| By :
Adrianna Noton
Hotels can provide rewarding careers in hospitality. The word 'hospitality' implies kindly provision for people and the wish to do this must be an important quality for people working in hotels. The absurdity of a hotelier who hates his guests was exploited in the TV series, 'Fawlty Towers'. Sound education can preempt the unfortunate consequence of round pegs in square holes. Comprehensive education and training should allow students to decide whether they are suited to work in the hospitality. Even if there is doubt about this, training might develop the skills that will allow an entrant to enter the industry and perhaps find a niche where he is comfortable. That is good reason why a program should cover the whole gamut of skills and activities that are involved in the hospitality industry. The highly competitive nature of the industry demands high quality education for those who are to work in it and prosper. Keen competition comes from amateur bed and breakfast establishments which can supply the needs of a large section of the available market. They are not required to provide expensive services such as all night service and have lower running costs. It is at the front desk that first impressions are imprinted on the minds of guests. Those impressions are likely to be lasting and may determine whether repeat visits are booked. An officious and unfriendly receptionist should be anathema to good managers and to guests alike. Good education should instill in students not only the importance of courtesy but also an understanding of empathy and the moral need to treat people as ends in themselves and not as means to an end. The profitability of hotel chains depends upon individual performances of separate businesses. To exert control from a central office to a scattering of branches rigid routines and procedures are insisted upon. As a result a guests cannot tell the difference between one hotel and another even though they may be thousands of kilometers apart. This is boring, but at least one knows what to expect. Rigid organizational systems, often controlled by software, are characteristic of global business. At some levels they go unchallenged and any timid innovation will be heavily quashed. However, some shareholders and clients aware of shortcomings in service and profitability might question the slavish adherence to business systems that are rigidly packaged in 'systems' software and ruthlessly applied. Rigid management systems might be useful in the housekeeping departments. Low level employees may complete essential tasks such as cleaning and arranging with great efficiency if they have checklists to work to. However, if a maid has an overall vision of her mission she will respond well to unexpected eventualities such as getting something left behind to a departing guest. The hospitality industry involves many practical activities that must be managed thoughtfully and effectively. Formulas are essential but are always applied in fluid situations where initiative and problem solving are essential. Consequently education and training must involve practical tasks that involve the implementation of formulas in fluid circumstances. Some schools even have their own hotels so that students can learn from experience in realistic conditions.
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