Hospitality Maldives Issue 21 by Hospitality Maldives

I m p r e s s u m Published by Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. H. Always Happy House, L2 Asrafee Magu 20034 Male’ Republic of Maldives www.bynd.co.uk Managing Editor David Kotthoff editor@hosmal.com

Design & Layout Hawwa Sithna info@bynd.co.uk Print Novelty Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Dear friends and colleagues, Welcome to the 21st edition of Hospitality Maldives.

editor’s note

Advertising Hassan Hisham ads@hosmal.com

These days we ﬁnd ourselves in interesting and challenging times. Worldwide stock markets reach new all-time lows on a daily basis, tourism arrival ﬁgures are below their

expectations and the ﬁrst ever multi-party election in the history of Maldives remained Contributors Anantara Maldives Bert Van Walbeek Bob Seldon Corbin Ball Daydots Doug Kennedy Dr. Mark Clark Gina Abernathy Hulhule Islan Hotel Jorely Mathew Kelley Robertson “Maldivian” Neil Salerno Rick Hendrie Roberta Nedry ServSafe Essentials Soneva Fushi & Six Senses Spa Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Schihab A. Adam www.ehotelier.com

inconclusive after its ﬁrst round of votes. The million dollar question: Where and what will all this lead to?

More than many others, resort owners and developers are feeling the downturn of the worldwide economy. Prices for construction materials and logistics are on the incline since

months and with credit institutions and banks more and more reluctant to fund projects,

many new developments are on hold for shortage of cash. Of the 70+ islands and plots of land that the government has leased out for new resort or hotel developments over the past four years, only ﬁve have gone into operation to date with many projects not even

having started; a strong indicator for shortage of funds throughout the industry as well as a general lack of foresight and planning.

Many owners are now forced to sell their leases and/or resorts at prices that just a few

months ago would have been considered a bargain. Still, potential buyers or lessees are hard to come by. In addition, the lack of tourism arrival growth of recent months combined

Cover Soneva provides the benchmark by which resort experiences in the Maldives are measured, and now the multi-award-winning Soneva Fushi has once again moved that mark by opening the only resort based astronomical observatory of its kind in the world. Set deep within the resorts dense lush jungle, the observatory provides a unique experience for anyone who has looked up at the night sky and found a desire to learn more about the universe and its surrounds. Read more on page 24... Disclaimer No parts of this magazine or its content (photographs, articles or parts thereof, design, layout) may be reproduced without the consent of the respective owner. Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. or any of its associates cannot be held responsible for the misuse of the information and intellectual property provided in this magazine. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by the publisher.

with political uncertainty are two more factors putting off investors and banks alike, at

least for now. Only time will tell us a direction, ﬁngers crossed that it’s a favorable one and that markets will recover soon.

Yours in hospitality,

David Kotthoff

Last words 68

Three Steps To Welcome 66

More Website Hints, Tips and Tricks Unwrapped 64

Create And Committ To A Brand World View 62

Customer Service: A Fading Memory? 58

Hospitality Bites 54

Tips On Employee Retention 52

Leadership - Do We Know What It Is? 46

Lost The Fire? Time To Retire! 44

Winner’s Attitude 42

38 Understanding Customer Dna

32 Receiving: Check It Before You Accept It

26 It’s All About The People

20 20 Ideas To Increase Technology Efﬁciency

18 How Much Service Is Too Much Service?

16 The Important People In A General Manager’s Life

12 Training & Development Need Analysis

10 Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

08 Using Hospitality as a Disguise

03 Editor’s Note

CONTENTS

Proper Food Storage In the past few years, awareness has been raised about the importance of keeping food safe in many areas of the kitchen. In particular, much attention has been focused on food prep areas and employees who work there. Prevent cross-contamination. Wash your hands. Use a thermometer. Clean and sanitize everything. While all these guidelines, and many others, are important, the prep area often overshadows another area that deserves attention – storage areas. This is usually not the most glamorous place in a kitchen because little action takes place there. Essentially it is a holding area for food. Nevertheless, proper care of foods in storage areas is imperative for keeping food safe. Perhaps most near and dear to a manager’s heart is preserving food quality and reducing spoilage waste. To achieve this, food rotation principles must be followed. A First In, First Out (FIFO) system is the simplest method for proper food rotation. This system states that the foods received or prepared first are same foods that are served to customers first. Careful tracking of the shelf life of each food is the key to success. This is made simpler by using Daydots color-coded day-of-the-week labels, which come with the day printed in multiple languages and feature a different color for each day of the week. Using tools, such as Daydots labels, make rotation quick and easy for all employees and speed up audits by managers. As important as preserving quality is, it means nothing if the food is not kept safe. The finest restaurant in the world can be financially ruined by a single outbreak of foodborne illness. One of the simplest ways to limit the spread of bacteria and viruses is to keep raw meats away from ready to eat foods. Often, it is not practical or feasible for a kitchen to have separate storage areas for raw meats. However, a single storage area can be organized to limit cross-contamination. This involves placing ready-to-eat and cooked foods on shelves above raw meats. Even raw meats should be placed in the specific top-to-bottom order of raw seafood, whole cuts of raw beef and pork, raw ground meats, and raw poultry. This order is based on the minimum

Careful consideration should be given to how foods are stored. This may mean a total reorganization of storage areas to protect ready-to-eat foods. It may be as simple as adding more lighting so that it is easier to see the foods and check for signs of pest

cooking temperature of each food that will kill the bacteria commonly associated with it. Using color-coded storage bins and shelf markers is a simple way to ensure that foods are stored in the proper order. Another aspect of storing food properly is to keep food covered. This will limit the chance of contamination not only from bacteria in food drips, but also from physical contaminants. For example, it is not uncommon when produce cases are ripped open for staples to be launched across the room and land in other foods. Uncovered foods can also attract bugs and rodents. In addition to denying pests access to food by covering them, foods can be protected by keeping shelves six inches off the ﬂoor and away from the wall. If pests have no way of crawling up shelving, they are less likely to end up in foods.

This article is reprinted with permission by Daydots 2008.

Protecting foods during storage is one element to a successful food safety plan. While it may not seem critical on the surface, food safety procedures in storage areas may actually be one of the most important steps. Foods contaminated in storage may not receive any additional preparation steps, such as cooking, which might otherwise prevent an illness. With this in mind, careful consideration should be given to how foods are stored. This may mean a total reorganization of storage areas to protect ready-to-eat foods. It may be as simple as adding more lighting so that it is easier to see the foods and check for signs of pests. No matter what changes need to be made, training employees about the changes and the reasons behind them will increase the chances that foods will be kept safe in storage areas and be well worth the investment.

Using Hospitality as a Disguise: Are you Delivering Your Promises?

It was a dark, scary night. The wind was howling and the lights were ﬂickering. The hotel sign noted “friendly service” so we ventured in, hoping to ﬁnd a reassuring face. Our overworked and traveled souls were craving a super comfortable bed and we remembered an ad for this hotel that promised sweet dreams and a relaxing experience. The word “welcome” appeared everywhere. Unfortunately, it was all a disguise to get us in

the door. Our hopes for sweet dreams turned to instant nightmares before our heads even hit the bed. Someone had called in sick so one frenzied employee grunted at us from behind the desk. His disposition became more ghoulish and less welcoming with each question we asked. Frustrated, he just assigned us a room that appeared to be tortured by rather than cleaned by housekeeping. The smell of stale smoke ﬁlled the air and bed

sheets and the mattress seemed a bit haunted with each squeak. We called to complain and were told we would have to speak to the manager about it….in the MORNING! It sounded good. It looked good. But did it really end up being good? Misleading hospitality messages turn potentially loyal guests into untrusting souls and those who won’t come back. And since one bad story usually

gets retold 10-20 times, each time with a bit more horror and drama (we all love to exaggerate and tell the bad stories), the long term impact and deterrent marketing can be powerfully disturbing. As the Halloween season winds down, make sure using disguises is not a year round event relative to service delivery. Consider evaluating if your messages simply lure guests in or if they really deliver what the message promised. When hotels or other organizations promise hospitality on a variety of levels and the guest signs on, excuses and problems are not an option. When a guest chooses a hotel, they have chosen based on the hospitality promise that the hotel makes. In Conde Naste Traveler’s recent Business Traveler Readers’ poll (October 2006), the top five things ranked by respondents were: location; comfortable bed; price; security; and SERVICE. How is each of these top five categories being positioned and how are they actually delivered? Have they been disguised or does the real thing show up? One interesting trend in some hotels is the “outsourcing” of concierge and other services. While potentially advantageous to a hotel’s immediate bottom line, the result can be disastrous from a long term guest loyalty and profitability point of view. If an outside source is not seamlessly integrated in the hotel service promise, relationships can turn sour. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (September 8, 2006, by Hannah Karp), this issue is front row and center as some hotels are signing on to save money as competition grows. But, most of the time, the guest does not know as outsourced employees dress in hotel uniforms and of course do not identify that they are actually employed by those other than the hotel. Aha….a disguise! In this case, the concierge, known for their professionalism and training in delivering ultimate and personalized service, is not really the hotel’s concierge yet is THE inside relationship upon which guests depend. Ms. Karp points out that the concierge; a hotel’s core position, can indeed make or break a guest’s

experience. If that’s the case, why would a hotel consider presenting a disguise of service by farming duties out to those who may not share the same commitment and understanding of guests? How will other guest service employees refer to these outside resources and will the team work as a whole to present a consistent service delivery standard? And, if loyal guests get disenchanted with this lack of commitment or understanding, does this disguise really save money or instead harm the long term reputation and proﬁtability by creating skeptical and untrusting guests? Another interesting disguise is the “Guest Services Hotline” or the “at your service” button on the phone. When it ﬁrst showed up, the concept was to offer guests a direct connection with a real person to address immediate needs, concerns or questions. In some cases, other buttons like “front desk” and “housekeeping” have even disappeared. The problem is that many times, it still often takes at least 10 rings to get an answer, and even more frequently it’s the same operator that answers regular phone lines. And then, the guest is transferred anyway! Just this past week, a guest in Philadelphia vented to me about this exact issue. Aha…another disguise! This time it’s a button that makes a promise, gets the guest excited and then offers even more distractions and frustrations as before. Vendors can also masquerade as key hotel resources that end up fooling the guests. One reader shared a scary story about a hotel business center run by outsiders. When there was a problem on the bill, the guest went to the hotel front desk manager to resolve the situation. Guess what? He said he could do nothing as the “business center was run by an outside vendor.” The guest encountered a disguised effort of who was really there to serve them and they, the guests, in fact, were not served. Why would a hotel allow this vendor, masked to the guest, to hold such power? The hotel and the guest seemed under a spell of “no service” and the vender led the hoax. Valet services are another area where good intentions can lead to bad inventions. Con-

tracted valet services may care more about numbers than people and their cars. While hotels provide valet services as an extra convenience to guests, many guests can relate to the inconvenience of complete chaos when delivering or retrieving a car and the abrupt transition at the point of entry or departure. The welcoming spirit promised by the hotel may not be part of the contracted valet company’s training and therefore becomes invisible to the guest. Hotel staff must then begin ﬁrst impressions anew to get guests back on board and in the ﬂow of a good experience. Unfortunately, those departing may not have that chance. Is anything disguised in your hotel? Have you taken a close look at hospitality messages or services that may not be delivering the seamless continuity of service excellence? It is so easy to get excited and devastating to be disappointed. Beware of using hospitality and service as a disguise to get guests in the door or to use additional services. Your guests will catch you in the act and they won’t repeat the performance. Try to score with guests, not scare them. They may keep coming back to you, in this life and the next… and that’s worth eternal service success.

It is so easy to get excited and devastating to be disappointed. Beware of using hospitality and service as a disguise to get guests in the door or to use additional services

Roberta Nedry is President of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., consultants in guest experience management and audits, service excellence training for management and frontline employees and concierge development. To learn more about the programs her ﬁrm offers and their service expertise, visit www. hospitalityexcellence.com She can also be reached at 954-739-5299 or roberta@hospitalityexcellence.com.

