Staff training has its rewards  

May 21, 2012

Impromptu meetings called by the management were a learning experience for all. The 36th part of a series describing the unknown triumphs and travails of doing international business

AK Ramdas

The hotel industry is based on the ability of the staff to give best and memorable customer service as possible. This is the backbone of hospitality that everyone in the industry must learn and employ at every stage of their activities.
 
Once in a while, the staff at the Courtyard would have meetings at short notice when senior managers would be present. The human resources director, aided by the front office manager, would simply play back some of the taped telephone conversations that the front desk associates had with a customer, who had called seeking help, assistance and guidance! Of course, the person answering the phones, as a matter of route job, did not know that his/her telecon was being actually recorded! This was known as “telephone audit”, a widely accepted practice in the industry. Both our successful handling of the caller, or the botched up call was discussed and those who ‘failed’ to please the customer was separately called in for special training or advice as to how they should improve themselves for the future! It was always a learning experience all the time!
 
In addition to this, was the guest commentary cards that were filled in and left by the guests during their stay. Of course, on the top of this, randomly picked guests would also get an email questionnaire for them to fill in their experience of their recent stay. Every single unfavourable comment was investigated; the person concerned was given additional training to improve, suitable letters of apology written to the guest and thanking them for the trouble they took in bringing such matters to the notice of the management.
 
Rosemary, our director of housekeeping, had been brought to the Front office, for her not only to get cross training, but to feel the direct impact of the customer’s concerns about the house keeping work. In my case, I was assigned to work with Victoria, popularly known as Vicky, for handling the actual housekeeping job; this meant to spend half a day, simply watching her do all the chores involved in cleaning a room—changing of beds, bringing in new linen, remove used toiletries and replace with fresh materials, towels and even washing the bathroom completely.

Vicky could do this generally in 22 to 25 minutes, while the maximum time given was 30 minutes per room. I think it took me about three days of practice to be able to reach some 40 minutes per room, which still was a good speed, considering my being a greenhorn, while she was a veteran with years of experience!
 
Our sales management had landed an airline contract; which meant a guaranteed allocation of some eight rooms per night; and they had the option to ask for another four more at the same special price! Not only these had to be kept all the time, we had to ensure their collection and delivery back at the airport by our coach, at short notices. They were nice, friendly, smiling and courteous in dealing with one and all.
 
On one occasion, I had taken the crew members to the airport and had just returned back, parked the van in the portico, and got inside the front desk, when the airhostess, whom I had dropped, was frantically asking for me. I spoke to her, she wanted me to hurry back and see if she had left her small handbag in the seat to the right of the driver, in the third row! I rushed back to find that the handbag was lying just below the seat! I answered the call, and told her that I was rushing back to deliver the same. When I did, she opened her bag to show the money, all her documents that she was supposed to deliver to the bank the next morning!  She gave me a big hug and a thank you note to the management followed immediately thereafter.
 
My other colleagues in the hotel, like Andrea, Robi and Maria were kind and supportive. The teamwork was fantastic.
 
As a guest relations associate, one had to anticipate the customer’s needs. We had to place ourselves in the shoes of the customer and be prepared to assist them, so that every single act of the staff leaves a memorable feeling in the minds of the guest. Most of the guests would come in and ask for stamps so that they can mail the letters, which they probably wrote in the flight. I found we were running short of these, and I made it a point to get stamps not only for local mails, but also overseas, as we had a great number of clients who came from Europe and Latin America.
 
Likewise, there were some others, who came to town, and stayed with us, always left part of the baggage and laundry. This was taken care, and invariably we would have them delivered in their preset rooms just before they actually checked in!
 
Most of the hotels had USA Today, the national daily, delivered to their rooms, on a complimentary basis; but living in Virginia and across the river Potomac was Washington DC, the home of Washington Post!  I took up the issue with the GM during one of our meetings and from next day, we had on sale in the front desk.
 
Our coach service not only covered trips to the airport and back, but also the nearby eateries and the Crystal City Metro. Very often on these runs, I had the occasion to see some other guests waiting for a pick up. On one occasion, I heard the two waiting guests complaining that in spite of their calls their van had not turned up. When I enquired where they were heading for, they replied that they were put up in Hyatt, which was actually next door to us. I invited them to join us, and dropped them at their hotel first, and suggested to them that they might consider staying with us the next time they are in the city!  I did explain to them that sometimes, the traffic was so bad on the roads, that even the best of drivers would find it difficult to make the runs!   
 
I was now permanently assigned to the afternoon shift, though occasionally my services were utilized in the mornings as well. Krista called me in to have a chat, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised to know from her that I had a fair chance to be promoted to the supervisory position in the Alexandria Sheraton Suites, a member unit of the Starwood Hotels, subject to my being interviewed and selected by their front office manager.
 
The interview took place a couple of days later, on my day off; I met Chad Couture, a young and bright manager, who was friendly and knowledgeable.  My knowledge of computers was limited, as it was then, and he emphasised that the system in use in Sheraton was quite different from the one employed by Courtyard by Marriott, and he made it abundantly clear that it was not easy to master it! My initial training would last for a week in the morning shift, after which, I would be assigned to the evening shift for at least two weeks before a final decision made for my work timings.
 
Without much ado, I was simply transferred to the Sheraton Suites the following week and notification put up in the Courtyard on the day of my joining duty, as we had to train another person to join the front desk, though, we had already groomed an existing staff member to take over my shoes as guest relations associate.
 
We had already moved into our own townhouse in Chimney Wood Court, my new hotel was less than four miles from my home. And I looked forward to making a long innings with the Starwood Hotels.

(AK Ramdas has worked with the Engineering Export Promotion Council of the ministry of commerce and was associated with various committees of the Council. His international career took him to places like Beirut, Kuwait and Dubai at a time when these were small trading outposts. From being the advisor to exporters, he took over the mantle of a trader, travelled far and wide, and switched over to setting up garment factories and then worked in the US. He can be contacted at [email protected].)