The Guest Cycle in a Hotel

The guest cycle is the complete experience that a guest goes through in a hotel: from making the booking to departure. It comprises of four stages: Pre-arrival, Arrival, Occupancy and Departure.

PRE-ARRIVAL

The customer calls the hotel for a booking. The Operator transfers the call to the Reservations. How the Reservations Assistant handles the caller is very crucial. First, we need to ascertain whether a room is available or not. If the room is available, we can make the booking. We take all necessary details: Name of the guest, date of arrival, date of departure, Flight Details, whether transfers from the airport are required, type of room, type of meal plan, (Selling Skills), Contact Number, E-mail / Fax and payment details (cash / credit card). Any other requirements like a banquet or conference requirements could also be discussed. Immediately, a written confirmation is sent with all details discussed. This makes a world of a difference.

If we do not have the room, we may have to refuse the guest a room, but we can still retain the customer. “We do not have a room for you at the moment, but should we have some cancellations, we will come back to you. In the meantime, may I suggest some other hotels of a similar category in this area.” You have won the guest for the next visit!

ARRIVAL

The guests arrive at the airport. The Airport Representative receives them with a placard, guides to the vehicle, makes them comfortable and sends them to the hotel.

The Doorman, a smartly dressed person opens the door. The Bell Boys assist with the luggage.

The Receptionist welcomes the guests with a smile. Once the guests identify themselves (usually with their passport / credit card), their registration card with all details, which have been taken well in advance by the Reservations Assistant, are presented for their signature. The facilities of the hotel are explained in brief and the Bell Boy escorts to the room. There, the bell boy explains the features of the room to the guests.

OCCUPANCY

Once in the hotel, most of the guest interactions will take place with the Guest Relations. The GR people are one of the most crucial people in the hotel. It is, in fact, a great place to start a career in hospitality.

Requirements for a GR person:

- Well Groomed

- Good Communication Skills

- Willing to help

- Good sales person

- Good knowledge of the product

- Knowledge about the surroundings

- Knowledge about the Local Culture, Festivals, Traditions

- Guests will ask the most ridiculous questions, one should be prepared as far as possible.

While in the hotel, the guests will experience the various facilities in the hotel – Food and Beverage, Conference and Banquets, Laundry, Fitness Centre, Business Centre, Entertainment facilities; and knowingly / unknowingly form various impressions about the hotel which will lead to their decision to come back. This is the time to win the customer for repeat business.

DEPARTURE

At the time of departure, the guest returns to the Reception and returns the key. The bill is presented; the guest checks the bill, clarifies any doubts he / she may have and makes the payment. The check-out process should be completed as soon as possible.

Once the cashier gives the go-ahead to say the check-out is complete, the Bell boy assists with the luggage of the guest, the guest is driven to the airport.

After the guest leaves the hotel, a guest history is created with the likes and dislikes of the guest, the basic information about the guest, so that when the guest comes back, we know how to serve him / her best. (Do we need to offer the same room, should the room be close to the lift or far away, city facing or away from the city, higher floor / lower floor, meal requirements, any specific amenities in the room, food and beverage requirements, birthdays / anniversaries).

Thus, the guest cycle is completed. It is a very interesting process since every guest cycle is different based on their perceptions and expectations. This is what makes this industry so special!

Your CV

Experienced interviewers do not spend more than two minutes on a CV. Your CV needs to be different from the rest. Interviewers are looking to see if there is a fit in terms of your knowledge, skills, experience, capabilities and attitude.

If you have got far as the interview, it is likely that you have succeeded with your CV – atleast to an extent. The questioning process allows them to dig deeper and find out exactly how good a fit it really is.

Most people make a CV and send them to all prospective recruiters which is wrong. CV’s should be tailor made for each job opening and the content in each CV should change as per the requirement of the job.

The advertisement or job description will tell you more about how the CV should be finalized.

Here are some things to keep in mind when making a CV to improve chances for an interview:

Spelling and Grammar: If you cannot take the effort to write a CV correctly, the chances are that you will not take effort in your work either.

Clear structure and format: Keep it simple and sweet. Make sure facts and dates are correct. Use the same font throughout. Do not use underlining and do not have too much blank space on the page. Your CV should include a career statement (what you are looking for from the job), your name, education details, work history and references. Listing competency statements (like communication skills, teamwork, problem solving) with a short description that demonstrates your ability in each, increases your chances of getting an interview by 30%!

Don’t be too modest: Avoid the temptation to be too modest, but keep it real. Include all your achievements (e.g. Employee of the Month award, exceeding sales targets and winning promotion). If you have been involved in a project, make the outcome clear, people want to see if you complete things. Use positive strong words like ‘overcame’, ‘achieved’, ‘created’, ‘completed’, ‘organized’, ‘accomplished’.

Turn negative points into positives: If you think something on your CV could sound negative, turn it into a positive or leave it out altogether. Many recruiters look for continuity of employment and demonstrating steady growth up the corporate ladder.

Covering Letter: Covering letters are a great way to sell yourself and express your enthusiasm for the job. Keep the tone positive and limit the text to one page. Make sure the letter is tailored for the job you are applying for. If you send your letter and CV by e-mail, make sure your subject is self-explanatory.