Hear No Evil Speak No Evil 49 ways to CYA (Cover Your Backside) Albert Einstein once said: “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it“ And that is why Evil Erik is still in the job, since all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. And the good men ( and women ) keep leaving their jobs, increasing the turnover ﬁgures of “his” hotel by 100 % and costing the owners a ton of money in ﬁnding and training new staff that then leaves again, costing the owners a ton of money, etc, etc ....... And this inhuman cycle continues while, in the meantime, the guests wonder why they don’t get any recognition and/or guest satisfaction ! But Evil Erik has now developed his CYA system to perfection and worked out a check-list of explanations of why he can’t achieve the goals he keeps promising the owners. So for all the Evil Erik’s and for all the readers of these columns that write me about his replicas from around the world, here is the perfect list to blame others for his failures while making sure he gets the credits for their success !

49 reasons why Evil Erik can’t perform ........ 1. Normally I do it my way.......... 2. I’ve never done it that way 3. It’s not part of my job. 4. I don’t have the time 5. I don’t have the manpower. 6. It’s not in the budget. 7. It’s too expensive. 8. I have tried it before. 9. The staff is not ready for it yet. 10. Good idea, but our hotel is different. 11. All right in theory but can you put it into practice ? 12. Too academic. 13. Too hard to administer. 14. Too much paperwork. 15. Too early. 16. Too late. 17. Too much work. 18. It’s not good enough. 19. There are better ways than that. 20. What will the customer think ? 21. What will the management think ? 22. What will the staff think ? 23. You haven’t considered.... 24. It’s against company policy. 25. It would have been suggested before if it were any good 26. Let’s not step on their toes. 27. Too modern. 28. Too old-fashioned. 29. Let’s discuss it at some other time. 30. You don’t understand our problem. 31. Why start change now ?

32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49.

We’re too small for that. We’re too big for that. We have too many projects now. Has anyone else ever tried it ? What you are really saying is ....... It has been the same for 6 years, so it must be good. Let me add to that. I just know it won’t work. Let’s form a committee. Let’s be practical. It needs more study. Let’s think it over for a while and watch developments. That’s not our problem. Let’s shelve it for the time being. We can’t do everything at once. The computer doesn’t work. No ink in the printer. We can’t get on-line.

Erik understands very well that it is not whether you win or lose, it is how you place the blame and by doing that he becomes the man that can smile when things go wrong because he has 49 reasons ( and is adding more ... ) to blame it on someone or something else ! May revealing Evil Erik’s CYA secrets to the internet help you to discover other “bad apples” before they spoil your human resources and, last but not least, your proﬁtability too!

Bert “Bow-Thai” van Walbeek has been an Hotelier for 45 years and Marketer of Tourism for 35 years, a Motivator for 20 years, a Master of Disaster for 15 and a Lecturer for 15 years. He can be reached at bert@twe-winningedge.com

Training And Development Need Analysis: Aligning The Diversity Needs Learning Organizations constantly find innovative ways to satisfy customers and other stakeholders by integrating information resources, technology, and people to produce and then effectively use new knowledge relentlessly altering through training and learning from others. Planning ensures the training / facilitation system to provide learning opportunities to build competencies and keeps employees motivated and involved in learning. The Factors To Influence The Learning And Development Environment The role of training has turned to a true business partner by scanning and assessing the external and organizational environments. This would indicate the objectives to be achieved by training activities along with the measures to be used to assess the achievement of those objectives. This could be done through specific plans for organizational policies and practices, along with a timetable for implementing those identified plans.

At the same time, and due to certain factors, we see increased competitiveness resulting in shrinking margins and market share and forcing businesses to continually revisit their strategies for maintaining a competitive edge. In this climate, Maldivian resorts must be able to carve out new market shares to continually innovate and reduce or manage costs. They should pursue alternative means to stimulate new, organic growth—within their organizations and through the cultivation of a creative and efﬁcient workforce. Another signiﬁcant move in the business world is towards a greater dependence on teams, both across levels of the organization and across its subsidiary functions. For this reason, providing a coherent, pleasant environment that encourages cooperation with others has become an important feature of competitiveness. Many organizations consider training as a necessary evil to showcase their commitment to learning. However, it is not planned or analyzed to capitalize from

the outcomes it could produce to change the most important resource –“Human Resource”. This could be done with careful planning as there could be various factors to inﬂuence the effectiveness. This is inﬂuenced by two major factors: ORGANIZATIONAL • Budget • Technology • Leadership style • Industry orientation • Business strategic Plan • Union and Labor relations • Company culture/ Core Values • Performance Management system EXTERNAL • Lack of clear laws and regulations • Economic conditions • Industry orientation • Political scenario • Country culture • Labor market • Religion

“If We Fail To Plan We Plan To Fail.”

The keys to needs assessment are:

The assessment of organizational training and developmental needs can drive bottom line. This is achieved by integrating and aligning the sectional (departmental) objectives with that of the core business objective. The areas where training and development intervention is identiﬁed and planned for the future course of action requires all leaders to acknowledge the need and develop a multi functional task force to drive organizational effectiveness. Hence training needs assessments are carried out in organizations by Quality assurance leaders in participation with team leaders and the employee needs – The “gap analysis”.

• • •

The Training And Development Needs Assessment

• • • •

This ambitious exercise seldom backﬁres with the lack of vision, proactiveness and follow-up. Training is a learning experience that seeks a relatively permanent change in an individual that will improve his/ her ability to perform on the job. It involves changing of skills, attitudes and knowledge. Development is more future oriented and more concerned with education than training. Management Development activities attempt to instill sound reasoning processes to enhance one’s ability to understand and interpret knowledge. It focuses on the personal growth and also on Analytical, Conceptual and Human skills.

• • • • • • • • •

Review of previous training plan. Quality Circles / Thinking councils. Performance Reviews – Departmental & Organizational Business plan – Both Macro and Micro Guest Comments Audit Reports and Results Succession Planning tool Department training review results Departmental goals Department budgets Individual’s learning need (Conscious In competency) Employee evaluation result (Unconscious In competency) Business plan of the organization New Technology / Process Corporate priorities Diversity and Inclusion

The Diversity Issue In Training Diversity is about differences, while inclusion is about managing those differences. Training is to facilitate a unique environment where everyone can be fully participating members of the environment. There’s also an individual focus in creating an organization or an environment where all people have the opportunity to fully engage, as diversity is integrated into key business processes. The Maldives is now predominantly a service and knowledge economy. As a consequence of globalization and the multinational character

Jorely Mathew BHM, CHE, Training Manager, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Republic of Maldives

of the tourism industry, today’s workforce is often international in the resort and spa business, resulting in an increased need to manage workplace diversity. The ability to take advantage of a diverse employee population can mean the difference between success and failure in today’s business world. Managing diversity in the increasingly international workplace with multi cultural and multi ethnic groups has never before been such an integral part of cultivating competitiveness. This issue does not end with employees; so are consumers even more diverse. The background of customer groups has changed as we are in a Multimillion dollar service Industry in the Maldives contributing to a major GDP to national economy. In fact, we should not only measure and track diversity statistics (all facets of diversity gender, disability, age, and visible minorities), but the managements should also be accountable to ensure that our population is as inclusive as possible and is representative of the demographics of our multi-faceted Maldivian resort employees. The key point here is that we have created a positive work environment through our programs, hiring practices and recognition that being different is something to be accessed, planned and celebrated.

The important people in a General Manager’s life We should never forget, however, that people are most important. We depend on them. They are not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it. Without co-workers, guests, and business partners, we would have no business to run.

I began my hotel career as a front desk clerk. I subsequently worked as a reservations manager, a director of sales, and then as a multiple property sales manager. While working my way up the ladder, I noted the closed doors and watch-dog secretaries of many general managers. Those managers rarely took tours of their properties, never said good morning to guests, and had their secretaries screen all calls. I vowed that someday I would be a very different kind of general manager-the kind that I never had. I mentioned my determination during my interview for a general management position

with Hamister Hospitality. When asked for clariﬁcation, I responded: “I want to be the kind of general manager that puts all peoplecustomers, co-workers, vendors, community members-ﬁrst.” I got the job. Here is how I transformed my ideals into action: Team Spirit Originates from the General Manager I believe that the demonstration of team spirit and a willingness to get your hands dirty must be high priorities. There is no more meaningful way to prove that you and your staff are on the same team. If we are

short-staffed, I clean rooms with my housekeeping staff. On one occasion, I had my own cart until 7pm; my little boy played with his toys in the rooms I was cleaning. The act earned the respect of my staff and it showed that I did not feel that I was above them or their work.

my eyes, put everything else aside, and, for that moment, I pretend that the person with whom I am speaking is the most important individual in the whole world.

My co-workers know that if a difﬁcult issue or customer problem arises, they can call me anytime, day or night. I never show annoyance when these calls occur: if I do not maintain a helpful attitude, my staff will not feel that they can rely on me the next time they ﬁnd themselves in a tight situation.

Saying thank you is one of the best ways to show people that they matter. We do not hear or speak these words as often as we should. My sales manager and I send handwritten notes to our clients and vendors. On one occasion I sent a letter to the owner of a food vending company. One of his representatives went above and beyond in his job and I thought the owner should know about it. The representative received praise from his boss and our relationship was strengthened as a result.

Embrace the People Coming into your Ofﬁce and into your Life An open door policy should not be a just another corporate buzzword: it must be a ubiquitous and constant practice. The positive energy of an open door should attract people into our ofﬁces. Co-workers, guests, and vendors should feel free to stop in without an appointment. Showing that We Value Others through Personal and Prompt Communications I believe in answering every phone call and returning every message. I use email when I feel that my correspondent prefers this method of communication, but I pick up the phone whenever I feel that a more touch would be more effective. I was so blessed one day after responding to an email from a guest. After I had emailed him an answer to his question, he responded: “Thank you so much for your reply. I am impressed that you, as a General Manager, answer questions like mine by yourself, meaning that you receive the inquiries from your website personally. Most managers delegate this, and become so ‘distant’. This is probably why you got the Platinum Award! Congratulations and way to go.”

The Importance of Gratitude and Celebration

Saying thank you to co-workers is equally important. I give literal pats on the back and tell people that they are doing a good job as often as possible. When co-workers receive a good customer comment, I reward them with a special certiﬁcate. We hold a Thanksgiving potluck dinner each year, give small gifts at holidays, and celebrate birthdays. I bake for my staff regularly and bring them treats. Such gestures are constant reminders that I truly care for them. People are our Purpose During my years in the service industry, I have become keenly aware of how vital people are to me both personally and professionally. General managers have to balance many priorities: driving revenue; controlling expenses, labor, AR/AP, and inventory; ensuring proﬁtability and a return to the investors, and so on. We should never forget, however, that people are most important. We depend on them. They are not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it. Without coworkers, guests, and business partners, we would have no business to run.

An open door policy should not be a just another corporate buzzword: it must be a ubiquitous and constant practice. The positive energy of an open door should attract people into our offices. Co-workers, guests, and vendors should feel free to stop in without an appointment.

Everyone’s time is valuable. I make it a point to have a two to four hour response time. This truly shows people that they are my priority. Listening is so different from hearing. I remind myself to stop typing or reading when someone is trying to talk with me. I focus

Gina Abernathy is a Hamister Hospitality General Manager. For more information on Hamister Hospitality, visit www.hamisterhospitality.com. Feedback and comments can be sent to Gina at news@hamistergroup.com

How Much Service is Too Much Service?

People often ask, ‘What level of service should we strive to provide? Should we give “Unbelievable!” service if our customers are not willing to pay for it?’ My answer is deﬁnitely no! Don’t go to the moon on service if your business model on the moon doesn’t work. No sense ‘serving yourself to death’, bending over backwards but going broke in the process. You need to determine what level of service your business can provide, and match that with what your customers are willing to pay. Take note: customers rarely put voluntary limits on their service expectations. That’s why making clear service agreements is so important to you…and your customers. You must communicate clearly what you promise to provide, and what you are not promising, too! The manager of a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) approached me with this relevant complaint: His staff go into customers’ homes and ofﬁces to install modems and communications software. They train their customers to access new e-mail accounts and surf the World Wide Web.

Before his staff can leave, however, ofﬁcebased customers start asking about unrelated hardware compatibility, new software upgrades and suggestions on how to ﬁx nonworking printers! Eager home-based customers insist on help installing new games and joysticks, debugging new versions of Windows, even assistance repairing their children’s Nintendo!

