some of their restaurants (including Zizzi) but I don't think I've ever read that Pizza Express specifically did this.

Pizza Express were targetted in the same campaign but for a different practice - deducting 8% of credit card tips to cover the "admin" involved in administrating and taxing the tips.

see here and here and www.pizzaexpress.com/our-restaurants/faq.aspx here]] (nos 11-14)

Just in the interests of not getting MN sued again...

sorry that last link should have been http://www.pizzaexpress.com/our-restaurants/faq.as px here (nos 11-14)

argggg dammit here (nos 11-14)

Are you sure that's right this time?

Love the idea of a communal drawing/play area for children

Service improvements:

• Address children as well as adults when greeting. eg Hi, I'm x, whats your name? Here's a menu so you can choose some food/some colouring in to do etc.
• Take drinks order as soon as seated.
• Ask children if they enjoyed their meal as well as the adults

1)Clean baby changing and toilets - very important, if the toilets are dirty then you wonder if the kitchen is the same. Also in our local PE, the safety strap on the baby change table was broke which was not much use!

2)Jug of water on the table so kids don't pester for more than one soft drink, can refill with water then.

3)Like the snacks when you arrive idea as the kids are always starving.

We do like Pizza express and are often eating there so very interested to see how it changes.

Disposable bibs also a great idea as babies and toddlers can be really messy, the bibs that catch it are best!

1. Smaller, child-sized cutlery.
2. Toilets on the same floor, so no carting kids up and down masses of stairs.
3. Serving kids's desserts promptly, so no hanging around for ages.
4. Extra napkins or a mini pack of wipes for children.
5. Not bringing the childrens' food on really hot plates.
6. Just being faster all round really!

Service is so appalling in most restaurants around us, especially PE, that we have stopped bothering to eat out unless we have to. Waiting forever, cold restaurants, echoing noisy surrounding, forgotten orders, staff that totally and utterly couldn't give a stuff, why bother putting yourself through that?

I used to love PE, but sadly now can't go, mostly due to food issues.

So, our ideal list, which would tempt us back easily would be:

Please can you have some cows milk free pizzas? Buffalo mozzarella is fine (if it is the Real Deal) as is goats cheese. (and can staff actually know this is the case, rather than having to check and it taking half an hour)

Also, gluten free. There are gf pizza bases available, so you could offer those. Or, as somebody else suggested, chips on the menu solves an awful lot (as long as nothing containing gluten is fried in the oil, so don't double up)

Definitely more than ice cream for kids pudding. Fruit is so easy to offer - just something like Apple/grapes cut up is fine.

(oh, and absolutely not to screens. Ghastly idea. And no loud music either, please)