HOSPITALITY

Concept of Hospitality

The generous and cordial provision of services to a guest is at the heart of

our industry. These services, in the hotel industry, can include room
accommodations, F & B, meeting facilities, reservations, information hotel
services, information on local attractions, etc.

Hospitality is a very subjective concept, and the degree of hospitality a guest

perceives has implications for the overall financial success of the hotel.

Guests’ who feel they are not treated with respect or have not received full
value for their money will seek out others who they believe do provide hospitality.

Hospitality ethics

The term "Hospitality Ethics" is used to refer to two different, yet related, areas of
study:

1. The philosophical study of the moral obligations that hold in hospitality

relationships and practices.
2. The branch of business ethics that focuses on ethics in commercial
hospitality and tourism industries.

Whereas Ethics goes beyond describing what is done, in order to prescribe

what should be done; Hospitality Ethics prescribes what should be done in matters
related to hospitality. Hospitality theories and norms are derived through a critical
analysis of hospitality practices, processes, and relationships; in various cultures
and traditions; and throughout history. Ultimately, hospitality theories are applied,
and put to practice in commercial and non-commercial settings.

As a standard of conduct, hospitality has been variously considered

throughout history as a law, an ethic, a principle, a code, a duty, a virtue, etc. These
prescriptions were created for negotiating ambiguous relationships between guests,
hosts, citizens, and strangers. Despite its ancient origins and ubiquity amongst
human cultures, the concept of hospitality has received relatively little attention
from moral philosophers, who have tended to focus their attention on other ethical
concepts, e.g. good, evil, right, and wrong.
 Yet hospitality as a moral imperative, or ethical perspective, preceded many
other prescriptions for ethical behavior: In ancient Middle Eastern, Greek and
Roman cultures, the Ethic of Hospitality was a code that demanded specific kinds
of conduct from both guests and hosts. One example: Chivalry required men of
station to offer food and lodging to any men of station that requested it.

In many ways, these standards of behavior have survived into the present
day in the commercial hospitality industry, where descendents of the ancient ideas
continue to inform current standards and practices.

Hospitality Ethics in Practice

Ethics in commercial hospitality settings. Applied ethics is the branch of Ethics

which investigates the application of our ethical theories and judgments. There are
many branches of Applied Ethics: Business ethics, professional ethics, medical
ethics, educational ethics, environmental ethics, and more.

Hospitality Ethics is a branch of Applied Ethics. In practice, it combines

concerns of other branches of Applied Ethics, such as business ethics,
environmental ethics, professional ethics, and more. For instance, when a local
hospitality industry flourishes, potential ethical dilemmas abound: What effect do
industry practices have on the environment? On the host community? On the local
economy? On citizens' attitudes about their local community; about outsiders,
tourists, and guests? These are the kinds of questions that Hospitality Ethics, as a
version of Applied Ethics, might ask.

Since Hospitality and tourism combine to create one of the largest service
industries in the world, there are many opportunities for both good and bad
behavior, and right and wrong actions by hospitality and tourism practitioners.
Ethics in these industries can be guided by codes of conduct, employee manuals,
industry standards (whether implicit or explicit), and more.

Though the World Tourism Organization has proposed an industry-wide

code of ethics, there is presently no universal code for the hospitality industry.
Various textbooks regarding ethics in commercial hospitality settings have been
published recently, and are currently used in hospitality education courses.

Hospitality in India
 India is one of the oldest civilizations on earth, and like every culture has its
own favorite stories including quite a few on hospitality. That of a simpleton
readily sharing his meager morsels with an uninvited guest, only to discover that
the guest is a God in disguise, who rewards his generosity with abundance. That of
a woman who lovingly cooks up all the Khichdi she can afford, for everyone who
is hungry... till one day when she runs out of food for the last hungry person to
whom she offers her own share, and is rewarded by the god in disguise with a
never ending pot of Khichdi. Most Indian adults having grown up listening to these
stories as children believe in the philosophy of "Atithi Devo Bhava", meaning the
guest is God. From this stems the Indian approach of graciousness towards guests
at home, and in all social situations.

Importance of Hospitality

Hospitality is a very important consideration for both the guest and the hotel
entrepreneur. Every guest expects and deserves hospitable treatment. Providing
hospitality to meet the guests’ needs involves not only a positive attitude but an
array of services that make the guests’ stay enjoyable.

