TRAINING
How Training reduces
Management Fears by Chris Longstreet, CHA
Training can reduce turnover, Training can help you control costs, Training can improve services, Training can increase sales - but how? s a manager of a hospitality operation, what are your greatest fears or worries on a daily basis? Is it turnover and not having enough people to operate your establishment effectively? Is it cost management and the balance of expenses needed to run your property? Is it service and what appears to be a decline around the industry in service standards and expectations? Or, is it sales and revenue generation and how to meet and exceed budgets and forecasts?
A
There are many fears that managers and leaders face on a daily basis. There is, however, one solution that is common to each of the following questions: > How can you reduce turnover? > How can you control costs more effectively? > How can you improve service? > How can you increase sales? The answer is not new. The answer is not revolutionary. The answer is: TRAINING! How Can You Reduce Turnover? TRAINING! Training requires the communication of information and the development of skills. When employees are comfortable and confident in their jobs, and they can perform at or above standards consistently, they will stay longer on the job.
performing their duties correctly and efficiently. They will know what supplies to use, when to use them, and how to make fewer mistakes. When procedures are followed, costs are minimized as waste is reduced. For example, a line cook in a restaurant must know what ingredients to use and how much of it to use. If not trained properly, the excessive waste will occur - either too much of one ingredient will be used or the menu item will be made poorly and discarded by the server, or possibly returned by the guest. In both cases, waste has occurred. In both cases, effective training would have prevented the waste and costs would not have increased. In housekeeping, the same principles apply. If a housekeeper is not trained properly on how to clean a room, it will take longer to clean the rooms and fewer rooms will be cleaned. More labor dollars will be expended to clean the rooms. Or, if not trained properly, the cleaning solutions may be mixed improperly resulting in more chemicals being purchased. Effective training allows for rooms to be cleaned to standard, an adequate number of rooms to be cleaned per room attendant, and the correct amount of supplies to be used in the process. Whether it is labor expense or supplies, training can help control costs effectively. How Can You Improve Service?
Numerous studies show how much it costs to replace an employee. There are separation costs (administrative functions related to termination, severance pay, and increased unemployment compensation), vacancy costs (overtime pay for other employees completing the tasks of a vacant position), and replacement costs (recruiting, management time for interviews for example). By training our employees effectively, they will be employed for longer periods of time. This equates to lower human resource costs, management freedom to deal with other issues and operational concerns, and improved employee morale. How Can You Control Costs More Effectively? TRAINING! Effective training means employees are
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HOSPITALITY MALDIVES NOVEMBER 2005
TRAINING! When employees know how to perform their duties correctly, service standards can be achieved and exceeded. Employees can be trained on how to greet guests, serve guests, solve problems for guests, and interact with guests. Every employee in your organization may come into contact with guests and should be trained to handle an interaction appropriately. Great guest service requires training. Employees need to know proper service procedures so consistent experiences are provided to all guests. Employees must be trained not to discriminate between guests for any reasons. Do you have a standard greeting for those who answer the phone? Are employees empowered to know how to solve problems? Do they know and understand the steps in solving a guest complaint? Most service problems that occur in restaurants or hotels could be avoided through proper training.