April FOCUS Guest Service: Health and Safety First
Though expectations are that hotels will return to some semblance of normalcy in 2021, their highest priority must continue to be the health and safety of guests and employees. To that end, hotels are training their guest service personnel in enhanced cleaning routines, which include the following practices - bathrooms, elevator buttons, remote controls and other high-touch items, are disinfected and cleaned with a higher frequency; all tables, chairs and menus in restaurants are cleaned at a much higher frequency, and after each seating; floor markers in public areas to remind guests and team members to maintain physical distance; hand alcohol stations and disposable gloves in lobbies and restaurants; loose items such as pens, note pads and information material removed from rooms and meeting rooms; limiting the number of seats in restaurants and public areas; and revised food & beverage offerings. The April issue of the Hotel Business Review will review how guest service personnel are being trained to maintain health and safety protocols in their operations.
Last month's feature articles...
Who could have predicted that the most desirable hotel amenity of 2021 would be a complimentary COVID-19 test? As the tourism industry bounces back, hotels and resorts across The Bahamas are reinventing the guest and guest service experience through innovation and adaptability, writes Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board CEO Fred Lounsberry. READ MORE
As hotels assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the biggest challenges they face is how to transition properties back to mainstream operation, while guarding the health of guests and staff alike. What if we commit to these learnings going forward and invest in the interventions that prioritize well-being for all? READ MORE
Luxury hotels are quite rightly very concerned about the first impression the guest gets on arrival and the importance of every "touchpoint" or experience-moment. Both of these strategies are probably misplaced: the arrival experience is less important in terms of influencing memories than the departure experience; and it is not necessary to focus on every touchpoint. READ MORE
In M&A transactions, it's important to understand the potential impact on the human capital in each of the companies involved, and to thus prioritize and plan for this factor from the outset. This article leverages highly relevant, first-hand experience to provide valuable insights for developing HR Best Practices for M&A that achieve optimal outcomes. READ MORE
Noiseless tremors are causing the erosion of the traditional employment model in the hospitality industry and this has gone unnoticed during this pandemic. The level and amount of experienced and educated hospitality executives will reach a historic low level in 2022 not seen since the recessions of the 1970s. READ MORE
As we look forward to reopening our hotels we clearly can't just expect employees to pick up where they left off. Many hotel employees may have been off work for anything from 4 months to maybe as long as a whole year. In this article I suggest how you can make the return to work as smooth as possible for all concerned, so your team come back energised, engaged, and effective from day one. READ MORE
Have you ever wondered what best practices help you and your team thrive? In this article, you'll find my personal perspective of what it takes to thrive based on being a business owner in the crazy entrepreneurial trenches for over 25 years. Nothing gives you insights like the emotional ups and downs, the failures, oversights, and the joy of thriving. READ MORE
Are you challenged onboarding new employees or keeping current employees trained on evolving information? Do you struggle how to upskill staff to maintain high guest service levels? This article simplifies the training function to teach any leader workforce learning tactics and strategies to continue staff develop. I am confident you can do this, and do it well, with these ideas. READ MORE
Covid happened, the industry is starting to adjust, and now what? While we don't know how soon things will get back to normal or if this is our new normal, what we do know is that travel is starting to pick back up. This means hotels need to restaff and reopen. Let's focus on how we can find the best talent and get our teams to thrive. READ MORE
The impact of 2020 will have a long term effect as millions of jobs were lost, hotels closed and businesses that depend on our industry were shuttered. This article shows how hiring managers can source and hire the very best candidates in this new environment. It will also give some guidance to job seekers on how to compete for the fewer positions that are available in this different employment landscape. READ MORE
Devastated from COVID-19, our current focus is a return to normalcy. We terminated millions globally. Those who remain are tired and worn. Our mad rush to terminate left sentiments of distrust, distaste, and dissatisfaction. Future potential employees are encouraged to steer clear. Without a "call to action" on recruitment/ employee satisfaction we face rough waters ahead for talent acquisition. READ MORE
As we seek diverse individuals to fill our organization's ever evolving human capital needs, we also need to ensure that we hire individuals that are a good fit for our organization. In this article we highlight the traps leaders need to avoid and how to look for similarity in value that helps them find candidates with good fit. READ MORE
Can a virtual interview be enough to hire senior executives without meeting them face to face? Can a brand entice top talent to join based on a Zoom call? Florian Kittler from HVS Executive Search explores how virtual recruiting is becoming the new form and why hospitality companies should revisit their biggest strength and incorporate it into their hiring process. READ MORE
What kind of support should a hotel executive receive from their HR team in 2021? And what kind of support should they expect their HR team to expect from them? Find out from an expert how HR has changed over the past 40+ years, how you should change with it, and how all will benefit along the way! READ MORE
Psychology says that decision-making is complicated by a "speed-accuracy" trade-off. This issue becomes more salient as the post-pandemic "rebound and recovery" period approaches. Many organizations will need to increase their talent bench-strength quickly to meet pent-up demand. New psychometric research and AI-technologies confront the traditional trade-off by facilitating more efficient and effective hiring decisions than ever possible before. READ MORE
One theory about the pandemic states that future viruses are more likely to originate and flourish due to global warming. If true, the urgency to accelerate the adoption of eco-friendly practices is greater than ever. Of course, there are many other reasons to create a sustainable operation, including reduced utility costs, savings on operational costs, healthier and happier guests and employees, and positive publicity, marketing and community goodwill. Many hotels are introducing innovative programs into their operations - from recycling bins in guest rooms to starting a roof top garden. Other hotels are using eco-friendly cleaning products, reusing towels and sheets, sourcing locally grown food, supporting the use of electric vehicles, and permitting guests to refill their reusable water bottles with clean, filtered water. Finally, some hotels are encouraging guests to get involved by making it possible for them to participate in local community clean-up projects. The May issue of the Hotel Business Review will document what some hotels are doing to integrate sustainable practices into their operations and how they are benefiting from them.