The success or failure in providing hospitality often determines the success

or failure of the hotel. Capitalizing on opportunities to provide hospitality is
essential. The failure to make the most of these chances directly affects the hotel’s
financial success.

It often happens that a guest who is not treated with hospitality will choose
to do business with a competitor and may also influence others not to try your hotel
for the first time or not to continue to do business with you.

E.G.: if a hotel does not provide the desired level of service to 10 guests in a given
day, only 1 of the guest will bring the complaint to the attention of the hotel staff.
If the complaint is resolved quickly, this person will almost surely do business
again with the hotel. He / she will also have occasion to influence 5 people to use
your hotel. On the other hand, 9 guests who did not bring their complaints to the
attention of the hotel staff will probably not do business with the hotel again, and
each of them may approximately 20 people – a total of 180 people will hear their
negative account of the hotel. If this model is extended to cover a whole year of
dissatisfied guest, 68, 985 people will have a negative impression of the hotel
({180 people told + 9 original dissatisfied customers} * 365 days in a year), and
2190 will have a positive impression ({5 people told + 1 original satisfied
customer} * 365 days in a year).
Managing the Delivery of Hospitality

It is not enough for the front office manager to decide that the members of
the front office staff should provide good service and display hospitality to guests.
To provide satisfactory hospitality to all guests at all times, front office managers
must develop and administer a service management program, which highlights a
company’s focus on meeting customers’ needs and allows a hotel to achieve its
financial goals. This program must be based on sound management principles and
the hotel’s commitment to meeting those needs.

Management’s Role

This may seem an odd place to start a discussion of delivering hospitality.

After all, aren’t the front desk clerks, switchboard operators, and bellhops the
people who meet and greet guests and fulfill their needs at the front desk?

Yes, these employees do provide hospitality directly, but management must

work behind the scenes to develop a plan that ensures that the employees’ efforts
are continuous and professional.

For example, management may decide to implement one or two specific,

immediate changes on learning that a guest’s needs have been overlooked.
Management may feel that the negative impact of the rude, lazy, or careless
employee has unnecessarily caused bad public relations. If a group of employees is
not performing to management’s standards, the cumulative effects of the group
will be perceived negatively by guests. This negative impression will take a toll in
the long run. Although one or two directives may correct an individual guest’s
problems, that hotel will reap only short-lived gains. A comprehensive program
aimed at meeting the needs of a hotel’s prime market—guests who continue to do
business with the hotel – provides the foundation for long-term successful delivery
of hospitality. This is what will make a hotel profitable.

Management’s commitment to a service management program must be as

integral to the organization as effective market planning, cost-control programs,
budgeting, and human resources management. In fact, service management is the
most visible responsibility because it affects all the other objectives of the hotel.
Often the people in staff positions in hotels become so involved with their day-to-
day paper shuffling and deadlines that they forget why they are in business. They
may not necessarily mean to forget, but it happens all too often. Service
management ensures that there is a commitment to a long – range effort by
appointing someone within the organization to be responsible for developing,
organizing, and delivering it.

The aim of any establishment must be to extend the same degree of

hospitality to a guest who arrives on a busy Monday morning and to a guest who
arrives on a slow Saturday night. Management’s ideological and financial
commitment, along with the organizational efforts of the front office manager, will
ensure that both of these guests are treated equally.

The Service Strategy Statement

To produce an effective service management program, management must

devise a Service strategy statement which is a formal recognition by management
that the hotel will strive to deliver the products and services desired by the guest in
a professional manner. To accomplish this management must first identify the
guest’s need.

A. Identification of guest needs based on the customer’s view point

1. Quick and efficient delivery of products and services

2. Avoid long lines
3. Information on hotel and immediate vicinity
4. Product performance
5. Security in the hotel

B. Identification of guest needs

1. Care and concern from service providers

2. Spontaneity – people are authorized to think
3. Problem solving – people can work out the intricacies of the problems
4. Recovery – will anybody make a special effort to set a problem right?

In addition to certain recognizable products and services delivered at a

certain speed and level of quality, guest expects employee to accept to accept the
responsibility for resolving the problems. The guest should not encounter
unconcerned staff or be bounced from employee to employee in order to have a
problem solved. Management must develop a staff that can think and solve
problems.
 This dimension to service strategy statement will make the delivery of
professional hospitality a challenge!!!!!!!!

