Service Excellence through Training in

Hospitality Industry

Dr.Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan

Registrar, SOA University

Dr. Sapan Kumar Sadual

Asst. Professor,SHM, SOA University

Abstract

Every hospitality organization needs well-trained employees. Guests expect it, and
employees are now choosing employers based on the training and professional
development they offer. Training objectives are knowledge acquisition, changing
attitudes, problem solving, interpersonal-skill development, participant
acceptance, and knowledge retention. Here in this study an effort has been made
to find out a best training for interpersonal skill development in hospitality
industry. After all, training offers properties valuable and cost-effective support.
Major hotel chains rely largely on their own internal training systems. Five per cent
of staff-related expenditure goes on training in three main areas: initial training for
basic qualifications or as an introduction for new employees (delivered in-house);
continuous training for director-level employees (department chiefs and others),
covering areas such as sales, leadership, and customer contacts and so on; and
inter-cultural education.the main objective of this study is to high light the
effectiveness of training towards service excellence.

Keywords: interpersonal-skill, knowledge retention ,knowledge acquisition

,internal training

Introduction

Hospitality sector is growing at a very fast pace in India as well as in odisha.

The sector is growing at a rate of approximately 8%. This sector can be
classified into hotel industry, travel and tourism, restaurants, clubs and bars,
contract catering, and aviation. Other than that, opportunities also exist in
universities, sporting venues, exhibition centers and event management
companies. The major challenge of this sector is shortage of skilled manpower
along with the challenge of attrition rate. Skilled chefs and managers are in
great demand. Managers require huge range of competencies such as, people

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management, viable skills, business insights, analytic skills, succession
planning, and resource development in order to get success in this sector. In
addition to that, employees are not enough trained on Business Etiquettes,
Courtesy, and Business Communication. Hospitality is all about handling
people. So an employee must have right attitude, tolerance, and listening skills
in order to move up the hierarchy. There is still a long way to go to inculcate
good public relation as well as interpersonal skills. Training is essential to
building and maintaining an effective, successful, and profitable organization,
and training will continue to be a substantial line item in your budget. Training
needs analysis identifies training needs across your organization, allowing you
to maximize your return on training investment. It ensures we are putting your
dollars exactly where they should be, zeroing in on the needs of your
workforce, steering them toward high performance. up to 3 per cent of a
hotels financial turnover although 1 per cent of payroll is considered
substantial. A system of assessing training requirements through frequent staff
appraisal is found at establishments where staff development is taken
seriously. Where training is less formalized, on the other hand, it is done by
managers or supervisors who are not training specialists; there may be no
budget set aside for it in spite of a declared willingness to offer training to
staff. In such cases, training is often reactive rather than proactive, i.e.
restricted to induction training for newly recruited staff and statutory
(compulsory) safety and health training.

More complex workplaces have brought about a shift in training concerns

from operational or vocational skills to personal and social skills. Operational
skills are still required, but are increasingly focused on technological
innovation. A capacity to learn and develop activities, and to assimilate all
elements of a complex process, and effective communication skills, including
negotiation in cases of conflict, are among the skills needed to enable todays
worker to attain the necessary autonomy at work.

Continuous training, which has the advantage that it may be used to react
quickly to changing circumstances, is being directed towards imparting the
new skills. Elaborate human resource development strategies are usually
linked to long-term business development plans, and these are more
frequently associated with large enterprises. They are based on a budget set
aside for training and providing for trainers to be contracted from outside the
hotel. Training budgets can account for

Education and training, since the inception of the hospitality industry in India,
has played a secondary role, though an undoubtedly critical one, to its growth
per se. A punishing environment, it demands exceptional performance from
employees, while promising great rewards, career opportunities and job
enrichment. The skill sets required by an employee have evolved over the
years, transforming their linear roles to multi-functional operations.

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A report commissioned by the department of tourism, Government of India,
revealed that the annual demand for trained manpower in hotels and
restaurants is likely to touch 29,000 by the year 2010. This figure is likely to
increase to approximately 39,000 by the year 2020. Today, investing resources
like capital, time and manpower into training is a necessity. To integrate an
individual into the workforce and create a sense of belonging is paramount.
And with a greater portion of jobs being outsourced, training needs to be
imparted to ensure that the agency meets the brand's set standards.

With the increase in competition due to the coming up of major players like
Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Aman Resorts, etc., the need to train employees has
increased more than ever before. The major players are now strategizing to
increase the turnover of the customers by training their employees on
Communication, Dining and Business etiquettes, etc. Some of the essentials
required by this sector are:

Good infrastructure

Trained trainer

Quality of content

Certification of training course

Effective training evaluation

Hospitality is a great industry to work in its people-based, fast-moving and

offers employees the opportunity to progress very quickly if they are
motivated and have the right attitude, says Nick Scade, chief executive and
director of the Academy of Food & Wine, U.K.

