Originally Posted by
Goldorak
No crowd at the moment, only a small line of 4-5 people eventually.
I believe this measure is here to stay for a while. Self-service buffets are a big potential source of germs propagation. You can expect the same measure in many lounges worldwide, when not already done (e.g. LH lounges which have currently no food at all apart packs of bretzels).
Sure, as far as health is concerned, it's a wise change.
That said, I had been wondering what they had in mind when started phasing out self-service in AMS Crown Lounges.
Is it to provide a superior customer experience? Your mileage may vary, but I find my patience quite diminished after a long haul flight, and having to wait & queue & ask for a glass of wine, then do it all over again for 3 meatballs (god forbid 4 end up in your plate or the extra one will be mercilessly removed, this is KLM after all) is not a pleasant experience when you've been up and traveling for 24+ hours.
Is it for cost-cutting reasons? I highly doubt food waste is a major cost while operating lounges, and the staff wages are probably higher than the few cents they save on Chicken Teryiaki for each plate. When cost-cutting, skipping food offering altogether makes way more sense (à la LH).