Introduction
The Dorchester is one of the top hotel brands in the United Kingdom. Located in the affluent Mayfair area of West London, this five-star hotel is popular among the rich and powerful in the United Kingdom and Europe. Although it was built in 1931, the management has been keen on improving its standards to meet the emerging tastes and preferences (Spillett et al. 2018).
The firm has been keen on training his employees to ensure that they understand the needs of customers in a market that is highly becoming diversified. When the hotel first opened its doors on April 18, 1931, its customers were exclusively the rich whites, especially those from Europe and North America (Marriage 2018). However, that has changed significantly over the years. It is now receiving customers from all over the world. Other than the Europeans and the North Americans that still form the majority of its customers, the hotel is also receiving Africans, Chinese, and Arabs. The tastes and preferences of Europeans and North Americans vary from that of the Chinese and Japanese. Similarly, the Africans have a different taste from that of the Arabs.
According to Davies and Asthana (2018), The Dorchester has done an excellent job in ensuring that it meets its clients’ tastes and preferences despite the variation. The ability of this company to meet these varying needs is reflected in its diversified workforce. The company has employees from Europe, China, Japan, Africa, and the Middle East. The diversified workforce enables the hotel to understand the preferences of its customers. The diversity also makes the visitors feel comfortable whenever they visit the facility.
As Shammas and Wheatstone (2018,) observe, it is homely for a visitor from Africa to be served by an African waitress. It is an assurance to such a customer that although the hotel is located in London, it has embraced a global culture and has a global image. Despite these impressive attributes that have put this hotel at the highest standards in the hospitality industry, some weaknesses exist that the management must not ignore. According to Pratley (2018), sometimes the weaknesses may help in increasing customer flow and profitability at the moment, but in the long run the impact may be devastating. In this report, the focus is to identify a reputation driver that shows this brand is underperforming and to find ways in which the weakness can be addressed to ensure that the reputation of The Dorchester is restored.
Review of a Reputation Driver that Shows the Brand Underperforms
The Dorchester is one of the few five-star hotels in London that regularly organises charity fundraising events to help the needy within the United Kingdom and the rest of the world (Merrick 2018). The event has been going on for the last 33 years, and the funds have helped not only locally but also in other countries, especially in parts of Asia and Africa where problems such as severe food shortage, an outbreak of manageable but dangerous diseases, and tribal fights are common.
The rich assemble at the hotel every year with the primary goal of donating funds to help the needy. The event has endeared the hotel to many leading charitable organisations in Europe and North America. Given its limited workforce and specialisation, this company does not take the donations directly to the needy people around the world. It works closely with charitable organisations to ensure that they have access to these resources. It is a mutually beneficial undertaking for all who are involved.
The donors who attend such events regularly get the opportunity to change lives of those who are suffering around the world without having to visit some of these volatile regions around the world. It gives them psychological satisfaction when they see organisations such as the Red Cross going to these war-torn regions and helping the sick and those who are in dire need of food using their donated resources (Berlin 2017). They feel their presence and effort every time a person is rescued from dangers and sufferings in these regions. It is satisfying that they can do a lot by just attending such events in a comfortable hotel such as The Dorchester. To the charitable organisations, these events offer a perfect opportunity to collect funds that they need to help people all over the world. It enables them to come to physical contact with the donors and to explain to them how their resources will be spent. Such events create a good rapport between donors and charitable organisations.
The event has immense benefits the hotel. In such forums, the hotel gets an opportunity to showcase its unique products to the customers. Receiving 300 guests with a potential of making regular purchases at the facility reduces the burden of using mass and social media to promote the brand. The firm only needs to ensure that it offers the best products and services that will convince these guests to visit the facility severally even after the event (Khomami 2016). When these guests stay at this facility, they end up making other expenses that have financial benefits to the firm. Although the intention of organising these events is noble, several stakeholders have come out strongly to condemn some practices that they view are improper for such a firm of high reputation.
The hotel has been accused of sexism by various stakeholders in the recent past. These stakeholders feel that the hotel is exploiting its female employees, especially during such major events, to make a sexual appeal to its customers (Stringer 2017). These stakeholders feel that the management is making negative progress in the effort to ensure that both men and women are treated with dignity when they are in the workplace. The reputation driver that will be explored in this paper, and which shows that this brand is underperforming, is the sexist culture that the firm has embraced.
