Key Players in Hospitality Operations HM03 8-Oct-2001 Key Players in Hospitality Operations Chapter 3

Unit Essential Question What are the vital departments in a hotel and how do these departments address diversity?

Essential Question 1 What are the responsibilities of the human resources department and how is it involved in employee compensation and recognition?

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor Human Resources (HR): Department responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, development, compensation, benefits, supervision, employee, evaluation, and separation.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Recruitment: Essential to find potential employees. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), job growth in the hospitality industry will require a yearly growth of 200,000 people through 2006.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Interview: Conduct placement tests. Administer drug tests. Check references.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Orientation: Teaches new hires about the procedures, policies, and philosophies of the company. Ensures a new hire gets off to good start.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Training: Provides instruction in basic skills that pertain to a new hire’s department and job description. May assign a mentor to assist the new employee in learning the ropes. A good training program increases productivity, boosts morale, and creates loyalty to the company.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Development: Assists employees in obtaining necessary training and education to improve their skills and knowledge. Provide job opening information and assist employees with lateral and upward transfers.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Compensation: Includes benefits as well as salary. Ensures every employee receives fair and equitable remuneration (payment for work). Design employee incentive plans or reward systems.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Benefits: Health insurance. Retirement plans. Family care plans.

Human Resources Department Human Resources – The People Factor HR Responsibilities: Employee Recognition Programs: Designed to help employees feel significant and improve morale. Tangible rewards. Intangible rewards.

Essential Question 2 What activities and who are involved in front-of-the-house operations?

Front-of-the-House Operations In Front The Front Desk: Front Desk Agents: Determine if a guest has a reservation or is a walk-in. Provide a good first impression.

Front-of-the-House Operations In Front The Front Desk: Front Desk Agents: Will upsell: provide guests with information on rooms with better accommodations and amenities. Should be well trained to retrieve information from the guest tracking system. Notes guest’s preferences from previous stays.

Front-of-the-House Operations In Front The Front Desk: Front Desk Agents: Maintain guest confidentiality. Go over the guest folio with guest at check out. Handle any number of situations that may occur from medical or other emergencies to providing directions or other simple services.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Are a major part of front-of-the-house operations. Provides guests with: Products to eat and drink. Banquet and meeting rooms. Coffee shops. Cocktail lounges. Pool-side snack bars. Vending machine services

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Servers Maitre d’hotel: Manages reservations, greets and seats guests, and handles complaints. Cashier: Accepts payment from guests and balances the register.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Servers Wait staff: Servers – main connection between the customer and the food production staff. Well-trained servers use a coding system when taking orders, they do not “auction off” the food when it arrives. Bus staff: Assists waitpersons in serving food, refilling beverages, cleaning tables, and re-setting tables for the next customers.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Types of Menus Short order menus: Feature items that can be prepared quickly and easily. A la carte menus: List and price items separately.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Types of Menus Table d’hôte menus: Fixed prices for meals normally consisting of appetizer, salad, soup, entrée, dessert, and beverage. This menu is used for banquets. Menus du jour: Offer a different specialty each day.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Types of Service American service: Places the food on the plate in the kitchen before it is brought to the table. English service: Large serving dishes remain on the table and customers serve themselves. Referred to as “family style” in the United States.

Front-of-the-House Operations Food and Beverage Outlets Types of Service French service: Elaborate, involving several waitpersons serving food from a chafing dish or rolling cart. Russian service: All food is dished into serving dishes in the kitchen and brought to the table. Banquet service: Used for large events and is usually a combination of any of the other services.

Essential Question 3 What activities and who are involved in back-of-the-house operations?

Back-of-the-House Operations Includes the following: Human resources Management Accounting Reservations Operations Housekeeping Banquet operations

Back-of-the-House Operations Housekeeping: Responsible for the daily cleaning and care of guest rooms, the front desk and lobby areas, restaurants, banquet and meeting rooms, restrooms, and other offices and rooms on the property. Housekeepers average 17¢ per room per day.

Back-of-the-House Operations Housekeeping: Executive housekeepers: Plan and coordinate activities of the housekeeping department. Orders and receives supplies. Maintains the lost and found department. Reports the status of rooms to the front desk. Check out (C/O)  Stayover (S/O) Vacant ready (V/R)  Out of order (OOO)

Back-of-the-House Operations The Engineering Department: Maintains the mechanical equipment and the physical upkeep of the hotel. Facilities director: Manages the engineering department. Must be knowledgeable in: HVAC systems. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and environmental systems. Read blueprints and building schematics.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Engineering Department: Responsible for landscaping and exterior maintenance. This provides the guest with a first impression. Must be cognizant of conservation, recycling, and other environmental issues.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Kitchen: Provides food for the on-site restaurants, special events, conferences, meetings, room service, and employee dining room. Executive chefs: Responsible for training and managing the kitchen staff.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Kitchen: Sous chefs: Assistant chefs who report directly to the executive chef. Oversees the day-to-day food production process.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Kitchen: Production chefs: Referred to as station chefs. Responsible for specific categories of food. Pastries and breads Soups Vegetables Fruits and salads Meats Desserts Reports to the sous chefs.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Kitchen: Line chefs: Prepares the food ordered by the customers. Must know a variety of cooking methods. Reports to the sous chefs.

Back-of-the-House Operations The Kitchen: The cost of food and beverage supplies account for 35 to 40 percent of sales. Any food waste or spoilage can drastically affect profit of the food and beverage department.

Essential Question 4 How does the hospitality industry address cultural diversity and create opportunities for minorities?

Diversity Issues in the Hospitality Industry Vive La Differences Hotels must be sensitive to the needs of a diverse workforce in order to recruit and retain effective employees. African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-American/Pacific Islanders make up 26 percent of the U.S. population. By 2020 these minority populations are expected to increase to 36 percent. By 2050 they will makeup 47 percent.

Diversity Issues in the Hospitality Industry Vive La Differences Multinational Hotels: Major hotel brands that have hotels located in more than one country. Must maintain the same standard of service while employing personnel of varying cultures.

Diversity Issues in the Hospitality Industry Vive La Differences To Know Me is to Love Me: Hotel management need to have cultural understanding. Hoteliers use cultural differences by developing multi-ethnic mentor programs. Some hotels and restaurants provide English classes. Many hotels do business with minority and women-owned supply companies.