Comparison and Contrast between Fine Dining and Casual Restaurants

Hotels major product in service which makes their management to be a sensitive affair. Hotel management involves ensuring that all departments work to the satisfaction of the customers, that is that the customers should enjoy the service from the point of entry all through to their stay in the hotel. A strong and efficient hotel manager should have deep knowledge in planning, finance, and great organization skills.

Team work is also key in success of hotel management in that the process of serving hotel customers involves coordination of different departments. The hotel manager should there be able to hold the team together in order to get the best service and ensure smooth running of the hotel.

Part 1: Explain the meaning of pest control in Rooms Division. Include two (2) pest control preventative measures applied by the hotel. Support your answer with some supportive evidence from both industry and secondary sources. 

Pest control is the management or procedure of removing and reducing unwanted and harmful insects from areas that are occupied or are supposed to be occupied by people. Pest control in rooms division is therefore a hotel management policy that aims at eradication of the unwanted and harmful insects in the hotel guest rooms and other areas. This measures involves the management of the hotel, the staff members and the contracted professional pest control organizations. In order to achieve the desired results, the contracted pest control should work hand in hand with the hotel workers.

Close collaboration of the professional pest control firms and the hotel workers helps in planning of ways to eradicate and prevent future pest infestation since the working together would enable the pest control officers work on firsthand information (Rentokil-pestcontrolindia.com, 2017).

The best way of controlling pest is elimination (Rentokil-pestcontrolindia.com, 2017) and there are several method that can be used to eradicate pest menace in hotels;

Physical method

This method involves adjusting room temperatures, humidity and lighting (Orkin.com, 2016). Pests mainly thrive in dark and closed areas where they appear to be safe. Opening up such spaces destroys their breeding zones. In this case all hotel rooms should be well aerated and properly lite.

Chemical methods

This involves use of pesticides to eliminate the pests. Most pesticides are poisonous and therefore all safety measures should be properly observed while applying this method. Cockroaches and bedbugs are among the types of pests that the hotel industry has to deal with on a regular basis (Orkin.com, 2016). These pests breed very fast and their appearance in hotels may signify lack of serious cleanliness which is detrimental to the sector or a particular hotel. These pests can be eliminated by using both the physical and the chemical methods. Aerating and proper lighting of a room can be useful in eliminating bedbugs even after applying pesticides. In many hotels the rooms are normally left open during the day when they are not occupied to aerate them and also allow natural light in. The kitchen areas are always tidy to prevent creation of cockroaches breeding zones (Orkin.com, 2016).

Part 2: Explain the role of the Concierge department in relation to the overall guests' experience and success of the hotel. Provide some examples of service deliveries performed by the concierge department at the hotel and include some supportive evidence from secondary sources.

Concierge is a hotel employee whose main duty is to assist the guest access various services while booked at a hotel. A concierge helps the guest get the best service without confusion (Thompson, 2018).

At times concierges acts as personal assistant to the guest which facilitates close relations and therefore making it easy for the hotel to maintain the customers.  Concierge assist customers to make reservations and bookings on their behalf which assists the customers enjoy a smooth flow of their activities as they have a stay at the hotel.

Concierge also acts as tour guide to hotel customers where they may introduce customers to various attraction sites and other entertainment places. In this case they assist the hotel to offer more to their customers (Thompson, 2018).

In general the concierge maintains a close relationship with the customer which makes this position to be very important in the hospitality industry. With a good concierge in place, the management of the hotel are able to understand and prepare for the dynamic needs of the customers. 

Part 1: Compare and contrast the service standards within two (2) Food and Beverage outlets within your property; e.g.: a restaurant, (formal/informal), Room Service, Banquets/Functions. Provide supportive research to explain how different service standards can personalize the needs of the hotel guests.  

There are various kinds of restaurants that target different categories of customers. For example in our locality there exist fine dining restaurants and also casual restaurants in which both attract different sets of customers.

Fine dining restaurants

Fine dining restaurants have highly trained service providers that is from the chefs to front office personnel. The chefs have the ability to prepare complex foods and present them in artistic formations. The servers on the other hand are normally presentable and knowledgeable and therefore have the ability to effectively identify with the needs of the customers. The meals are normally prepared as per the individual customers order.

These kind of restaurants invest heavily in front office personnel and presentation in order to attract the high end customers. You will find the best furniture and table cloths that are appealing after being greeted and received by a presentable well trained front office personnel who makes the customer feel important.

The charges in these restaurants are quite high but they in a way match with the level of services offered to the customers from the point of entry all through.

Casual restaurants.

These restaurants are designed to attract all categories of customers and are normally opened for all three meals periods. They offer flexible and affordable menu which attracts large groups of customers. As opposed to fine dining restaurants where image is of great importance, in casual restaurants, the most important aspect is having a menu that correctly identifies with the customers.

In most cases these restaurants don’t have an elaborate front office desk which is meant to usher customers in as their main selling point is the availability of meals at any particular time. The setting inside the restaurant is simple since the customers are never expected to take long after enjoying the service.

The chefs in these restaurants rarely engage in preparation of complex foods since they mainly deal with preparation of huge quantities of food whose major qualification is the general good taste as opposed to the fine dining restaurants where food is prepared based on the specific demands of the customers.

In casual restaurants the charges are by far friendly and that’s the main reason why the majority of people can identify with them.

Part 2: Identify and describe how the property ensures that staff and management, develop and maintain these service standards to ensure consistency of the hotel brand.

In order to develop and maintain a good hotel brand, the hotelier should invest in properly skilled personnel from the management all the way down. Having people who are cut for the job ensures a smooth running of the hotel since the staff can easily identify with what they supposed to do. The staff members should always be self-motivated and disciplined in order to get along with their tasks.

