The customer service industry has always been a peculiar terrain, especially if we talk about gastronomy. In this field, things are constantly changing and part of the job of those who are dedicated to it must put their best tools to ensure that the service provided is the best.
Especially in gastronomy, the customer who does not have a good experience does not return to the place again or even worse, does not recommend it to other people. It is for this reason that professional Chefs prepare themselves for so long to be able to provide the best service to their customers.
We have the case of Executive Chef Axel Manes, one of the youngest chefs of Joel Robuchon’s Atelier. This Chef is an example of perfectionism in relation to his work, since he discovered his vocation at a very young age and began to practice his profession at the age of 13.
Axel Manes was born in Belgium, and thanks to his professional references, he began his studies in Brussels. At the beginning, he started working at Comme Chez Soi, a renowned restaurant that at the time only had 3 Michelin stars. He later began his journey through different countries to perfect his techniques and reach the highest levels in the field of gastronomy.
For the customer’s experience to be integral, it is necessary that the restaurant has trained and knowledgeable people. For example, if we have a chef who travels a lot and knows other cultures, he may have a culinary expansion that serves the diner. This can be seen in the preparations, in the recipes, in the final touches of the dishes and in the flavors and textures.
Like all people who have to go through a difficult path to reach prestige and true learning, Axel Manes had his own obstacles that he managed to overcome to become the professional he is today. The food and customer service industry requires ups and downs to make it to the top.
In addition to providing good food-related service to the diner, the diner has to be comfortable. The place must be warm, the table must be located in a suitable and illuminated place where the eater can see his plate. In addition, the temperature of the environment must also be adequate.
To know if we are in front of a good chef, it is necessary to know his way of working in the kitchen, not only to taste the final dish. A good chef is respectful of other cooks and understands the dynamics behind the scenes. It is not always easy to work in the customer’s industry, there are almost always obstacles to overcome to become the best.
We are facing a time in the world where traditional ways of doing things have become obsolete and people with determination and perseverance can often do more useful things even if they have to come up with crazy ideas.
Axel Manes perfected his way of working responsibly at the age of 20. That, at that age, is something akin to madness. He deprived himself of social events, of many satisfactions of a 20 year old, and in exchange he devoted his time to learning and deepening his ideas in the gastronomic industry.
Years later, after acquiring the necessary experience in customer service, Axel Manes and Joel Robuchon contacted each other and from that moment on, Robuchon became Axel’s mentor. From that moment on, the passion, the work, the rigor, the love for the customer grew stronger.
Over the years, Axel internalized the experiences he acquired and became one of the most outstanding Chefs in the world, so much so that in 2005 Joel Robuchon entrusted him with the management of the Atelier in the Parisian district of Sain-Germain. This kitchen is exceptional for its food and its customer service.
Through Axel’s journey we can understand how it is necessary to go through different moments not only to learn but to have life experiences that will be essential for our work. Traveling and understanding other cultures, other ways of cooking, ways of communicating and dialoguing with food are unique characteristics.
Training and having people to follow, learning from those who know more than we do, is a genuine way to travel to places that we do not yet know and that interest us. Practice and passion for the trade are two qualities that must be worked on to improve day by day.
