hospitality maldives issue 12

HOSPITALITYFREE COPY ISSUE # 12

MALDIVES

Top 10 Dining Trends for 2007Health & Wellness Top The Menu

HOSPITALITY MALDIVESAPRIL/MAY 2007

Impressum

Published byBeyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.G. Comrade Hiya, L1Dhonadharaadha HingunMale 20350Republic of Maldiveswww.beyondhospitality.com

Editor-in-ChiefAhmed [email protected]

Managing EditorDavid [email protected]

Advertising SalesAli [email protected]

Design & LayoutBeyond Media Design Pvt Ltd.www.beyondmediadesign.com

PrintSoftwave Printing & Packaging Pvt. Ltd.www.softwave.lk

Contributors

Dan BobinskiJoe DunbarTony EldredPatrick GoffDr. Rick JohnsonChris Longstreet, CHALeslie LyonDenise MorettiRoberta NedryKelley RobertsonSusie RossNeil Salerno, CHA, CHMEMary SandroDavid Wheelhouse, CHREHelen WilkieMisty WilliamsAPSWCDPPEAHilton Resorts WorldwidePennsylvania Dpmt. of AgriculturePer Aquumwww.ehotelier.comwww.baumwhiteman.com

DisclaimerNo parts of this magazine or its content (photographs, articles or parts thereof, design, layout) may be reproduced with-out the consent of the respective owner. Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. or any of its as-sociates cannot be held responsible for the misuse of the information and intellectual property provided in this magazine. Opin-ions expressed in this magazine are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by the publisher.

Dear friends and colleagues,

Welcome to the 12th edition of Hospitality Maldives.

Hospitality? Hospitality! A word that’s almost everywhere in our industry these

days, even in the title of this magazine. But what does “hospitality” actually

mean? Have you ever really thought about it?

Webster’s dictionary defines hospitality as “the act or practice of receiving

and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and gener-

ous liberality” and though the word itself derives from the Latin language, the

origins of its meaning have its roots in Greek mythology.

Entertaining a stranger without reward? When was the last time you have re-

ally done that? Sure, most of us are being paid for being hospitable towards

guests (aka tourists), but what about colleagues, subordinates, superiors and

suppliers? When was the last time you were really hospitable towards them,

without expecting anything in return? True hospitality comes from the heart,

not the paycheck.

Unfortunately many of us seem to have forgotten the real meaning of hos-

pitality, so why not take a minute and think about how hospitable you really

are? I’m sure it’ll be very well invested sixty seconds. On this note, Happy

reading!

Yours in hospitality,

David Kotthoff

EDITO

R’S N

OTE

03


0�


05

CONTENTS

03

06

12

20

30

36

��

�8

52

57

6�

68

Editor’s Note

Guest Service: Don’t call me Sweetie!

Do’s and Don’ts for Food Handlers

Hotel Waste Reduction: Housekeeping

Developing Departmental Trainers

What Customers Really Want

Hospitality Bites

Hospitality begins at Check-in

Top 10 Dining Trends for 2007

Appointments Creating a great first Impression by Phone

Last words

CO

NTEN

TS

05


By Roberta Nedry

“Happy New Year ‘Sweetie’! What can I get you?” “Hey ‘Honey’,

let me help you with that?” “Let me put you on hold, ‘Doll’,

while I check for you.”

Aaaaggghhh! I don’t know these people?!!! Do they think they

know me well enough to forego all formalities? Why are they

using such familiar terms upon our first encounter? I can actually

feel the hairs on my neck stand up one by one when I hear

these names. In a society that is often much less personal than it

used to be, this is the other extreme…way more personal than

appropriate.

“Terms of Endearment” was a fantastic movie and emotionally

riveting. Terms of endearment from my husband or son are

meaningful and touching. Terms of endearment from a waitress,

valet or hotel employee are not any of these and in fact, are

annoying, inappropriate and sometimes offensive. Why do

employees use familiar or intimate terms with those with whom

they are not familiar or intimate? The way employees address a

guest can make such a positive or negative first, last and middle

impression.

When employees serving guests and customers use these terms,

they risk creating “uncomfortableness” and uncertainty. In

some cases, while attempting to be friendly, they may instead

be offending the guest. Instead, focus on other options that

universally will be accepted and positive and get the experience

started on the right foot with the words to follow.

Greeting a guest is the first powerful moment to make an

impression. When a cheerful hello or welcome is made,

followed by that employee’s own name, the guest

experience can begin to flow and both guest and

employee are on sure footing. If a promiscuous

greeting is made, the guest may be thrown off

and the experience begins with uncertainty

and possible discomfort. When an employee

introduces themselves, they have begun to

build a relationship with the guest versus the

one-sided aspect of only calling the guest

by name. It also makes it easier for the

guest to call upon the employee by name,

instead of “waiter” or “bellman.” Employees,

like guests, also like to hear their own names.

As Letitia Baldrige, the renowned protocol and

manners expert once said, “People like to have

their

names and titles remembered and stated correctly, it’s one of the

‘emoluments’ to which one feels entitled.” I admit I had to look

up the word emolument, but I loved its meaning of “a form of

compensation” to capture the feeling of recognition and a form

of reward from hearing one’s own name.

And though friendliness is one of the most basic guest needs,

you have to become friends first! Actually once a connection is

made, knowing the guest’s name can make the most personable

and appropriate impact. Saying hello to “Mr. Johnson” or “Ms.

Smith” shows respect and recognition for loyal patronage. Once

a regular guest or customer says, “Please, call me John” or “you

know me by now, please call me Doris”, then the employee can

make the next less formal move. Now, a

gracious approach has

b e e n made and

g rac ious

Guest Service: Don’t Call Me Sweetie!

S

ERV

ICE

06


SERV

ICE

07

permission has been granted. Both guest and employee can feel

comfortable and empowered to be on more familiar terms.

However, the employee must still always take care and still use

respect and professionalism even on this level. As Ms. Baldrige

notes, “if you have to stop and think about whether or not you

should use a person’s first name when you greet him, the answer

is you should not. Familiarity does indeed breed contempt and

no one likes to be addressed by his or her first name by someone

who does not have the right to do so.” I remember this so well as

a young girl. A few times, some of my friends would address my

mom by her first name, without her permission. She was always

Mrs. Nedry so this completely caught her off guard and I’d notice

a red flushness in her cheeks. She was too much of a lady to say

anything but I knew those friends were placed in her own version

of a “contempt” box. I made sure never to do the same, knowing

how uncomfortable it made my own mother.

In some cases, using sir or ma’am, may be more appropriate. Age

and title distinction may warrant more formal salutations. When

more senior guests show up, they may appreciate respect for

their generation and a time when formality was more common.

They may appreciate “Yes Sir” and “No Ma’am” and feel like

their longevity has earned them those titles. If those senior

guests then request less formality, the employee has permission

to do so and has followed a gracious protocol. Dignitaries may

also warrant formal salutations by virtue of their positions and

titles. Showing deference is important. As Letitia Baldrige states,

“Deference is defined as high regard and respect owed an elder

or superior and we should pay deference to visitors from the

outside (beyond our organization’s walls).” Employers should

determine standards for greeting guests and better define formal

and informal possibilities.

Using nicknames with fellow employees can also undermine

a guest or even an employee experiences. Back to “sweetie,”

“honey” and the plethora of other clever and catchy names…

don’t use them in any public environment, especially where the

guest is being served. If one looks up the word “sweetie”, it

actually comes from the word “sweetheart” and one definition

is “lover.” If taken literally, a lot of eyebrows might go up as

unnecessary impressions are formed. And, though fun with fellow

employees, a guest or even fellow employees may not understand

or more importantly want to understand why a nickname came

to be. Why leave it to chance and allow guests and employees to

ponder? Save the nicknames and fun names for after hours and

when with those who know you on a personal level.

Another problem with using nouns other than a person’s last

name is they can sound patronizing, even without that intention.

Perhaps a guest has a lot of questions and the employee is

getting frustrated. An employee may attempt to use one of these

terms to calm the guest down. Be prepared. They will become

less calm. Keep the terms neutral and professional at all times.

Each of these thoughts applies to phone service delivery as well.

Professional salutations are especially important as are employee

name introductions. Without in person contact, the opportunity

for misunderstanding or miscommunication can be greater. Do

not allow that to happen by offending the caller with terms of

endearment. Do introduce yourself and ask for permission for

how to address the caller. The words and tone of those words will

lead the call’s effectiveness and impact.

Hospitality leaders and employers need to recognize the difference

between using names and HOW to use names. Keep these points

in mind when “name calling:”

• Train employees to build relationships at

a personal level. While using a guest’s

name is important, it is more important for the

employee to introduce themselves first.

• Do not use terms of endearment at any point,

beginning, middle or end. Risks far outweigh

the remote possibility of any rewards.

• Get permission for using a guest’s name and

how they prefer it used. Do not make the

mistake of informality. With employee name

and guests’ preferred names in place,

the employee now has permission and can

engage the guest and build the relationship

and experience.

• Show deference where appropriate. Define the

standards for these situations and make

greetings and introductions a part of

any employee’s initial training.

Monitor these standards and reinforce

them consistently.

• Apply these standards and name points in

phone etiquette as well. Make sure professional

reference to guest takes place throughout the

whole phone call.

• Do not use nicknames with employees or

guests. Camaraderie among colleagues

is wonderful but not at expense of guest or

other employees.

Be aware of how jargon can “jar” guests into being gone!

Understand how little words make big impressions and focus on

the ones that make the guest experience difference.

Roberta Nedry is President of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., consultants in

guest experience management and audits, service excellence training for

management and frontline employees and concierge development. To

learn more about the programs her firm offers and their service expertise,

visit www.hospitalityexcellence.com She can also be reached at 954-739-

5299 or [email protected]


08

HU

MA

N R

ESO

URC

ES

Artline - MHTE AD


0�


10

SPA

By Leslie Lyon

As I think back to my days as a Resort Spa Director and onward to

my current position as a Spa Educator and Consultant - I marvel at

how this position has evolved. I’ve always believed and continue

to see proof that the Spa Director’s Job Description is one of the

most demanding positions out there. But I also happen to believe

it is one of the most rewarding, exciting, mind-expanding, life-

enhancing journey’s possible! Where else do you have the chance

to explore every corner of your creative, leadership and business

talents… to make such a difference in the lives of the people

you touch, while at the same time living the good life inside the

thriving health and beauty phenomenon? This flourishing industry

of ours continues to shower us with potions and procedures that

bring incredible hope and amazing results and as a Spa Director,

it’s all in the palm of your hands.

With this demanding position, we sometimes find ourselves in

the predicament of needing more support, more guidance and

more training in order to perform to set standards. Like any

Management position, a successful Spa Director develops with

education and experience that addresses both their life and

business skills. The Director needs to be “equipped” with the

best industry-specific practices and guidelines in order to do the

job effectively. Many of you reading this story will be both the

Spa Owner and the Director.

But no matter what position you are in, you will need to explore

many industry resources to fulfill the demands that the job will

put on you. This may mean the support from a Mentor; your

existing Spa Management team; industry websites; publications;

associations; trade events; outside professionals; and training

courses. I suggest all of the above. Throughout your career as Spa

Director, you will benefit from the ongoing boosts of confidence,

self-affirmation and camaraderie that these resources will provide

you with.

Spa Director Job Descriptions come in all shapes and sizes.

At some Spa’s, the Director is expected to be responsible for

financial budgets and outcomes, for growing new business

opportunities, developing the market, overseeing the human

resource department and so on. Other locations require their

Director to simply assist in managing the day-to-day operations

with no set targets or real accountability for the bottom line.

So depending on the set of expectations that you assign to

the position, the Director should of course be paid accordingly.

When considering payment for the Director, you may also want

to consider the size of the facility. It goes without saying that you

will need to evaluate the individual’s proven and perceived skills

and value; their experience in the industry; your company’s

philosophy and stability; industry standards and the current cost

of living.

In the Spa Industry, there are many available options by which

we can pay our staff, but we commonly see Spa Directors paid

a combination of fixed and variable pay systems. This may be

in the form of an annual salary (paid bi-monthly) and perhaps

supplemented with some form of incentive pay, such as a bonus

or profit sharing (perhaps paid quarterly). An experienced

Director will want to see strong management support, to know

pay scales, understand incentives, the job’s current description

and future potential.

In the Spas2b � & 5-Day Successful Spa Management & Operations

course of study, we train existing and potential Spa Directors in 5

fundamental categories. However many of these responsibilities

you assign to your particular Spa Director’s Job Description, your

goal should always be to strive for a realistic balance between your

expectations, the Director’s abilities and proposed compensation.

If you can’t find someone to fill every skill required, remember

that you can gradually train these individuals on business skills,

but you probably won’t have as easy of a time changing their

attitudes and subsequent behaviours. When recruiting a Spa

Director, you may want to consider two scenarios. How important

it is to you that this person can demonstrate an exceptional level

of professionalism for the staff to emulate, while at the same

time being able to create a motivating environment of sincerity,

warmth and fun for staff and guests? Very important I would say.

Or is it more of a priority for your Spa Director to possess strong

financial leadership, marketing savvy and operational expertise?

Hmmm - business skills… or life skills. Ideally both, but you may

have to choose.

Almost no one can fulfill these criteria as laid out below right

off the bat, but rather these responsibilities are gradually and

incrementally introduced as you see your Director becoming

more proficient at mastering outcomes and proving results. Here

are the key points Spas2b believes you need to consider when

developing the Spa Director Job Description:

The Spa Director’s Ever-Expanding Job DescriptionHow are you Managing?

“Spa Director Job Descriptions come in all

shapes and sizes.”


11

SPAFinancial

• Interpret Financial Reports and provide expertise on

(projected) Revenue vs. Expenses.

• Project and maintain acceptable payroll commitments.

• Use financial plans for spotting trends, measuring

productivity and monitoring progress.

• Control ongoing service and product margin analysis

to ensure profitability.

• Implement opportunities for managing operational

costs and boosting the bottom line.

• Develop procedures for accurate inventory control

and monitoring.

• Implement full Spa product and service purchasing

standards and ensure compliance.

• Administer staff and client scheduling for maximum

revenue generation and profitability.

Marketing

• Develop Spa’s Marketing Strategy and ensure a consistent

image is being portrayed.

• Be proactive in developing publicity opportunities and

effectively dealing with media.

• Develop and maintain gracious and efficient front

desk procedures.

• Maintain and update all necessary internal and

external signage.

• Create ongoing in-house promotions and activities to

stimulate sales, staff and customers.

• Guide business decisions by staying on top of Spa

industry trends.

• Maintain a strong menu of services with both

exceptional artistic and aesthetic value.

• Consistently develop and grow retail sales through

training, tools and monitoring.

• Ensure the Spa is always staged for maximum buyer

impact.

Customer Service

• Anticipate, identify and ensure customer needs are

being met in the best possible way.

• Monitor customer satisfaction with surveys, focus

groups and comment cards.

• Develop and deliver credible, competitive, value-plus

service to the customer.

• Guide staff to become caring problem solvers,

cooperative, accommodating and fair.

• Exhibit a professional attitude, diplomacy and an

Ability to handle difficult situations.

• Uphold gracious front desk procedures in the booking

and handling of customers.

• Maintain fresh, effective programs to consistently

retain and grow customer base.

• Develop and maintain compensation guidelines for

customer complaint handling.

Staffing & Human Resources

• Develop a Recruitment Kit for effective recruiting,

screening, interviewing and hiring.

• Develop Value Packed Proposals and maintain internal

staff retention programs.

• Implement ongoing skills training to ensure service

standards are being upheld.

• Develop and monitor Job Descriptions and Staff Goals

Planning

• Create and maintain Staff Contracts, ensuring

accuracy and compliance.

• Perform Staff Evaluation Reports with proposed

action plans.

• Effectively administer and monitor Staff

Scheduling procedures.

• Demonstrate an exceptional level of professionalism

for the staff to emulate.

• Create a motivating environment of sincerity, warmth

and fun for staff and guests.

