Customers are sensitive when it comes to the type of service they are being given. This is true for all businesses in general and hotels in particular. Different factors influence customer behavior (Gale 2004, p.18). Factors such as age, recent experiences with family members or the authorities can interfere with customer attitudes and emotions thus making them sensitive. To be on the safe side, hotel staff needs to do its room assignment, room checkout as well as offer other relevant services within the shortest possible time and in the best way (Venison 2005, P.7). Hotel Escargo seems to be having a major quality issue. Which is this main quality issue that Hotel Escargo is experiencing?
The major quality issue that Hotel Escargo has is a lack of fast customer service. The services given to customers are not carried out at the levels that are considered industry averages. This means they are of a lower value (Zimmerman 1997, p.98-99). From the information that is available, the industry or recommended time for checking in a guest who has come to a hotel should be four (4) minutes or less. This leaves the customer satisfied and the hotel’s image enhanced.
But Hotel Escargo employees take an average of four minutes and fifty-one seconds or four-point eight-five minutes (4.85 minutes). This is nearly five minutes, making it one whole minute above industry standards. Under checking for customers or guests, some cases took ridiculously long moments. Lenox, S an employee of Hotel Escargo broke the record by the widest margin with five hundred and seven (507) seconds or eight-point four-five (8.45) minutes. This is a long time that can potentially enrage guests and make them swear not to come back. Tired guests seeking a place to rest can also collapse as they wait for the slow check-in process.
If the checking-in process was that slow, was the checking-out any different? The results give us a saddening answer. The Hotel Escargo check-out time average was far above the industry average. The industry standards require two (2) minutes or less. Hotel Escargo went above this figure by one minute and seventeen seconds or seventy-seven seconds (77) to check a customer out. There was actually a unique case where an employee took four-point five-six minutes (4.56) or two hundred and seventy-four (274) seconds to check out a guest.
The delay does not stop at check-in and check out for Hotel Escargo. It is also present in the handling of issues associated with the change of rooms. Compared to the industry standard of six minutes or less, the Hotel Escargo had its change time off the roof. It was recorded at ten minutes and 29 seconds or six hundred and twenty-nine seconds. The highest recorded time was a whopping thirteen minutes and twenty-six seconds. Given this kind of scenario, what are the recommendations that can be made before employing quality tools?
After observing this type of scenario at Hotel Escaro, I will make a number of recommendations geared towards bringing about immediate changes that can remedy the time issue. The first recommendation is to subject the guest reception staff or front office staff to thorough training on guest handling. A special emphasis on time will be recommended as a way of dealing with the delay on an immediate basis.
This training will be followed by a short period of observation so as to see whether there is compliance with the new rules. Given that the Hotel will not be hiring and training new staff for the job, the already experienced and retrained employees will be expected to adjust immediately. The consequences of failure should also be made clear and I will further recommend those staff members who show a lack of ability to live up to standards even after retraining be relieved of their duties.
Another recommendation that I will make is that the hotel management carries out a survey with the intention of identifying and rectifying any system roadblocks that may be contributing to the delays. This survey should involve interviewing or gathering information from the staff members who are concerned with the check-in, check-out and room change processes. This should be carried out in an atmosphere of friendliness and professionalism so as to maximize cooperation (Johnson & Gustafsson2000, p.6).
How can quality management make a hotel more successful? There are a number of ways in which quality management can make a hotel successful. First, quality management will inspire the employees who will then do their best for the hotel. Nothing works best in a business-like motivated employee (Covey 1991, P.194-195). Secondly, quality management can also ensure that the services that a hotel gives to its customers are outstanding in terms of quality.
This will make the customers come back or recommend the hotel to other customers thus improving the business for the hotel. Thirdly, quality management will prudently manage the finances of the hotel. Well-managed finances mean that the hotel will not only meet its financial obligations such as paying employees’ salaries but also having the ability to expand its services (Collins 2001, p.28).
From the above, it is evident that time management in terms of fast check-in, check- out and change of room is where the Hotel Escargo has s problem. The employees take more time to check guests in, out and change rooms for them at a far higher timeline compared to industry standards. The recommendations that I can make on what needs to be done before employing quality tools is the retraining of the staff with an emphasis on time management, being ready to sack those who fail to meet standards even after retraining and investigating the system for any roadblocks. Quality Hotel management is what is required since it will improve the customer base through superior services, motivate workers and manage finances well.
References
Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and others Don’t. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc.
Covey, S. (1991). Principle-Centered Leadership. New York: Simon &Schuster.
Gale, B. (1994). Managing Customer Value: Creating Quality and Service That Customers Can See. New York: Free Press.
Johnson, M.D & Gustafsson, A. (2000). Improving Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Profit: An Integrated Measurement and Management System. New York: Jossey-Bass.
Venison, P. (2005). 100 Tips for Hoteliers: What Every Successful Hotel Professional Needs to Know and Do. New York: IUniverse Press.
Zimmerman, J.L. (1997). ‘EVA and Divisional Performance Measurement: Capturing Synergies and Other Issues’, Bank of America Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 10 (2), pp. 98–109.