How the Firm Embraces Sexist Culture
According to Elgot (2014), The Dorchester is one of the most respected brands in the hospitality market. The annual charity fundraising events and the excellent services that it offers to its customers have enabled it to develop a strong brand in the market. However, the brand may be affected by the recent claims by some of the customers that the company is embracing the sexist culture. The complaint is that the company is slowly introducing a new dress code that depicts women as sex objects, something that the society has been fighting for the last fifty years. According to Marsh (2016), the use of sex appeal to attract customers is a common and popular marketing strategy that has been in use for decades. The auto industry uses this strategy whenever a new model of car is introduced. The practice has been common in many sporting events, including Olympics and FIFA World Cups.
In the hospitality industry, the strategy has been used widely to attract customers. Rambal (2017) says that there is a thin line that separates the right use of masculinity and femininity and its wrong use. A lingerie company can use femininity to advertise its products and demonstrate their beauty and superiority. It is largely considered normal if such a lingerie company shows images of beautiful women in briefs.
There is no any other way in which these companies can advertise their products to show how they fit when worn (Molino 2017). It is rare to find cases where human rights activists complain about such advertisements. Companies such as Victoria’s Secret use that strategy in television commercials, magazines, newspapers, and in the social media. However, Aires (2015) notes that feminism is often abused when employees are forced to dress provocatively to please customers.
It is important to understand the difference between having models who pose for photos wearing briefs at Victoria’s Secret and having female employees at the Dorchester dressing provocatively. Victoria’s Secret has both male and female models that are trained in what they do. They love their job, and most of the cases have no problem posing in these briefs because it is what they expect. The models at the lingerie companies pose for cameras. Whether it is a photo being taken or a small film for television commercials being recorded, these models are always in a private room where they are guaranteed of security from any form of harassment. That is not the case with waiters and waitresses at hotels. Most of these waitresses are always comfortable wearing provocative dresses when serving guests.
According to Biron (2017), these guests are complete strangers. The employees do not know what they are capable of when they are subjected to such provocative dress codes. Sometimes the waitresses have to attend to these visitors in such dresses in their rooms. The hotel may have systems and structures that can protect these employees from rape. However, nothing can protect them from sexist comments and verbal harassments. The patrons may develop a wrong impression that the mode of dressing of these waitresses means that they can also meet their sexual desires. Groping is the most common complaint that female employees report when they are forced to dress provocatively. Others complain about the comments made by the customers about their dress, being sexy, and other services they can offer in the private rooms.
It is emotional torture to these women even if the management of The Dorchester has put mechanisms to protect women from any physical harm. The constant negative comments are frustrating to employees. It makes them feel inferior while at work. Unless the hotel is fitted with voice recorders, which is hardly the case because it can easily drive away customers who value privacy in their discussion, it is not possible to prove that a client made derogatory comments to the waiter or waitresses.
The management may want to investigate and address such concerns with the specific customers. However, without proper proof, it is not possible to raise the concern with the customer. Such a client is likely to deny such claims and possibly register a complaint with the firm. It means that instead of solving the problem, the issue may only have a negative impact on the firm. It means that such issues often go unreported or unaddressed at the institution. However, the female employees continue to suffer in silence. MacMilla (2017) describes the situation as modern slavery.
The management comes with a requirement that women must dress in a given manner. It does not force anyone to work at the company. The employees are at liberty to resign if they feel such policies are oppressive. However, for those who decide to remain, they have to embrace the desired dress code. The company has what these employees need, which is employment. However, for the desperate employees to get that job, they have to maintain a given dress pattern that is oppressive.
