Hotelier Goodies To Know
HOTEL MANAGER or hotelier as defined is a person who handles the everyday function and management of a hotel. Larger hotels often have management teams, instead of individual managers, where each member of the group begins to specialize on a certain area of interest. So in handling a hotel, no matter how high class and exclusive it may be unpredictably results in sometimes dramatic and always memorable experience.
For those who plan in getting into the Hotel management business, here are some insights into the industry along with some guidelines to follow and pointers to digest:
- Hotels come in all shapes and sizes. There are ten room hotels and those that have over three-thousand rooms. There are skycraper rooms, and there are basement bungalows and one-floor motels.
- Hotels have different personalities and compositions. It varies on its location’s culture and tradition.
- Hotels key component is no other than Customer Service. Though every hotel whether it’s in the Philippines, Korea or in any country differs in compositions and personalities, they would still meet on one thing and that is the Customer Service.
Customer Service
Also known as Client Service, is the provision of service to customer before, during and after a purchase. In a hotel business it’s unpredictable and at times, zany, because you are dealing with unpredictable personalities, with customers.
It is facilitated, first and foremost, by an accommodating staff. The staff must be friendly. Some hotels believe in this creed so much that part of the hiring process is counting the number of times a person smiles. Friendliness of the staff can be almost as important as the actual accommodations to some people. Friendliness is great, but must be coupled with professionalism. The staff must always have clean and tidy uniforms—the first impression is the lasting impression in the hotel business. All staff should be practiced in the art of answering the phone politely and professionally, and should be aware of rates, room availability, and any specials running. Every staff member should be prepared to tackle any challenge or task that may occur—from a clogged sink to a financial audit. A successful operation in the customer service department relies on go-getters who will do their best to tackle any problem that gets in the way of a customer’s enjoyment.
Guests are not always on their best behavior, but the staff must be; it is their job. Particularly during stressful times of the year—the holiday season, tax season, the heat of the summer—people tend to get irritated and impatient. It is the job of your staff to accommodate even the nastiest of customers. Patience and a smile should be met with harshness and rudeness, even when it is very difficult to do so.
The staff must also be prepared for strange scenarios to occur. Embarrassing room lock-outs resulting in the eviction of a towel-wrapped patron in the hallway at 3am, credit card failures, not to mention some of the interesting items left in the hotel rooms and placed in the lost and found. The staff of a hotel must have patience and professionalism, but must also have a sense of humor. Aside from humor, however, you need personnel with an eye for detail. From cleaning rooms to an impeccable state to constantly mopping the floors, the hotel staff must be prepared to clean, clean, clean. Even the office workers should be handy with a broom and dustpan for supreme customer satisfaction.
In addition to a versatile staff a hotel needs an efficient and functioning administration system. Whether you have ten or ten thousand rooms, your hotel must have the proper reservation system. Though computer software for this aim is expensive, investing in a system is crucial. The Micros system is a great system to use for any size hotel. This computer system allows you to make reservations, set-up house accounts, and makes the billing and receiving process easy.
Another component of a successfully run hotel is an organized housekeeping operation. Linens and cleaning supplies should be ordered on a routine basis based on use and need. Linens should always be fresh and must be thrown away when and if they become dingy or discolored. Shabby materials are unprofessional and will deter customers from a return visit. The linen room should be maintained in an orderly fashion. Linens should be sorted and stowed in their proper places directly after cleaning and drying. Cleaning supplies should be labeled and stowed properly as well. Organization is the key to running an efficient business, particularly a hotel business.
While you may have all the components that make up a functioning hotel, you need to actually get customers to visit. Advertising is another facet that can be challenging in the hotel business. Internet advertising through sites can pay off in a society that is now, more than ever, glued to the computer. Other forms of popular advertising include billboards, fliers, newspaper ads, magazine bits, and of course, word of mouth. The best advertisements are the words of satisfied customers, so do not lose track of the importance of treating your guest like a king or queen.