Many employers, whether it is hotel, restaurant or contract catering, offer their

employees the chance to work in a range of locations. But the reputation of
the sector as a career choice needs to improve in order to tackle the skills
shortage its currently suffering from.

Part of the solution has to be about investing in staff and improving the
retention level of employees through training. This will not only give people
the additional skills they need to perform their jobs effectively, but will
improve loyalty to their employer and make them more likely to continue in
the sector.

Training needs to focus more on the craft and customer focus skills that are so
crucial to good service. Such training should also be part of an on-going
development programme for staff especially, those working in front office

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represent the customer service interface of the business and sales depend on
their skills.

The importance of good vocational training in the hospitality sector has

never been more crucial. The London Olympic Games in 2012 will put the
spotlight on London with thousands of visitors and journalists visiting the
capital and sampling its hotel and restaurants. The hospitality needs to be
ready for this, with enough well-trained staff to cope with extra demand, says
Scade. The same applies to the Commonwealth Games to be hosted by Delhi
later this year.

In this era of globalization, increasing consciousness has built up within

customers. Consumers have become more demanding with growing
competition and improved job opportunities coupled with improved buying
power (a direct impact of regular employment generation). Therefore,
attracting and retaining customers is a primary service catering to the business
as well as leisure customers in the hotel industry. It is, therefore, vital to focus
on the planning and delivery aspects related to effective customer service in
the hotel industry. Associations have been established for those who create
and enforce quality standards, and many of those associations are honoured as
corporations, including hotel companies, that embody the philosophies of
effective quality management.

Several hotels have designed their own quality management programmes with
their goals, objectives and culture into the systems. Others have adopted
effectively stand alone system and adapted their precepts to fit the corporate
cultures.

Following the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM),

accomplishment of service quality is a continuous process. It extends
throughout every stage of the client account lifecycle. This is applicable for all
in business and the delivery of service that meets or exceeds customers
expectations become an increasingly significant differentiating factor in
business development. Therefore, continuous efforts have to be taken to
reassess the gap between expectations and delivery of service. What
constitutes service quality is a matter of concern as it is a relative concept,
referring to the demand and expectation fulfillment of the customers. Reduced
price coupled with a tailor-made service is one strategy to attract and retain
customers by the hotel service provider. As an economy flourishes, the
hospitality industry, in particular the contribution of the hotel industry towards
the national economy.
The importance of customer service, pricing and promotion of customer
service, means of delivery, training and development of employees, CRM and
customer delight in the hotel industry and strategies adopted to achieve them.

The importance of branding and information technology in achieving effective

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customer service in the hotel industry is stressed. Effective customer service
leads to long-term customer satisfaction. It depends on how the service is
planned how its price is set, the strategic location of the service, means of
delivering the service and how the service is promoted to the customer
through advertising, branding and sales promotion strategies etc. Further,
effective customer service also depends on factors like people delivering the
service, the process of delivering the service and physical evidence.
Effective customer service can be achieved only when an innovative approach
is designed to create a perfect balance between people and the environment.
Nurturing long-term relationships with customers can help in delivering
effective customer service. How trained employees can go a long way in
delivering effective customer service. Further, proper ambience and dcor of
the hotel can go a long way in delivering effective customer service.

A Training and development initiative for employees in the hotel industry is

important to achieve service excellence. Satisfying customers consistently
requires a thorough design of the systems, policies and training programmes
for preparing the employees.

Employees need to adapt their approach based on the guests preferences,

liking and disliking, which is difficult at times. Employees need to be flexible;
sensitive to guests expressed and unexpressed needs, and needs to be
empowered to take decisions on the spot. Training refers to creating
knowledge-based excellence. And, more often than not, hotel staff members
regarded as associates are strategic members of the organization team. With
the right kind of training, employees take ownership, greet guests by name
and understand their preferences.
With this evolving approach, brand standards reflect the behavior of the
staff and no longer just relate to the physical characteristics of the property.
Thus, engaged associates are now profit centersnot just cost centers.