Having proper communication is important in developing and maintaining a flawless hotel management system. The hotel management should have in place a communication system that also enables the customer to present their views and future expectations.

The management should develop systems that enable the property to adapt to any changes that may occur in the hotel industry. Hospitality industry is dynamic and broad and therefore the management should always be able to identify the changes and adopt them in order to maintain their place in the market or even improve.

In order to achieve success, the hotel entrepreneurs should ensure that there is teamwork and proper organization in the workforce. Hotel management is a sensitive affair that requires good organization and team work.

All these aspects are key in ensuring that the hotel achieves the expected results.

Part 1 (approx. 350 words): Identify and describe how electronic communication can help or hinder the operation of F&B department and the effectiveness of communication within your hotel for all stakeholders (staff, management and guests). 

Electronic communication has been adopted and become part of doing business all over the world. It is regarded as the most efficient form of communication since information can be disseminated within no time hence making it easier and faster to transact business. The most common form of electronic communication in the formal business world is through emails (Kokemuller, 2018). There is also the social media and this is where business communicate with their prospective customers.

In the hotel industry the use of emails and social media has a played a big role in enhancing efficiency in terms of service delivery and also marketing. Emails are more formal and are therefore used for important communication between members of the staff and can also be used by customers as they make enquiries and bookings. Social media on the other hand is majorly used as a marketing tool since due to its broad coverage.

One of the biggest gains of electronic communication is the ability to transmit information to a wide range of people at the same time. In a hotel setting the management can communicate with the members of staff or even customers at the same time from a single source (Kokemuller, 2018). This has generally helped in improving coordination at the work place and also creating close relationship with the customers.

Electronic communication has made it easier for the people in the hotel industry to understand the dynamics of their work through the research opportunities that are available in the internet (Kokemuller, 2018). Through the information and knowledge gained from the internet the management of a hotel can maintain their competitiveness in market. Internet has enabled many hotels to keep up with the current trends.

Electronic communication however has several misgivings which the management has to always keep an eye on them to mitigate their detrimental effects.

The first one is the social media effect in that even though the social media account is owned by the hotel, the management of the hotel do not have the power to control what the public may post on the account. This can be bad for the business in case a dissatisfied customer decides to portray a bad image of the hotel.

The other problem arise from the fact that at times the management may not be able to effectively respond to all queries on time. Electronic communication is also not the best form of communication especially when high levels of convictions are required.

Part 2: (approx. 150 words) In collecting and evaluating the information you should also be thinking about any improvements and recommendations focusing on the effectiveness of the communication for both staff and management.

In hotel management, communication should be structured in a way that conforms with the organization structure where in most cases all decisions must originate from the top office. Having all decisions originating from the top office assists in having a seamless mode of operation that yields the expected results.  Top downward transmission of information also helps in upholding the spirit of team work which is essential in the running of hotels.

The hotel’s electronic communication system should be properly secured to avoid external interference that may negatively affect the operations of the organization. This can be achieved by adopting a system that only admits authorized access since management to staff communication is supposed to confidential and is only meant for the operations of the hotel.

Conclusion

Hotel management is a sensitive affair that require a sound and efficient decision maker. Hotel management consistent research to keep up with the required international standards of which most customers demand. The customers of 21st

century are quite sophisticated and informed and therefore the manager and decision makers in the hotel industry should try to be always ahead of their customers in order to maintain them and attract new ones. The hotel management should also conduct regular training sessions for their staff to also keep them at par with the current trends.

In general the food and beverage sector is an important sector in today’s society and therefore proper investments should be put in order to realize the desired outcome.

References

Kokemuller, N. (2018). The Importance of Electronic Communication in Workplace Collaboration. [online] Work.chron.com. Available at: https://work.chron.com/importance-electronic-communication-workplace-collaboration-4081.html [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Rentokil-pestcontrolindia.com. (2017). What every hotelier should know - difference between pest control & integrated pest management. [online] Available at: https://www.rentokil-pestcontrolindia.com/hospitality/differences-pest-control-ipm/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Best Hospitality Degrees. (2012). 5 Functions of a Concierge - Best Hospitality Degrees. [online] Available at: https://www.besthospitalitydegrees.com/lists/5-functions-of-a-concierge/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Westcott, M., Bird, G. and Briscoe, P. (n.d.). Chapter 4. Food and Beverage Services – Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC. [online] Opentextbc.ca. Available at: https://opentextbc.ca/introtourism/chapter/chapter-4-food-and-beverage-services/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Thompson, G. (2018). Concierge Duties at a Hotel | LoveToKnow. [online] LoveToKnow. Available at: https://jobs.lovetoknow.com/Concierge_Duties_at_a_Hotel [Accessed 7 Oct. 2018].

Kasner, S. (2017). The Concierge Mentality: Defining the Role of the Hotel Concierge - The National Concierge Association (NCA). [online] The National Concierge Association (NCA). Available at: https://www.ncakey.org/concierge-mentality-defining-role-hotel-concierge/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2018].

Pantherpestcontrol.co.uk. (2016). Pest Control Methods | The 4 Most Common Types of Pest Control. [online] Available at: https://www.pantherpestcontrol.co.uk/news/4-types-pest-control-know/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].

Chibili, M. (2016). [online] Boeken.com. Available at: https://www.boeken.com/file/ebooksample/9789001878917_h1.pdf [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].

Orkin.com. (2016). Housekeeping Pest Control Checklist - Orkin. [online] Available at: https://www.orkin.com/commercial/solutions/hospitality-gaming/housekeeping-pest-control-checklist/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].

Getpeoples.com. (2018). Pest Control for Hotels and Hospitality | Controlling Pests in Hotels. [online] Available at: https://www.getpeoples.com/pest-control-hotels-hospitality/ [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].