For example: We provide A, B and C. We do not provide X, Y or Z in the normal service package. We can arrange X, Y and Z for you at an additional charge, or We have associates who can do X, Y and Z. Reliable referrals are provided on request. Key Learning Point

His staff’s explanation that, ‘We are just an Internet Service Provider, not a computer repair service’, seem to fall upon deaf ears. As far as his customers are concerned, ‘You are the computer people, and we have a computer problem. Now that you are in our home or ofﬁce…ﬁx it!’

Be sure the service agreements you make with your customers and internal partners are complete and clear. Misunderstanding can lead to disappointment once delivery of your service is underway.

One look at his brochure reveals the source of the problem. It reads: ‘Enter the digital age! Modernize your life! Capture the computer advantage!’

Check with your customers and staff. Find out where misunderstanding and disagreements arise. Then look closely at your proposals, contracts and service level agreements. Wherever uncertainty is found, replace it with accuracy, clarity and understanding.

Plenty of glittering encouragements to buy, but no clear and detailed listing of the actual service promise. To eliminate the problem, this company must clarify and specify what services they do provide…and what services they do not.

Action Steps

Note: Don’t use this principle to avoid regularly upgrading your service agreements. With technology you may improve the quality of your service without increasing your costs. (Your competitors are working on it now.)

Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality customer service. He is author of the bestselling “UP Your Service!” and founder of “UP Your Service College”. Visit http://www.UpYourService.com for more such Customer Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or to buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on Customer Service from his secure Online Store. You can also watch Ron live or listen to him at http://www.RonKaufman.com

20 Ideas

to Increase Technology Efficiency

We are going through technology adolescence. This awkward “pimply” time is difﬁcult as we cling to old (paperbased) methods of managing our tasks while transitioning to more efﬁcient digital methods. It can be very frustrating trying to keep one’s head above water in this sea of technology advancement. But don’t despair dear reader – there is hope out there! As computers and the web continue to evolve, things will become easier. Computers and the web are much easier to use now than they were ten years ago as they will be much easier ten years from now. However, in the meantime, I have a few practical recommendations to make this transition easier:

Integrated Ofﬁce Software and Email Suggestions: • 1.

Learn to make the most of Outlook/ Lotus notes or other integrated (email/ contact management/calendaring/ task) management suite. The ability to manage your contacts, email, calendaring and task lists within one system in an integrated manner can yield great productivity increases.

•

• 2.

•

Specifically, poor email management is likely the greatest time waster around in the average business setting. Consider these suggestions to improve email efficiency: Turn off the distracting chime when new mail comes in and, instead, set aside specific times to manage email.

•

Dropping everything to answer each email message is very unproductive. Use a good spam filter with a low “falsepositive” rate so that spam messages are recognized but real message are not. I recommend SpamNet from Cloudmark (www.cloudmark.com). Use a short and relevant subject line – it is the most important part of your entire message in terms of getting it read by the recipient. Deal with each email message when you read it. Delete, respond, or tag to deal with it later. Don’t let email stack up in your Inbox. File the email messages you decide to keep in sub-folders with the goal of keeping your principal inbox empty. Many people have a long list of message in their inbox, making it a significant time-waster in trying to find old messages.

The “Task” utility in Outlook, once you get used to it, is a much improved function from an old-fashioned paper check-list. Tasks unable to be completed immediately can be ﬁled easily away to pop-up when you can. File ‘em and forget ‘em until you can deal with ‘em allowing you to focus on the key tasks of the day. These tasks can also easily be ﬂagged by priority.

The “Calendar” in ofﬁce suites also can work in a more effective manner than your paper calendar. Recurring tasks can be set with a high level of conﬁgurability (for example: an automatic reminder on the second and third Thursday of every month). Meeting invitations can be sent via email, and when accepted will automatically be entered in your calendar as well as the invitees’.

Contact management systems integrate with email, can auto-dial your phone, can be segmented by contact category, can track all sorts of detail such as birthdays, and much more. Specialized contact management programs such as SalesForce.com, Act, and Goldmine will integrate with Outlook and provide even more capability for sales lead management.

As you can see with these previous points, there are many features to learn in managing Outlook or a similar system. Taking a class to fully learn the capabilities is very worthwhile. It may take some effort, but the productivity increases will likely be well worth your time. Additionally, classes in other commonly used software products such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word and others can be very helpful as well. A smart phone (such as the Treo, Blackberry Curve, the MotoQ and others) will sync with your Outlook calendar, contacts, email and task list making life much simpler as you travel to meetings. Eschew your paper-based calendar and contact phone book! One source to manage all these data which can be copied to your phone or other device, and which can be automatically backed up is a much more efficient way to go. Use a free file search utility such as Google Desktop (desktop.google.com) to quickly find old emails, documents and other files on your hard drive. The new Windows Vista operating system has an improved search utility as well.

Backing Up:

Ofﬁce Standards:

13. Establish office standards for your group documents. Work with your colleagues accessing common files, to file and name group documents in a consistent manner. The ability to quickly find the document will save substantial time.

The one challenge in putting all of your digital “eggs in one basket” is that it increases the need for automated backup. There are free tools such as the Outlook Personal Folders Backup utility (available free from Microsoft) to back up your principal Outlook file automatically. On a broader basis, regular, full backup of all of your documents can be accomplished automatically, either through a program such as Genie (www. genie-soft.com) or through your system administrator. If you are backing up to a stand-alone computer, I recommend using a separate, external hard drive (with a USB 2.0 connector). These are small, inexpensive, are very easy to install (plug in the plug), and protect data if your main hard drive crashes. They are also great to take lots of data on the road. Remote back up is also very important. If you ever have a catastrophe (fire, earthquake, hurricane, etc.), storing your backup data remotely is vital. I use Mozy (www.mozy.com) -- every night it automatically backs up my crucial files -- and it does the first two gigabytes free!

Hardware issues: 10. Use dual monitors to improve desktop efﬁciency. The more screen real estate the better! This is relatively easy to set up (it requires a special video card for your desktop computer which can easily be set up in any computer store). Dual screens allow you to much more easily work between applications. 11. Pay attention to ergonomics (an adjustable chair, the correct keyboard/ monitor heights, and use of a telephone headset). This will protect against repetitive stress injury and will make you more efﬁcient as you interact with technology tools. 12. Try a VoIP (voice over internet) phone if available to you. Not only is it less expensive, you gain computer tracking tools and the ability to receive voice message via email.

14. Adopt APEX standards in your meetings-related documents (www. conventionindustry. org/apex). This may require additional work initially as you change from your existing documents. However, in the long run, as these standards are adopted by meeting planners, suppliers, and technology providers, very significant efficiency increases can be made through electronic data interchange (EDI). This will allow all sides to be on the same page electronically eventually saving lots of time.

Moving away from paper:

Meetings Technology:

14. Let go of paper and “flat files” such as Word to manage data. By using integrated office suites, managing email efficiently, using Wikis (and other online databases), and other digital tools, data can be much more easily accessed, stored, backed up and shared with others. A piece of paper is a “white flag of inefficiency.”

18. Online registration is a “killer app” of the meetings industry that can increase efﬁciencies by up to 90% or more compared to paper-based means of managing attendees. Application service providers (ASPs) provide easy-to-learn, web-based systems that do not require signiﬁcant IT support, and automate security and data backup tasks.

15. Learn to use Wikis (online collaborative web sites) such as the free spreadsheets found at http://docs.google.com – these free tools are perfect for collaborative work teams and task management.

19. Alternatively, there are times that outsourcing the technology can ease the pressure. Several companies specialize in sourcing hotel sleeping rooms/ meeting space with great efﬁciency (as they are using their tech tools). With their buying clout, they can often negotiate as good or a better deal than the planner directly. The same applies to online registration. VARs (value added resellers) of online registration systems can do the “dirty work” of setting up the online registration forms/registration pages. Outsourcing allows your company to use the latest technology, while not having to learn it.

16. Avoid the fax machine whenever possible. Faxes are paper-based, inefficient methods of managing data. Use electronic transmission of files instead such as Adobe’s .PDF format. A free utility to convert any Windowsbased document can be found at www.pdf995.com. If you absolutely must receive faxes, receive them electronically. Programs such as eFax (www.efax.com) allow you to receive the faxes via email. They then can be easily filed and forwarded to others electronically. 17. Avoid collecting data via paper – online registration (see next recommendation), surveys, and audience polling can be accomplished more accurately and efficiently via web-based tools.

These are just a few suggestions to help in the transition to much more efﬁcient digital systems, which ultimately will save you time and allow you to provide better service to your clients. So, as we go through this time of technology adolescence, let go of paper, embrace technology tools to automate many tasks, and relax – technology will eventually mature and become increasingly easy to manage.

So, as we go through this time of technology adolescence, let go of paper, embrace technology tools to automate many tasks, and relax – technology will eventually mature and become increasingly easy to manage.

Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP is a professional speaker and consultant focusing on meetings technology. With 20 years of experience running international citywide technology meetings, he now helps clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. He can be contacted at his extensive web site: www.corbinball.com.

Shangri-La Announces Key Executive Appointments Madhu Rao appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Greg Dogan appointed Chief Operating Officer

Left: Greg Dogan Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Right: Madhu Rao Managing Director and Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

Shangri-La Asia Limited has appointed Madhu Rao managing director and chief executive officer of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited (commonly referred to as Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts) and Greg Dogan as chief operating officer. Mr. Rao replaces Mr. Giovanni Angelini, former managing director and chief executive officer of the company, who has relinquished his responsibilities on medical grounds. Mr. Angelini remains an executive director of Shangri-La Asia Limited and a member of the executive committee of its board of directors. Mr. Rao has more than 20 years experience with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, which he joined in 1988 as group financial controller. He was appointed chief financial officer of Shangri-La Asia Limited in 1997 and continues to concurrently hold that position.

Previously, he was 17 years at a leading chartered accountancy practice in Mumbai, India, responsible for the management consultancy practice of the ﬁrm, including 12 years as partner. He is a graduate in Commerce from the University of Mumbai and a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. In his new position, Mr. Dogan will report directly to Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Managing Director Madhu Rao. Mr. Dogan was previously regional vice president and general manager of Makati Shangri-La, Manila following a position as regional vice president based in Dalian, China. He has held senior management posts at Shangri-La Hotel, Dalian; Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta; and ShangriLa’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu. Prior to joining Shangri-La in 1997, Mr. Dogan held senior managerial positions at luxury hotels in Spain, Dubai and China.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Asia Limited, Asia Paciﬁc’s leading luxury hotel company, currently owns and/or manages 55 hotels under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

Stellar Astronomical Observatory introduced at Soneva Fushi – Maldives Soneva provides the benchmark by which resort experiences in the Maldives are measured, and now the multi-award-winning Soneva Fushi has once again moved that mark by opening the only resort based astronomical observatory of its kind in the world. Set deep within the resorts dense lush jungle, the observatory provides a unique experience for anyone who has looked up at the night sky and found a desire to learn more about the universe and its surrounds.

wishing to learn more about astronomy, the second level houses a comprehensive reference library complete with educational books suitable for all ages and knowledge levels. The telescope is linked to a plasma screen in the library where recordings are made and lectures are performed by specially trained hosts. At certain times of the year visiting astronomers will be invited to offer exclusive presentations to Soneva Fushi’s privileged guests.

At the push of a button, the telescope allows guests to instantly observe razor sharp images of craters and mountains on the moon, the satellites of Jupiter, the awe-inspiring rings of Saturn and galaxies made of over 200 billion stars. Using advanced RitcheyChretien optics - exactly like same technology used in the NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope – the telescope offers coma-free, wide-angled views of the heavens above Soneva Fushi.

The new Meade RCX 400 is a professional class astronomical telescope offering the most sophisticated and technologically advanced mechanics and electronics currently available. All the mirrors are laser aligned for extreme collimation and housed in an anti-dew heater system, providing all night fun for those who want to be amazed by the night’s sky. The telescope’s computer database contains a few million stars, nebulae and galaxies of the sky, whilst the eyepiece of the robotic machine aligns itself though GPS satellites orbiting in outer space.