Happy Job Hunting!!

Grooming for men

Proper business attire is about being professional and not about being fashionable. It's about presenting yourself in a way that makes your clients feel comfortable and confident with you. Following are few tips that men should consider while dressing up for business:

A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look. The shirt collar is very important as it frames the face. The sleeves of the shirt should stop at the wrist and the cuffs should not fall into the palm of the hand. Half sleeved shirts should hang loosely and reach half an inch above the elbow.

The legs of the trousers should not make folds over the shoe. The trouser leg should hang free and barely break over the instep when a person is in a natural easy standing position. Ideally, trousers should be short enough to look neat and long enough to cover the bare skin above the socks when they are hitched in a sitting position.

In business clothing, a printed, striped or checked shirt ought to be worn with plain trousers and vice versa. Printed shirts, however, should be avoided. A long sleeved shirt should always be buttoned at the cuffs. When wearing a shirt without a tie, only the top two buttons may be left undone.

Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the color and can make the difference between sleaze and suave. Wool and wool blend are the way to go for suit fabrics. Even in summers a lightweight wool fabric is good.

The jacket should be long enough to cover the seat entirely. When buttoned, the bottom of the jacket should be parallel to the floor from all sides. Generally, we use the top button only.

The sleeves of the jacket should expose about half an inch of the shirt cuffs when the arms hang loose and more when the arm is bent.

The collar of the jacket should fit low and close around the neck, and slightly expose the shirt collar at the back.

When the collar fits properly, it ensures that the lapels lie flat.

Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Try simple and subtle ties to enhance your credibility. Even if you have tied the most perfect knot, if it doesn’t have a perfect dimple just under the knot, it isn’t perfect! Sophisticated men and women notice a tie knot’s dimple. Ties should end within the area of the belt buckle (not above and not below).

Care of Clothes: Whatever one wears, it should always be well pressed, well brushed and scrupulously clean. The collar, if not laundered properly, will lose its shape. A suit that is ironed with a very hot iron gets an unattractive shine. Carelessly pressed trousers can get a wrong crease. When hanging a jacket, take care to see it is properly buttoned and that the collar and lapels are lying straight. Use padded hangers to keep jackets in shape. Hang air freshener sachets in the closet to keep clothing fresh and fragrant and slip perfume sachets in underwear shelves.

Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. Socks should be changed daily and those which have lost their elasticity or with holes must be discarded immediately. Thick sports socks must be worn with keds and sports shoes only.

Shoes should, without question, be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the best choice. Many people will look at your feet before your face. Shoe horns should be used to avoid bending the rear of the shoes.

Use only freshly laundered, good quality absorbent handkerchiefs. Some men like a handkerchief in the breast pocket. It is of the same material as the tie or of plain coloured matching silk. Before setting out anywhere, make sure the handkerchief points are neatly arranged in breast pocket. Men should refrain from straightening their handkerchiefs in public view.

Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes.

Men’s jewellery should be plain, masculine and functional. A smart pair of medium sized cuff-lings, a ring, a tie-pin and a good watch look nice on a person.

The wallet should be slim and should not bulge out. A bulging out wallet is an eyesore and very unflattering to the silhouette of a gentleman.

If carrying an attaché, it should be sleek and of polished leather.

The pen should be smart and of a good brand.

Hair, usually parted to one side, should not reach the top of your shirt collar. It should be brushed back and kept in place, if necessary with a styling gel or mousse. Men need to have their necks shaved, people do notice. And of course, the hair running out of the nose and ears!

A man should either be clean shaved or sport a neatly trimmed beard.

Men need to take care of their hands and feet too, not necessarily going for pedicures and manicures.

Under arm fresheners should be used for people (men and women) who sweat profusely.

People with bad breaths (Halitosis) should take adequate treatment. This is mainly due to decaying teeth or stomach troubles.

Do not pick your nose, burp or let off wind in public.

Tattoos and piercings should not be visible.

Remember’ dress for the audience, the circumstance, the corporate culture, and yourself.

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR HOTELS

A SWOT is an important tool in evaluating an organization, business or person and its environment: both internally (Strengths and Weaknesses) and externally (Opportunities and Threats).

As a hotelier in the Sales and Marketing field, SWOT worked as a foundation tool for our marketing plans, budgets, Food &Beverage promotions, rates revision, branding and positioning.

A Strength could be your USP's (Unique Selling Propositions), Brand Name, Location, History, Quality of Staff / Service, Ambience, Quality of Food Served, Facilities provided to clients.

A Weakness could be the Location of the property, damaged Reputation, Poor Training, Grooming Standards, Age of the property, Poor Maintenance, Undifferentiated Product or Service compared to your competitor, lack of Marketing Expertise.

An Opportunity could be a Developing Market like the internet / Networking, The Socio-Economic situation of the country, Life Style of local residents, Disposable Income, a new International Market, market vacated by a weak competitor, Mergers, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances.

A Threat could be new entrants in the market, new markets being developed, staff turnover, price wars with competitors, new taxation, competitors have superior channels of distribution.

So, good luck with your next Marketing Plan!