• Implement Negative Staff Behaviour and Dismissal

guidelines with follow-through.

Operations

• Maintain an up to date version of the Spa Procedure

Manual and ensure compliance.

• Develop and maintain Spa literature, documentation

and process handling requirements.

• Attend Management meetings and convey all relevant

information throughout the Spa.

• Hold regular staff meetings to keep staff up to

date on all aspects of the Spa’s operation.

• Ensure equipment is maintained in good working order.

• Maintain professional relationships with suppliers

and providers.

• Ensure stock and cash items are kept safely under lock

and key.

• Minimize or eliminate losses through negligence with

monitoring programs.

• Implement a clearly established opening and closing

procedure.

• Manage inventory effectively; follow purchasing

standards; ensure compliance.

I believe that when we create a Job Description, a Job Evaluation

follows right behind it. We lay out our set of expectations, and

we base pay increases on tangible results. Just a word of caution,

as you attach these expectations to the Job Description, you must

hold up your end of the deal with the aforementioned support,

guidance, training and compensation. Let’s not burn out our Spa

Directors, rather let’s set forth to deliberately develop these VIP’s

into the business and human experts we really need them to be.

To find out more about how you can educate yourself and your Spa

Director to meet this ever expanding job title and run the business the

best way possible, visit www.spas2b.com


12

FO

OD

& B

EVER

AG

E

You have a great responsibility. The quality of the food to be

consumed by the patrons is literally in your hands. Examine the

food carefully. If there are any signs of spoilage or contamination,

don’t take a chance. Discard it at once, or call it to the attention

of your supervisor. The responsibility for the cleanliness of a large

part of the establishment, a part that is usually out of sight of the

patrons but none the less important, rests with you. Treat your

work area as though there was a sign on the door that read “This

Kitchen is Open for Inspection at all Times.”

Do: Keep hot foods hot (1�0° F or higher) and cold foods cold

(�1° F or below) at all times. Remember that milk and milk

products, poultry, fish, shellfish, meat, and many salads and salad

dressings are potentially hazardous food. If these foods are not

handled properly and kept at safe temperatures, they will spoil

very quickly and may cause someone to get sick.

Do: Keep all foods covered or otherwise protected from

contamination while being sorted, handled or prepared.

Do: Wash your hands thoroughly before beginning work, before

handling potentially hazardous foods, and after using the toilet

or performing any task which would result in soiled hands.

Do: Check your refrigerators frequently for cleanliness and proper

temperature. The temperature should never get above �1° F

Do: Wash thoroughly in clean water all fruits and vegetables

intended to be eaten raw.

Do: Clean and sanitize, prior to use, all choppers, grinders,

slicing machines, cutting blocks, knives, and any other surface

which potentially hazardous foods contact.

Do: Wear suitable hair restraint to keep hair out of food.

Do: Keep storage rooms clean. They quickly collect dirt, insects

and old clothes.

Do: Place all wet garbage and refuse containing food wastes in

leak-proof containers with fly-tight covers.

Do: Keep shoes, handbags, and other personal items in the

lockers or other facilities which have been provided for this

purpose.

Don’t: Thaw frozen foods at room temperature. Thaw them

in the refrigerator, under cool, potable running water, or by

cooking.

Don’t: Allow hot foods to cool at room temperature prior to

placing them in the refrigerator.

Don’t: Use your hands to handle food when a utensil or other

suitable equipment is available to use.

Don’t: Line refrigerator shelves with newspaper, foil, or any

other material. Air circulation in refrigerators is essential to

proper operation.

Don’t: Allow unnecessary items and objects to accumulate.

Throw away, or store elsewhere, all nonessential items which

only make cleaning the kitchen and storage areas more difficult.

Don’t: Allow vegetables, fruits, or other containers of food to

stand on the floors. Dampness or spillage will spoil the foods, and

the presence of these materials on the floor hinders cleaning.

Don’t: Let spattering of grease collect on stoves, floors, or walls.

Other dirt soon sticks to this and you have a mess which takes

time and energy to remove.

Don’t: Wash your hands in utensil-washing sinks or food

preparation sinks.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services

2301 North Cameron Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408

USA

Do’s and Don’tsfor Food Handlers


13

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES


1�

Italian style Maldivian Lobster Sashimi

Ingredients:

• 1 live lobster 500g.

• 2 leaves of fresh basil

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

• salt and white pepper

Decoration:

• 1 pair lobster antennae

• 2 lobster legs

• 1 leaf of iceberg lettuce

• 1 celery stalk

• 1 lemon wedge

Renato ArlatiExecutive ChefMoofushi Island Resort

R

ECIP

E

Method:

• place the lobster in boiling salted water

• remove after little over 30 seconds and

Immediately place in ice water

• carefully shell the lobster with a pair of scissors

• keep the antennae and 2 legs aside

• with a very sharp filleting knife slice the meat and

with the help of the dull end of a mallet gently

pound it until thin slices are obtained

• place the slices in a plate and marinate the meat

with the basil, the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a

dash of white pepper and the olive oil

• let the marinated lobster rest in the fridge and

serve it on a leaf of iceberg lettuce

• garnish with the lobster antennae and legs, the

celery stalk and the lemon wedge

Created with the support of Mr. Salvatore Puma, General

Manager and Mr. Siddiq, Sous Chef.


15

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES


16

By Susie Ross

When the economy struggles as it is now, people want to tighten

up the purse strings and watch every penny spent. The restaurant

industry feels this just as surely as the malls and department stores

do this year, perhaps more so. Dining out is a luxury most of us

cut out first when watching our respective budgets. Does that

mean we ease up on our customer service skills? Absolutely not!

I believe you cannot afford to let people eat in your restaurant

once, only to determine that they will not come back, either in

the near future or when their money flows easier.

Perhaps you might consider spending the money now to train

staff that would like to keep their jobs and still make money.

Help them create future customers of the few you have now.

The economy and our response to it are rather like a faucet; the

water is at a trickle now. The faucet will be turned on again; the

question is, “where will the water flow?” You want it to be into

your business.

Recently in an article in The Rocky Mountain News, entitled

“Smart Companies Put Customer First,” written by Harvey

Mackay, he cited a story of how Herbert Marcus, one of the

founders of Neiman Marcus, valued his customers. His son, the

late Stanley Marcus, recounted the story:

“A customer had ruined a dress she had obviously worn and

was loudly demanding her money back. When Stanley seemed

resistant, his father admonished him and told him to give the

woman her money back, no questions asked.

Later, Stanley argued with his father that the woman had worn

and abused the dress and that the manufacturer would not

help pay for it. His father replied that the woman wasn’t doing

business with the manufacturer, she was doing business with

Neiman Marcus. He didn’t want to lose a customer over a $175

dress.

You Never Know Whom You Are Serving

S

ERV

ICE


17

SERV

ICE

Years later, someone calculated that the woman had spent more

than $500,000 at Neiman Marcus. The customers may not always

be right, but it’s a good idea to let them think they are.”1

This may not seem practical to a restaurant owner with a guest

who has just eaten an entire plate of food, when he/she was

asked if everything was prepared to his/her satisfaction shortly

after serving the food. Yes, there are differences, but should you

treat your guests differently than those of a department store? I

am not saying restaurants should adopt this policy. It’s a puzzle

and only an individual owner/manager can determine the correct

answer for his/her business.

But let me pose another situation. I recently was part of a

wedding party in Oklahoma City. The wedding and most of

the guests were housed in a well-known hotel, noted for its

outstanding customer service qualities. I must remark that it was

indeed a physically attractive building; I can understand why my

friends chose this particular hotel in which to have their wedding

take place. The attraction ended with the marble floors, wood

trim and beautiful draperies.

Among many other things that were disastrous as far as customer

service goes, this one event stood out to me as the epitome of

judging someone by appearances and, happily enough, creates a

great cornerstone to this month’s newsletter!

The bride’s uncle and his wife drove up from a small town in

Texas. I’ll call them Jerry and Marilyn. Jerry and his wife are

unassuming in appearance and probably aged in their mid-sixties.

When they drove up the afternoon before the wedding, in their

very expensive, shiny black Corvette, the valets eagerly awaited

the opportunity to jump behind the wheel of the car to drive it

100 yards to a parking space.

Marilyn spotted a family member and went to chat with her

in the lobby while Jerry stood back from the counter waiting

to be acknowledged. The hotel employees were assisting other

guests. When they were finished with those guests, they saw no

other would-be guests to whom they should be paying attention.

They did see a maintenance man, dressed in dark work pants,

work boots and a blue, striped shirt with a name patch, on which

was embroidered the name “Jerry.” They ignored him.

Now Jerry is a smart man, a businessman. He owns a company

that paints commercial aircraft. It’s not a large, Fortune 500

company, but he is successful at what he does, in part because

he is a hands-on kind of business owner. He enjoys driving

his Corvette and he is comfortable wearing his work clothes

wherever he goes. As I stated, Jerry is a smart man and he

understood what was happening. So he went to the counter

and asked if he could check in. He was a little angry, but he was

willing to let their ignorance go. However, the person he chose

to talk to acted as if he might be insane to think that he could

afford to stay in a hotel such as this. He skeptically began the

check-in process.

That is basically the end of the story. You can be assured that no

one apologized to him for ignoring him. They happily took his

money, though. According to Jerry, and I believe him, they won’t

be receiving any more of his money in the future.

Jerry didn’t complain to the hotel management; he didn’t think

it would do any good. Who did he talk to? His family, other

guests, including me, all of whom were having their own issues

with the hotel. We all certainly told other people. The tragedy

for the hotel is that it is not only located in Oklahoma City; it is an

international chain. People came from all over the United States

and Canada for this wedding.

Statistics show that, instead of complaining to an organization

directly, �6% of dissatisfied customers will gripe to an average of

nine other people.

You never know whom you are serving. Appearances can be

deceiving. When you are serving a party of 65 for the holidays,

know who the host is, whether it is an individual or a company.

Also remember that the rest of the people, nameless as they

may appear, all have names, careers, influence on others, and

many have reasons and means to pay for a party of their own

someday. Bad hair or a cheap-looking suit should not be taken

for a bad person who has no value or influence. Besides being

extremely rude to someone who is a guest and doesn’t deserve to

be ignored, you may be quashing a future opportunity to make

money and promote your business.

I refer to my own website’s index page table:

Some startling facts regarding the reasons restaurants lose

customers:

Customer dies 1%

Moved away 3%

Influenced by friends 5%

Lured away by the competition 9%

Dissatisfied with product 14%

Turned away by an attitude of 68%

indifference on the part of a

company employee

Can you afford to have your wait staff having an attitude of indifference

toward your guests?

Source: THE PRYOR REPORT, Vol. 10, No. 4a

Susie Ross has been involved in the hospitality industry for ten years. She

has just written a definitive work on front of house customer service and

techniques for waiters and waitresses. For more information about Susie’s

book, “A Waiters Training,” her training manuals and training seminars

please visit her at http://www.waiter-training.com or email her at susie@

waiter-training.com.


18

M

ISC

ELLA

NEO

US

By Dan Bobinski

When it comes to coffee or tea - I’m a coffee guy - I will

occasionally get decadent and apply for a bank loan so I can

get what my friends call a Froo-Froo Cappafluffa - a.k.a. Overly-

Priced Coffee-Flavored-Milk - but most of the time I’m opting for

a plain old cup-o-joe.

What I’m really trying to say is I’m no expert in tea. I’ll leave that

to my wife and the entire population of the United Kingdom.

My preferred cup of tea has been described as barbaric by tea-

lovers everywhere: Just give me a basic Lipton tea bag. No flavors

necessary. Besides, I only drink tea when I have a cold, and even

that’s rare.

But one thing I like about watching people make tea: It’s symbolic.

You take some leaves, put them in hot water, and the water

changes. Some leaves make the water sweeter, some make it

bitter. Sometimes the change is dramatic, sometimes it’s mild.

When you find yourself in hot water, what kind of effect do

you have on the environment?So my question is “what flavor

is your management tea?” When you find yourself in hot water,

what kind of effect do you have on the environment? Do you

become bitter and turn your surroundings bitter as well? Or are

you soothing, with a corresponding ripple effect on those around

you? Is the effect mild, or can people tell from far away what

results you’re generating? If you care at all about how deeply

your coworkers engage, it behooves you to get feedback on how

you handle yourself in a crisis - hot water, so to speak. Over the

years, I’ve found that many people have no idea how they’re

coming across and what kind of effect they have.

Perhaps the best tool to get this information is a 360 feedback

report. Although they’re touted by some and scorned by others,

I believe that the usefulness of a 360 feedback is hard to beat

- if it’s done well.

For those who’ve not heard about them before, 360 feedback

reports gather information from coworkers about a person’s

effectiveness. The “360” means a “full circle” view, in that

feedback is gathered from all the perspectives around you:

Superiors above you, peers alongside you, and those who are

“under” you on the corporate ladder. Some versions include the

opinions of customers!

The purpose is to get feedback on your strengths and weaknesses

- as perceived by others. The assumption is that perception

is reality. You may think you’re behaving a certain way, but if

everyone around you sees you acting otherwise, you can bet

they’re responding to you in an “otherwise” fashion.

Example: You may think you’re an idea-generating catalyst

bringing innovation and valuable momentum to a team, while

those around you perceive you to be an arrogant, egocentric

grandstander who ignores or belittles the input of others.

Upon learning of such perceptions you might realize why nobody

offers up their opinion any more. It’s not because they’re lacking

ideas or suggestions (as you’ve surmised), but rather they’re tired

of being castigated publicly whenever they open their mouth.

Another example may be the person who perceives himself to

be a critical thinker, but is perceived by others to be a downer,

always pointing out what could go wrong. Some companies

wisely use a 360 approach when collecting information for

annual performance reviews. 360’s are also useful when deciding

what direction to take for a leadership or management coaching

initiative, or for honing the skills of those being groomed for

advancement. In fact, 360’s can measure perceptions in many

areas - performance, integrity, communication, teamwork, and

customer service are just a few.

Because so many varieties of 360’s exist, don’t be hasty in

choosing one. Do a little research on what’s available to you

and choose carefully. If I could offer a few other suggestions,

I strongly recommend anonymity for all contributors. The

more anonymous the input, the more accurate it’s likely to be.

Information collection must be well-thought out so the source of

“who said what” remains secret.

Second, I recommend the results of a 360 be delivered in private by

someone trained to do so. The idea is to create plans for growth,

development, and/or improvement in a “safe” environment - not

blame, insult, cut down, or even soften or coddle the results.

Perceptions, however painful, shouldn’t be glossed over; but

they shouldn’t be delivered with callousness either.

Bottom line, the emotionally intelligent thing to do is know

and understand your preferences, then adapt as necessary for

optimal success. Not everyone likes tea, and not everyone likes

coffee. I like my coffee, but I’m not going to force it on everyone.

A good manager, like a good host, provides the flavors necessary

for people to want to stay around and do their best.

Dan Bobinski is an 18 year veteran in consulting on workplace

issues. Visit his website at www.LeadershipAnswers.com,

or interact with him at his blog: www.workplaceexcellence.

wordpress.com

What flavor is your management tea?


1�

FOO

D &

BEVERA

GE


20

By DPPEA

A shampoo bottle a sugar packet a light bulb a note pad

These are small items, but in guest rooms, they represent more

than just dollars and cents. Each of these amenities can become

an opportunity to improve the environmental image of your

facility — whether you install refillable shampoo dispensers and

energy-efficient lighting or reuse linens and purchase recycled-

content products.

A typical occupied guest room generates between one to two

pounds of waste on a non-checkout day; that amount doubles

on checkout days. One study found waste levels for one room to

be over 28 pounds per day, depending on the property type and

the number of guests staying in the room. Regardless of exact

figures, an estimated 80 percent of these wastes are recyclable.

Measurable savings in waste disposal and energy and water use

are available if guest rooms are targeted for waste reduction and

other environmental activities.

This fact sheet explains successful environmental efforts in guest

rooms and outlines ways to reduce and recycle waste and conserve

energy and water. It also suggests effective ways to communicate

these efforts to guests and highlights the success of one property

in implementing a sheet and towel reuse program.