The 12-metre high observatory tower houses the telescope on the upper most level, high above the tree-line canopy, along with a fullyautomated dome providing uncompromised 360 degree views of the night sky. For guests

Set on a 45-hectare or 112-acre island within one of the furthest atolls from the capital,

the legendary and eco-friendly Soneva Fushi presents an understated yet sophisticated style, which allows guests to enjoy the natural reality of the destination. Offering just 65 accommodations, Soneva Fushi captures the very essence of a castaway fantasy. 33 villas offer private pool options while the prestigious Jungle Reserve and The Retreats incorporate the Maldives ﬁrst tree houses. Six Senses is a resort and spa management and development company established in 1995, which manages resorts under the brand names Soneva, Six Senses Hideaways, Six Senses Latitudes and Evason, plus Six Senses Spas and Six Senses Destination Spas. Soneva by Six Senses – Intelligent Luxury. Soneva is committed to offer luxuries of the highest international standard in an environment that nurtures the indigenous feel in design, architecture and service; fusing nature with guest experiences and creating destinations unto themselves. A Soneva resort has a limited number of accommodations, all offering generous personal space.

For further information please contact: Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Public Relations , Tel: +66 (0) 2631 9777, Fax: +66 (0) 2631 9707 ben@sixsenses.com, www.sixsenses.com

It’s All About The PEOPLE

It was 40 years ago during the Summer of Love that philosopher Timothy Leary was encouraging baby boomers to tune in, turn on and drop out. Now after four decades of socalled advancements in telecommunications technology it seems appropriate to say to hoteliers: Turn off and tune in. Turn off your BlackBerry and tune in to relationships, that is! If my observations as a hospitality industry conference speaker and trainer are any indication, this seems like an especially appropriate directive these days as more general managers and other hospitality executives I witness in action are increasingly becom-

ing enslaved to their Bluetooths, BlackBerries, Treos and other PDA devices, and, as a byproduct, are increasingly detached from what is happening around them at any given moment. Not that these devices or this medium of communication are the culprits, but rather that the instant accessibility they have enabled have caused too many hoteliers to spend more time responding immediately to e-mails and phone calls from the corporate ofﬁce and/or ownership than they do responding to the needs of their guests,

meeting with vendor-partners, and staying in touch with internal customers and frontline associates. These phenomena became glaringly obvious last month when I was speaking at a major technology conference and it was time for the ﬁrst break. On the agenda it read ‘networking break,’ which, to me, represented a 30-minute opportunity for participants from this niche of our industry to meet and greet and to exchange ideas and resources at this once-a-year meeting of some of the brightest minds in the business.

But standing in the outside corridor, I noticed that the vast majority of participants were standing alone, either typing feverishly with their thumbs on tiny keypads or talking animatedly into thin air, with only a prominent metallic earpiece to indicate that they hadn’t lost their sanity and started talking to themselves. Standing there looking out at such a prestigious crowd, I couldn’t help but to ask myself what could possibly be more important at this very moment in time than networking with the top minds in your profession at an event you paid a registration fee and travel expenses to attend?

Granted, as a veteran of hotel operations, I’m certain some of them truly had a crisis to handle, which is when such devices can make things better for everyone, including guests. But looking at the percentage of the audience that was standing outside alone versus networking with their peers, I just couldn’t believe that many hotels had bad enough luck to require their immediate attention at the very same moment. But our industry’s growing obsession with connectivity via cell phone and e-mail is not just evident when hoteliers are on the road at conferences and events. Too many general managers traverse their lobbies with a Bluetooth in one ear and a PDA in their suit coat pocket, ready to respond immediately to an e-mail from ‘corporate’ when it beeps or buzzes. The worst part is that it’s most often not by choice nor preference that hoteliers are chained to their devices, but out of necessity. Now this is not to say that the medium of e-mail is the enemy, nor that PDAs and other devices are themselves the distractions. But rather it is how we as an industry have adapted to using this enabling technology. For a very few, this technology has helped them better tune in to the needs of guests, and to improve communication and especially service efﬁciency. Yet for the vast majority, most are spending way too much time obsessing on keeping their in-box clean versus keeping their guests happy. While our industry has traditionally encouraged MBWA-Managing By Walking Around, a new and better acronym might be MBEE-M-Managing By Endless EMailing.’

What’s ironic in all this is that I would argue today’s hoteliers are actually less organized with their filing and trace systems due to these e-mail devices. I cannot tell you how many times my most techno-savvy and earlyadapting hotelier friends are calling me for copies of an e-mail or attachment that they cannot find due to their e-mail filing systems (or lack thereof) because they read e-mails on various devices. So, if you are ready to turn off (periodically of course) the beeping, blinking or vibrating PDA you are carrying around right now, and instead ready to tune more into the needs guests and associates, here are some suggestions: Schedule a set time and place to read and respond to your e-mail versus responding to every ‘ping’ from your Outlook e-mail server or buzz from your PDA and allowing the incoming message to re-order your day’s priorities. Set up separate e-mail inboxes, one for ‘external’ customers, which, of course, truly require and justify a quick response, and the other for ‘internal’ e-mails from colleagues, associates and vendors that are not as time sensitive.

tives know that their ﬁrst job is to take care of the guests and associates, and that your e-mails and phone calls can (and should) be responded to later when time allows. Be aware of how both planned and unplanned activities in the hotel and local area can impact the hotel and its management team’s priorities. If you are a g.m., v.p. or other top-tier, onproperty executive, make sure you have a bias toward talking in person or at least on the phone versus e-mail. Not only will this reduce the time your executive level managers spend e-mailing you back but you will set the tone for your hotel’s ‘e-mail culture’ and along the way foster teamwork by reducing, if not eliminating, the frequent miscommunications that occur within companies that obsess on e-mailing. By choosing how we utilize these enabling technologies, we can ensure that they are best utilized to help us improve communication-not to over-communicate.

Use e-mail to inform, notify, update and to survey. But when it comes time to negotiate, brainstorm or to work through complex problems, pick up the phone, or even better, visit in person when possible. Avoid e-mailing every thought or idea that comes into your head at any given moment. Instead, add them to running task lists or brainstorming journals that you can bring up in person at an appropriate time when they can be given due consideration. If you ﬁnd yourself e-mailing the same person more than two or three times per day, don’t! Instead, make a running list of issues/ topics to discuss with them. Then at a regular time of the day hold one direct conversation (preferably in person or at least over the phone) and knock out all of the issues of concern at once. If you work for a corporate ofﬁce or ownership group, make sure your on-site execu-

Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a ﬁxture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational seminars, and on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every segment of the lodging industry. Visit www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at: doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.

Hulhule Island Hotel Anniversary cake cutting: Mr. Mohamed Amir – Chairman, MIC (Center), Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – General Manager, (On side) and the team members

Hulhule Island Hotel Marks Seventh Anniversary Hulhule Island Hotel, located on the airport island of Hulhule in Maldives was ofﬁcially inaugurated on August 15, 2001 by His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives. Since then, the hotel has been serving the tourism industry tirelessly. They marked their seventh anniversary at a function held on August 17, 2008. Over the past seven years, the Hotel has become a key member of the travel trade in Maldives. Hulhule Island Hotel is well known for its excellent service and the hospitality offered to tourists visiting Maldives. In Hulhule Island Hotel’s pursuit of continuous improvement and to serve the

more discerning travelers even better, the following developments took place over the last couple of years: 2005 2005 2006 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

- At-site cooking counter - Gymnasium - Champs Bar - Spa - Renovated lobby - New Café for team - Corporate re-branding of HIH - New accommodation for team - New recreation room for team - Refurbishment of Faru Coffee House - Refurbishment of porch area - Soft refurbishment of all existing rooms 2008 - 51 guest rooms – Deluxe wing

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

Rooftop restaurant Uduvilaa Sunset deck Beach area Tennis court Golf putting green Landscaping with orchid nursery, herb & vegetable garden

The revised inventory for Hulhule Island Hotel is 136 rooms inclusive of various categories of rooms on offer post the expansion. The hotel has received rave reviews from the guests regarding the new facilities that have been added to the portfolio of services to make their stay more comfortable. Some of the programs conducted to mark the hotel anniversary were the annual

presentation which included the distribution of rewards and certificates to the outstanding team members, followed by the cake cutting. In addition to these, trophies were given away to the winners of the inter-house tournaments. All the rewards and certificates were distributed by Mr. Mohamed Amir – Chairman, MIC and Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – General Manager, Hulhule Island Hotel. Hulhule Island Hotel is ISO 9001:2000 certified hotel and is currently in the process of getting HACCP certification as well. Hulhule Island Hotel has also been nominated for the prestigious ‘Word Luxury Hotel Awards 2008’ scheduled to take place at Cape Town, South Africa later this year. Hulhule Island Hotel epitomizes the Maldivian spirit of exemplary service in the field of Tourism. The hotel has earned considerable laurels for its commendable personalized services and unending efforts to continue to improve on the standards. At the recently held Hotel Asia Exhibition & Culinary Challenge 2008, Hulhule Island Hotel won 19 awards and medals which was the highest, won by any Hotel / Resort. Hulhule Island Hotel also won the prestigious award for ‘Best Culinary Establishment 2008’ at Maldives. Hulhule Island Hotel received a trophy and USD 1000/- for the same. This is the second time in succession that Hulhule Island Hotel has been adjudged as the ‘Best Culinary Establishment’, the earlier being at the last Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge Competition in 2006. ‘We are proud to be adjudged as the Best Culinary Establishment yet again and we shall continue to excel further. Our team is our biggest asset’ said Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar, General Manager of Hulhule Island Hotel appreciating the sincere efforts of his team emphasizing the continuous focus on quality in operations. Hulhule Island Hotel, with the hotel expansion managed to further increase the percentage of Maldivian team members to an all time high of 59%. HIH also has a programme to recruit the Maldivian trainees imparting training to the people who do not have any experience in the field of hospitality and eventually recruiting them once they are ready.

Parfait À La Réglisse With Pistachio Crisps And Raspberry Sauce Schihab A. Adam, Executive Pastry Chef The Beach House at Manafaru Maldives

For the Parfait:

Method For Parfait:

Method For Crisp:

55 g 2 no 1 no 44 g 250 ml 1 tsp 2 tbsp

Place réglisse and cream into a small saucepan and heat gently without boiling until the réglisse is very soft. Blend the mixture in a food processor until well combined and pour through a fine sieve to strain out the tiny fragments of réglisse. Set aside to cool. In a small saucepan inside a larger saucepan of gently simmering water, make a sabayon by whisking together the eggs, yolk, glucose, sugar and Pernod until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Remove from heat and continue whisking until it cools slightly. Fold in ½ of the sabayon réglisse mixture. Once combined, fold in the remaining sabayon until well combined. Pour into flat tray to a halfinch thickness and freeze.

Whip up egg white and 65 gram sugar until ﬁrm, and then add the ground pistachios and remaining sugar. Mix together, and then fold the pistachios into beaten egg white. Pipe in round shape and bake it at 180°C until golden brown.

Réglisse stick eggs egg yolk caster sugar whipping cream (Elle & Vire) glucose Pernod

Raspberry Sauce: 100 ml 20 g 10 ml

raspberry purée (Ravi fruit) caster sugar cherry brandy

Method For Raspberry Sauce: Bring sugar and purée to a boil, stirring to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add cherry brandy. Stir well and refrigerate before use.

To Assemble: For The Pistachio Crisps: 140 g 65 g 145 g 115 g

egg white caster sugar caster sugar ground pistachios colorant liposoluble vert

Cut the parfait into two round disks and separate them with pistachio crisps on both sides and in the middle. Serve with raspberry sauce, blanched pistachios, and a sugar spiral with a touch of gold leaf.

Receiving:

Check It, Before You Accept It

The beginning of every great meal begins with the purchasing and receiving of the freshest products available. Careful selection of your suppliers is the ﬁrst step in ensuring you receive these fresh products. Question your suppliers to ensure that they have established food safety practices in place. You should only buy from suppliers who are getting their products from licensed reputable manufacturers who adhere to all applicable health regulations. Suppliers should meet the following criteria: •

• • • •

use a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system in their operations train all employees in sanitation use clean delivery trucks with proper refrigeration package foods in leak proof, protective, durable packaging should meet federal and state health standards

You should let vendors know what you expect from them by putting safety standards in your purchase speciﬁcation agreement and note any deﬁciencies for further review.