Developing the Service Management Program

Employee involvement in planning a service management program is as

important as obtaining a financial commitment from owners in establishing such a
program. Too often, when the employees are not included in the planning stages,
they look at the final plan and remark. In many cases, service is perceived as just
another fancy concept proposed by management. Management needs to address
that attitude from the outset. When employees are involved early, they are much
more likely to buy into the program, since they are already a part of it.

Review of guest cycle

Guest cycle comprises of 5 basic and important things.

1. Pre-arrival
2. Arrival
3. Occupancy
4. Departure and
5. Post- departure

Once the members of the planning committee have been chosen, the next
step is to analyze the guest perception of the hospitality system. (pg no. 318 - 319)

Once the management has identified what the guest wants, it can develop a
service strategy statement. The statement should include:

 A commitment from top-level ownership and management that service is a top

priority in the company.
 A commitment to develop and to administer a service management program
 A commitment to train employees to deliver service efficiently
 A commitment of financial resources to develop incentives for the employees
who deliver the services

These directives will serve as guidelines in the development of a service

management program and force the management to think of service as a long range
effort and not as a quick fix.
The Moments Of Truth

One of the essential elements in every business is to recognize where the

Moments of Truth are for your guest. One could make a case that every moment is
a crucible which may tip the consumer up or down the Raving Fandom Ladder,
which looks something like this:

Every business needs a Brand Story, a linear description of the ideal branded
experience. Within that story are the critical Moments of Truth that drive it. These
are the ones with which to start. Regardless of your business, I suggest you have at
least five Moments of Truth. They are captured by these sentences:

 "Hello, come on in."

 Welcome, what can I do for you?
 I will do what it takes to make this experience WOW.
 Thank you.
 Good bye and come back soon.

Look at these five moments beyond the social niceties, which, by the way, are
powerful unto themselves. Look at them through the brand prism.

Hello

This is the shorthand used to staking your brand purpose and values into the
sand. "Hello" isn't just a means of greeting, but a way to establish your brand's
essential attitude toward your guest. I don't care what has happened to your guest
prior to "Hello". When done properly, it will change poison into ambrosia and be a
catalyst to lift your guest up the Ladder of Raving Fandom.
What are the brand benefits of "Hello"?

"Hello" gives the functional brand benefit of starting the brand journey; the
place a guest transitions from 'what has come before' to a new reality. A hello that
is genuine and consistently offered eases the guest through that transition. We
often think that it is only kids who have trouble with transitions. Don't kid yourself.
We grown-ups have just gotten slicker at hiding our anxiety.

"Hello" also offers the emotional brand benefit of confirming that emotional
state your guest is really seeking, the one that supersedes the mechanical gain of a
particular product or service. Think of Starbucks, whose emotional brand benefit is
all about enhancing and deepening their guests' feelings. Their Starbucks is a
refuge, a Safe Place from the madness of the Outside World. It's not about the
coffee.

Lastly, it is an opportunity to make an aspiration brand benefit hit home.

For Lexus, "Hello" can connote not just the emotion of elegance and luxury, but of
"Having made it and living the Good Life".

Note that the way a person says hello is affected by the brand's context and
context. The "Hello" in Tiffany's has a materially different feel from that in a
Cracker Barrel.

Welcome, what can I do for you?

Here the initial emotional impact of 'Hello' (remember we're fighting to

penetrate the amygdale) is broadened, deepened, giving you the chance to expand
your hospitality from the handshake of 'hello' to the spread arms of 'welcome'. It's a
Moment of Truth, where you take this basic social nicety and up the ante. Have it
pack a wallop. When Harley says "Welcome", it's to the promise of a ride on the
open road with brothers and sisters. "Welcome" is never just "Welcome", but an
invitation for your guest to enter your brand's story, in all its color and glory. The
"What can I do for you" is the natural follow through as you want the guest to
know that they are Captains on this trip. The fastest way to the brain's brand central
is to have it feel like it's in control.

I will do what it takes to make this experience WOW.

Here's where the overture of Hello and Welcome is followed by the Show.
This Moment of Truth is long, indeed. But the key is responding to the guest's
essential emotional and aspiration benefit needs, rather than only the functional.
Many operators spend much of their time with their 'actors' focusing on the
mechanics of this portion of the Brand Story, but not on the emotion. Mechanics
are important, no doubt. A WOW brand is premised on superior product and
service as a pre-requisite. The real WOW, the propulsion to lift a guest up the
Ladder of Raving Fandom, is rooted in the attitude that you are committed to doing
what it takes to make the experience WOW — defined in whatever branded
emotional and aspiration way you've devised. If I feel you care that I have a WOW
experience, I will overlook a good deal of human frailty.