GREENING GUEST ROOMS

Depending on the property type and customer base, some of

these opportunities for cost-effective environmental initiatives in

guest rooms will be more suitable than others. Try as many as

you can.

Reducing Waste

Question the presentation and packaging of each amenity

offered. Eliminating a product entirely or some packaging usually

saves money because you do not have to pay for it up-front or

again at disposal. Several examples of ways to reduce waste in

guest rooms follow.

• Reduce the volume of discarded newsprint generated

by Giving out newspapers in a central location such

as the lobby or restaurant rather than distributing

them to each guest room. At check-in, ask guests

whether they would like a newspaper, or provide a

door hanger for those who want in-room delivery.

• Wait to replace tissues in bathrooms until dispensers

are almost empty. Leave new rolls or boxes for the

guests to replace. And if company policy is to replace

half rolls, save them for use in employee rest rooms

or as donations to shelters. Also consider using

double rolls, which provide twice as much paper per

roll.

• Eliminate unwanted or under-used amenities such as

shower caps and shoe shine cloths — or offer them

by request only. Eliminate plastic liners in ice buckets.

• Donate to local charities products such as linens and

furniture that still have useful life.

• Try reusing materials. Re-cut linens that are damaged

and make them into other necessary items such as

chef scarves or aprons. Consider reusing stained bath

towels as cleaning cloths.

• Choose reusable or durable goods over disposables

whenever possible. For example, provide reusable

drinking glasses and coffee cups in guest rooms, and

purchase sheets with high thread count for longer

wear. Choose reusable baskets or plastic containers

for guest laundry over disposable paper or plastic

wrap.

• Try refillable dispensers for shampoo, soap, lotion and

conditioner. By choosing 2�-ounce pump dispensers,

the Boston Park Plaza eliminated over two million

plastic bottles from its waste stream each year. The

property used the money saved to buy higher quality

products for the dispensers. Many properties also

reduce waste by not replacing bars of soap for stay

over guests.

Recycling Waste

Common recyclables from guest rooms include aluminum cans,

glass and plastic bottles, and newspapers. Business travelers

may also generate significant amounts of white office paper. A

convenient way to collect recyclables from rooms is to use bags on

the side of housekeeping carts; however, some carts are too full

for any add-ons. In that case, consider placing bins in common

areas such as near vending machines or elevators, but make sure

to also place trashcans near any recycling bins in public areas to

cut down on contamination. The best option may be to place

bins under desks or in closets in individual rooms. Another option

Hotel Waste Reduction: Housekeeping

EN

VIR

ON

MEN

T


SERV

ICE

21

is to request that guests leave recyclables on bathroom counters,

dressers or tables so that the housekeeping staff does not need

to dig through the trash.

Conserving Energy and Water

A typical U.S. hotel uses 218 gallons of water per day per

occupied room. Water-efficient fixtures can save 25to 30 percent

on water and sewer bills with no loss of comfort to guests. These

fixtures are an easy way to reduce water consumption with a

short payback period.

• By mixing air into the water flow,

water-efficient showerheads and aerators reduce

the actual amount of water leaving the faucet while

maintaining good water pressure.

• Low-flow toilets are also designed to perform with

less water without sacrificing performance. A good

alternative for older, water-wasting toilets is toilet

dams or flappers. By limiting the amount of water

flushed from the bowl, these water conservation

devices reduce water use and costs.

Another water and energy saving approach is to offer guests the

option to keep the same sheets and towels for stays of more than

one night. Properties all across the country, from resort properties

to Holiday Inns, place sheet and towel placards in rooms explaining

to guests the environmental impacts of changing sheets and

towels daily. Such reuse of linens not only saves thousands of

gallons of water, it keeps another batch of detergent from being

dumped into waterways. Additionally, facilities can save 50 cents

per day per occupied room on laundry and toweling costs by

reusing linens. Preprinted cards are available from the American

Hotel & Motel Association.

Consider using more efficient lighting in guest rooms. Depending

on the choice of lamps, an energy savings of 50 percent or more

is possible when rooms are occupied. The following options are

available:

• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). These lamps

produce more diffuse light than incandescents, so an

appropriate wattage is important. Consider CFLs in

the 22- to 38-watt range to keep rooms bright and

ensure guest comfort. Bathrooms maybe a good

place to start with CFLs as research shows

that bathroom lights have the longest burning hours

(possibly because they are often used as night lights).

Caution: A concern with screw-in CFLs in desk lamps

is that they can be easily stolen. To circumvent this

risk, lamps are being hard-wired to new, specifically

designed fixtures from which they cannot

be unscrewed. These fixtures are somewhat more

expensive, but they prevent theft and save money

over time.


22

EN

VIR

ON

MEN

T

• Another option is to use long-life or lower wattage

lamps in guest rooms.

Occupancy sensors are energy-saving devices that can trigger

lighting and heating/air conditioning units when guests enter

the room and/or lighting in closets. Some properties have key-

activated systems that automatically turn off when people exit

the room and are reactivated upon re-entry. If sensors are not an

option, have housekeepers turn off lights and turn HVAC units

back to specified temperatures when rooms are unoccupied.

INFORMING YOUR GUESTS

Many ways exist to inform guests of the property’s environmental

initiatives. Send the messages clearly and often to avoid any

confusion or misunderstanding. Use as many of the following

techniques as possible to educate guests.

• Send an environmental message with reservation

confirmations. For example, announce that guests

can recycle papers and beverage containers

throughout the hotel, and give a number that they

can call for more information.

• Require staff to inform guests and check-in of

environmental efforts such as the option tore use

sheets and towels.

• Use placards in rooms to inform guests of

environmental efforts; for example, signs in

bathrooms can tell how much waste the refillable

dispensers for soap and shampoo have eliminated.

• Place signs near recycling bins in public areas or guest

rooms that clearly show acceptable recyclable

materials and that explain the positive environmental

impact of recycling.

• Make sure employees, especially front desk and room

service staff, can accurately and clearly respond to

guest questions about the waste reduction options in

effect.

• Whenever possible, convey your message in easy-to-

understand terms with visual descriptions; for

example, instead of telling guests that the property

has recycled 100 tons, tell them how many trees or

how much energy was saved.

CASE STUDY

The 281-room Radisson Hotel in Asheville, N.C., has allowed

guests to choose to keep linens or towels for stays of more

than one night. This effort has not only saved person-hours,

detergent, and hot water, it has also limited wear and tear on

linens, washing machines and dryers. And to top it off, costs

have dropped over 30 percent, from about $1.15 to $0.75 per

load.

Here’s how it works: when rooms are made up, a special card is

placed on the bed asking guests to leave the card on the bed the

next day if they wish to keep the same sheets and towels. When

housekeepers see the card, they know the sheets and towels do

not need to be changed. Of course, rooms are totally stripped

between guests.

Training housekeeping staff is critical to success, according to

Bob Ray, Rooms Division manager at the Radisson. He suggests

starting with a trial run. Make instructions available in the

primary language of your housekeepers (Spanish, in this case),

and test their knowledge. For example, have inspectors mark

sheets and set-up various scenarios. Then check whether the

proper instructions were followed for each scenario.

Your best measure of success will be guest response. Many luxury

or upper-tier facilities are nervous about initiating such programs.

According to Ray, their fears are unfounded. He’s heard only two

complaints in 8,000 room nights; in that same period, he’s had

over 25 written compliments.

The N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

(DPPEA) provides free, non-regulatory technical assistance and training

on methods to eliminate, reduce or recycle wastes before they become

pollutants or require disposal. Telephone DPPEA at (919) 715-6500 or

(800) 763-0136 or e-mail at [email protected] for further information

about the issues discussed in this fact sheet or to discuss any of your waste

reduction concerns.


23

MISC

ELLAN

EOU

S


2�

FO

OD

& B

EVER

AG

E


25

LOC

AL N

EWS

Mr. Ingo Wenseritt, Master Baker and Baking Engineer of IREKS

GMBH Germany, is visiting the Maldives for a period of two

weeks to support, improve and demonstrate baking methods

and to teach the latest innovations on how to use IREKS Bread

Improvers and Pre-mixes to the Maldives market.

According to Mr. Wenseritt, IREKS was started in 1856 by Johann

Peter Ruckdeschel, a German Master Baker and Home Brewer in

the town of Klumbach in Germany. Since the beginning in 1856,

IREKS has remained within the family and has developed over the

years, now employing 1800 people and serves over 70 countries.

The company has been represented in the Maldives since the year

2000 by Bestbuy Maldives (Pvt.) Ltd.

Quality control and consumer safety are given the highest priority

at IREKS. Equipped with all the latest hi-tech apparatus, the IREKS

German Master Baker tours Maldivesquality control system serves as a highly sensitive monitoring

facility for all raw materials, checking them for minute levels of

heavy metal and pesticides – down to 1 gram of toxic substance

in 1,000,000 tons of raw material.

According to Mr. Ingo Wenseritt, one of the secrets to the

success and popularity of the company and its products is the

easy accessibility for technical support from throughout the Asia-

Pacific region. “I visit the Maldives and other countries where we

have customers of IREKS products regularly, spending an average

of two weeks on each visit. For instance, when I am visiting

Maldives, I make it a point to visit the hotels and resorts that use

our products. I train the staff in baking new varieties of bread

and also offer them any other support they request for. I think

this is very important for a company such as ours where the final

product is very much dependant on the teamwork of a number

of professionals.”

During his two week visit, Mr. Wenseritt will be traveling to a

number of resorts where he will be mostly working with chefs.

These resorts include some of the most established as well as

those upcoming resorts who are interested in quality products.

While he might not be able to attend to all the customers of

IREKS during the visit, he is available via email for any queries

you might have throughout the year (wenseritt@csloxinfo.

com). Additionally, you can also make an appointment with Mr.

Wenseritt for his next trip to the Maldives through IREKS’ local

partner, Bestbuy Maldives (Pvt.) Ltd. Alternatively, Mr. Mazloom

(General Manager) at Bestbuy can also be contacted for any

assistance; Mobile: 7782580


HU

MA

N R

ESO

URC

ES

By Helen Wilkie

Under the terms of what we call “The Communication

Contract™” every message sent out must be received and

understood by someone - somewhere. If that does not happen,

there is no communication because someone has breached the

contract. How can we be in breach of the contract? Well, as the

poet said, “Let me count the ways.”

Oral communication

Have you ever gone into a store to buy technical equipment

without a lot of knowledge of the technology? Some time ago,

I bought a digital camera. When I approached the salesman in

a major photography store, he launched into a long technical

explanation of the various models and prices—lots of talk about

pixels, resolution, capacity, and other mysterious attributes of

digital cameras. I had no idea what he was talking about. It

apparently never occurred to him to ask me about my level of

familiarity with the technology, or what I wanted to do with it. As

a result, he expressed his message in his own language, not mine,

and it was neither received nor understood. Oops—breach!

Do you have someone in your organization whose constant

lament is “Nobody ever tells me anything around here”? Did you

ever hear that person say, “I never listen”? Probably not, but

that’s usually the problem. Most of us don’t listen as well as we

think, and some people never listen at all. Contrary to common

belief, listening and hearing are not the same thing.

Hearing involves only our ears. Sound reverberates off our

eardrums, producing words we can recognize, as well as other

sounds we must interpret. It happens all the time, even with

s o u n d s we don’t consciously notice: traffic in the

street, radio or television playing in

the background, the conversation

at the

n e x t

table in a

restaurant.

But that’s not

listening Listening,

on the other hand, involves

not only ears, but also mind,

eyes, smile and even body.

Your mind processes the sounds

you hear into a coherent message,

while your eyes and body convey

to the speaker that you are, in fact,

receiving and understanding the

message.

When someone else is speaking, you are usually silent. But if you

are running over your reply in your mind and waiting until the

other person finishes so that you can jump in, that’s not listening.

Instructions, information, messages, news—all of it goes in one

ear and out the other without any interference from the brain.

Oops—breach!

Written communication

When it comes to the written word, far too many business letters

are jargon-filled pages, sent to people who don’t understand this

inside language. Is the reader a member of your company, your

organization, your industry or profession? If so, a certain amount

of jargon may be appropriate. After all, jargon evolves because

it is often the best means of communication among members

of a particular group. The problem arises, however, when we

forget that a particular reader may not understand our “inside

language”. For example, do you know what the following terms

mean?

1. full bleed

2. GAAP

3. to die intestate

4. term life

5. laproscopic procedure

If you were a printer or graphic designer, you would know No.

1 means the ink covers the paper right to the edge of the sheet.

An accountant would know No. 2 stands for Generally Accepted

Accounting Principles. Any lawyer could tell you No. 3 refers to a

person who dies without making a will. To the insurance industry,

No. � represents a type of insurance policy, and surgeons perform

No. 5 when they make perform a specialized

type of surgery with the

help of

computers

a n d

c a m e r a s .

So there is

no reason why

you should know

all these terms from

various industries and

professions, and it’s

important to remember that

other people have no reason to

know yours. Outside your group,

use plain language that people will

Are you in breach of the Communication Contract?

26


27

FOO

D &

BEVERA

GE

understand. Jargon is a useful communication tool created for a

good purpose—but greatly misused. Oops—breach!

You may not have thought about reading as a communication

technique, but it is an important part of the contract. A child

died in hospital in unusual circumstances. At the hearing,

a nurse testified that she didn’t properly read the doctor’s

instructions about monitoring. There was nothing wrong with

the instructions—she just didn’t read them properly, and a child

died. Sadly, this story is true, and it illustrates a serious breach

with tragic consequences.

Non-verbal communication

How can non-verbal messages breach the contract? Well, have

you ever called someone and listened to a voicemail greeting

delivered in a flat monotone? Do you feel inclined to believe

that this person will be pleased to do anything, let alone call

you back? The words say one thing, but the tone says another.

Oops—breach!

And what about company presidents who stand up before the

press or shareholders and say, “Our employees are our most

important assets”—and then proceed to close a plant and put

�00 of their most important assets out of work? The words say

one thing, the actions another. Oops—breach!

It’s important that there be congruence among the written, spoken

and non-verbal clauses of The Communication Contract™. If the

words say one thing but the actions or body language another,

the non--verbal cue will always be believed. Think what that can

do to your credibility.

When you consider how easy it is to breach The Communication

Contract™ without even noticing, it’s no wonder we have so

much difficulty getting our message across.

© 2006 Helen Wilkie All Rights Reserved. You may reprint this article for

your online or print publication so long as you include the complete article

and the following paragraph:

Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker, consultant and author who helps

companies do better business through better communication. Her latest

book is “The Hidden Profit Center”. To received free monthly tips and

techniques on communication, visit www.mhwcom.com or www.

HiddenProfitCenter.com and sign up for “Communi-keys”. Reach Helen

Wilkie at 416-966-5023 or [email protected]


28

LOC

AL

NEW

S

Bar Supervisor from Anantara Resort Maldives excels at Tea Sommelier CompetitionDebendra Kumar Ojha, Bar Supervisor from Anantara Resort

Maldives, takes on 1st runner-up at Asia Pacific Dilmah Tea

Sommelier Competition

Debendra Kumar Ojha, Bar Supervisor from Anantara Resort

Maldives, proudly took on 1st runner up place at the first ever Asia

Pacific Tea Sommelier Competition which was held in Colombo,

Sri Lanka on 27th March, 2007. Dilmah Tea in collaboration with

the Chefs Guild of Lanka and endorsed by The World Association

of Chefs Societies (WACS Asia Pacific Region) started the Asia

Pacific Tea Sommelier competition for tea sommeliers in the

region to compete and showcase their skills and creativity using

the finest Ceylon tea as the main base.

Seventeen countries from the Asia Pacific region participated

in the competition with an audience consisting of Dilmah Tea

representatives and distributors from around �0 countries. Each

participant was required to prepare and present tea cocktail,

tea mocktail and a hot tea beverage and they were judged by

a nominated member of the Chef Associations of each country.