Once your establishment has set up a relationship with a supplier, be a smart customer. Always inspect deliveries. Don’t take anything for granted. Even though federal and state agencies regulate and monitor the production and transportation of food such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs dairy products, and canned goods, it is your responsibility to check the quality and safety of food that comes into your establishment. Remember that receiving is the ﬁrst step where you can control the safety and quality of the food in your restaurant. Make sure that you are prepared for your shipment. Have clean handtrucks, carts or dollies, and containers available in the receiving area. Make sure you have enough space in your storage areas prior to receiving a shipment. If possible receive only one delivery at a time. Inspect and store each delivery before accepting another one to avoid product abuse in the receiving area. If deliveries arrive at a time that is not convenient ask the supplier to come back at another time that is. Schedule shipments so they arrive at the non-peak times of the day. That way you can ensure that your crew can check to see that the food arrives in good condition. Employees assigned to receive deliveries should be trained to inspect food properly, as well as to distinguish between products that are acceptable and those that are not. They should be authorized to reject products that are not acceptable. Take sample temperatures of all refrigerated and frozen foods as well as the delivery truck. Use a clean, calibrated thermometer

to check the products. All products – especially meat, poultry, and ﬁsh – should be checked for proper color, texture, and odor. Live molluscan shellﬁsh and crustacea must be delivered alive. Eggs should be checked for freshness and be checked for cleanliness and cracked shells. Dairy products must be checked for freshness. Produce should be fresh and wholesome. Make sure delivery trucks look and smell clean and are equipped with proper storage equipment. Ensure that the refrigerated products are at the proper temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Make sure frozen foods are in air-tight, moisture-proof packaging. Broken boxes, leaky packages, or dented cans may be signs of mishandling and could be grounds for rejecting the shipment. Check packaging for signs of re-freezing, prewetness, and pest infestation. Just because a product is dry or frozen upon receipt does not mean it was not wet or had not thawed during prior handling. Label all items before storage with the delivery date or the use-by date to ensure proper food rotation. Put products away as soon as possible, especially frozen food or foods that require refrigeration. Keep the receiving area clean and well lit to discourage pests. It is your establishment’s right to refuse an unacceptable delivery. If the product does not adhere to these criteria when it arrives, you have every right to refuse the shipment. Having established procedures for inspecting products can reduce hazards before they enter your establishment.

Adapted with permission from ServSafe Essentials - Second Edition, ©2002 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. ServSafe is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. This article is reprinted with permission by Daydots 2008.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort And Spa, Maldives’

Spa Therapists Undergo Training At The Shangri-La Spa Academy A team of 10 spa therapists recently appointed by Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives are on their way to the Shangri-La Spa Academy in Manila, Philippines for a three-month training programme. Among them are Aishath Zulfishan and Hassan Shiyam, natives of Hithadhoo in Addu Atoll. The Spa Academy was established in February 2007 to meet the demands of the rapid expansion of CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La – Shangri-La’s signature spa brand. Certified spa professionals from internationally accredited spa education facilities teach the trainees under the direction of CHI training managers. In addition to practical skills, trainees learn about CHI, The Spa philosophy and the inspiration of Shangri-La’s CHI experience as well as receive instruction on how to deliver the Shangri-La style of service within a spa environment. For Aishath Zulfishan and Hassan Shiyam, this opportunity is a milestone in their careers. “This is the first time I am attending

such an extensive spa training programme. I am really looking forward to learning all I can at the academy to provide our guests with memorable spa experiences,” said Hassan Shiyam. With this latest opportunity for international exposure, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives continues to focus on the talent development of young Maldivians. While four trainees have just returned from an extensive 18-month on-the-job training programme in Dubai, the top ﬁve students of the hospitality course conducted at the beginning of this year in Addu Atoll are currently undergoing further training in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives will be the ﬁrst luxury resort in the southern Maldives, on Addu Atoll. The resort will feature 142 villas with views of the ocean or the island’s natural lush vegetation. The Maldives’ second international airport, Gan International Airport, is an eight-minute

boat ride away from the resort and Male International Airport is 70 minutes by domestic ﬂights operating around the clock. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 56 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Shangri La hotels are ﬁve-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

Press contact: Susie Lim-Kannan, Director of Communications, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, Pre-opening Ofﬁce, Singapore Tel: (65) 6213 4934, Fax: (65) 6836 4804, E-mail: susie.lim-kannan@shangri-la.com, Website: www.shangri-la.com. For digitised pictures of the group’s hotels, please go to http://www.shangri-la.com/imagelibrary

MALDIVIAN:

The Main Domestic Carrier of the Maldives has Re-branded Maldivian; the name referring to the people of the Maldives gives instant recognition and identity to the airline. The name also reflects the values of the nation.

Island Aviation Service Ltd, the main domestic carrier in the Maldives, catering for the demand of the domestic travelers since year April 2000; made the first leap towards regional operations in January 2008 by commencing daily flights to Trivandrum, India. Effective from 1st October, the airline will be operating 14 flights to Trivandrum and is gearing to commence operations for Colombo, Sri Lanka from 6th November 2008 with five frequencies a week. Beginning with only 1 Dornier-228 (16 seats) aircraft and 1 Dash8-200 (37 seats) in 2000, the airline has been expanding its operations domestically as well regionally by introducing additional frequencies, acquiring additional aircraft and now looking to commence operations to new regional routes. The airline fleet now consist of 1 Dornier-228 (16 seats), 2 Dash8-200 (37 seats), 2 Dash8300 (50 seats) aircrafts. With establishing a strong presence and identity in mind the most recent step taken is the re-branding of the airline division of Island Aviation Services Ltd as “Maldivian”. As the airline is making its way to new international destinations, it was natural to change the name of the airline to a name which reflected its origins and most importantly represented the country it belonged to. The name “Maldivian” was selected for its simplicity and effectiveness giving immediate recognition as the nation’s very own air-

line and more importantly to represent the people of the Maldives. The new name holds meaning within the domestic as well as the international sectors as its customers can fly with a truly national airline. Maldivian; the name referring to the people of the Maldives gives instant recognition and identity to the airline. The name also reflects the values of the nation. With the re-branding of the airline division behind, the airline aims to further expand and enhance operations by introducing an additional Dash8-400 (75 seats) aircraft to its fleet in 2009. According to the Managing Director of Maldivian, Mr. Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem “The Company will continue to expand with investments in additional aircrafts and new routes; and training staff for an efficient organization to customer service at its best”. In addition, the airline have invested in a new reservation software which will be available to all customers effective from 1st November which will enable its customers to make online booking and travel with e-tickets. This again a major step towards enhancing its services provided to its customers. Many may still wonder, if the company Island Aviation still exists and the answer is yes. Island Aviation is still the proud owners and operators of the airline Maldivian and with the airline division making huge strides in to the future, Island Aviation is also making

progress to expand the other key businesses that it operates. The company is the ground handling agent for all international ﬂights to Maldives at Male’ International Airport. With Maldives popularity within the international tourism arena as on the top destinations to visit increases, the busier the country’s international airport gets to welcome and receive these tourists and as the ground handling agent, it is a face of Island Aviation that one ﬁrst sees when arriving to the Maldives. Island Aviation is also the sole air cargo handling agent at Male’ International Airport. As Maldives tourism boost with numerous new resort developments, the number of good both perishable and non-perishable is also in the increase and the cargo services plays a vital role in ensuring that the needed good are handled and delivered to the customer smoothly and on time. With the parent company Island Aviation set to expand its other businesses and the airline “Maldivian” with the brand new name, and a corporate commitment to continues training for employees and service enhancements for customers as the key focus, it really is a matter of time before the airline operates to other key regional destinations in future.

A Dining Experience with a Difference!

After much anticipation and curiosity, Aïoli restaurant is ﬁnally ready to open its doors to you!

elegant atmosphere, lavish and comfortable furnishing topped up with décor set in soothing warm tones.

Aïoli is a 110 seat restaurant boasting both a diverse menu and a cozy and hip ambiance. The restaurant is the brainchild of a young and dedicated Management Team, comprising of individuals with backgrounds in food, restaurant catering, event management and marketing, coming together to offer the ultimate dining experience in Male’!

During the day, Aïoli will offer speedy yet quality service, targeting corporate clients who wish to have great food in a relaxed atmosphere without spending too much time away from work. Aïoli will offer the perfect place to drop over for lunch with colleagues, for a small business meeting or just to meet up with friends for a drink and snack during daytime. Aïoli is a place where you can have a business meeting with relaxed yet thoroughly professional service, a quiet conversation, or mark a special occasion.

Located in the rapidly expanding commercial district of Male’, adjacent to the Bank of Maldives main branch, and in the vicinity of development projects such as the new Holiday Inn, Aïoli is well placed to cater to the hustle and bustle of the business day while offering a relaxed and tranquil dining venue for the evenings. Aïoli is dedicated to offering the total ‘dining experience’, rather than merely another option on ‘going out to eat’. Featuring an excellent mix of mouthwatering cuisine,

The evenings will transform Aïoli into a softer atmosphere, with subtle lighting changing the mood, while a choice of contemporary music and theme nights will ensure that there always is a buzz and something different going on. The menu is set to be small, yet comprehensive, inspired by cuisines from different countries’ specialties that will appeal to a diverse range of clientele with a wide array of culinary tastes.

Aïoli, Lotus Goalhi, Male’ 20095, Republic of Maldives, Tel: +960 3304984, Fax: +960 3304985, Email: aioli@aioli-restaurant.com, Website: www.aioli-restaurant.com

Rather than targeting a certain segment of the market, Aïoli is stepping up to the challenge of providing the total dining out experience to everyone, including an area dedicated to couples, a diverse menu and friendly environment for families, while offering an excellent mingling spot for Male’s ‘it’ crowd. A significant sector which Aïoli will be concentrating on is the Corporate & Private Functions market, with business facilities, special menus, and catering service for functions. The first floor dining area can be closed up for functions and converted into a setting as desired by the client. Clients can now leave this aspect of their functions to the pros; the Aïoli team will take care of everything, from the table settings to the dessert! Aïoli will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now you definitely have something to look forward to!

Understanding Customer DNA:

Da Need for Attention!

Do we ever periodically walk a mile in their shoes and see things from their viewpoint? We have to become aware of what our customers are thinking. We need to determine what expectations they have of us and what they place value in so that we can best tailor our services and products to match their needs. “THINK.” I remember my Dad giving me a three-sided wood block (in the shape of a pyramid) for my bedroom desk with this word on it. He told me that if I wanted to accomplish anything, I would have to do this on a never-ending basis. I wonder now if we, as professional business people who spend so much time thinking about what is important to us, sometimes forget to think like those whom we serve, our customers. Do we ever periodically walk a mile in their shoes and see things from their viewpoint? We have to become aware of what our customers are thinking. We need to determine what expectations they have of us and what they place value in so that we can best tailor our services and products to match their needs.

One sure ﬁre way of staying in-tune to our customer’s experience is to become one of our customers from time to time. Do you have answers to the following questions?

If it’s tough for you as an insider to do business with you business, what do you think is going through the minds of your real customers, the outsiders?

•

Seek out information from your customers as to what expectations they have for you. Expectations will differ based on business type (limited service vs. full service lodging, ﬁne dining vs. fast food, etc.). But what do customers expect when they visit your establishment? Quality is determined by delivering on expectations. The greater the delivery, the greater the quality of the product or service provided. If this is so, why do we spend so little time understanding our customer’s expectations?

• • • •

How many times does the phone ring before someone answers it at your place of business? What type of business image is projected? What is the tone of the person answering the phone? What is said and how? How easy is it for you to gather the information that you seek? Can you easily compare services and products among those your business offers?

Forming a customer advisory or focus group is a sure way of gathering useful information into how your clients think and how they really feel about your operation. These groups can meet together either fact-to-face in a social gathering or for the shy, E-focus groups can be established. The key to these types of gatherings is to interact with customers who are willing to offer constructive feedback on all aspects of your business, from the quality of services and products offered, to the level of professionalism shown by associates. Customer comment cards can provide valuable post-sale feedback on your customer’s experience. Incentives should be used to insure you get feedback from your customers. Whether using comment cards, mailers, questionnaires, E-mail surveys or

making a personal phone call to follow up, be sure the customer is favored for their time and effort to respond.