Thank you.

Few businesses say "thank you". The several that do, tend to wait until
you're on your way out. You're missing a golden opportunity to WOW. When I get
the bill, it is a Moment of Truth. Here the guest makes an instantaneous evaluation
of all that has come before. It is rife with pure emotion, the kind that goes to the
amygdale and has a party. I would venture to say that if consumers were wired up
so their chemical brain activity was recorded; this Moment of Truth would rank
high on the Richter scale. Take this moment and acknowledge the exchange of
money and thank the guest for their patronage.

Whatever may actually occur at 'check time', recognizing your guest's

payment at the moment they give you their cash or credit card is a mighty potent
act of thanksgiving.

Good bye and come back soon.

Here, the brand story gains closure and the brain's pleasure center recalibrate
its feeling toward your brand. It is a moment where you can intensify the golden
feelings of delight you hope to have created for them. It is a moment they recertify
(or not) the emotional and aspiration benefits they sought in buying your brand. At
the Ritz, it isn't just good manners, but affirmation that I am royalty — at least for
that moment.

There are plenty of other Moments of Truth to look at, but I suggest you take
these five to heart and really consider how each fits into your brand's story and
reflect your Guiding Principles. By revisiting and, perhaps more powerfully
imbuing your brand's mechanical, emotional and aspiration brand benefits into
these five Moments of Truth, you have a shot at elevating your guest up a rung or
two, toward Raving Fandom.
 A Moment of Misery is created each time you fail to meet the customer's
expectations. Often, Moments of Misery result in damaging and highly persuasive
negative word-of-mouth advertising and customer defection.

A Moment of Misery is created every time you:

 Tell a customer "No" without first telling them what you can do
 Quote policy
 Fail to follow-up/follow through
 Make the customer tell and retell their story with unnecessary transfers
 Respond to complaints with an accusatory or interrogatory style
 Refuse to take responsibility for problems
 Fail to apologize to customers
 Tell a customer they are wrong - even when they are wrong
 Cut a customer off
 You only get one Moment of Truth with customers. What will it be?

A Moment of WOW is created when you exceed the customer's

expectations. Service must be truly outstanding and service providers have to go
"Beyond WOW" to create the Moment of WOW. Moments of WOW create a
profitable base of loyal customers, which results in growth, increased profits, and
lasting value. (For hundreds of ideas on how to create Moments of WOW, pick up
my brand new book, Beyond WOW by going to Beyond WOW.)

Employee Buy – In Concept

In other words it means the kind of hospitality service is being delivered to the
guest.

To have a high standard of service it is necessary to create and maintain a

motivating environment in which service people can find personal reason for
committing their energies to the benefit of the customer. People commit their
energies to the extent that what they do brings them what they want. What they
want may be psychological – a feeling, a status, or an experience. Or it may be
material – greenbacks are an excellent form of feedback. “In any case the job of
the management is to engineer a motivating environment.”
 In short, a consistently high level of service will be provided only by the
employees who are committed to the service management program.

This commitment is fostered by management. It is such commitment that

allows the front desk clerk to tell the newly registered guest about the special
musical combo group playing in the lounge or to ask how the traffic coming in
from the airport was or to suggest consulting the concierge in the lobby for
directions to points of interest in the city.

Screening Employees Who Deliver Hospitality

Another factor to consider in developing a service management program is

the employee character traits needed to provide hospitality. When evaluating
candidate for front line service positions, interviews should be structured to screen
out employees who are not able or willing to deal with the demands of the guest
service. Questions that determine whether candidates display maturity and self –
esteem, are articulate, possess social grace, and have a high level of tolerance for
continued guest contact can be discussed in group sittings.

According to Albrecht and Zemke "A service person needs to have at least
an adequate level of maturity and self esteem. He or she needs to be reasonably
articulate, aware of the normal rules for social context, and be able to say and do
what is necessary to establish rapport with a customer and maintain it. And third,
he or she needs to have a fairly high level of tolerance for contact."