The judging criteria was based on utilisation of Tea and actual

taste of Tea, creativity, presentation, and working technique and

timing. Ojha exemplified his skills, innovation and showmanship

in the makings of his own original concoctions and impressed the

judges with the flavours and presentation of his Redberries Iced

Tea as a tea cocktail, Lemon Lime Cobler as a tea mocktail and

the classic Earl Grey Tea for the hot tea beverage.

Guests at Anantara Resort Maldives can take a stroll down to

Aqua bar and sip one of the award-winning tea concoctions

by Ojha and at the same time relax and be mesmerized by the

stunning infinity pool overflowing into the expansive turquoise

lagoon. In the evening, order the irresistibly sexy Redberries Iced

Tea cocktail served in the champagne glass as you watch the

beautiful sunset on the beach.

For press enquiries please contact:

Marion Walsh – Brand Director of Public Relations

Tel: + 66 (0) 2877 5803 Ext. 28 Fax: + 66 (0) 2877 7497

Mobile : + 66 (0) 89 811 3829

Email: [email protected]

Janice Nopvichai – Director of Public Relations, Anantara Maldives

Tel : + 960 664 4100

Mobile : +960 980 8865

Email : [email protected]


2�

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES


30

T

RA

ININ

G

By Dave Wheelhouse, CHRE and Chris Longstreet, CHA

Training activities that focus on operational procedures and skills are

generally conducted either by department managers or individuals

designated as department trainers. There are no hard and fast rules

about whether the manager should conduct skills training or delegate it

to department supervisors or to talented employees. The general principle

that should guide the decision of “who” is consistency. If some employees

are taught one way and others are taught a different way or not at all,

the result is confusion in the work area and the failure to provide the level

of the guest service desired. The greatest consistency comes from using

the same trainer as much as possible and effectively communicating the

performance standards of the job.

Performance standards are the observable, measurable benchmarks by

which you decide when the job is well done. Performance standards

should not restrict employee initiative, but should enable employees to

know when they are doing their jobs right. For example, if giving fast

service is important, one of the standards for restaurant cashiers might be

“a complete transaction should be rung up within one minute – if more

than four people are waiting to pay for their checks, call for assistance.”

About 20 clearly defined standards per job may be enough to determine if

an employee is performing the job well. It is the manager’s responsibility to

ensure that performance standards within the department are compatible

with the overall goals of the organization.

For training to be properly received, those leading the training must create

the right climate through an effective approach and attitude toward

training. Trainers act in three capacities:

1. As a master craftsman – the expert – passing skills on

to an apprentice

2. As a coach – teaching and refining the skills of the

players (employees)

3. As a role model – for every person that is trained.

Training involves so much more than merely lecturing or passing along

information. The trainers mission is to share experience and develop the

talents of the employees. Establish an atmosphere of trust by displaying a

sincere interest in the trainee as an individual and clearly expressing your

desire to help him or her succeed. A good trainer sees the job through

another’s eyes.

When people experience difficulties in performing new tasks, they may

become discouraged and develop a self-defeating attitude. On the other

hand, as they achieve success in learning new skills, their self-esteem

grows and their confidence in doing a good job improves. Effective

training allows trainees to develop pride in their abilities.

If a manager doesn’t have the time or qualities to become a good

trainer, it is preferable to turn the skills training function over

to someone else. Obviously, managers of large departments

or teams may be unable to handle all of the training activities

without assistance. Regardless of the size of the department or

team, the manager cannot avoid the responsibility of the training

function. The accountability for seeing that every employee is

trained cannot be delegated.

Developing Departmental Trainers


31

TRA

ININ

G

When selecting a trainer for your team, consider that a good

trainer may not always be the supervisor or employee who had

the least difficulty in learning the job. In fact, the best trainer

may be an employee who had more difficulty than most in

learning the skills of the job. They, most likely, excel at the job!

Employees who become effective trainers are generally those

who are:

• Good judges of skill and talent

• Objective

• Aware, understanding, and accepting of the

differences in people

• Good at listening and communicating

• Good role models for the department

• Optimistic about the job, the department,

and the company

Good trainers take pride in their work and give attention to detail,

accuracy, and neatness. They are logical, patient, good planners,

and are tactful, cooperative, helpful, sincere, and honest. They

have a sense of humor and make friends easily. Obviously,

finding good trainers isn’t easy, but once found, they may prove

to be your best and most valuable employees.

Individuals selected as trainers must be taught how to train, given

adequate feedback, and rewarded for their effort. Give trainers

more contact with you than you give the average employee.

Monitor performance more often and show support for their

efforts.

No matter who conducts actual training activities, the department

manager is responsible for defining and communicating the

team’s goals and values. Even when routine skills training is

delegated to a supervisor or lead employee, the manager must

continue to monitor and evaluate the progress of the trainees,

show a sincere interest in their efforts, and communicate to them

that quality and consistency are important.

Adapted from Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality Industry by

David Wheelhouse, CHRE (Educational Institute of the AH&LA, Lansing,

MI, 1989) For more information on the SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY

MANAGEMENT, visit our website at www.hospitalitysociety.org or call us

at 616 457-3646.


32

LOC

AL

NEW

S

By ehotelier.com

Raffles Hotels & Resorts announced that it will manage a ��-

villa luxury resort, Raffles Resort Konottaa, its first venture in the

Maldives. The resort, owned and developed by Platinum Capital

Holdings Pvt Ltd, is located at the pristine and the newly-developed

Gaafu Alifu atoll, in the southern part of the Maldives.

Scheduled to open in Spring 2008, Raffles Resort Konottaa

features �� duplex villas, all with individual plunge pools. The

duplex villas, of which 22 are over-the-water villas, are the first

of its kind in Maldives. The water villas, which have an additional

Jacuzzi pool, are set in secluded surroundings and enjoy

unobstructed spectacular ocean views.

The villas, spread over an expansive 1,250 to 3,700 square feet,

will be designed with a contemporary edge, but yet embrace the

best of Maldivian architecture with tropical accents and details

from the region.

Guests who seek the spa experience can rejuvenate and indulge

at RafflesAmrita Spa, a sanctuary of calm and pampering luxury

treatments. The brand name is derived from an ancient Sanskrit

legend in which deities searched for Amrita, an elixir that would

grant them eternal youth. Launched in 2000, there is now a

RafflesAmrita Spa in all the Raffles properties in the world and

several such as RafflesAmrita Spa in Raffles The Plaza and Raffles

Hotel in Singapore, Raffles Le Montreux Palace, Raffles Resort

Canouan Island, The Grenadines have received awards as best

spa in their respective destinations.

A tantalizing selection of food and beverage options awaits

guests. They may choose to dine at a specialty restaurant, an

all-day casual dining restaurant or at the elegant Grill Room for

exquisite fine dining. The culinary creations by Raffles chefs will

feature specialties from the region and the freshest catch from

the sea. For glorious sunsets, guests can unwind with signature

cocktails at the Main Bar, which overlooks breathtaking ocean

vistas.

Guests will also have access to an extensive library of DVDs at the

resort, while the more energetic may choose to practice on a golf

simulator, play tennis, scuba dive or snorkel at some of the most

untouched and spectacular coral reefs in the Maldives. Other

water sports include catamaran sailing and deep-sea fishing.

Accessibility to Raffles Resort Konottaa is made seamless through

a 50-minute flight from Male to Kaadedhdhoo airport, and a

relaxed 15-minute ride on the well-appointed Raffles speedboat

to the resort paradise.

Raffles to manage luxury resort in Gaafu Alifu Atoll

One of the top leisure destinations of the world, the Maldives

is ranked 8th in the world with the fastest rates of tourism and

travel growth, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council

(WTTC) and Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF). With a tourism

growth rate of 7.2%, Maldives is forecast as one of the top ten

countries in the world’s tourism industry.

“This is another milestone for the Group, as we extend the

Raffles presence to one of the premier travel destinations of the

world,” commented Mrs. Diana Ee Tan, Managing Director of

Raffles Hotels & Resorts. “The Southern Gaafu Alifu atoll, with

its pristine waters and untouched surroundings is certain to be a

haven for the discerning traveler in search of paradise and luxury.

We are extremely gratified that Platinum Capital Holdings has

entrusted Raffles to manage this luxury jewel.”

Mr. Mohammed Shaweed, President & Chief Executive Officer,

Platinum Capital Holdings Pvt Ltd, said, “We are delighted with

our partnership with Raffles Hotels & Resorts. The name Raffles

represents a promise to provide the best. Its uncompromising

standards in products and service are well renowned and

legendary. We believe that the Raffles difference will set a new

benchmark in the Maldives.”

This new venture, Raffles Resort Konottaa, marks Raffles Hotels &

Resorts’ expansion into the top leisure destinations of the world,

and reaffirms the brand’s global position as a leading and much

sought after management group.

Raffles is a collection of luxury hotels around the globe that distinguishes

itself through the highest standards of products and services. Each hotel

is a landmark in its respective city, positioned at the top of its local market

and rated among the very best in the world.

Raffles’ relentless pursuit of service excellence has earned for its hotels

and resorts a legion of international accolades, including Condé Nast

World’s Best Places to Stay and Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards. Its

flagship, Raffles Hotel Singapore, was named Best Luxury Hotel 2006 by

Travel Trade Gazette Asia. Raffles Hotels & Resorts was ranked second

among the world’s top hotel brands in the 2006 Condé Nast Traveler

Business Travel Awards. The award-winning collection of legendary

hotels includes Raffles Hotel and Raffles The Plaza in Singapore, Raffles

Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Raffles Hotel Le Royal,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Raffles Beijing Hotel, People’s Republic of China,

Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, California, Raffles Resort Canouan Island,

The Grenadines, Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg, Germany and

Raffles Le Montreux Palace, Montreux, Switzerland. Raffles Dubai, United

Arab Emirates, will open in the third quarter of 2007.


33

LOC

AL N

EWS


3�

HU

MA

N R

ESO

URC

ES


HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES

35

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES

By Patrick Goff

The move by many groups from being property owning operators

to being brand franchisors is gathering pace around the world

and truly global brands are being created. Franchising enables

growth to be speedy and to penetrate new territory using local

knowledge and finance to create new branded units.

Branding however carries risks as well as the advantage of major

international marketing clout through a strong identity. As a

designer I worked for many individual hoteliers and one medium

sized and one major brand for twenty years, completing over

�00 hotel projects in that time, ranging from small conversions

(a stable block into four bedrooms for example) through rolling

refurbishment programmes to major extensions and new build

resort hotels of up to �00 bedrooms.

In all instances the client saw design as a major tool in setting

the character and sales ‘characteristics’ of the hotel. Yet in no

instance was the design brief phrased in such a way as to limit

the initiative or creativity of our design studio. Nor was the brand

standard compromised or damaged. We were able to interpret

and develop the brand through reflecting the local culture and

identity, whilst retaining a family likeness to previous designs

thereby keeping the brand identity and standards intact but

developing them.

Recently I have spoken with major brands on how they are

retaining their brand identity across continents and have become

concerned that the management of design is being achieved

by actually removing the design concept and replacing it with a

brand implementation. Some have said that they have bedroom

schemes that are implemented by the builder and that there is no

need for a designer to be involved.

This is not always acceptable to communities whose architectural

heritage is valuable to them, nor on a site where the setting of

the architecture matters to the local community preventing a

standard unit being implemented.

Often this kind of homogenisation is not acceptable to travellers

either who want the brand standard but also want to feel that

they are in a different state, to have an interior that reflects the

location of their hostelry. Most difficult in this kind of approach is

when dealing with a non-standard building, where considerable

adaptation of the brand scheme may be required. Variety is after

all the spice of life and should be possible within the brand

standards

Another drawback of implementing this kind of standard scheme

is that it removes from the brand the ability to change and grow

with market conditions. A good designer is a honeybee, carrying

the pollen of ideas and change from hotel group to hotel group.

Removing the pollen stops fertilisation and creates stasis.

The brand finds itself losing ground against competition, or

maybe a franchisee acts to improve the standard of his unit

causing the brand to look again at its own standards, or exciting

other franchisees with the quality and causing problems for the

franchisor in turn. Lack of progress through design leaves the

brand behind the changes to be seen elsewhere in the hotel

industry. Brand ceases to be brand but becomes bland, the first

step to decay.

Design is a tool for increasing market share and exciting the

traveller. Used with success by some chains such as Rocco Forte

Hotels, invested in heavily by others to create new excitement in

their property empire such as Starwood’s under Barry Sternlicht,

brand does not need to be bland. The rôle of the designer is

crucial in interpreting the brand standards against the highest

standards elsewhere. The designer is the grain of sand that

makes pearls of individual hotels – set your standards, trust the

designer and none of us will be losers.

www.hoteldesigns.net

Branding Standards or Standardisation

SALES &

MA

RKETIN

G


36

S

ERV

ICE

By Kelley Robertson

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me.”

Although Aretha Franklin was referring to relationships when she

sang these words, they relate to the business world – more so

now than ever before.

Although respect means something different to most people,

there is one certainty – good customer service is at the heart of

it. Here are four strategies you can use to keep your customers

coming back:

1. Under promise, over deliver.

Although this seems fundamentally simple, the consistent

execution is challenging. In our haste to please people and close

sales, we often make promises we can’t keep. We tell a customer

we will deliver by 3:00 P.M. forgetting that we made a similar

commitment to several other people. We promise to return a call

by the end of the day but get caught up in other tasks and forget.

Or, a salesperson tells a client that a back-ordered product will

be available on a certain day without first confirming this. These

situations end up causing us stress and strain the relationships

we have developed with our customers. Avoid these types of

problems by thinking through your decision before you make a

commitment.

2. Hire the right people.

My wife and I recently shopped at a local supermarket. The

cashier smiled and struck up a conversation with us as she rang

through our order. Another cashier who was not busy stepped

over to bag our order and also smiled and talked to us. There was

a friendly energy in the store and as we left, my wife said, “That

is why I shop here.”

In addition to creating a good working environment, the

management team also hired the right people. Front line staff

have a tremendous impact on your business. But many managers

make the mistake of focusing strictly on technical skills when

they interview and hire new employees. Invest the time to hire

individuals who have excellent interpersonal skills and who can

relate well to other people. Ask questions such as:

“Tell me about a difficult customer problem you have had to deal

with in the past.” “What would you do if you were faced with

this situation…?”

“Have you ever had a customer yell at you? How did you

respond?” You can always teach someone the technical aspect

of a job. However, you cannot teach someone to have the right

attitude.

What Customers Really Want


37

LOC

AL N

EWS

3. Proactive communication.

I once ordered furniture from a national chain and was told it

would be delivered on a certain day – it was on back order at

the time I made the purchase. I called the company the day

before the furniture was to be delivered only to be told that it

was still on back order. Had I not made the call, I would not have

discovered this until the next day – when my furniture would not

have been delivered. It would have been simple for the company

to notify me and preempt my frustration.

In another situation, I was told a service person would drop by my

home by 1:00 P.M. on a particular day to give me an estimate on

a repair. Two hours after the scheduled appointment, I received a

call telling me that he would not be able to drop by until the next

day. As a result, I wasted two hours of my time waiting for him.

When things go wrong, and in business they often do, it is how

you respond that makes a difference. Don’t make your customer

call you, call them instead. A small local repair shop makes this

their policy. When a customer brings an item in for service, they

give that person an approximate time frame when the product

will be ready. Then they tell the customer, “We will call you when

it is fixed so you don’t have to waste your time checking with

us.” It is little wonder this business continues to flourish even in

a challenging economy.

4. When you make a mistake, apologize.

Most people can accept mistakes, providing they are treated with

respect afterwards. This past summer I was inconvenienced on

several occasions by different businesses, yet not one bothered

to extend an apology to me. In each situation, an apology would

have quickly and easily remedied the problem. However, their

lack of concern to the problem – which was caused by the

organization itself – caused me to stop doing business with each

company.

Competition is fierce in every industry. Yet, it is very easy to

differentiate yourself from your competition by showing your

customers respect. This behavior starts at the top, with you, the

owner or manager. The leader of the business must treat both his

customers and employees with respect if he expects his team to

take care of the customers. Companies that treat customers with

respect will always thrive, as long as they provide a good product

or service at a competitive price.