•

• Analyzing statistical information (past business records, sales trends & promotions, inventories) can also give insight into the thinking and buying patterns of your customers. How do you track your sales? Do you know where your customers come from? Who exactly are your potential customers? What is your UCA (Unique Customer Advantage)? If you can become like Grissom on CSI, studying your customers DNA, you’ll solve any challenge that might come along with satisfying you customer’s needs. Consider using these phrases to turn regular customers into loyal customers:

•

“You Bet! We can ﬁx this situation to your liking.” This tells your customers that you are solution oriented. “We are sorry that you have been inconvenienced.” Shows awareness and concern for your customers. “Consider it a done deal!” Tells customers you are there for them, protecting their interests and serving their needs. “We are sincerely delighted to serve you.” Shows your business, at all levels, values their patronage. “Thank you for choosing us. You did have a choice” Shows you are indebted to your customers. “Please let us know what else we can do to make your experience a pleasurable one.” Shows your businesses availability and accountability to your customers. “Welcome back. We’ve missed seeing & serving you.” We cherish long-term relationships and relish your repeat business.

Dr. Marc Clark, CHA, is President of MDCA & Associates, a management development ﬁrm specialing in assisting hospitality organizations maximize their operational productivity and proﬁtability. Dr. Clark is a speaker at conferences and author of several management development booklets and resources. Dr. Clark can be contacted at mdclark@kih.net or by calling (270) 586-7244.

A Winner’s Attitiude

Winners don’t dwell on the past-they focus on the future because they realize that they can’t change what has already happened. However, they do know that they CAN influence what happens from that point forward.

What does it take to be successful in sales? Certainly effort, hard work and dedication is important. An excellent understanding of the sales process is also essential. But it’s more than that. The most successful people I know have a slightly different outlook than their coworkers and associates. I recently worked with a group of people who, collectively, had an extensive amount of sales experience. And, for the most part, they all boasted a pretty successful career. Even though they expressed some frustration that they didn’t close as many sales as they would like to, or that prospects didn’t always return their calls, they didn’t bitch, moan, whine or complain about it. In fact, I didn’t hear a single complaint during the entire session. After more than a decade of conducting sales training workshops and programs, I can say that this mentality is rare. It was evident that this group of people possessed a winners attitude. And I believe that this attitude contributed to their success. So, just what is a winner’s attitude? A winner’s attitude is the ability to focus on your long- term goals even though your shortterm results are not on track. This is more difﬁcult than it seems. Too many people take their eyes off their long-term goal when they experience a slow month or two and end up focusing on their lack of results. As a result, they get sidetracked and their sales continue to suffer. In the words of Earl Nightingale, “You become what you think about.” A winner’s attitude means resisting the temptation to blame the economy, competition, or current market conditions when sales are soft. Winners focus on what they can control unlike the average sales person who redirects the blame to take the heat off himself. A winner’s attitude means exploring different options and approaches to selling. The best sales people constantly hone their skills. They read books and articles. They listen to CDs or Podcasts. They take advantage of every training program they can including webinars and tele-seminars. Winners know that business gets more competitive every day and

they take action to improve their knowledge and skill. They work at incorporating new techniques into their existing style. A winner’s attitude means focusing on showing the value of your product or service. Unlike average sales people, winners don’t focus on price. They know that most buyers and customers are more concerned with solving their problems and getting a complete solution rather than getting the cheapest or lowest price. While average sales people are quick to offer a discount, winners concentrate on showing customers how their product is different than their competitors. A winner’s attitude is accepting the fact that you won’t close every sale. Winners recognize that a series of ‘no’s’ brings them that much closer to a ‘yes’. Winners may not enjoy losing a sale to a competitor but they’re not going to beat themselves up when it happens, providing, of course, they can say that they did everything in their power to capture that business. A winner’s attitude means learning from every sales interaction to improve your future results. Winners take every opportunity to learn. A sales manager once told me that he evaluated every single sale when he first took on a new territory many years earlier. This brief analysis and self-critique helped him improve his performance so he didn’t repeat his mistakes. Plus, in each subsequent sales call, he modified his approach slightly, and in a few short years, sales in his territory increased many times over. A winner’s attitude is one of optimism and enthusiasm. The most successful people I know all have a great outlook. They know that every cloud has a silver lining, and when ‘stuff’ happens, they recover quickly. They look for ways to prevent ‘stuff’ from occurring because they learn from every situation (see above point). Winners don’t dwell on the past-they focus on the future because they realize that they can’t change what has already happened. However, they do know that they CAN influence what happens from that point forward.

Winners recognize that a series of ‘no’s’ brings them that much closer to a ‘yes’. Winners may not enjoy losing a sale to a competitor but they’re not going to beat themselves up when it happens, Sales managers who possess a winner’s attitude work with their sales reps instead of chastising them for a lost sales opportunity. Winning sales managers coach their team, go on sales calls with their reps, and provide on-going training for their sales people. They also go to bat for their team and support help in every way possible. Sales managers with a winner’s attitude celebrate individual and team results and they foster a strong sense of pride within the organization. Ultimately, they lead by example and create a team of winners. What are you doing to develop a winner’s attitude?

© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses pinpoint what they need to do differently to improve their sales. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www. kelleyrobertson.com.

Lost the Fire? Time to Retire! I was flying to the United States when an In-Flight Supervisor recognized me and came over to chat. We spoke about current challenges and how quickly the airline was growing. She lamented that some older crew felt jaded and uninspired. They tend to do the minimum of work in flight, she said, shifting the burden to younger crew members. This behavior was setting a poor example and had a negative impact on the morale of new hires. She asked me, ‘What do you think we should do about them?’ Immediately I replied, ‘Tell them it’s time to quit. And if they don’t leave or shape up, fire them.’ She was shocked by my response. ‘But they have a very strong union,’ she said. ‘And they have served so many years. Doesn’t the airline owe them something for that?’

Again I shared my strong views:

Key Learning Point

‘Find them a meaningful role on the ground that harnesses their skills and experience to real advantage. If that doesn’t work, or they won’t do the work required, then ﬁre them.

When someone on your team loses his or her enthusiasm or commitment, it’s time for them to either change or go. This is especially true when that person is very senior and is looked up to as a role model by newcomers to the organization.

‘And if you can’t ﬁre them because of union, then create a “Department of Dead Wood” and park them inside until they retire. They’ll still cost the airline in payroll accounts, but at least they won’t cause so much damage. ‘As for the airline “owing them something”, hasn’t the airline been paying the crew, training and rewarding them all these years? Haven’t the airline and crew members grown up together? ‘Everyone shares good feelings for achievements and successes in the past. But shouldn’t we share responsibility, too, for building a strong and successful future?’ The supervisor was not comfortable with my answer, I could tell, but it certainly got her thinking.

When you’ve lost the ﬁre, it’s time to retire. Action Steps Share this insight with everyone on your service team. Make it part of your staff orientation program so that new team members know what to expect of the elders. Share this with your senior staff, as well. They must understand what it takes today to keep an organization going – and growing.

What about you?

Leadership: Do We Know What It Is? 4 Pointers To Start You On The Road To Becoming A Leader

A great deal of work has been done by many authors and researchers in trying to identify and deﬁne “leadership”. The vast body of research has focused on leadership traits, habits, competencies, behaviours, styles, values, skills and characteristics. Dave Ulrich (Ulrich, D et al, Results Based Leadership, Harvard Business Press, Boston, 1999) categorised much of the research into:

•

Leadership is different from and distinct to, management – it does NOT necessarily occur as part of a formal management position Leadership is contextual and therefore has to do with outputs (what the leader achieves) as much as what the leader is or does (inputs)

•

1. • • •

Who leaders are – values, motives, personal traits What leaders know – knowledge, skills and abilities What leaders do – behaviours, habits, styles and competencies

However, when one looks at the vast body of research into leadership, it is mostly concerned with: • •

the inputs of leadership and leaders, not the outputs – ie. what leaders achieve.

Our experience in designing, developing and implementing management and leadership development programs, processes and interventions over the last twenty years has led to the development of The Leadership Benchmark™ (http://www.nationallearning. com.au/index_ﬁles/LeadershipDevelopment. htm ), a 360 developmental tool for leaders and aspiring leaders. Much of the initial research emanated from focus groups of key stakeholders (participants, peers, managers, staff, customers, suppliers etc) conducted as part of these development initiatives (http:// www.nationallearning.com.au/index_files/ OnlineLeadershipandManagementDevelopment.htm) and the subsequent follow-up interviews, coaching sessions and evaluation processes and forums. In developing The Leadership Benchmark™, we have clearly delineated that:

Leadership vs Management Leading:

Almost 100 years ago, Mary Parker Follett described a manager as “one who gets things done through people”. This description is still used by management educators and scholars today, but in my opinion should be changed to: “one who gets the things done that are described by the organisation in the manager’s role or position description, through the people they have been assigned”. My contention is that, if you are a manager, then: • •

Two signiﬁcant factors have led to a great deal of the confusion around the issue of “leadership” and the deﬁnition of leadership itself. Firstly, many authors erroneously use “leadership” and “management” interchangeably as if they were the same thing. Secondly, a great deal of the research into leadership has been with people who are in formal organisational positions (e.g. supervisors, managers, senior executives) – the inference being that leadership is an integral part of the formal management role (Parry, K.W., Leadership Research: Themes, Implications, and a new Leadership Challenge, Leadership Research and Practice, Warriewood 1996).

I am indebted to my colleague Dennis Pratt (Pratt, D., Aspiring to Greatness – Above and Beyond Total Quality Management, Business & Professional Publishing, Sydney 1994) for enabling the clear distinction between leadership and management that has assisted our research in developing The Leadership Benchmark:™ . This distinction is described as:

You become a manager when you sign on for the job You only become a leader when your people say so

So, you get given the title of “manager” from the organisation and people will do things for you (either well or not so well depending on how well you manage them) because of WHAT you are not WHO you are. Only your people (your team, the people you manage) can give you the title of “leader”. In other words, the organisation gives you your “corporate” manager’s hat that lets everyone in the organisation know that you are ofﬁcially a manager. Then, your people, when they believe in you, give you your leadership badge, your badge of honour!

Leadership occurs at all levels of the organisation. The essence of leadership is concerned with creating the following conditions that encourage others to follow: • • • •

A shared understanding of the environment. A shared vision of where we are going. A shared set of organisational values. A shared feeling of power.

Managing: While the leadership function is “big picture” the management function on the other hand, has a narrower focus. Leavitt described leadership, as “path ﬁnding” while management was “path minding”. Management is situational and involves: • •

Getting things done (task focus) Through people (relationship focus).

2. Leadership is contextual and is concerned with outputs The Leadership Benchmark™ focuses purely on the following four outputs achieved in any particular organisational context by the leader:

the organisation gives you your “corporate” manager’s hat that lets everyone in the organisation know that you are officially a manager. Then, your people, when they believe in you, give you your leadership badge, your badge of honour!

While the leadership function is “big picture” the management function on the other hand, has a narrower focus. Leavitt described leadership, as “path finding” while management was “path minding”. • • • •

A shared understanding of the environment. A shared vision of where we are going. A shared set of organisational values. A shared feeling of power.

Whereas many other (quite legitimate) management 360 tools focus on the management function. Managers who aspire to be leaders therefore need more than the feedback they might get from a normal 360 managerial proﬁle. 3. If you are a manager, what does this mean for you? Anyone in the organisation can become a “leader” irrespective of their formal organisational position. Just because you have a formal title of “manager” does not mean you are a leader. So for example when a ﬁre breaks out in the building and the brand new young employee who has just completed induction training, and who instructs people to follow the evacuation procedures impeccably, shows as much leadership as the CEO who has just announced the new corporate strategy for everyone to follow. Here’s a quick test to gain some indication on your status as a leader. Once you have been in your current role for say, 9 to 12 months, ask yourself “Would my people do the things I now ask them to do even if I were not their manager?” If you can truthfully answer “Yes”, then you are well on the path to becoming a leader. I suspect, that many of you will probably answer this with a “Maybe” – try not to be concerned at this, as the road to leadership is a long one, but

a truly rewarding one. If you are concerned that it seems to be taking you “forever” to develop as a leader, keep in mind the experience of one of the greatest leaders of our time, Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years in prison waiting to show how he could lead his country! 4. How to develop yourself as a leader Our research indicates that leaders become leaders because they do four things (at least) for us: •

•

They help us understand and make sense of our environment. So for example, when things aren’t working out or are unclear for us, they are able to explain what is happening in practical terms that we can understand. They help give us a sense of direction. They are able to paint a picture of a brighter future and help us believe that we can achieve the things we want to achieve. They give us a belief in the values that are important to us. In doing so, they make us feel part of a team of people that share these values and have the same aims. They are able to make us feel powerful by allowing us the freedom to make decisions about our life, work and the future.