The intrinsic value of any brand in todays hospitality sector is best

exemplified by its people. Flying a flag is more than meeting physical
standards or having a logo attached to the building front. In order for a
brand to promote its real intangible value, it should relate to the personality
of the staff and make an emotional connection with the guests. That calls
for training that fully engages employees.
In order for training to be truly relevant, hoteliers need access to candid
feedback from employees, guests and meeting planners that enable them to
identify significant satisfiers or zero in on areas where improvement is
needed. Better intelligence also translates into more informed, targeted
training programs that fully engage staff. When associates have the
knowledge and training that they need, brand standards become
personalized so that every aspect of hotel operations is improved.

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In todays increasingly competitive environment, understanding the
connection between guest feedback, effective training and an engaged
workforce culture can make or break an organization. For example, the
interrelationship between these areas can help a hotel project an upscale
personality and avoid diminishing brand prestige by being overzealous at
discounting rates. Many luxury hotels recognize how important it is when
associates address guests by name and become familiar with their
preferences. The organization can then apply this knowledge in training
sessions that consistently involve staff to take ownership and project brand
prestige when feedback in this area indicates that there are challenges.

Better Feedback

Loyal Guests Knowledge Training

Engaged Employees

The most effective training programmes establish consistent methods of

instruction and measurement to determine if the training is taking hold and
has the desired outcome for the guests. In addition, there is the Hawthorn
effect: simply increasing attention and attaching importance to the service
standards from the top of the organization on down brings about positive
behavioral changes, remarked Linda Lang, Vice President of HR for
Millennium Hotels & Resorts, the North American arm of London-based
Millennium and Copthorne Hotels plc (MLC).Then it becomes a continuous
process to train and re-train our staff, measure the results via feedback and
use the feedback to refine the learning process. All of these steps continue
to build a hospitality culture and create a common language in our work
community.
When it comes to training, what matters most is to walk the talk and
deliver teaching that works, continued Lang. You simply cant settle for a
drop and run. For example, if we hire a senior accountant, we expect them
to know how to use Excel but we must understand that the same person will
experience a learning curve when it comes to understanding company
culture. Telling them about our standards or simply showing them once or
twice will not make them proficient in delivering the kind of service we
want to be recognized for. Having a more engaged workforce begins with
the hiring process and continues with targeted training, added Lang. No
one comes back to a hotel because the property has great shampoo; guests
come back because of the people they encounter at the property. Rather than
trying to fit square pegs into round holes, we look for folks who really
believe that service is both an art and well deserved gift that we give to our

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guests. We hire for service talent, train for specific knowledge and skills and
then let our associates take ownership of the guest experience. Thats a win-
win for us all.
The real key to success in todays environment is to build an engaged
workforce that personifies excellence and transforms the guest experience
into a competitive differentiator. Theres no better method to achieve this
than by incorporating survey analytics into a training process that is
designed to engage staff.
Many hospitality organizations have found that the training process can be
improved by utilizing guest and staff survey analytics in tandem. Better
training can then be developed in specific areas to establish an improved
environment for employee engagement and guest loyalty.

The industry has certain characteristics that will influence the qualities needed
by managers at all levels and thus the curriculum for hospitality graduates.
Some of these features are:

Production and delivery are inseparable, which implies high pressure

Customers are seen as guest, which involves a particular relationship

It is a 24x7 business, which makes personal relationship difficult for

employees

It involves ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of both guests and staff,
which require high communication and interpersonal skills

Occupational and public health and safety issues exist which require
specific skills

It involves discretionary expenditure, which implies fluctuations in

demand

The industry has high fixed capital costs and highly volatile variable
operating costs requiring diligence and prudence in the management

The industry has low barriers to entry for capital and labour

To reflect the need of the industry, it is important to define the skills and
competencies expected from any hospitality graduate. There is indeed a clear
shift in hospitality education where general management skills are introduced
to complement the practical components.

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Several studies have been undertaken to determine the importance of hotel
management competencies. Ineson and Kempa (1996) identified four main
skills, namely: oral and written communication skills, supervising skills (staff
motivation and training), and ability to engender customer satisfaction and
service skills. In addition to these skills, other studies have identified other
skills such as problem solving, maintaining professional and ethical standards,
professionalism and leadership qualities to achieve operational objectives (Tas
1988; Baum 1990; Kay and Russette 2000; Christou and Sigala 2001). Public
and staff safety obligations such as; the management of hygiene and safety
conditions and legal responsibilities (Baum 1990); identifying operational
problems (Christou and Sigala 2001) and effectively managing life-
threatening situations such as fire, bomb threat and serious illness (Kay and
Russette 2000) have also been identified. Another interesting point is the
absence of some of the strategic management skills for the benefit of hotel
specific operational skills. For Kay and Russette (2000) leadership and
communication skills are still seen as of major importance at the expense of
the Administration and Technical and Conceptual/Creative domains.