The only difference between this modern slavery and traditional slave trade is that the modern slaves can quit, but they have to be ready to cope with the consequences of being unemployed till such a time that they can be hired by another company. The culture of sexism at the Dorchester has been voiced by many people in the recent past, most of whom are women who are disgusted by the manner in which women at this facility are forced to dress. It is necessary to review some of their comments, which is a demonstration that this brand is underperforming in this areas of reputation management.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, who is the chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said that “dragging progress of women’s right back 50 years in the name of charity is deplorable,” when she was referring to some events at The Dorchester (BBC News 2018, para. 4). She was one of the over 300 guests who attended the last charity fundraising events at the hotel. She saw how some of these waitresses at the hotel were uncomfortable wearing such provocative dresses and having to serve male customers. She could feel that these female employees were not pleased, but they had no option. Jo Swinson said that “more than 300 rich businessmen were perfectly happy to attend such an event, which shows what a rotten, sexist culture is still alive and kicking in parts of the business community” (BBC News 2018, p. 54). She sheds light on the motivation behind this culture.
An overwhelming majority of the attendants of this event were men. They are pleased by having to be served by waitresses dressed in a provocative manner. In the past, the rotten culture of viewing women as a source of pleasure for men was rampant. Success has been achieved in eliminating the culture in the modern society. However, it is unfortunate that it is slowly creeping back to the society, especially in the field of entertainment and the hospitality sector (Kim 2015). The Dorchester is one of the five-star hotels that are embracing this culture, and some of the stakeholders feel it is wrong and should be discouraged. They feel that although it may be financially beneficial to the firm at the moment, it may have a negative impact in the future.
The Response of the Management
When the complaints of these stakeholders became public through major newspapers and the social media, the response of the management was swift. Nemoto (2016) explains that crisis management requires a quick and effective response, and in that regard, the management performed well. However, their response, just like many other companies that are always caught up in such scandals, was not directed towards solving the problem that seems to earn them popularity among the most attractive segment of the market. The management of the hotel responded to these accusations with denial. It stated, “We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment of guests or employees. We are unaware of any allegations, and should we be contacted we will work with the relevant authorities as necessary” (Lusher 2018, para. 3).
Complaints that most of the visitors raised were regarding to the provocative dress code of female employees. The management is fully responsible for defining the dress code of the employees. The manner, in which the waitresses dress, especially during major occasions such as the annual fundraising event, is fully known to the management. However, it is unfortunate that the top leadership of the firm responded to the allegations stating that it is not aware of the sexist culture that is growing in popularity in this field. It is a sign that the firm is blind to the plight of its employees even after the problem is pointed out in clear terms.
The management feels that what is happening is normal, and that is why it has refuted the above claims. Hostino (2017) explains that when the management responds to legitimate accusations with denials, it is a sign that the negative culture is so entrenched in the system that it appears normal to the leaders. One may argue that sexism as a culture is deeply entrenched at The Dorchester that its management sees nothing wrong with it.
Alternate Perspectives to Advance the Current Brand Management Practices
The modern society is increasingly becoming intolerant towards sexism and sexist culture (Hill 2017). As women get empowered, they are coming out strongly to denounce and fight cultural practices that demean women. For a leading five-star hotel in the United Kingdom, a scandal that revolves around demeaning of women may have a negative impact on its brand. The company has earned the respect of many customers both locally and internationally, including the royal families. Any negative image that makes it be seen as an institution that is oppressive to women may result in reduction in the number of its loyal customers. Before looking at possible alternative perspectives that can be used to enhance brand management practices, it is important to briefly explain why the practice is gaining popularity not only at the Dorchester, as Schmidt (2017) notes, but also in various other hotels in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.
The Reasons Why the Firm Embraces the Culture
According to Raymundo (2014), one of the reasons why many hotels force their waitresses to dress provocatively is to help in attractive male clients, and The Dorchester is no difference. Despite the major success that has been achieved in the effort to empower women, Hogan (2018) notes that sexism is still a major problem in Europe and North America. It is worse in other parts of the world. Most hotels try to be appealing to men because they tend to make the significant proportion of customers at these facilities.
A study by Duske (2016) found out that hotels that have women dressed provocatively attract more male customers than those that instruct their customers to dress conservatively. In an attempt to gain the financial benefits, it is common for hotels to come up with short black or red skirts for their female attendants. The goal is to promote visual appeal as a way of attracting customers. Some of the waitresses are comfortable with such dress codes. However, others are not. For those who are not comfortable with such dresses, they mostly have two options. They can decide to withstand the emotional torture and verbal attacks that may come from the customers just to protect their jobs. If that is not possible, then the only other option is to resign. These five-star hotels pay their employees a relatively high salaries compared with the smaller hotels. As such, resignation is not always a better option for these employees. They are forced to do what their employees need.