Respect your customers’ time, feelings, opinions, beliefs, and

business and they will respect you.

Copyright 2004 Kelley Robertson. All rights reserved

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with

businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees.

He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn

browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.

com and receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by

subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.


38

N

EWS

Bali, Indonesia March 27, 2007-- Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness

Council (APSWC), the region’s leading proactive spa industry

council, marked its first anniversary with a strategic planning

forum revealing ground-breaking new developments. APSWC

council members representing 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific

and Middle East formed the back bone of the leadership forum.

Present were senior management of large companies that

influence the industry through their regional presence, individuals

or companies that lead the industry through innovation and fresh

approaches.

About APSWC

Asia-Pacific Spa Wellness Council is a regional body which

links the national spa associations of the Asia-Pacific nations.

The Council was formed to meet the challenges presented by

the evolution and growth of the Asian Pacific spa industry. In

addition to gathering and communicating market information

and resources, APSWC’s planned activities for the region include:

identifying and recommending appropriate standards, training

resources, and performance benchmarks and establishing a code

and best practices format to be adopted throughout the region.

It’s important that local representation becomes a focus while

looking at the region guides in it’s entirety including a range of

topics relevant to Asia-Pacific countries.

Council will act behind the scenes - establishing, guiding and

supporting national associations so that they can provide

maximum benefit to their members.

The Council is developing strong partnerships with like-minded

industry leaders, and utilises a united voice to educate consumers,

regulators and industry professionals, and thereby create positive

force for change. The Council will operate as a group of interested

parties and will actively seek input and guidance throughout the

Industry at all levels while working on various assignments.

About Conrad Bali Resort & Spa

The luxury Conrad Bali Resort & Spa is located on the southern

coast of the island of Bali and is an ideal venue for the Asia-

Pacific Spa & Wellness Council Forum. The Resort’s expert

meeting planners provide each client with a complete array of

excellent services and facilities, custom designed agendas.

“Conrad Bali Resort & Spa is honoured and privileged to play

host to the prestigious 2007 Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council.

As this is an anniversary event it is of particular significance to

our resort.” says Michael Burchett, General Manager Conrad Bali

Resort & Spa.

Conrad Bali Resort & Spa received top honors as Best New Beach

Resort from TTG Asia in the 16th Annual Readers Choice Awards

and was named one of the best new hotels in the world by Condé

Nast Traveler in the publication’s annual Hot List for 2005.

Editors Notes

APSWC Officers: Samantha Foster (Chairperson), Mary Darling (Vice Chair)

and Carina Chatlani (Media Relations).

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Carina Chatlani | t/ +1 818-789-2020

Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC)

Communication: http://spawellnesscouncil.com/

Leaders from luxury resorts and prestigious spas will participate in Planning the Future of the Spa & Wellness IndustryAsia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC) marks its first anniversary with an Invitation Only Strategic Planning Forum hosted at the Conrad Bali Resort in Bali, Indonesia


3�

LOC

AL N

EWS


�0�0

By Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA

With so many hotels relying on the Internet to help fill their

rooms, it amazes me that there are still so many hotel web sites

that are not designed to produce room reservations. After-all

isn’t that the primary reason why hotel sites are published to

the Internet to begin with? It’s also shocking that so many web

site designers don’t have a clue about search engines, how they

work, nor how and why people select a hotel in which to stay.

So much of the planning and designing of a productive hotel

web site starts with the intent of the designer, when the site is

being designed. Does the designer understand the purpose of

a hotel site? Stephen Covey, in his best seller “Seven Habits of

Highly Effective People”, teaches us to “Begin with the end in

mind”.

With hotel web sites, the “end” to keep in mind is that a hotel

web site must be designed to “sell” reservations; not simply to

be an online brochure. Many people have asked me why I feel

so strongly that it takes knowledge of hotel marketing to design

a productive hotel web site. It’s because an effective hotel web

site must incorporate the basic hotel marketing principles of

location, facilities, and attractions (both business and leisure);

and, most importantly, the site must include dominant well-

written sales text.

While a hotel brochure is designed to describe facilities and

services, it is not relied upon to “close” sales. The purpose of

a web site is far more complex. It must be designed to create

search engine popularity, so the site can be found using many

different search terms; it must create interest in the hotel’s

location, facilities, and services; and, most importantly, its text

must be written to convert “lookers into bookers”.

Why the Design of Your Hotel Web Site MattersIt’s more than just Personal Taste

SALE

S &

MA

RKET

ING


�1

SALES &

MA

RKETIN

G

It’s Location, Location, and Location…

With few exceptions, people visit an area but stay at a hotel

because of its location, nearby attractions and facilities. Knowing

this, it makes pure common-sense to highlight your hotel’s

location. It is always amazing to me to see so many hotel web

sites which give no clue where the hotel is located; some even

without a posted address. Your location is a very special place.

Your location has its own special attributes which attract visitors

from all over the World. Your web site should prominently

highlight your location’s special attributes and provide a reason

to visit that location. Simply listing your hotel’s address is not

enough; generating new visitors to your hotel’s location is most

important; sell destination first, your hotel second.

Having a Web Presence

In the beginning of the Internet’s popularity, only ten or so years

ago, many hotels had the foresight to take advantage of the

opportunity to have a presence on this radically new marketing

medium. But the Internet has changed a lot since then; we

learned that merely having a presence on the Internet does not

necessarily generate reservations.

Many of these early sites were designed by pure technicians, or

in some cases the owner’s nephew, with a flair for design and

some techno-knowledge of how to publish a web site on the

Internet. Some sites were good; many were terrible, but in those

days, few hoteliers knew how much the Internet would impact

our industry and they knew even less about how to design a

hotel web site to sell reservations.

During its maturation process, the number of web sites on

the Internet has grown exponentially and search engines (the

heart of the Internet) have been refined and improved; and are

constantly being improved today. If a site cannot be found easily,

it’s useless.

The Internet’s explosive growth has been unprecedented in

our lifetime. Google, one of the Internet’s most popular search

engines indexes more than 6.8 billion web sites. World population

is 6.6 billion people; that’s more than one site for each and every

one of us! Without search engines, navigating the net would be

nearly impossible.

At this point you may be wondering what web site design has to

do with search engines; the answer is everything. Search engine

requirements must be built into the site’s design. Keep in mind

that search engines, at the present time, read text; images and

graphics are, for the most part, invisible to them. Search engines

seek-out sites which contain the words contained in the search

term.

Many web site designers do an excellent job of making web sites

look attractive, but fail miserably to comply with search engine

and hotel sales and marketing needs. It’s what your site “says”

and “how it says it” that creates popularity with search engines

and converts visitors into reservations.

Some Web Site Common-Sense

Hotel site designers, even those with hotel marketing experience,

tend to be very right-brained creative types. Don’t assume that

they always know all those key factors which make your hotel’s

location unique and popular. When you select a designer for your

site, either new or replacement site, make a list of sales features

and keep them in priority order. A good designer knows the

prime web site real estate to occupy those most important details

of your location and hotel. Remember, it’s not just what you say;

it’s how you say it. Begin with the end in mind; the “end” is to

generate reservations not just increase the number of visitors to

your site.

I know it’s tempting to let your designer create a work of art;

after-all you have all those beautiful images of your hotel, but it’s

often their lack of hotel sales knowledge which will doom your

site to obscurity and mediocre performance.

Good simple navigation of your site is also essential. Basic

rule; don’t make users learn how to navigate your web site.

Understanding how and why people choose a hotel is the first

ingredient in designing a hotel web site. It is not a matter of

simply describing all your hotel’s attributes; it is how they are

presented that really counts.

Take an Objective Look at Your Site

If your site is not producing a good volume of reservations, it’s

probably time to have a marketing analysis done of your site. A

site analysis can reveal why your site is performing poorly; often

some minor adjustments can make a substantial difference in

your sales results. It can also reveal a need to scrap your current

site in favor of a new, properly designed, one.

Are you measuring your site’s conversion rate? If not, why not?

Don’t be fooled by simply measuring the number of visitors

to your site. Most hotel web sites only convert less than four

percent of visitors into reservations; increasing that ratio is the

ultimate goal. Properly written and placed sales text can make a

huge difference.

A web site is a living breathing sales tool which needs to be

adjusted constantly to keep up with changes in your market, your

hotel, and the ever-changing search engine parameters. Your

web site is generating data and statistics, which you can use to

improve your web site and its performance. Ask your web master

to produce and evaluate this data. Sometimes there may be a

small additional fee, but it is very worthwhile.

Your web site is capable of producing 30% to 70% of your total

reservations; get it to work for you.

Author’s Contact:

Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA

Hotel Marketing Coach


Web Site: www.hotelmarketingcoach.com


�2

S

ERV

ICE

N

EWS


�3

LOC

AL N

EWS

Trendsetting luxury resort in the Indian Ocean has just collaborated

with DJ Ravin, the celebrated Buddha Bar groovologist from Paris,

to create an exclusive compilation CD inspired by Per Aquum

Resorts • Spas • Residences pioneering luxury resort, Huvafen

Fushi in the Maldives. This compilation is set to define the next

generation in chill-out music. Huvafen Fushi Maldives By Ravin

premiered on November 2nd 2006 at Boujis, one of London’s

trendiest nightspots.

Out on Avril Prod Records, the CD features 13 brand new

unreleased tracks and two exclusive mixes for Huvafen Fushi,

promising cool ambient-house mixes, a touch of electro and

groovy bass beats. Total chill factor guaranteed.

Home to the world’s first underwater spa, Huvafen Fushi has not

only caught the attention of the discerning traveler, but also of A-

listers who are used to the highest standards of sensual living; DJ

Ravin himself is a regular around the resort’s signature fibre-optic

lit infinity pool. Each of the 43 ‘naturally modern’ bungalows

combines contemporary design with traditional Maldivian style,

boasts its own secluded oasis and freshwater pool as well as

every conceivable luxury including oversized beds, Frette linen,

day beds, plasma screens and Bose surround sound systems with

DVD players.

Says Ravin, “Huvafen Fushi is just a dream, the music you hear

on the CD paints a crystal clear picture of what it is all about.

Shimmering clear water, blue skies, so much life, so much

passion, my music fits beautifully here. I chose the tracks while

reminiscing on my stay at Huvafen Fushi, it’s all about being at

peace and one with nature”.

DJ Ravin regularly appears in some of the world’s most cutting

edge clubs. Still the resident DJ at the Buddha Bar in Paris, he

is increasingly interested in the art of remixing and producing,

and is now solicited as one of the music world’s greatest talents.

Originating from Mauritius, Ravin was brought up by a traditional

Hot, Hip and Happening Huvafen Fushi launches compilation CD with DJ Ravin of Buddha Bar, Paris

Hindu family, which explains his musical style. He moved to

France as a teenager and his first stint at spinning was at The

Rex in Paris, where he eventually met Claude Challe, owner of

Les Bains Douches and the inspiration behind the Buddha Bar

album series. Ravin and Claude collaborated on Buddha Bar I

and II and later compiled Buddha Bar III on his own, gaining a

double gold disc.

Says Maldives Area General Manager, Mark Hehir, “Huvafen

Fushi has been leading the way in the Maldives since opening

in 200�. Our belief is to not only deliver outstanding service

and products but to bring the best ‘groovologists’, spa gurus,

mixologists and performing artists to the scene. The Maldives is

definitely one hot, hip and happening place and Huvafen Fushi is

making it happen now”.

Huvafen Fushi Maldives By Ravin will be available in all major

record stores worldwide and online through iTunes and amazon.

com from February 2007. A bonus DVD is also included in the

album with exclusive footages of a little patch of paradise in the

North Malé Atoll of the Republic of Maldives, Huvafen Fushi.

Per Aquum Resorts • Spas • Residences

A Universal Enterprise, Per Aquum Resorts • Spas • Residences is a

specialist luxury resort, spa and residence management company that

offers a different kind of company ethos: one that is passionate, visionary,

imaginative and naturally modern. Each property embodies regional

tradition and combines luxurious fittings and furnishings in a culturally

sensitive way. No two properties are alike. Literally translated, Per Aquum

means ‘through water’, and the vision of the company is to develop

and manage properties in desirable locations using naturally modern,

ecologically responsible design. Per Aquum currently manages properties

in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Seychelles and is looking at additional

locations in the Indian Ocean region, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,

Morocco and the Middle East.

For any further information, please contact:

Angeline Leo

Huvafen Fushi, Public Relations and Events Manager


Website: www.huvafenfushi.com


��

NEW

S

Marriott Hotels International signs Hospitality Graduate

Recruitment to promote graduate programme

Marriott Hotels International has signed up Hospitality Graduate

Recruitment (HGR) to handle its 2007 graduate recruitment

scheme for the UK & Ireland and Middle East & Africa. Marriott

will be taking on up to 110 graduates as part of the newly branded

M!Voyage program, which is a two-year scheme. Under the

seven-month contract, HGR will market M!Voyage to more than

100 hotel schools and hospitality universities internationally.

Chris Dunn, regional director of talent management at Marriott,

said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with

Hospitality Graduate Recruitment, and look forward to recruiting

Marriott managers of the future via this source.”

Hilton Hotels signed HGR to promote its graduate recruitment

program, Elevator, in December, in Europe and Africa.

HPL Hotels & Resorts Expands Presence in the Maldives

with New Resort

HPL Hotels & Resorts has announced that it will manage a new

160-villa property that is currently under construction in the

Maldives. Expected to open in early 2008, Kandooma Beach

Resort will be the company’s second property in the Maldives,

after Rihiveli Beach Resort, which it has been managing since

200�. Both resorts are located about 15 minutes by speedboat

from each other in South Male Atoll.

According to HPL Hotels & Resorts’ Marketing Communications

Manager, Ms Karen Chan, the company has acquired a good

understanding of the Maldivian market and sees an unfilled

demand for the provision of an affordable, contemporary

experience, one that does not go overboard on expensive services

that may go unnoticed.

“Kandooma Beach Resort is conceptualized to provide its

guests with an experience that seeks to make the guest holiday

uniquely Maldivian, focusing on the delivery and enhancement of

the natural beauty of the environment,” she said. “We see our

market as wanting to come away richer, not only in relaxation

and rest, but also in knowledge and experience.”

The resort will feature villas of various categories, ranging from

garden and beach villas to sea front duplex and water villas,

including one Royal Water Villa. Accommodation at the resort

will be fresh and contemporary in appearance with clean lines

and minimal clutter, while retaining the warmth of natural wood

finishes. Recreational facilities at Kandooma Beach Resort will

include several restaurants and bars, a spa and gym, a swimming

Hospitality Bites

pool with Jacuzzi, a books-music-movies library, a football field,

a retail shop, Internet stations, a diving school & seaports centre,

and a picnic island located just five minutes away by speedboat.

Headquartered in Singapore, HPL Hotels & Resorts is a hospitality

management company, operated and wholly-owned by Singapore

main-board listed, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL). The HPL Group

has interests in 22 properties in 8 countries with more than �,�00

rooms.

HI Design on track to facilitate great business for Designers

and Hoteliers

Successfully launched last year to high acclaim, HI DESIGN EMEA

2007 is on track to attract over 150 delegates from major hotels

groups, architects, designers and key international suppliers.

Taking place at the Intercontinental, Berlin on 26-28 April, HI

DESIGN will enable over 1000 senior level, face-to-face meetings.

The event is entirely focused on providing those involved in the

specifying side of the hospitality industry a hugely efficient and

quality medium to realize new products/materials and build

effective relationships.

“Anyone specifying or influencing products and services for a

new hotel project or major refurbishment, or suppliers looking

to build their market share, in Europe or the Middle East should

attend HI DESIGN EMEA”, states Jonathan Needs, Director of

the event organisers. Buyers (hoteliers and designers) already

include Intercontinental, NH Hoteles, Shangri-La, Qatar National

Hotels, MKV Design, Plasma Studio and DiLeonardo. Alongside

the personalized meetings schedule is the Supplier Showcase and

the exclusive, relaxed social functions. Hoteliers and designers

attending last year’s event variously described this formal and

informal mix as “highly efficient”, “a good source for making vital

personal relations”, “a positive blend of business networking”

and simply “a great way of networking”.