Tas, LaBrecque and Clayton (1996) identify five main competencies in hotel
property management. These competencies are, in order of importance:

Interpersonal (skills for effective interaction with others)

Leadership (the ability to turn ideas into productive action)

Conceptual-creative (the cognitive skills needed for the job)

Administrative (personnel and financial management of the business)

Technical (the knowledge and skills essential to producing the product or

service).

Baum (1989), who analyzed Irish hotel managers, found that they have an
undue focus on:

Operational issues, as opposed to management issues;

The mine host concept, as opposed to the profit concept;

The hospitality apprenticeship irrespective of educational background; and

The uniqueness of hospitality and therefore the irrelevance of general

management principles.

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DAnnunzio-Green (1997) explains that internationalization and push for
more HRM strategies require general managers and managers to understand
the worldwide ramification and the impacts it has on the industry.

Antil (1984) refers to two aspects of international management competence:

the doing (action) and the being (feeling) competences whilst Iles (1997)
identifies five key competences for the international hospitality manager:

1. Cultural awareness: understanding the difference;

2. Communicative competence: communicating across the differences;

3. Cognitive competence: acknowledging stereotypes;

4. Valuing difference; and

5. Gaining synergy from difference.

Surprisingly, cultural differences are linked to organizational structures and

stereotypes rather than actual clash of cultures (D'Annunzio-Green 1997).

The work of Hayes, Rose-Quirie and Allison (2000) made an interesting

contribution to the discussion by suggesting that all management jobs are
similar at the highest conceptual level but differ at the operational level. The
meta-competencies that are then of prime importance for managers are the
ability to use and develop their competencies when any changes (different
roles or different environment) occur.

There is a significant evolution concerning the interest in career development.

Career progression depends on personal characteristics and orientation,
personal needs, a planned career path and diversity of experience.

In terms of career success, the higher ranked skills according to Ladkin and
Juwaheer (2000) are communication, using initiative, human relations, food
and beverage management skills, the ability to prepare budgets and to
delegate. These skills should be supported by appropriate staff development
programmmes such as:

Technical skills: those required to perform the routine tasks associated with
the position,

Interpersonal skills: how the employee interacts with staff members and
guests on either a written or oral basis, and

Supervisory or self-management skills: how well the employee organizes his

or her time, acts responsibly and/or leads others.

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Although the industry recognizes that educational institutions are doing well,
there are several concerns. There are apparently too many providers who offer
poor and inconsistent training and who train the wrong people just to get a
training subsidy. Moreover, even if industry training could improve the quality
of the employees and, in turn, professionalize the industry, it would still not
resolve the problem of recruitment and skills shortages. Training needs to be
coupled with additional retention strategies. Intercontinental Hotels Group, for
instance, developed such strategies as regional succession planning, building
capability within the hotels, consistency in marketing collateral and
networking with territory institutions. Whilst acknowledging that such
initiatives help to some extent, one respondent argued that an environment of
low unemployment will always give rise to difficulties in recruiting and
retaining good staff. Irrespective of the wider economic circumstances, it is
important to develop a form of career structure and career progression by
which the industry can modernize the recruitment and training process. As
such, the industry should give staff the opportunity to develop professionally
through studies and training, apprenticeships and traineeships. The hope of the
focus group participants is that such initiatives would develop more qualified,
motivated and hence more loyal staff members.

Conclusion

There seems to be a gap between graduates and the reality of the market.
Indeed, this new generation does not have the patience to wait for promotion.
In addition, even if training and education provide them with the right skills,
the requisite behaviours do not necessarily follow and they often seem to lack
a work ethic, attitude, motivation, willingness, passion and, as said before,
realistic expectations. This disillusion explains the low conversion rate of the
number of graduates who actually enter or remain within the industry. Other
downsides of current training are that most of the trainers are not from the
industry and they do not properly assess the students who pass with lower
standards. The teaching material is also too old and needs updating and
training modules are too generic. Finally, the members of the focus groups
opined that priorities, particularly in the selection and recruitment of students,
can become confused in a for profit education institution. As a consequence,
without appropriate selection criteria, unsuitable people can be inducted,
trained and graduated into the industry.

Firstly, the industry needs to develop a more attractive image so as to ensure a

certain level of employee recruitment and retention. Secondly, it is important
to define a clear portable nationally recognized educational and skills scheme
in terms of qualification, training and practice. Such actions should go hand in
hand with a strong promotional work to change the image of the industry and
thus attract adequate and professional employees.

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Prof. (Dr.) Sapan Kumar Sadual

School of Hotel Management
SOA University
Bhubaneswar

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