If you are looking to develop yourself as a leader, then I would suggest working with your team to put in place some strategies to achieve the four leadership outputs we have described here.

Bob Selden is the Managing Director of the National Learning Institute. He has been an HRD consultant for over 30 years, prior to which he was a line manager in a ﬁnancial organisation. He is an Australian currently living in Switzerland and is a part time member of faculty at the International Management Development Institute in Lausanne and the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney . You can contact Bob at http://www.nationallearning.com.au/

The Regent Maldives Scheduled Opening Date Greetings from the Regent Maldives Sales and Marketing team! The arrival of The Regent Maldives is exciting news. Located on the pristine white sands of the Thaa atoll, The Regent Maldives will set new standards in luxury accommodation. As we prepare for the launch of this 8-hectare sanctuary complete with ďŹ fty individual villas over land and water, boasting private plunge pools and stunning views across the lagoon, we would like to take this opportunity to update you on the Regent Maldives opening date. The Resort is scheduled to open in summer of 2009, based on our commitment to excellence in the design and construction of the luxury property.

While reďŹ&#x201A;ecting traditional architecture of the Maldivian setting, The Regent Maldives will feature contemporary design elements such as furnishing and fabrics sourced from around the world by acclaimed interior designers Hirsch Bedner Associates, and exotic semiopen bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers, to name a few. This is in keeping with attention to detail and uncompromising quality, which the signature Regent luxury brand is well known for. We will continue to keep you abreast of The Regent Maldives development and progress in the coming months. In the interim, please do not hesitate to contact us on any new opportunities, or should you have any further queries.

Resort images can be downloaded in different sizes from the following site: http://www.leonardo.com/regent (registration required at no cost) Thank you for your continued support of The Regent Maldives. Best regards, Kerstin Poetzsch Director of Sales The Regent Maldives

A Portrait Of

Hussain Fizar Having spent 18 months training in Shangri-La Dubai, Hussain Fizar, 22 years old, has now returned to his home town in Addu Atoll to officially join Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives as a Supervisor in Finance. After 2 months in his new position, Fizar gives us his impression.

How was your experience in Dubai? Is this your first time living outside the Maldives? The one and a half year’s stay in Dubai was an eye-opening experience for me. Since this was my first time travelling out of my country and working in a five-star hotel as a trainee in one of the busiest cities in the world, it was a big adventure for me.

In which department did you undergo your training? I was in Finance (Accounts Payable) and this training taught me a lot of things which I have not learned before such as the complexity of the accounting system of a ﬁve-star property. What did you like most about working in the hotel in Dubai? One thing which I like most about working in Shangri-La Hotel Dubai was the team work. Working outside the Maldives and with people of different nationalities whom you have never met, I thought I would feel out of place, well, at least this was my expectation before I left the Maldives. But I was wrong.

The colleagues made me feel welcomed and although people are always busy and even though they worked in different sections, they were ready to help each other. It was an important lesson for me about team work. What challenges did you encounter at work? And personally? The only challenge I encountered was the fact that I was away from home and missing my family and friends. Yes, it was difﬁcult at ﬁrst but if you set your mind to concentrate on work and the fact that you have such an exciting experience ahead, you will slowly get over it. The other thing is that you need to have an open mind and start to establish friendships with the people around you.

Did you get to work with people from different parts of the world, and from where? How was it like to work with so many different nationalities? Dubai is like a melting pot, I worked with colleagues who are Indians, Filipinos, Lebanese, Moroccans, Indonesians and locals as well. It was a very good experience to work with different nationalities; I got to understand lots of things about their countries and culture, I even picked up bits and pieces of their language. I am now more sensitive to the style of working with different cultures. What do you do in your new role at the resort? How do you apply what you have learnt in Dubai to your new assignment at your own resort? As I was trained in Finance (Accounts Payable), I am currently working in the same section in Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort

and Spa. It is quite different when you compare working in a fully operational hotel and working in a pre-opening resort. The processes are similar but the work scope and the work environment differs but I feel I am adapting quickly. In Dubai almost all the payments are being done through cheques, but here most payments are being done through either telegraphic transfer or demand drafts. This new experience back in Addu is giving additional enrichment to what I have done in Dubai. Are you happy to be back in Maldives and be able to work close to your family in Addu? Of course. I loved working in Dubai but working close to my family and in my hometown is a feeling which I can never get anywhere else in this world and this is very important to me.

What are future?

your

ambitions

for

the

Shangri-La is a good organization where I feel I can achieve my career goals. My ambition is to one day become Financial Controller of one of the properties of ShangriLa so I can contribute with the experience and knowledge I gained as a result of the company’s support. The training in Dubai was the ﬁrst step to achieve this ambitious task in my life, thanks to Shangri-La!

Tips on

Employee Retention 1.

Start at the beginning, examine your hiring practice. The first thirty days of employment are critical. Create a buddy sponsor and pay the buddy $X ($250) to guide the new employee the first month. Let the new employee choose his buddy after two weeks. Can you imagine the cooperation and help the new person will get that first week. Make sure you have a legitimate documented employee orientation program. Identify training needs throughout the organization. Create a training matrix. Allocate funds. Develop an intern program for leadership candidates that show exceptional promise. Create mentoring programs. Train your managers on coaching and mentoring. Don’t forget education. Reimburse tuition; create specific educational curriculums for specific management level employees. Create a company university program. Burn the annual appraisal forms. They are worthless. Create an obligation

base pay, beneﬁts, recognition and other non monetary rewards. Fair and consistent treatment is a must. Award and recognize with extra paid days off in conjunction with a weekend. Buy the book 1001 ways to make it fun to come to work.

for all managers to spend a minimum of thirty minutes a month discussing performance and opportunity with their direct reports. Record it on a 4 x 6 card. This will make annual performance reviews meaningful because you now have data for the entire year, twelve mini reviews. 4.

Statistics and surveys prove that the majority of employees that leave their employers do not leave due to pay. Employees want to be treated like people. They want respect and trust. Employees will not start respecting their leaders until their leaders start respecting them. They will not start trusting their leaders until their leaders start trusting them. Ask yourself how you would want your managers to treat your son or your daughter if they worked for them? Some of you have family in the business. Fairness - Employees want fairness in all their dealings. This starts with fair pay. Is it your goal as a company to pay at or above market? This includes

Accountability - Employees want to be held accountable. They want to be empowered. They want to contribute. Make sure they understand what their job really entails. What are their responsibilities. Job descriptions, if you have them, are often vague or incomplete.

Coach and employees.

Mentor

your

Do these things and you will be on your way to becoming - Employer of Choice. Your recruitment and retention problems will be minimal. Employees will excel. They will release that discretionary energy and apply it to creating competitive advantage. Training your employees will increase their drive for success. Fairness creates happy employees. Happy employees create satisﬁed customers.

www.ceostrategist.com - Sign up to receive ‘The Howl’ a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. - Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s ‘Leadership Strategist’, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a ﬁrm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more proﬁt into your business.

Hospitality Bites Hulhule Island Hotel accounces new executive appointments

Maldives Wins Best Island Award 2008 Male’, 10 September 2008; The Maldives has won the Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers Best Island Award for the year 2008. Maldives scored well in all 10 scoring criteria including the top mark for beaches. The Maldives won this milestone award from the readers’ poll by successfully competing against Greek Islands, Mauritius, Barbados and Hawaii etc. This is the third consecutive year that Maldives won this award.

Mr. Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Manager Front Ofﬁce

Pratap has joined Hulhule Island Hotel as Manager Front Ofﬁce. After completing his diploma in Hotel Management and Post Graduation in Business Administration with specialization in Sales and Marketing, Pratap started his career with Heritage Village Resort. He has worked with Trident Hilton at Agra, Marriott at New Delhi, Oberoi Group of Hotels and Intercontinental Eros at New Delhi prior to taking up this assignment.

In addition, six Maldives resorts were among the best hotels in Overseas Leisure Hotels in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean category. They are One & Only Reethi Rah, One & Only Kanuhura, Soneva Gili, Fourseasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, Cocoa Island Resort and Huvafenfushi.

The Conrad Bangkok was recognized as the best business hotel in Bangkok by the 2008 Business Traveller AsiaPaciﬁc Readers’ Poll. The awards, which recognize the best in the industry, are based on the results of an annual Business Traveller subscriber survey, conducted from May to July this year. Reader voting ensures that true industry merit is objectively assessed and recognized.

Mr. Aviram Panda Executive Housekeeper

Aviram has joined Hulhule Island Hotel as Executive Housekeeper. Aviram has done his PG Diploma in Accommodation Management and B.A (Hons) and has gained experience in the hospitality industry with Hotel Prachi in India, Oberoi Group of Hotels in India, Best Western Elite Hotel at Bahrain, Marriot Welcome Hotel at New Delhi and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, UAE prior to joining Hulhule Island Hotel.

HES Global Ltd the leading executive search firm for the hospitality industry exclusively, introduces Aukse Bright, the new Executive Director for AsiaPacific. Managing Director, Guy Teerlinck says “We are delighted to announce that Aukse Bright joins our team as Executive Director responsible for the Asia-Pacific region.” He adds “Aukse works already many years with a passion for the hospitality industry. She gained invaluable experience at several International Hotel chains over the world and at an International Recruiter competitor.”

Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, was named Best Business Hotel Brand in Asia-Pacific for the eighth consecutive year and won a total of seven awards in Business Traveller Asia-Pacific magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Poll. Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore was voted Best Business Hotel in the World, Best Business Hotel in Asia-Pacific and Best Business Hotel in Singapore. Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong; Makati Shangri-La, Manila; and Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei each won the Best Business Hotel awards in their cities. The poll was conducted among the magazine’s frequent traveller subscribers based mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. Results will be published in the October 2008 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific. Luxury resort group One&Only has partnered with Technogym to offer guests a highly personalised fitness and wellness experience on holiday and at home. Regarded worldwide as the best choice for sporting professionals and luxury home wellness, Technogym, with its expert combination of state-of-the-art equipment, nutritional advice, workout support and training guidance, has tailored each programme to respond to the individual needs of the One&Only guest. All five One&Only resorts (One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives; One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius; One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai; One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas and One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico) feature Technogym equipment. Each resort is linked through an advanced technology key system ensuring that guests can follow the same programme at whichever Technogym they visit.

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel group, has announced it will invest in and manage a new property in The Maldives, which will be the first property of Centara Hotels & Resorts outside of Thailand - but with many others to come. Scheduled to open in May 2009, Centara Grand Island Resort and Spa, located on South Ari Atoll, will deliver a unique Premium 4 star resort experience. Inner Maldives Holidays selected as Host buyer for PATA Travel Mart 2008 Inner Maldives Holidays is pleased to announce that the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has selected Inner Maldives Holidays as a Host Buyer for PATA Travel Mart 2008. PATA - a non-profit travel trade association serving government tourist offices, airlines, hotels and other travelrelated companies throughout the Pacific Asia region, and it is one of the most vital travel associations in the world. PATA Travel Mart 2008 is hosted this year in Hyderabad, India and this event is gearing up to be a spectacular show. PATA Travel Mart 2008 has received a total of 374 registered buyer delegates from 329 buyer organizations, from 57 countries. Inner Maldives Holidays Pvt Ltd., a company that was founded in the year 1998 with the dedicated objective of providing travel and tourism services to the booming tourism industry in the Maldives. In the years Inner Maldives Holidays has grown to become one of the market leaders in the industry with annual turnover of over USD$ 6 million in 2006, and presently represent over 500 global travel brands in the Maldives. It is said to be the first time a Maldivian travel company has been selected as a host buyer at a PATA Travel Mart or any trade fair. This distinguished endorsement of the Maldivian tourism industry by PATA is a nation triumph and achievement. Inner Maldives Holidays has been nominated by SriLankan Holidays, therefore, we take this opportunity to thank SriLankan Airlines and SriLankan Holidays for this opportunity and also thank PATA for making this possible.