The final touches are being put into place on this year’s

inspiring seminar program that follows the focus of the event

- hospitality design. Presented and moderated by Guy Dittrich,

Hotel Consultant and Journalist, the program will feature four

highly topical presentations and two panel discussions by

industry experts. Each presentation, designed specifically for

the HI DESIGN audience, allows delegates to learn, debate and

discuss issues, trends and developments pertinent to their role

and industry. You need to book now to benefit from this effective

platform for business. Contact Jonathan Needs on 0208 58�

�885 or email [email protected]

Visit www.hidesign-emea.com for more information and seminar

programme details.

Reprinted with permission from ehotelier.com


�5

NEW

S

Vietnam to build more hotels to meet growing demand

Vietnam plans to have 170,000 new hotel rooms by 2010 to

meet the demands of growing numbers of foreign and domestic

tourists. The new hotels would help in catering to six million

foreign visitors and 21 million domestic visitors travelling across

the nation during the next three years, said deputy head of the

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Hoang Tuan

Anh. The administration estimates that the number of visitors

will be higher than initially expected, said Anh. The VNAT has

invested in infrastructure construction and has called for more

investment into the hotel sector. In 2006, the country spent a

total of VND620 billion $US38.7 million) on improving tourism

infrastructure. The figure was set to rise by VND110 billion across

2007, said Anh.

In addition, the sector would call for investment into four-and

five-star hotels across the nation, especially in HCM City, Hanoi,

Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Phu Quoc, Quang Ninh and Hai

Phong. There were already several projects for new five-star

hotels in Hanoi, while HCM City authorities had given approval

to plans to convert several four-star hotels into five-star hotels.

Vietnam has 1�2,000 hotel rooms at 7,065 places of

accommodation, including 25 five-star hotels, 6� four-star hotels

and 135 three-star hotels. Demand for three-five star hotels had

increased in recent years, due to the great growth of foreign and

domestic visitors, said Anh. The nation had �5,000 rooms that

met three-to five-star standards, which fell short of demand in

large cities.

The VNAT would continue to provide certificates for two-to five-

star hotels and re-check hotels after two years of certification to

ensure quality, said Anh. In addition, the administration planned

to carry out a 12 million euro project backed by the EU on training

staff in the tourism sector nationwide and developing a network

of tourism training schools in cities and provinces, including Can

Tho, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Binh Thuan.

Source: Asia Pulse

Marriott Hotels International signs Hospitality Graduate

Recruitment to promote graduate programme

Marriott Hotels International has signed up Hospitality Graduate

Recruitment (HGR) to handle its 2007 graduate recruitment

scheme for the UK & Ireland and Middle East & Africa. Marriott

will be taking on up to 110 graduates as part of the newly branded

M!Voyage program, which is a two-year scheme. Under the

seven-month contract, HGR will market M!Voyage to more than

100 hotel schools and hospitality universities internationally.

Chris Dunn, regional director of talent management at Marriott,

said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with

Hospitality Graduate Recruitment, and look forward to recruiting

Marriott managers of the future via this source.” Hilton Hotels

signed HGR to promote its graduate recruitment program,

Elevator, in December, in Europe and Africa.

Anantara Resorts Announces Extensive Development

Plans

Anantara Resorts is set to expand with at least six new properties

in the next two years which will further intensify its international

status. Among the key locations being tapped for strategic

development - which complement the brand’s existing network

- are Sri Lanka, Bali, Vietnam and Dubai as well as two additional

Thailand properties in Khao Lak and Phuket. Anantara Resort

Bentota, Sri Lanka and Anantara Resort Seminyak, Bali, are set

to debut in late 2007.

William E. Heinecke, Chairman and Chief Executive of Anantara’s

parent company, Minor International commented ‘This is a very

exciting time for Anantara Resorts, as the brand is very focused

on developing in key markets which enable our guests to feed

their passion for exploration and experience. The locations,

which are predominantly in South East Asia, the Middle East

and Indian Ocean, will extend the synergies and cross marketing

opportunities with our existing Anantara destinations’ Over the

next 10 years, Anantara Resorts expects to continue the extensive

development to include at least �0 resorts in Asia, Africa, the

Middle East and indeed Europe.

Michael Sagild, COO Minor International added ‘Within the

growth plans of Anantara Resorts, a central component is the

way in which each of the destinations will synergise with existing

and forthcoming resorts. The utilization of a ‘hub and spoke’

strategy ensures that resorts are connected to key regional hubs

of operation. This provides economies of scale and operational

efficiencies whilst enabling a profound knowledge of the

particular destination’.

Creating a ‘destination experience’ is at the core of the Anantara

philosophy and one that the brand takes seriously. The Anantara

team is passionate about constantly anticipating and assessing

every component of the resort experience in order to ensure that

guests are inspired by their choice of destination and their resort

and also - most importantly - entirely at ease.

Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means

‘borderless water’, a name chosen for this element’s association

in many Asian cultures with wealth and good fortune. Inspired

by local architecture and sensitive to the indigenous culture,

Anantara Resorts are currently located in the seaside town of

Hua Hin (220kms south of Bangkok), on Koh Samui in the Gulf

of Thailand and in the Golden Triangle in the country’s north.

Anantara Resort Maldives opened in August 2006.

Minor International (MINT) is one of Thailand’s leading hotel operators with a portfolio of 16 hotels and over 2,352 rooms under the Marriott, Four Seasons, Anantara, and Minor International brands. Through a joint venture with Marriott International, it has developed the 144 room Marriott Vacation Club Time Share in Phuket. It is also one of the largest spa operators in Asia Pacific with spas in Thailand, China, the Middle East, Africa and the Maldives under the Mandara and Anantara brands. It is Thailand’s largest food service operator with over 558 outlets system wide under The Pizza Company, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen and Burger

King brands.


�6

SALE

S &

MA

RKET

ING

By Misty Williams

Building your business can be both an exciting and scary endeavor.

To be successful, you must understand the most important

strategies for marketing and growing your business. What do

you need to know about your industry? How do you know “your

next move?” Why will people do business with you? Is there a

proven formula for success?

Do you want a good definition of success? Here it is:

Success is making more money that it costs to create your

products or services, run your business, and take a reasonable

salary.

Your chances for business success increase exponentially when

you clearly understand the most important essentials for growing

your business.

1. Know what you do best. Know what you (will) sell and why it

works. Know how you help people most effectively.

2. Know who your customers are. Know what they are looking

for. Know where they want to buy your service or products and

why.

3. Know how customers find you. Know where they have the

potential to hear about you, read about you, see things about

you. Make sure they will find you there.

4. Know your “sales process” Understand the process you take

a prospect through to persuade them to buy. Identify from start

to finish what you do, what others do, and how you’re different.

Make sure your sales process connects with what your prospect

thinks they need, even if your solutions solve the ‘real need’ they

haven’t identified!

5. Know where you add the most value. Identify better and more

meaningful ways to serve your customer. Understand their key

frustrations and solve them. Do what others are unwilling to do

to satisfy the customer and help them achieve the results they

want! Showcase these “valuable” distinctions in your marketing

materials and incorporate them into your sales process.

6. Know your competitive business advantages. Know your

competition. Be able to quickly and clearly state why you are

different and / or better. Create marketing tools that communicate,

emphasize and reinforce your competitive advantages.

7. Know where to spend your money. Does the money you

spend produce more money? Before you commit your funds, ask

yourself, How will this help me make more money? Invest your

money where it will work hard for you. Be aware of the areas

where you have a tendency to spend money that doesn’t impact

your bottom line (excessive administrative expenses, developing

new products that you don’t have the distribution channels to

sell through, etc).

8. Know the most painful and weakest areas of your business.

Understand everything you can about why it is painful. Confront

the pain with the goal of healing it. Make stronger and better

strategic alliances. Build a great team of advisors. Master your

sales process. Maximize efficiency. Know your customers and

serve them better. Take ownership and responsibility for fixing

the painful elements of your products, services, sales process,

employees, and ongoing customer relationships.

Know your competitive business advantages!

Know your competition!

9. Know when to look for help. If it’s not your genius, it’s not

your job! If you’re truly committed to growing in your business,

deal with those areas or “weak links” that could sabotage your

efforts. Read the best books. Get training where you need it.

And when you clearly see the need for outside help, find it! Get

a good business coach, get some counseling, hire an expert and

develop and incorporate their advice into your decisions. Work

smart!

Williams is the president of Strategic Marketing Solutions. She helps

independent professionals (consultants, speakers, coaches, authors, etc)

build websites that work and develop promotional strategies to market

their businesses. You can contact Misty at 615-834-2222 or via email

[email protected].

Nine Essentials You Need to Know to Market Your Business


�7

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES


�8

By Doug Kennedy

Despite all the technology advances in front-office systems - at

most hotels the check-in process itself has de-evolved into a

scripted - robotic and heartless business transaction.

If my recent experience during visits to 20+ hotels in the last �0

days is any indication, this trend is apparent at hotels representing

all market segments.

For me, the welcome I receive (or don’t receive) at the front desk

has nothing to do with the number of stars or diamonds hanging

on the plaque behind the front desk. During the trip I visited

hotels in every segment from economy to luxury. Only three

times was I was properly welcomed on arrival: once at a two-

star hotel and once at a four-star property. Granted most of the

other check-ins were handled in a polite and efficient manner.

However, at the front desk of a four-star hotel in Washington,

D.C., I did experience one six-minute interaction with a clerk who

limited herself to the following seven words:

• “Checking in?”

• “Your Name?”

• “Here you go.”

In fact “checking in?” seems to be the overwhelmingly most

common phrase used to greet arriving guests these days.

(Although there seems to be a new trend for desk clerks to

simply use the gesture of a raised eyebrow and a nod to find out

your name.)

How silly the question “Checking in?” must seem to an arriving

guest, as he or she stands in the lobby, luggage in tow and credit

card in hand. I’m sure more than one guest has been tempted,

as I have, to reply sarcastically “No, I’m not checking in, I just

stopped by the front desk lobby with my luggage to check out

your artwork. I’m actually a connoisseur of hotel lobby artwork

and I heard you had some great pieces in your collection here.”

You can’t blame the staff for this. The reality is that most front-

desk associates receive little if any exposure to the concept of

hospitality. Most training is centered on working the front-desk

computer, reservations system and telephone switchboard.

Considering the overall state of “manners” (or lack thereof) in

today’s real-world society, managers cannot assume new hires

possess the social and interpersonal communications skills they

need to relate to guests who are likely from a different socio-

economic background, age group and geographic region.

Hospitality begins at Check-In

SER

VIC

E


��

SERV

ICE

If you are ready to help your front desk staff remaster the lost art

of properly welcoming guests upon arrival at the front desk, here

are some training tips for your next staff meeting:

1. Welcome EVERY guest upon arrival:

Make sure no one starts any transactions before first using a

sincere, proper welcome such as “Good afternoon, welcome to

Any brand Hotel. How are you today sir?”

2. Avoid asking obvious questions:

In other words, if I am at the desk at 7 a.m. holding my garment

bag and room key, I am most likely checking out; if it’s 7 p.m. and

I have my coat on, I’m probably checking in.

3. Instead, offer assistance:

Rather than quizzing guests as to whether they are coming or

going, why not simply say something like “How may I assist

you today?” Or use an assumptive question such as “are you

checking out this morning?” if you are simply not sure.

�. Bring out the best in guests, vs. reacting to their demeanor:

Be the first to express authentic and genuine hospitality by facial

expressions, body language and non-threatening, short personal

questions such as “What do you think of this weather today?”

Make these efforts even with guests who look tired and cranky—

they probably are! You might even get a smile and kind remark

back before they are done, and you are certain to meet more

friendly people during your shift at the desk.

5. If my reservation is missing and you have rooms:

Tell me the latter first before you break the bad news to me

gently. At least I’ll know I have a place to stay.

6. If I mention having had challenges en route:

And if you can spare �0-120 seconds, I would so appreciate

your therapy by letting me tell you just how bad it was. A little

empathy and understanding is just that much better.

7. If my credit card declines for any reason:

Ask me for another form of payment before blurting out loudly

“Your credit card was denied.” Or put the burden on the bank

by saying “I was unable to get approval.”

8. Ask me if I need information before offering too much of it:

For example, if I am a card-carrying member of your hotel

frequency program, or a known repeat guest, chances are I am

more familiar with that breakfast buffet than you are. So before

you tell me everything that’s on it and what time it starts, why not

first ask if I am familiar with the buffet or if I have any questions

about the hotel?

�. Properly end the transaction:

Personalize your wrap-up remarks according to the human

interaction that we just had. Welcome me one more time.

At full service hotels, offer a bell staff escort by name: “Mr.

Kennedy, may we have Chris escort you to your room?”

Please do not ask if I need help with my small garment bag and

laptop case; do I look like a �8-pound weakling?

For hotels without a bell staff, point me in the direction of the

elevators and make sure I am walking in the right direction.

Training your staff on tips and tactics such as these, your staff

can master the (nearly) lost art of extending the generous and

authentic gift of hospitality at check-in.

“No, I’m not checking in,

I just stopped by the front

desk lobby with my luggage

to check out your artwork”

Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a

fixture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989,

having presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational

break-out seminars, or customized, on-premise training workshops for

diverse audiences representing every segment of the lodging industry. Visit

www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at: doug@

kennedytrainingnetwork.com

First appeared at Hotel & Motel Management www.hotelmotel.com


50

FO

OD

& B

EVER

AG

E


51

LOC

AL N

EWS

Hot on the heels of winning the “Best Hotel in the World” award

by www.tripadvisor.com this January, the Hilton Maldives Resort

& Spa has just been voted the “Best Honeymoon Hideaway in

the World” by Brides Magazine in the UK in their March 2007

issue. Similarly, the UK’s most influential travel magazine, Condé

Nast Traveller, has also included the six-star resort in their annual

Gold List: “Best Hotels in the World – Best for location” (January

2007 issue) and in the “Best Spa in Africa, Middle East and Indian

Ocean” (March 2007) summary of best spas in the world.

“Since our re-opening after refurbishment in June 2005, we

have won 17 different awards – including winning ‘Best Hotel

in the World’ twice. That’s an average of one award every six

weeks,” says the resort’s General Manager, Carsten Schieck.

“These awards reflect guest confidence in our product and are

an essential part in establishing the Maldives as a destination of

choice.”

It seems as though the whole world is talking about the Hilton

Maldives. In just the last two months alone the resort has

received positive press coverage in Condé Nast Traveller, Harper’s

Bazaar, Tatler, the Luxury Travel Magazine, The Daily Telegraph

newspaper, Die Welt newspaper, Paris Match and the New

York Times amongst others Carsten Schieck explains his resort’s

popularity, saying, “The Hilton Maldives’ main concept is of

three resorts within one, which gives guests the opportunity to

experience three distinctly different luxury experiences without

ever checking out of the hotel.

Hilton Maldives Continues Its Winning Streak

Guests can enjoy beach life in a 300 square metre villa set right

on the beach, with a private plunge pool in their own garden

and a wonderful open-air garden-bathroom. Alternatively they

can opt for a romantic, exclusive villa set on stilts over the lagoon

with sun deck that has steps leading straight into the ocean. And

finally, they can stay at the Spa Retreat, an over-water ‘resort-

within-a-resort’, which includes daily spa treatments and a full

programme that includes spa cuisine, massages and exercise

classes.

“Innovation also plays a key role in our success,” continues Schieck,

“the resort is home to the only all-glass undersea restaurant in

the world and is the only resort that has two entirely separate

spas, each with its own philosophy and treatment menu.”

