Introduction
The key purpose of this report is to improve the functioning of the training department in such a hotel as the Chalet View Lodge and align it with the strategic objectives of this company. At the present stage, the employees of this organization are not able to meet the standards of a highly competitive hospitality market. This includes the inability to interact and communicate with customers, especially foreigners, failure to meet their needs as soon as possible, and poor understanding of cultural diversity. It can be observed in different areas like in the work of administrators, restaurant personnel, hall porters, doorkeepers, and so forth. The management of Chalet View Lodge strives to win the satisfaction of the clients and strengthen the hotels position among other representatives of the hospitality industry in California, yet, currently, they fail to do it because the training staff does not utilize the experience of leading institutions.
The role of the training department
The mission statement of this department can be formulated in the following way: to raise the professional level of the hotels employees and train them to operate in the most challenging situations, which require linguistic, cultural, and psychological competence. The vision is to help Chalet View Lodge become one of the most popular hotels in California. The tasks are quite achievable because the organization has the financial capacity to improve its performance and increase its profitability. The core values of the department are shared by the major stakeholders (the owners of the hotel, clients, and employers). They are professionalism, responsibility, innovation, and attentiveness to the customers needs.
In order to carry out this task, the management has to allocate costs for training courses and seminars for the workers. This may involve the assistance of highly qualified instructors who major in various areas of hospitality management, namely teaching of foreign languages, psychology in the hospitality industry, catering service, the work of waiters, chefs, etc (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). The training programs may be conducted in the hotels assembly hall which is currently not occupied. In sum, this training program may cost of these courses can range from ten to twenty thousand dollars. Naturally, these expenses are rather substantial but they are not insurmountable for the organization. These training sessions can fully justify themselves only within a year after their completion. Provided that this action plan is successfully implemented it will position the Chalet View Lodge as a hospitality institution that genuinely cares for its visitors and strives to improve its services.
Limitations
The major limitation, in this case, is the development of an appropriate schedule (Patterson; 2003). Undoubtedly, it is hardly possible to put the staff off the duties for a long time. Hence, the training department has to split them into several groups, according to their profession. The second limitation is the skepticism of the management. The thing is that in such cases the exact return on investment (ROI) cannot be measured immediately at least by quantitative methods (Mager, 1998). This is why they may be reluctant to spend money.
Conclusion
This business plan can boost the popularity of the hotel only in the long run. In order to assess its effectiveness, it might be prudent to conduct surveys among customers (Patterson, 2003). This may outline the directions for further improvement. The outcome strongly depends on the willingness of the personnel to cooperate. This is why the management should provide motivation (monetary awards) to those employees who have achieved success in their training. The benefits of this policy will become obvious in only six or twelve-month, but they can immensely contribute to the continuous improvement of the Chalet View Lodge.
References
Patterson S. C (2003). The Training Manager’s Quick-Tip Sourcebook: Surefire Tools, Tactics, and Strategies to Solve Common Training Challenges. San Francisco: JosseyBass/Pfeiffer.
Mager. R (1998). What Every Manager Should Know About Training: An Insider’s Guide to Getting Your Money’s Worth From Training. Atlanta: CEP Press.
Wood R. C. Brotherton B (2008). The SAGE Handbook of Hospitality Management. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.