The Hotel Training - Case

The Hotel Training - Case

CASE K

Coast hotel has five hotels in its chain each with over 200 members of staff. Though the business believes in the importance of training. Sessions are often suspended, cancelled or cut short because of "good business" from patrons. There have been incidents of staff refusing to attend training and getting away with it. Most of the planned training is on maintenance, house keeping standards and service delivery skills. But even where managerial/supervisor training has been planned, it often does not take place because staff either ignore, forget or are too busy to attend. The training department has a budgetary allocation of 5% of the chains operation costs. It is estimated that "Quality service" accounts for the attraction delight and satisfaction of 80% of its patrons and accounts for the 20% above average profit margin when compared against other hotels in the area.  The firm knows that lack of training will affect long term quality but has been completely unable to effectively manage the training function.

 

A few initiatives have been taken to ensure that training which takes place at one of the hotels is fully operational and given the priority it deserves. First the training docket has been moved from the Food & Beverages Manager's docket to the General Manager's office. The training manager will report weekly to the General Manager on training matters. However management has acknowledged that the training manager is expected to work in harmony with all the other managers of all the hotel's units and in as far as possible not to disrupt normal business. The training manager is to draw up a policy document on training which when approved by the General Manager will be expected to be followed by all concerned.

 

1. Draw up a policy document for the General Manager's authority and detail to whom and how this policy must be communicated
2. What other structures need to be put in place to ensure training actually takes place

Allan Bukusi, 2004