The six-star Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa is a stunning, romantic

resort offering sophisticated barefoot luxury on two tropical

islands. Awards include “Best Hotel in the World 2005” by

the Sunday Times, “Leading Resort in the Indian Ocean 2006”

by the World Travel Awards and “Most Exclusive Hotel in the

World 2006” by VIP Traveller Magazine. Sited in a picturesque

corner of the Maldives, it offers a sybaritic combination of three

distinct resort experiences, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and

lagoon. The resort is home to the world’s only all-glass undersea

restaurant and the Maldives’ only destination spa.

LOC

AL N

EWS


52

Ten Top Dining Trends for 2007

FO

OD

& B

EVER

AG

E


Restaurant Consultants Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. have recently released their forecast of this year’s ten major dining trends. Though these forecasts are based on the US American market, we believe they are a worthy read for everyone involved in the food & beverage industry.


53

FOO

D &

BEVERA

GE

Restaurant consultants

Joseph Baum & Michael

Whiteman Co. have

forecast ten major dining

trends that impact how

Americans will eat in

the year ahead.

Joseph Baum & Michael

Whiteman Co. creates

high-profile restaurants

around the world for hotels,

restaurant companies,

major museums and other

consumer destinations. Their

projects include the late Windows

on the World, the Rainbow Room

and five three-star restaurants in New

York.

They predict that: Tropical superfruits, chef-driven

steakhouses, Peruvian cuisine, ethical eating, exotic salts,

wildly flavored chocolates, and molecular gastronomy are on the

menu for the year ahead.

Their ten trends (and buzzwords) for 2007:

1. HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOP THE MENU

As baby boomers accept their collective aging, dietary issues gain

momentum not just for

themselves but for their children. Look for:

• Rain forest “superfruits” and their extracts – açaí,

cupuaçu, goji berries, coffee berry extracts, guava,

guyabana, guarana, mangosteen, among others –

that are loaded with antioxidants. These will appear

in shakes, smoothies, ice creams and other desserts.

• Fruit- and vegetable-crammed chips will grab

market share from typical fatty-salty potato chips as

manufacturers try sidestepping

attacks on their obesity-causing mass market snacks.

You’ll find these on platters next to your upscale

hamburgers, too.

• Better-for-you ice creams spiked with

immune- boosting green tea, extra vitamins &

minerals.

• Next-generation yogurts enhanced with fiber and

protein that fool you into feeling full; and yogurts

that claim to improve your complexion.

• Sodas with green tea, ginger and caffeine

that theoretically make you lose weight, and vitamin-

enhanced beers.

•

Even

D i s n e y

is cutting the

fat and calories of

munch-food in its theme

parks (and cutting portions, as well).

• Wal-Mart’s muscling into organic food will force

mass-market restaurant chains to follow.

• Increasingly extravagant health claims on

food packages.

2. THE ‘NEXT’ CUISINE

Most pundits point to India .But we say that Indian food is

too complicated for home cooks and too obscure for most

restaurant goers. So our vote goes to Peru. Why? Its government

is promoting the cuisine, which is a fabulous fusion of Italian,

Japanese, Indian, Spanish and indigenous cookery; it is part of

the next wave of specific regional cookery; Nobu came from

there; its hot, spicy, creative flavors resonate with Americans; it

has a growing cadre of “new cuisine” chefs, some coming to the

US, who are updating old fashioned dishes.

Most importantly: There are big enough clusters of Peruvian

immigrants to make their restaurants and ingredients more

visible. You can now buy frozen guinea pig, an Andean delicacy,

in Houston, and Inka Cola is sold on aptly named Amazon.com.

Restaurant consultants Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman

Co. have forecast ten major dining trends that impact how

Americans will eat in the year ahead. Joseph Baum & Michael

Whiteman Co. creates high-profile restaurants around the world

for hotels, restaurant companies, major museums and other

consumer destinations. Their projects include the late Windows

on the World, the Rainbow Room and five three-star restaurants

in New York. They predict that: Tropical superfruits, chef-driven

steakhouses, Peruvian cuisine, ethical eating, exotic salts, wildly

flavored chocolates, and molecular gastronomy are on the menu

for the year ahead.


5�

FO

OD

& B

EVER

AG

E

3. CHOCOLATE

– HEALTH AND

EXOTICA

A m e r i c a ’ s

going nuts

for chocolate.

M a n u f a c t u r e r s

are touting health

benefits of the cacao

bean (not mentioning

the calories) -- from

lowering blood pressure

to elevating your mood to

pumping you full of anti-oxidants

(Google ‘chocolate and health’

and you get more than seven million

citations!). Luxury chocolates seasoned with

oddities like paprika, saffron, curry power, wasabi

and even cheese are enlivening menus and retail shops.

Bitter, rich drinking chocolates are the rage among people who

years ago abandoned those packages of powdered cocoa. Look

for restaurants to add shots of scotch, brandy or liqueurs to hot

chocolate; for upscale food shops to feature high-priced nibs

and chunks for easy melting; and for supermarkets to double

their baking-chocolate selections as brands like Hershey’s, Nestlé,

Ghirardelli’s, Scharffen Berger increase the cacao content of

baking bars and trumpet their contents on the label. Next:

Chocolate sommeliers.

4. SENSORY DECEPTION

Last year’s chef’s labored to bring out the pure flavors of top-

notch ingredients. Next year’s chefs are dismantling the molecular

structure of these same ingredients --whirling them in laboratory

equipment with frightening sounding chemicals, dipping them in

liquid nitrogen, inflating them with vacuum cleaners, fabricating

cantaloupe caviar, deep-frying mayonnaise, turning sauces into

powders, and spraying the air with flavors to suggest that what

you’re looking at isn’t what you’re about to eat. It is equivalent

to a gastronomic IQ test in which typical diners are all below

average. Next time you eat a chocolate bonbon for dessert

and find that it’s a blob of olive oil, you’ll know you’ve been

ambushed by a Molecular Gastronomer.

5. BELLIES ARE BIG

Relentlessly searching for new things to serve, chefs are focusing

on the nether regions of fish and animals. Pork belly, commonly

called bacon, landed on menus all over the country last year, and

savvy sushi chefs have long offered costly tuna belly, known as

toro, to customers craving its prized fattiness. Next year menus

will feature veal, salmon, swordfish and lamb bellies – all rich

with fatty flavor, all (not coincidentally) cheap cuts that used to

be trimmed away. They’ll generally be braised, and sometimes

braised and grilled. This definitely is restaurant food, so don’t

look for this stuff in your supermarket.

6. ETHICAL EATING

“Fair trade” and “sustainable” are terms gaining traction with

restaurant chefs and American consumers. People aspire to feel

ethically comfortable about the food they buy: they want uncaged

chickens and their eggs, humanely raised and slaughtered pork

and beef, and environmentally friendly packaging. They’re

looking for locally grown products that reduce the global

warming impact of moving food around the world. They don’t

want fisheries depleted for the sake of tuna steak on their plates.

“Food miles” has entered the mainstream vocabulary. Starbucks’

battle with Ethiopian coffee farmers has raised consumers’

consciousness. There’ll be more fair trade coffee and chocolate,

more compassionately raised meats, more organic chickens and

vegetables listed on menus and sold in food shops than probably

exist in the world.

7. THE IZAKAYAS ARE COMING

Move over tapas – make room for Japanese small plates.

Venturesome restaurateurs are opening Japanese taverns, called

izakaya, all over the world. These are homey places emphasizing

modestly priced Japanese hors d’oeuvres washed down with

oversized bottles of beer and overfilled glasses of sake. Some

of the food may be unfamiliar but people are willing to risk $5

or $6 to experiment. You’ll find izakayas in London, Toronto,

Vancouver, Seattle, LA (where, predictably, they’ve morphed into

fusion menus), Omaha, Coral Gables and New York. The mavens

behind P. F. Chang have opened a more Americanized version in

Scottsdale, hoping to launch

another chain.


55

8.CHEF-DRIVEN STEAKHOUSES

Celebrity chefs are hanging their names on reinvented steakhouses.

Wolfgang Puck, Bradley Ogden, Michael Mina, David Burke,

among others, have launched newfangled beeferies that marry

elements of serious cooking with simple but upscale grilling.

More chefs are following this exercise in “brand extension.”

When you get “sautéed snapper with edamame dumplings in a

ragout of mussels” in a steakhouse, you know that the category

is being redefined. Behind it: Hotels, casinos and shopping

centers laying big money on these chefs because they’re

competitively desperate to draw crowds.

9. BURGERS WITH PEDIGREES

Rachel Ray is planning a hamburger restaurant.

Laurent Tourandel has launched BLTBurger. Joe

Bastianich, partner of Mario Batali, plans one serving

sustainable beef. And several other famous chefs are toying with

the notion. Perhaps they’re inspired by Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar

in Las Vegas where, in addition to a standard hamburger, you

blow your winnings on a $60 Rossini Burger of Kobe beef, foie

gras and truffles. Also watch for more Kobe or wagyu burgers

(and hot dogs) than there are Kobe or wagyu cattle.

10. SALT

Cardiologists aside, people are rediscovering what salt is all

about. Not the powdery stuff in round cardboard boxes; we’re

talking instead about crunchy, flakey, tinted crystals from out-

of-the-way places that have migrated from restaurant kitchens

to dinner tables at home. Pink salt mined in the Peruvian Andes,

black lava salt from Cyprus, ruddy Alaea salt from Hawaii, gray sea

salt, smoked salts (a big seller at Dean & Deluca), herb-flavored

salts, Tahitian vanilla sea salt, even truffle-flavored salt. More

restaurants will identify these on their menus– and upcharge

accordingly. Salted caramel has become the rage among

upscale pastry chefs

BUZZWORDS

Marcona almonds, sweet potato vinegar, aji peppers, potatoes bravas,

flavored salts, party-colored beets and other baby root vegetables, house-

cured meats and fish, fresh curd cheese, slow-poached eggs, Spanish

hams and sausages, humanely raised cattle, American caviar, pastel hued

cauliflower, molecular gastronomy, yuzu, bahn mi Vietnamese sandwiches,

gnudi, savory ice creams, wildly decorative cupcakes, slow cooking at

home, matcha green tea powder.

http://www.baumwhiteman.com/

FOO

D &

BEVERA

GE

”When you get “sautéed snapper with edamame dumplings in a ragout of mussels” in a steakhouse, you know that the category is being redefined”


56

HU

MA

N R

ESO

URC

ES


57

LOC

AL N

EWS

Appointments

Hussain Solah Roland Bosnyak

Executive Sous Chef Executive Sous Chef

Meeru Island Resort Meeru Island Resort

Adam Mohamed Mohamed Latheef

Asst. Front Office Manager Executive Housekeeper

Meeru Island Resort Meeru Island Resort

Just � months after opening the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at

Landaa Giraavaru was excited to announce the promotion of the

following staff:

Abdul Jaleel and Ali Wafir to the Department Head positions of Senior

Duty Engineer and Pool & Beach Manager, respectively.

At the same time three other staff were promoted to Assistant

Managers in their departments: Abdulla Faiz - Laundry, Abdulla

Hussain - In Villa Dining and Ahmed Rasheed - Cafe Landaa.

Meeru Island Resort is pleased to welcome its two new Executive Sous

Chefs Hussain Solah and Roland Bosnyak and to announce the promotion

of Mohamed Latheef to Executive Housekeeper and Adam Mohamed to

Assistant Front Office Manager.

Mirihi Island Resort is proud to announce the appointments of A.

Victor Pushparaj as IT Specialist and Moosa Hameed as Housekeeping

Supervisor.Mohamed Afeef

Guest Services Manager

Bandos Island Resort

Abdulla Faiz

Asst Laundry Manager

Four Seasons at Landaa Giraavaru

Ali Wafir Abdul Jaleel

Pool & Beach Manager Senior Duty Engineer

Four Seasons at Landaa Giraavaru Four Seasons at Landaa

Giraavaru

Abdulla Hussain

Asst Manager – In Villa Dining


Bandos Island Resort welcomes back Mohamed Afeef to the Bandos

Family as the Guest Services Manager.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa is pleased to announce the following

promotions that have been received during the past month:

Kunal Juneija FO Manager to Rooms Division Manager

GG Srijith Sr. Sous Chef to Executive Sous Chef

Harshit Kumar Res. Supervisor to Asst. Reservations Mgr.

Mohamed Ishan F&B Supervisor to Asst. Restaurant Manager

GK Vinod F&B Supervisor to Asst. Restaurant Manager

Anakathil Deepak F&B Supervisor to Asst. Restaurant Manager

Suresh Singh Kitchen Assistant to Demi Chef de Partie

Ganesh Diwale HK Section Incharge to HK Supervisor

Ahmed Rasheed

Asst Manager - Café Landaa



58

By Tony Eldred

One of the really interesting aspects of my job is the perspective

I gain from working with many different people in a broad range

of hospitality businesses. It’s a lot easier to grasp the big picture

while you are moving around constantly than it is when you are

largely preoccupied with local issues, as a lot of our clients seem

to be.

One of the issues that has become highlighted for me at the

moment is the current rate of change that is occurring both in

our society and in our industry. I was prompted to think about this

recently when my father, who is 79, commented: ‘It’s amazing, in

my lifetime we’ve gone from horses to astronauts.’ That caused

me to reflect on my own experiences.

Consider the changes that technology has brought to the

hospitality industry in the last 20 years — the fax machine,

computers, mobile phones, point-of-sale systems, the Internet and

email, to mention a few. Look at the way hospitality businesses

have changed as our economy rapidly becomes absorbed into a

global trading village. Fifteen years ago you could have opened a

�5 seat restaurant and made a good living, now you will scrape

out an existence that is not much better than wages. The small

hospitality business is fast going the way of the corner milk bar

and the local butcher.

The old blood house pub is almost a thing of the past in our big

cities, having been driven out of existence by zealously enforced

drink driving laws and changing social attitudes.

Many have just quietly closed while others have been replaced

by modern food and entertainment oriented businesses. At the

other end of the scale the old fine dining restaurant with dark

wood panelling, stiff formality, gueridon trolleys and silver service

has become a victim of economic forces and has made way for

more casual, less complicated service systems in brighter, less

imposing surroundings.

Local catering companies have either grown or been swallowed-

up and the market is now dominated by multi-national

corporations, and the same has happened with the hotel and

tourism sector. I well remember the days in the mid 60’s when

the Southern Cross Hotel was the only ‘international’ hotel in

my home town of Melbourne. Now there are 55 hotels offering

11,000 rooms, with another � on the drawing board.

Look at the rise of new industry segments if you want another

example of how quickly things change. The emergence of

serviced apartments and bed and breakfast accommodation are

good examples — they are hammering the top end of the hotel

market and the regional motel markets respectively, and will

inevitably be the catalyst for a further evolution in the way those

older market segments do things.

Aside from the uncertainty that businesses face in an accelerating

economy, this fast paced development has a human toll that

we’re seeing more and more of. Industry job roles that have been

stable for centuries are suddenly forced (well, relatively suddenly

It’s all happening too quickly

MIS

CEL

LAN

EOU

S


5�

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES

— perhaps over fifteen or twenty years, or so) to change quite

rapidly. Take the role of a restaurant manager as an example. In

times gone by all you needed to run a restaurant front of house

was good waiting and reasonable supervisory skills. Technology

has changed all that.

Now a restaurant manager has to be able to use and deal with all

the problems arising from a computerised point-of-sale system,

and also cope with all the pressures created by the information

that system provides. Restaurants used to be a lot more profitable

— twenty years ago not many restaurant managers were

overly concerned about customer averages, suggestive selling,

precise rostering, complex wine lists, etc — now they have to

be mathematicians, statisticians, computer operators, industrial

relations experts, marketing gurus and spin doctors.

The role of the Chef has also taken quite a turn. For centuries a

chef was a kind of kitchen foreman who was primarily concerned

with culinary skills. We are now demanding that they be artist,

manager, technician and public relations expert. There are a

whole bunch of them out there going from job to job wondering

why they can’t quite cope. I’m not surprised.

On a divergent note, think about marketing for a moment.

Like most people you’re probably quite comfortable that you

understand what the term means and happy to accept that

marketing is an important aspect of modern business and a

responsibility inherent in most key jobs. So what? Well, marketing

has only achieved normal status as a business skill in the last

thirty years. When I was a kid no one had heard of it.

