How to support a working day in facility services
In the specialism business service, your daily work becomes broader than just cleaning. The competence objectives specifically mention that you should be able to plan, prepare and carry out service tasks in connection with meetings and smaller conferences, provide office support, operate commonly occurring office machines, order and receive goods and perform simple serving forms.
A meeting that runs smoothly is often the result of preparation nobody notices: the room is set up the equipment works and catering is organised. You check AV equipment make sure tables and chairs are arranged correctly and manage the timing so coffee water and any refreshments are ready when the meeting starts.
Office support covers practical tasks such as telephone answering, handling common office machines and ordering and receiving goods. It requires overview and good communication because you are often the link between different departments and external suppliers.
If you serve food — eg by plating from a buffet or bringing ready-made dishes to table — the rules about food hygiene also apply to you. It is not a legal requirement to take a specific hygiene course but it is the company's responsibility to ensure that employees who handle food are instructed in food hygiene from the first day of work and to an extent that suits the task. The more you handle the food — eg when plating it — the more thorough the instruction must be.
Simple serving forms are about making it calm clean and in the right order — serve from the left or according to workplace practice clear away without unnecessarily disturbing the conversation and keep an eye on whether guests are missing something. Good service is like good cleaning: it is most noticed when it does not work.
“Company service is the glue that holds an ordinary working day together — without anyone thinking about it.”