New Brand Management Practices
The management needs to reconsider the approach that it is using to promote its brand in the market. The current practices are raising concerns and may affect the firm’s ability to achieve success in the market (Missler 2017). An alternative approach is urgently needed to ensure that the good reputation that the company has created over the last 80 years is not eroded. First, the management should be more liberal in defining the dress code of its employees. There should be a standard practice of defining the colour and design of the uniform of the employees. However, the waitresses should be allowed to choose whether they want to wear skirts or trousers. For those who want to wear skirts, there should be a minimum standard length allowable by the firm. A decently dressed waiter or waitress will always be attractive without necessarily being exposed in provocative dresses (Flynn 2018).
Given the diversity of the employees at this company, it should allow its Muslim waitresses to have headgear as required by their religion if they find it necessary. However, no one should be forced to dress in a given pattern that is against their own will. It does not mean that the firm should create independence in the dress code that allows its employees to wear what they want. Just like the chefs who have to dress in a given manner, the waiters and waitresses should have their uniform. The most important thing in this new approach is to avoid cases where women are forced to dress provocatively.
According to Van (2017), some events may require different forms of dress code, some of which may be provocative. In line with its vision of meeting the unique needs of its customers, the firm may have employees who may have the desired dress pattern. If such unique needs arise, then the management should select the employees on a voluntary basis. It should be made clear to the relevant stakeholders why such events require such patterns of dressing and the manner in which the firm selects employees to participate in such activities.
As Otter (2014) advises, it should be known that the company is not forcing its employees to do what is against their interest. Such approaches will help the hotel to meet the unique needs of its customers but in a way that does not hurt its brand image in the market. The firm should be known as a liberal entity that has a diversified workforce and meets a wide range of customer needs, as long as they are legal and socially acceptable.
Recommendations for Alterations to Current Brand Management Practices
The Dorchester is a brand name that is popular in the United Kingdom’s hospitality industry. Maintaining the impressive brand image takes a concerted effort of all the relevant stakeholders within the company (Worme 2017). A small mistake may lead to a major public outcry that may affect the firm’s image. In the modern society where social media has become a powerful tool of communication, it may take a limited duration for the image of the firm to be hurt when a mistake or misconduct at the firm goes viral (Juan 2015).
As shown above, some of the customers chose to use Twitter and other social media platforms to express their dissatisfaction in the manner the company forces their female employees to dress during major events often dominated by men. They claim that the company is depicting women as instruments meant to please men, a retrogressive culture that the society has been fighting for over the last century. The firm’s brand image can be seriously affected if such impressions are not addressed effectively and in the most effective manner possible. Childers (2016) warns that unlike in the past when men were the main decision makers when it came to purchasing hospitality services, women are increasingly becoming independent and many are currently the breadwinners and decision-makers in their families. Ignoring them may be dangerous to the sustainability of a firm and a brand. The following are the recommendations for alternatives to the current brand management practices at the company:
- The management should be open and genuine about its human resource management practices. It should be clear to the interested stakeholders why sometimes the firm changes the dress code of its employees during specific functions. It may avoid misinterpretation and unnecessary complaints among its customers and other interested parties.
- The firm should not force employees into embracing dresses that go against their culture and personal convictions. Other than defining the standard dress code for all the employees, the waitresses should be given a sense of freedom to choose their preferred uniforms.
- The management should avoid denials when responding to accusations levelled against it. Instead, it should come out to explain the current situation and seek to explain issues that might have caused misunderstanding. It is a sign that the firm is ready to address any lapses in its operations. Such immediate and genuine responses may help it in building a strong reputation in the market.
Conclusion
Brand management is increasingly becoming critical in the modern competitive business environment. In the hospitality industry, firms find themselves offering similar products to customers in the same market. One of the defining factors that would determine the choice of customers is the brand reputation. A company that has built a strong brand and a reputation in the market is likely to attract more customers than that with a weak brand. The Dorchester is one of the leading brands in the United Kingdom’s hospitality industry. However, the recent complaints may affect the strength of the brand, which is why the current issue must be addressed by the management as soon as possible.
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