What will the future bring? I don’t know, but I do know things

are evolving at a cracking pace and that our industry is in for

some profound changes. I was watching TV recently and a

scientist made the claim that the sum total of human knowledge

is doubling every two years. How anybody would establish that

is beyond me but the assertion seems reasonable. I’m trying to

get the dust off my crystal ball and some polish on the old Ouija

board so I can work out what we should be teaching people over

the next few years.

This presents an interesting challenge for business owners. Your

business has to evolve at the same pace as our society, otherwise

it will fall behind — and you have to do this during the time of

the most rapid change in the whole of human history. Who was

it who said: ‘act locally, think globally’? Maybe they had a good

point?

Tony Eldred is the Managing Director of hospitality management

consultants Eldred Hospitality Pte. Ltd. For more information visit www.

eldtrain.com.au or email Tony directly at [email protected]!

Look at the rise of new industry segments if you want another example

of how quickly things change.


60

H

UM

AN

RES

OU

RCES

By Dr. Rick Johnson

There is no such thing as a Born Leader. When people talk about

born leaders, what they are really referencing is the X factor of

leadership. What is the X factor? Simply stated the X factor is the

willingness, the desire and the willpower to become an effective

leader. Effective leaders go through a never ending development

process that includes education, self study, training, experience

and coaching and mentoring from one or several individuals that

have a very positive influence on their personal development.

Leadership is the ability to influence, inspire and motivate others

to accomplish specific objectives. It includes creating a culture

that helps direct the organization in such a way that it makes

it cohesive and coherent keeping short term tactical goals and

objectives in alignment with long term strategic initiatives. The

success of leadership in this process is directly influenced by the

individual leaders’ beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge

and skills.

Position and title may give you power but power in itself does

not make you an effective leader. To become an effective leader

there are specific skill sets that you must understand and master.

This does not come naturally. It takes dedication, passion and

commitment to the process. That commitment, dedication and

passion includes a tireless effort to improve on specific skills and

the development of a personal leadership methodology. This is

often referred to as your personal leadership model.

If someone were to ask your subordinates to evaluate your

leadership abilities, their response to this question would likely

not be related to your character, integrity and values. Of course

these are important to your success as a leader but people

evaluate your leadership skills based on what you do to figure

out who you really are. They are looking for that ‘X’ factor. The

‘X’ factor is what really determines if you are honest, ethical,

fair, trust worthy and not self serving. If the ‘X’ factor does not

exist, employees are likely to obey rather than follow and only

do exactly what they are told to do and nothing more. If the

‘X’ factor does not exist, your success in developing the skills

necessary to become an effective leader is likely to be minimal.

The ‘X’ factor shapes what and who you are as a leader. It

involves everything you do and it affects the well being of the

organization. Employees want to follow a leader they respect,

one that gives them a clear sense of direction and a strong vision

of the future.

Ask your self these questions to determine if you or other

managers in your organization have the ‘X’ factor.

• How well do you know yourself with regard to self

improvement and development?

• Do you understand, admit and work on personal weaknesses?

• Do you seek responsibility and take responsibility for your

actions striving to reach new heights.

• When things go wrong do you take the blame instead of

looking for others to blame.

• Does problem solving, decision making and planning come

natural to you?

• Are you a good role model and do you seek out employees

with high potential to coach and mentor?

• Do you truly believe in the value of your employees sincerely

caring about their well being without being so compassionate

that it clouds your judgment on competence?

So you believe you and your executive team all have the ‘X’ factor.

As effective leaders you must be able to interact with employees,

peers, seniors and many other individuals both inside and outside

the organization. You must gain the support of many people if

you are going to meet or exceed established objectives. This

means that you must develop or possess a unique understanding

of people. The ‘X’ factor is the driving force that will help you

develop these skills. Human nature is the common qualities of

all human beings. People behave according to certain principles

of human nature. Understand these principles that govern

our behavior and success is imminent. Start with the basics by

revisiting your college study of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Armed with a refresher of this basic knowledge of human

behavior you can now begin to reshape your personal leadership

model. This is your manner and approach to providing direction,

implementing plans and motivating people. If you have that ‘X’

factor you can become a very effective leader. But remember,

There is no such thing as a ‘Born Leader’. Effective leaders go

through a never ending development process. We never stop

learning and we never stop growing. Keep working on your

leadership model and share your knowledge and success with

other potential future stars that have the ‘X’ factor.

Dr. Rick Johnson ([email protected]) is the founder of CEO Strategist

LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in leadership, strategic planning

and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale distribution. CEO

Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in

board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education

and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain

competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868,

or visit www.ceostrategist.com for more information.

The X Factor of Leadership


61

TRA

ININ

G


62

HU

MA

N R

ESO

URC

ES

By Mary Sandro

These Four motivation strategies can help your organization

succeed - one professional at a time...

Get Excited!

Ironically, as managers the first professional to motivate is

ourselves. If we lack motivation, employees will lack motivation.

Motivation occurs from the inside out. If we want to motivate

someone, we have to communicate to their inside. Emotions

communicate on a deep level from inside to inside. This is why

one bad apple spoils the bunch. It’s also why one excited manager

can mobilize a team to move mountains.

Dig deep. Feigning excitement is impossible because people’s

insides come equipped with an infallible phony-detection system

that is always on and has an amazing range of reception. Are you

genuinely excited about the work your team produces? Whether

we manage rocket scientists or the custodial staff, we need to

fall in love with our team’s contribution. A rah-rah attitude at

the staff meeting, ho-hum attitude everywhere else will quickly

be discovered.

Hire Motivated Professionals

It’s easier to hire motivated professionals than it is to motivate

professionals. Experts assert, “Hire smart or manage tough.” A

COO of a healthcare organization I worked with declared, “We

only hire people with “It”. Where “It” is a pathological disease

to want to serve people.”

Do you believe that professionals exist who would revel in the

kind of work your team produces? The answer is…they do

exist. However, if we are not excited about the work our team

produces, we will never attract and hire people who are excited

to do it because like attracts like and birds of a feather flock

together. Consider that Disney esteems cleanliness. They hire

only street sweepers and house cleaners who delight in cleaning.

Result: Disney parks and resorts are immaculate.

Measure

Are you keeping score? How long does it take, when two people

are hitting tennis balls back and forth, for one of them to suggest

playing a real game? What happens to the level of play as soon

as the game begins? Is your department perpetually warming up,

hitting balls around? Or are you playing for real?

Measure something, but make it relevant to your employees,

your customers, and your bottom line. Measuring performance

biases employees’ energy like a highlighter biases the eye on a

written page. Highlight too much and we overwhelm. Highlight

the essential nuggets and we assure attention to the highest

priorities.

Measurements motivate employees for different reasons. Some

employees are very competitive and thrive on distinguishing

their performance from others’. Some are very competitive and

thrive on distinguishing their own future performance from their

past. In other words, they compete with themselves. And some

employees are not competitive at all. They are very dutiful and

focus their energy on whatever is highlighted for them.

Institute Profit Sharing

Tie the measurement to a reward. An adage predicts, “What

gets rewarded gets repeated.” Robert Bosch- German Inventor,

Industrialist (1861-1942) stated, “I don’t pay good wages

because I make a lot of money. I make a lot of money because I

pay good wages.” If you want to motivate employees even more,

reward the results you reap from measuring.

Sales professionals receive commissions based on their measured

results: sales and sometimes repeat business or renewals. What

about everyone else? A manager of a printing company told me

that he measures wasted paper. He sets a goal for “waste”. If the

production employees meet or exceed the goal by producing less

waste, the company splits the profits with them. My auto service

center informed me that their sales, service, and auto body

departments administer customer satisfaction surveys to every

customer. If, together, they hit or exceed a certain predetermined

satisfaction rating, they all receive enhanced benefits and

bonuses from corporate.

Rewards add precision to measurement inspired motivation. If we

want salespeople to simply make sales, we emphasize the first

sales commission. If we want salespeople to create relationships

and long-term accounts, we emphasize the backend commission.

By rewarding team measurements, we can influence internal

customer service in addition to individual service efforts.

Summary

To motivate employees, be an exemplar. Being an exemplar will

enable you to attract and hire highly motivated employees. Focus

employees’ energy through measurement and reward strategies.

Then…listen for the “Wows” to start coming in.

By: Mary Sandro www.ProEdgeSkills.com

Four Ways to Motivate Service Professionals; A Guide to Getting Wow Performance


63

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES


6�

S

ERV

ICE

By Denise Moretti

Phone etiquette helps encourage clear lines of communication,

build rapport, and avoid misunderstanding. It is an important

part of customer service and influences the first impression that

people form of your business. Here’s how to let callers know that

they are dealing with a great company:

Great customer service begins BEFORE the phone even rings.

Make sure that you:

• Have an organized desk

• Pen and paper ready

• A list of phone extensions nearby

• Know the names, title, and responsibilities of

everyone in your office

• Have an updated list as to who is in the office

today, who is in a meeting, who is out to lunch,

and when will they be back

• Have a list of who to refer calls to (general

topic and person responsible)

• Know who has assistants and where calls

should be directed if the assistant is out of the

office

• If you are not comfortable greeting callers,

practice in front of a mirror

• Learn the call transfer system thoroughly

• Familiarize yourself with the answers to

general questions regarding your company

• Do not disclose confidential information

Some tips on answering the phone:

• The best time to answer the phone is just

after the second ring. You don’t want to catch

the caller off-guard by answering too quickly,

nor do you want them to wait too long.

• Greet the customer; thank the customer for

calling your company; identify yourself; ask how

you can assist. For example: ‘Good morning/Good

afternoon.

Thank you for calling _____________.

This is __________________.

How many I direct your call?’

• Answer in a warm, enthusiastic, friendly, and

positive tone of voice. This makes callers

understand that you are happy to assist.

Creating a Great First Impression by Phone


65

SERV

ICE

• Smile! Believe it or not, it shows through the

phone!

• LISTEN carefully to what the caller is saying or

requesting

• Be patient. Stay cool, calm and collected.

• Ask callers for their names, even if it is not

necessary, and use their names during the

remainder the call.

• Speak clearly, slowly and in a low tone of

voice you don’t want to seem like

you’re screaming)

• Never talk with anything in your mouth.

• Putting a Caller on Hold:

• When putting callers on hold, always

ask permission.

• When taking callers off hold, always thank

them for their patience.

Transferring a Caller:

• All co-workers should know how to use

the call transfer system. Everyone should

know how to transfer callers directly to other

co-worker’s extensions; in this way callers will

not have to repeat requests a second time and

the number of transfers will be reduced.

• When transferring callers, tell them the name

of the person to whom you are transferring

them; announce callers’ names to your co-workers.

Taking Phone Messages: Be sure to record the following

information...

• Caller’s name and company (if applicable).

Repeat this information out loud

to ensure accuracy

• Time and date of the call

• Subject of the call

• Ask if callers want their calls retuned. If the

answer is yes, get their phone number and ask

what time would be convenient for them

Creating a Great Last (until next time) Impression:

• Ask if you have answered all of the callers’

questions

• Thank them for calling

• Always end with a pleasantry, such as: ‘It was

nice speaking with you!’ ‘Have a great day!’

• Let the caller hang up first; this shows you are

not in a hurry to get off the phone.

DO:

• DO make the caller feel special.

• DO develop a consistent greeting (hotels be

sure to meet any brand standards) that is to be

used by all staff. DO use a Unique Selling

Proposition in your greeting.

• DO put the phone down in a gentle manner

if this is necessary during the call; it will

be easier on the caller’s ear.

• DO speak directly into the receiver, without

burying it on your shoulder or neck.

• DO avoid background noise as much

as possible.

• DO put a small mirror next to the phone.

Smile. Research shows that smiling can be ‘felt’

over the phone.

• DO maintain a professional manner at

all times!

DON’T:

• DON’T type or shuffle papers. It suggests that

you’re not listening to the caller.

• DON’T eat, chewing gum, or have anything in

your mouth while talking on the phone.

• DON’T sound rushed, as if you have more

important things to be doing.

• DON’T keep a caller on hold for more than 30

seconds. Speed sells!

For clarification or discussion, feel free to contact us:

[email protected]

The Hamister Group, Inc. is a rapidly growing hotel management company.

A leader in assisted living and health care management for over 25 years,

the company now manages five hotels in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The Hamister Group, Inc. is actively seeking acquisitions and management

contracts throughout the United States. For more details, please see our

web sites: www.hamistergroup.com and www.hamisterhospitality.com.


66

SER

VIC

E

By Joe Dunbar

There are certain items which must be stored more carefully in

order to hit your cost targets. Highly perishable items are the top

priority. With most vendors running daily deliveries (despite rising

gas prices), the quantity of highly perishable goods should be

minimized. Schedule the purchases carefully and avoid excessive

buys. Spoilage of highly perishable items should be kept to an

absolute minimum. Make sure the coolers are well organized and

always rotate stock after a delivery.

Store items with a high risk of theft in very visible locations.

Too often, I see small, high cost portions of premium meats and

seafood left in storage areas far from management’s view. Certain

operations stock 5 ounce tenderloin portions and jumbo shrimp

in storage areas well away from the office. It’s much better to

move these items close to your field of vision.

If you like video surveillance systems, make sure one of the

cameras is pointed at the location used to store high risk items.

If you use pull sheets, keep the sheets for these coolers in your

office and in plain view. You should know how many portions

are available for sale to customers at the start of each shift. On

a rotation basis, you should subtract the meal period POS menu

item counts from the opening quantity and check the inventory.

At a minimum, count these high risk items daily.

Make your freezers easy to count. Keep everything in the exact

same location at all times. Messy freezers are a problem which

should be solved ASAP. If items are improperly stored in the frigid

environment, it’s very likely you will order more when they are

in stock. Once the staff see the new delivery, theft is easier and

unlikely to be detected.

Food Storage Rules

Walkin coolers should follow the same rules as the freezer. If you

need some space for rotation of special items, try to set aside a

separate cooler or a defined section of your larger cooler.

Most items should be stored in the exact same location at all

times. Orderly freezers and coolers make ordering more efficient

and help prevent unwanted losses due to theft and spoilage.

Finally, dry storage areas are typically the best maintained of all

inventory locations. Make sure super expensive items like saffron

and truffle oil is in a place where theft is completely impossible.

Keep the storage rooms dry and cool and watch expiration dates.

Try to reorder dry items using a par stock system. Determining

par levels may be difficult for event caterers but most operations

should find two or three par levels sufficient. For busy periods,

build the stock to the high par level. Drop the par when business

is slow. Maintain the status quo at other times.

Joe Dunbar

Dunbar Associates

11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 800

Fairfax, VA 22030

[email protected]

http://foodcostcontrol.blogspot.com

Make your freezers easy to count. Keep everything in the exact same

location at all times.


67

SALES &

MA

RKETIN

G


• “Hospitality Maldives is spreading its wings across the globe; I received a lot of CVs not just from Maldives

but also from other countries! Thanks David!”

Jennifer Del Rio, Human Resources Manager, Taj Exotica and Spa

• “I research a lot about the hospitality industry and Hospitality Maldives is very useful for that. Thanks for

doing this good job, keep it up!”

Ali Ibrahim

• “A great service for hoteliers and especially for job seekers like me. Thank you so much for this.”

Lalu Purwata

• “From the bottom of my heart, it was way too enlightening and definitely I could not ask for more.”

Ahmed Faiz, Human Resources Manager, Mirihi Island Resort

• “Wish you success always, and thanks for the valuable contribution to the industry from and on behalf of

all of us here at Sunland!”

Miuzam, HR & Admin Officer, Sunland Hotels

Have Your Say!

Email us at [email protected]!

wordslast

for comments please email:

[email protected]

68

L

AST

WO

RDS


6�6�

HU

MA

N RESO

URC

ES

hospitality maldives issue 12

Documents

true hospitality

dining trends

comdisclaimerno parts

entertaining strangers

word thats

real meaning of hos

im sure itll

layoutbeyond media design