Virtually every job “type” presents a rude awakening once you leave the classroom and get out in the field. Hospitality management is no different, but it offers challenges many other industries do not have. For instance, hotels are open 24/7, something few other industries must deal with during the course of normal operations. Additionally, there is the bulk customer aspect of the business. Very rarely in this industry are you only addressing one customer at a time.
When you add in the larger staffs that come with the industry, these factors can be a bit overwhelming for a new manager, so mistakes are going to be made. Having said that, there are three areas I want to really focus on where over the years, I have seen manager after manager, time and time again, make mistakes.
Mistake #1 – Not Delegating
As a manager, even an entry-level manager, you are going to have a team reporting to you. In far too many instances, a new manager or a newly promoted manager feels the need to take on the world all by his or her lonesome. This often results in the manager being overwhelmed and the end result is task after task either gets ignored or not completed properly.
It is imperative to identify team strengths and weaknesses, then delegate tasks appropriately. The entire team needs to function as a single unit with a focus on the ultimate end game, which is high-level custom satisfaction and the overall success of the department.
As a new manager, you are going to need to get your subordinates thinking on the same page, so you may have to have campfire sessions to openly discuss strategy and execution plans. Let them hear you think out loud so they can meld with your way of thinking. This also lets you get input from the staff, as some experienced staff members will have valuable input and new employees offer a fresh set of eyes that may be able to offer an alternative approach to an ongoing challenge in the department.
Mistake #2 – Not Providing a True Guest Experience
For the most part, guests do not book a wedding at a hotel to get a banquet room. They do not stay at the Four Seasons for a guest room. What they are booking is an experience, and you need to ensure they get it. From the time of their arrival until they put their suitcase in the car and leave, they need to experience the hotel and everything it has to offer at its finest.
How do you do this? It starts with attitude. Regardless of how your day is going to what negative things are happening at the hotel, you need to put that happy face on and deliver the experience the guest wants and deserves to have. You should be going out of your way for every guest you encounter so they walk out that door knowing the experience they had was unlike anything they could have ever imagined.
Mistake #3 – Not Seeing Things from the Guest Perspective
This is something I have touched on before and it may be one of the most important aspects of managing in this industry. This industry will often throw a wrench into any organized process or procedure that is in place. There will be times when saying “there is nothing I can do” is the easy way out and technically may even be the right response, but that is not something any guest wants to hear when he or she is shelling out $150 for a room night.
For example, what do you do when a guest checks in just after breakfast service has closed but wants breakfast and not the lunch menu? Do you try to point him or her to “breakfasty” items on the lunch menu or do you go talk the chef to see what you can make that will satisfy this guest? My point here is that you cannot be so rigid with the rules when it comes to customer service in the hospitality industry. You MUST look at every situation through the eyes of the guest and present them with a solution that will have them walk away from the encounter feeling good.
Are you unhappy with the decisions your managers are making? Is the local talent pool just not presenting you with the “ideal” candidate? Then it is time to call JDI! Joseph David International is regularly ranked as one of the top hotel recruiters in the country because we don’t just find candidate, we find the ideal fit for your organization. For more information about our hospitality recruiting services, please click here.