Training for Hospitality

Part of a service management program involves employee training to deliver

hospitality and the key to making training pay off is knowing what we want the
trainees to be able to do when they have finished the program. An effective
training process starts with a performance analysis. We must analyze the various
jobs to be done in serving the customer well, and then spell out the knowledge,
attitudes, and skills required of the person doing the job.

1. Identify skills and character traits required to do a particular job.

2. Helps in choosing right candidate for the job
3. Helps in assigning tasks to employees by matching their abilities

Screening for Hospitality Qualities

Basis for the Job Interview to Screen for Hospitality Qualities:

 Job description
 Questions on an Outgoing Personality – What did you like about your
experience on your vacation?
 Questions on Patience – Tell me about the last time you volunteered
with an organization.
 Questions on Ability to Accept Constructive Criticism – When your
department didn’t meet their goal, how did your supervisor handle the
situation?
 Questions on Interest in Selling – Have you ever helped out with a
local charity in raising funds?

Evaluating the Service Management Program

Any program requires methods for evaluating whether the program has
successfully achieved its goals. The more research put into identifying the
components of the guest service cycle for a specific hotel property, the more
effective managers and employees will be in evaluating service delivery.

Customer comment cards provide one of the ways hotel management and
staff can receive feedback. However not all satisfied or dissatisfied guest complete
these cards. One other method that can be used to obtain useful feedback is by
having frontline staff, such as a desk clerk; inquire about the guest’s visit during
checkout, but simply asking “Was everything alright?” is not sufficient. If the
guest folio indicates the guest charged for meals, beverages, room service, long
distance calls, or valet services, the front desk clerk should inquire about the
delivery of service for each of them.

All feedback must be communicated to the frontline employee for continuous

improvement of service.

1. Use moments of truth as identifiers.

2. Use of customer comment cards.
3. Direct inquiry by front desk clerk during check out.
4. Immediate inquiry as the service is being provided.

Follow-Through
 Vital to any service program is the continued implementation of the program
over time. In the hospitality industry, continued implementation can be very
difficult. A hotel operates every hour of every day, and innumerable jobs are
involved in keeping it running smoothly and profitably. Management can begin a
service management program with the best of intentions, but too often it is dropped
or neglected in the day – to – day furry of operations.

Management is the key to implementing an effective guest service program.

The commitment to hospitality is not a casual one; it requires constant attention,
research, training, and evaluation. Only with this commitment can a hotel ensure
hospitality every day for every guest.

Empowerment

It is a management’s act of delegating certain authority and responsibility to

front line employees, those people who deliver service to guests as front desk
clerks, cashiers, switchboard operators, bellhops, concierge, and housekeeping
employees – is one of the rudiments of service management programs.

The process of empowering employees requires front office managers to

analyze the flow of guest services and determine how the frontline staff interacts
with the guest.

Developing an Orientation Program

 Orientation Process – introduces new hires to the organization and work

environment and is vital in providing employees with background information
about the property.

 Economic Position of the Property in the Community

Ranking of employer in the area
Ranking of tax dollars generated by employees
Significance of tourism market
Number of conventions
Number of visitors

 Overview of the Lodging Establishment

 Guest Rooms (location, content, floor plan, and printed summary)
 Service Areas (restaurants, banquet facilities, room services, lounges, pool,
athletics rooms, and gift shops; hours of operation)
  Organization Chart (names, titles, and responsibilities)
 Tour of the Property (guest rooms, guest room areas, major departments,
service areas and recreational facilities)

Developing a Training Program

1. Identification of Tasks and Job Management

2. Preparation of Step-by-step Procedures
3. Management Concepts – stress management, time management, and
organizational skills

Steps in the Training Process

1. Preparation: Get Ready

2. Delivery: Show Me
3. Trial and Error: Let me Do It
4. Follow-up: Check My Progress

Administering a Training Program

Flexible training session schedules

Content preparation and duplication of training materials
Progress charts maintained and displayed

Cross-Training

Cross – training: training employees for performing multiple tasks and jobs.
Must be built into a job description and pay rate (labor union contract for possible
non-contractual duties must be considered)

An Example of Service Management Program

“Hilton Pride Program” is one which recognizes exceptional hotel performance

and customer satisfaction.

The performance criteria include the following:

1. Customer satisfaction tracking studies

2. Guest comment card responses
3. Mystery shopper evaluations
4. Team member surveys
5. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciations, and amortization)
6. Room RevPAR
7. RevPAR Index
8. Brand management and product standard.