Auxiliary Services Customer Service Survey – April 2015
Results and Feedback
Below are the most frequently mentioned issues in Dining Services and Meal Plans from our
April 2015 customer service survey, and how we responded to them over the following year. If
you have questions or concerns, please send an e-mail to Jean Ann Caywood, Director of
Auxiliary Services at caywoodj@savannahstate.edu.
Dining Services
1. More Variety; New Options. In 2015-16, Dining Services has begun offering specials every
weekday at the Tiger Express Diner and the Student Union Food Court. Although the dining
hall is on a 4-week rotating schedule, more monotony breakers have been added (for
example, special desserts or carving tables).
It is challenging to change the menus in the retail areas, since the available kitchen
equipment and cooking space create some limitations. A project for Fall 2016 is to replace
one of the venues in the Student Union Food Court with a new venue. A survey was sent to
students on this topic with the SGA election ballot, and the responses will be used to help
guide the decisions made.
If you have a recipe that you would like to submit to Dining Services, please send it to Joe
Davis, Director of Dining Services, at jdavis@thompsonhospitality.com, or to Eric Backer,
Executive Chef, at eric.backer@thompsonhospitality.com.
2. Provide Healthier/Vegetarian Food. Many of our students, especially our residents, and
staff, requested healthier food in the dining venues. Some also requested more vegetarian
or vegan items. As shown in our brochure “Vegetarian Options”, there are vegetarian
options available at all dining venues on campus. However, there is a plan to add more
options as part of the project to expand the King-Frazier Dining Hall. Once this project is
complete, there will be a separate cooking and refrigeration area devoted to vegetarian and
vegan options. The projected completion timeframe for this project is in the 2016-17
academic year.
3. Customer Service/Staffing/Organization Improvement. Based on concerns expressed in the
survey, Thompson Hospitality, SSU’s dining services contractor, provided additional
customer service training for their staff, particularly focusing on the Student Union Food
Court. We hope that our customers have seen a difference this year; if not, please contact
Joe Davis, Director of Dining Services, at jdavis@thompsonhospitality.com, letting him know
of your experience so that immediate action can be taken.
4. Meal Plans. In order to be able to provide the best value in quality and quantity of food for
the best price, Savannah State University requires all undergraduate resident students
under the age of 25 to purchase a meal plan. Beginning in Fall 2016, all students, including
freshmen, will be able to choose any of the 4 resident student meal plans. The prices of the
plans have also changed so that each plan has a different cost. We encourage students to
make their decision using the information provided in our flyer “Which Plan Should You
Choose? Understand Your Plan”.
If the chosen plan does not have enough meals on it, you may change to a higher plan any
time during the semester (but after the book voucher period, you will need to pay for the
difference at the cashier’s in advance). Another option is to put Flex Funds on your card.