Etiquette for Hospitality and Services

According to Wikipedia the hospitality industry is a broad category within the service industry which includes lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, among others within the tourism industry.

The hospitality industry is a multibillion-dollar industry sustained directly on patrons’ availability of leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or an amusement park consists of multiple business units such as facility maintenance and direct operations - servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen staff, bartenders, management, marketing, Human resource, etc.

Occupancy rate, is an important variable for the hospitality industry. Just as a factory owner would plan a productive asset to be in use as much as possible - as opposed to having to pay fixed costs while the factory is not producing, restaurants, hotels, and theme parks likewise seek to maximise the number of customers they "process" in all sectors. This importance of occupancy rate as a variable has led to the development of strategies aimed at increasing usage rate provided by hotel consolidators. Information about required or offered products are brokered on business networks used by vendors as well as purchasers.

Management of a hotel operation includes, but is not limited to, management of hotel staff, business management, upkeep of sanitary standards of hotel facilities, guest satisfaction and customer service, marketing, sales, revenue, financial accounting, purchasing, and other functions. The title "hotel manager" or "hotelier" often refers to the hotel's General Manager who serves as a hotel's head executive, though their duties and responsibilities vary depending on the hotel's size, purpose, and expectations from the owner(s). The hotel's General Manager is often supported by subordinate department managers that are responsible for individual departments and key functions of the hotel operation.

Hotel managers are generally exposed to long shifts that include late hours, weekends, and holidays due to the 24-hour operation of a hotel. The common workplace environment in hotels is fast-paced, with high levels of interaction with guests, employees, investors, and other managers.

Upper management consisting of senior managers, department heads, and General Managers may sometimes enjoy a more desirable work schedule consisting of a more traditional business day with occasional weekends and holidays off.

Depending on the size of the hotel, a typical hotel manager's day may include assisting with operational duties, managing employee performance, handling dissatisfied guests, managing work schedules, purchasing supplies, interviewing potential job candidates, conducting physical walks and inspections of the hotel facilities and public areas, and additional duties. These duties may vary each day depending on the needs of the property. The manager's responsibility also includes knowing about all current local events as well as the events being held on the hotel property. Managers are often required to attend regular department meetings, management meetings, training seminars for professional development, and additional functions. A hotel/casino property may require additional duties regarding special events being held on property for casino complimentary guests.

Remarkable Service Is Flexible

Remarkable Service consists of more than adhering to a set of principles. Sometimes the rules must be bent a little. A guest might ask, for example, for an appetizer and a salad instead of an appetizer and an entrée or to have the courses out of the menu sequence, such as a salad after the entrée instead of before. Some guests prefer to pour the wine themselves for their table. This happens frequently in wine country; it is an easy request to accommodate. If two guests are deeply involved in a conversation, common sense suggests that one should be served from the right and one from the left. Sound judgment provides the best guides as to when and where flexibility is called for.

Remarkable Service Is Consistent

People go to a restaurant the first time for many different reasons. They come back for only one: They like the restaurant, its food, and its service. Making good use of the Nine Basic Principles of Hospitality and Service can induce someone to come back to the restaurant once, but consistently high-quality food and service is the only way to bring in repeat business. Uneven service does not encourage return visits. A single episode of bad service, even when it is no fault of the server— may be two key kitchen staff called in sick or the refrigerator broke down—will discourage an otherwise happy patron from coming back. Word of mouth will do the rest. The key to long-term success is Remarkable Service, delivered to every guest, every day, every week, every month, and every year.

Remarkable Service Communicates Effectively

The art of communication consists of transmitting just the right amount of information exactly when it is needed. When a server describes specials that don’t appear on the menu or offers suggestions about additional dishes or beverages that might enhance the dining experience, the diner is well served. The waiter might suggest a side dish to go with a steak, for instance: “Many of our guests like to have a blooming rose with their steak. It’s a deep-fried whole onion that opens up like a rose when it’s cooked. I highly recommend it, sir or madam," Would like to try it?”

Remarkable servers recognise what guests want to know and provide the information in an unobtrusive manner. Rather than an ostentatious flaunting of knowledge, which can make guests uncomfortable and irritated because they feel condescended to. A tactful delivery of the facts best serves the purpose.

While some guests respond well to humor, others prefer more distance. Remarkable servers adapt their communication style to the situation and the guests with whom they are speaking. The type of establishment very often determines the form and style of the conversation between servers and guests. Diners, family places, bistros, and white-tablecloth restaurants all develop different communication styles.

Remarkable servers are always “reading the table” for clues about what guests might need. A guest turns his head, for example, and the alert server is at his elbow instantly to see what he needs—an extra side dish, an extra plate to share food, or more cheese.

Effective communication is accomplished by other means as well. Uniforms set a tone for a restaurant, establishing at a glance a style of communication that both servers and guests understand. Polo shirts and khakis convey a casual feel, while long French aprons denote a higher level of formality.

Remarkable Service Instills Trust

A state of trust must be established between the server and the guest. The guest wants to feel secure that menu items are described accurately and that health and sanitary codes are observed. For example, when guests order decaffeinated coffee, they have only the server’s word that they are, in fact, getting decaffeinated coffee.

If a guest notices that the coffee machine has only two carafes, both with a brown handle, which indicates regular coffee, rather than orange or green, which usually indicates decaffeinated, doubts take shape that can undermine the relationship of trust established during the rest of the meal. Similarly, if a guest who is allergic to garlic asks if a dish contains garlic and is told no, eats it, and wakes up in the middle of the night with palpitations, that guest is not going to return to that restaurant. A bond of trust is central to return business.

Remarkable Service Exceeds Expectations

Repeat customers expect the same basic level of service each time they visit, but remarkable servers are constantly seeking ways to better the experience. The best service is constantly improving service. Little touches, such as recalling a guest’s name or offering a toy to a child, are sure to be remembered. When something goes wrong, such as a reservation mix-up, an apology is called for, but the manager’s offer of a complimentary glass of wine is doubly appreciated, precisely because it exceeds expectations.

Hospitality is the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests or strangers in a warm, friendly generous way,

They are trained to create “wow” customer service every time, have a welcoming feeling when people come to stay at their lodging facility and make sure it is clean every time. These people are continually working to make sure whoever visits their place of employment feels welcomed and comfortable. Hospitality is also closely related to customer service because providing excellent customer service is something that is expected from every person who works in the hospitality industry.

About SW Etiquette & Finishing

Susie Wilson Etiquette & Finishing was founded in Melbourne, Australia, in the heart of beautiful South Yarra. Brought to Australia by Founder Susie Wilson. SW Etiquette & Finishing offers businesses and individuals, both children and adults, inspiring courses in British, Continental European and American etiquette. Our contemporary approach of exciting and interactive programs was designed to meet the etiquette needs relevant in today’s society.

With offices in both Australia and New Zealand, we educate consumers and companies on the expansive world of dining, social graces and corporate protocol. In keeping with the respected traditions created centuries ago, SW Etiquette & Finishing adds a modern spin, instructing in an empowering and unstuffy manner to instill confidence and break down cultural barriers. From dining etiquette to social polishing and business protocol to cross-cultural training for large companies, SW Etiquette & Finishing has a course for every need.

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