Virtuoso, America’s leading network of high-end travel agencies, has named Amanpuri in Thailand as its 2008 Hotel of the Year at its Best of the Best Awards ceremony in Las Vegas recently. This top award recognizes a hotel that continually epitomizes excellence in the categories of design, ambiance, service, food and beverage, spa, family programs innovation and social responsibility. Amanpuri, which means “place of peace” in Sanskrit, opened in Phuket in 1988 and is Amanresorts’ first property. Nestled among coconut palms and overlooking its own beach, the resort - consisting of 40 Thaistyled pavilions and 30 private villa homes -blends Thai architecture, culture and service with exquisite natural beauty. Expressing his delight upon hearing about the Virtuoso award, Adrian Zecha - Founder and Chairman of Amanresorts - said, “We are delighted that on the 20th Anniversary of Amanpuri, we have been recognized in this way. We will continue to devote our energies to ensuring a remarkable travel experience for all our guests - living up to, and exceeding, the accolades given to us by the Virtuoso group of experts.” One of the best-known hotels in the Egyptian capital, Cairo - the Saudiowned Grand Hyatt - has reversed a controversial ban on serving alcohol. The ban, announced in May on Islamic religious grounds, had angered the Egyptian government, which depends heavily on tourism. Now the hotel has reinstated strong drink - but only in the restaurant, forty floors above street level. Source: RTHK Taj enters China hotel market. Taj International Hong Kong, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian Hotels, signed a management contract with Cuiting Hotspring Hotel Management, a subsidiary of Zhong Qi International Investment Co, to operate the Chinese company’s Temple of Heaven Park Hotel property in Beijing as well as its Hainan Hotel project. The agreement makes Indian Hotels the first Indian hospitality company to create a partnership in China. Source: Shanghai Business Review

Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort, has just been awarded the 2008 Wine Spectator Magazine “Award of Excellence” for the Turtle Bay Estate House Wine List. This honor represents the property’s fourth consecutive year in the top spot. In recognition of this award, Caneel Bay will be acknowledged in the August 31st “Restaurant Edition”, of Wine Spectator Magazine; as well as being noted on the highly viewed magazine website. “Compiling a great wine collection is an essential ingredient of sophisticated dining these days, and we’re delighted to learn that Wine Spectator has once again chosen to distinguish the wine list at Turtle Bay Estate House with its highest recognition,” said Nikolay Hotze, Managing Director of Caneel Bay. Angsana Spa, an award-winning Asian spa brand founded by the renowned Banyan Tree Spa, will greet spa enthusiasts in Portugal for the ﬁrst time. The new Angsana Spa is slated to open on the 8th August 2008 in the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, in the Algarve, a luxurious hotel which has recently been refurbished. Overlooking the spectacular Atlantic Ocean, Tivoli Marina Vilamoura is located on Portugal’s ﬁnest marina and golf resort, attracting both holidaymakers and conference delegates due to its Congress Center. Angsana Spa Tivoli Marina Vilamoura is a 25-minute drive from the local Faro Airport. Reprinted with permission by ehotelier.com

Another Day in Paradise with Compliments from Island Chief Didi at Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa, Maldives When guests at Anantara Maldives gather around the soft glow of candlelight for an evening of mystic storytelling, it is the Island Chief himself who takes them on a unique journey through the region’s rich tapestry of history and folklore. In a solemn tone Chief Didi recounts intriguing tales of legends and heroes. When the sun rises the next morning, he’s also the first one up, ensuring the beach is spotless for another day in paradise! Born in the far south on Addu Atoll near Gan, where the British military base was located and Didi worked as a young man, he set sail for the capital Male in 1976 to seek new opportunities. The journey took three days, with the passengers surviving on ‘garudhiya’ (Maldivian fish soup), rice, fish and coconuts. This was during the time when tourism started to develop in the region and Didi worked a number of different jobs, mostly laboring.

News broke of a new resort being built at the lagoon with its four islands where Anantara is now located, and in no time Didi was part of the building crew – and never left. That was 22 years ago… “Once the resort was completed, I worked my way through the ranks. First as a waiter, then as a room attendant, and all the way to Island Chief. Here in the Maldives, every island or small lagoon of islands has a chief. It’s his job to oversee daily life; to make sure everyone is happy and to solve problems. I look after the island as if it’s my own home, and do whatever it takes to ensure the welfare of its people and visitors. That’s a job I will never get bored of! I get up at dawn, and right away do a tour of the island to check that everything is okay. I enjoy working with the staff to ensure they’re also proud of their island. Chatting to guests is such a pleasure too – especially when they

return, because that means they had a really meaningful experience here the ﬁrst time around. But the highlight for me is the storytelling nights we host for guests. I share with them stories that are passed on here from one generation to the next, the way we preserve our heritage. Stories about the history of the Maldives, our seafaring ancestors, the local people… They enjoy hearing about the legends and ghosts that are such a big part of our traditions and culture. We sit under the stars in a coconut grove, enjoy snacks inspired by our indigenous food and drink fresh tropical juices. Our heritage and the Maldivian people are what make this such a special place. By taking this journey back into time with us, guests can ﬁnd out who we are, and where we come from. And that’s a place deep within our hearts…”

For all media enquiry please contact: Marion Walsh, Brand Director of Public Relations, Tel: +66 (0) 89 811 3829, Email: mwalsh@anantara.com

Customer Service:

A Fading Memory? Virtually every business and their employees know the importance of delivering great customer service. So, why is it so difﬁcult to get good service from companies today? I think there are several reasons: •

People are overworked. Shareholders of most organizations demand a higher return on their investment each year. This leads to cutbacks which creates a heavier workload for the remaining employees.

•

Entry level employees are not properly taught how to deal with customers. My daughter worked for several retailers and she seldom received any formal training on dealing with customers.

•

We forget the importance of delivering great service. In today’s fast-paced society many people think that customer service is something of the past. Yet, consumers are hungry for great service and many of them will pay extra for it.

•

It is someone else’s problem. Because of cutbacks and reductions in head count, many people think customer service is somebody else’s responsibility. But the reality is that service is everyone’s duty. Service is important for both internal and external customers.

•

We think it is the customer’s fault. When I was a frequent flyer I called to arrange for an upgrade on a flight. When I arrived at the airport, the agent could not find any record of it and “suggested” that I had not actually made the call.

•

Systems and processes make it difﬁcult to resolve the situation. Computers are great most of the time. Unfortunately, in some situations, computers restrict an employee’s ability to resolve a customer’s concern.

•

Company policies. This is pretty straightforward but it is one of most critical reasons customer service is so poor. Policies are put into place to protect the company. The larger the company, the more policies are evident. And for good reason. However, these policies often restrict employees from making good business decisions.

Some sales people and business owners seem to think that pleasing customers is an impossible task. Case in point: A good friend of mine recently moved and when the owner of the moving company dropped by to pick up his payment he asked for feedback. My friend gave his honest opinion and not all of it was positive. The owner of the moving company began to immediately justify the behavior of his personnel even though my friend had a legitimate concern. This caused me to reﬂect on similar situations I have encountered over the years. As I thought about it, I realized that most of the complaints I voiced to a company were a direct result of the way I had been treated by an individual in the organization. This made me think of an article I once read that stated that 68% of customers stop doing business with a particular company due to the attitude of an employee and/or manager. Great customer service is not something that happens naturally within in a business. It has to be developed and nurtured. It must be integrated into the business philosophy. For example, one of my policies is to respond to all voice mail and e-mail messages within twenty-four hours. It may be minor but I’ve learned that people expect a quick response to their question or concern. How can you ensure your customers receive great service all the time? I’m not sure there is one answer. I do, however, have a few suggestions:

Create policies that put the customer first instead of the business. Make it easy to do business with you. Trust them. Will you get taken advantage of? Occasionally. But the majority of people are honest which means you should run your business on the majority, rather than the minority. Lead by example. Don’t be like the owner of the moving company my friend used. Treat your customers with respect. Keep your ego in check. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Recognize that every complaint is an opportunity to improve your business. Keep your ego in check and seek ways to resolve the issue instead of defending the mistake. Train your staff. If you don’t know what good customer service is, ask your current customers. They will tell you. Then teach your team the basics. If necessary, hire a professional to help you. The investment usually outweighs the cost. Finally, treat your employees with respect and allow them to make decisions. The more difficult you make it for your team to deliver great service, the less likely they will.

Customer service is not something you do; it is the way you view and operate your business on a daily basis.

Great customer service is not something that happens naturally within in a business. It has to be developed and nurtured. It must be integrated into the business philosophy.

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com and receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.

Create and Commit to a Brand World View

Marketing has a central and powerful role to play in guiding a business to success. Beyond the creation and execution of brand communication, it holds the responsibility to be a brand evangelist, offering a brand world view that serves as context to all that a company does. In looking at the way the great companies hold their brand, I suggest embracing these principles to help you on your journey to preeminence. •

Determine a single brand personality and ‘blow it out’ across all channels and audiences

•

Move from a discount based to an experience based brand

•

Commit to a marketing world view focused on developing personal relationships to achieve company goals, rather than anonymous transactions

There are others, of course, but these three are the foundation of remarkable brandingDetermine a single brand personality and ‘blow it out’ across all channels and audiences

The crux of ‘Be Who You Are’, this principle states that whatever your brand personality is, you must ensure it appears or informs everything you do, from advertising to operations to how you pay your bills. No detail is too small to be ﬁltered through the brand prism. Consumers today are both inured to and overwhelmed by marketing messages. The only way to penetrate that wall, and that assumes you have crafted a brand personality with your guest’s help, is to communicate with ‘20-20’ precision. Every element that falls outside the brand circle, every feature that runs counter to who you really are, makes that vision fuzzier and fuzzier. And no guest will ever ‘get it’ if you aren’t in focus.

Move from a discount based to an experience based brand Many brands are lured into the addiction of discounting because of a lack of brand oxygen. Smart people succumb because of short term necessities. I know I have. Nonetheless, and make no mistake, a discounted brand is a brand on its deathbed. CREST data supports the sorry fate of the discount committed brand; less perceived value than others in the category and brand degradation, to boot.

Commit to creating an experience for the guest that is infused with the spirit and vitality of your brand. Elevate each block of the guest visit to ‘5’ sensory heaven.

What do you do? Commit to creating an experience for the guest that is infused with the spirit and vitality of your brand. Elevate each block of the guest visit to ‘5’ sensory heaven. Do a Wall to Wall walk through and evaluate exactly what you are ‘telling and selling’ the guest in every square foot of your property. Does it jive with your brand personality? Every detail counts. It includes the back of the house, as well, because it’s backstage your staff of actors get most of the blood and guts of your brand. Your operating values rule here, and the walk you really walk is revealed. Commit to a marketing world view focused on developing personal relationships to achieve company goals, rather than anonymous transactions

Farming as a business model tries the soul of many operators because it requires patience. Our culture, particularly the Boomer Generation, has been infected with a hunger for immediate gratiﬁcation that runs counter to nature and any pursuit of excellence. That appetite for ‘results now’ is exempliﬁed by the hunting model which rewards a blunderbuss shot with a meal for the night. Farming takes longer but it’s sustainable and can feed a family for a year. Personalized relationships with all the audiences with whom you interact does not suppose ‘deep friendship’ or inappropriate intimacy. It merely recognizes most guests crave personal attention, acknowledgement and a sense that they belong. The best of us understand that we are in the bread break-

ing, ‘roof over your head’, hospitality business that celebrates communion and community. Seek ways to encourage communication from your guest and your associates. Make it easy to talk to you. Become ‘Champions of Feedback’. Never let any conversation stop after the ﬁrst ‘back and forth’. Look for opportunities to continue to engage the guest. Most don’t do it because it’s hard and doesn’t necessarily offer immediate rewards. But when you surprise and delight your guest with unexpected hospitality, I guarantee you they will tell others. When you create a brand world view, you have the ability to always check any action, any thought against an enduring foundation. It will steer you in the right direction and you will reach brand nirvana.

Rick Hendrie is President & Chief Experience Ofﬁcer of Remarkable Branding, Inc. a Cambridge MA based consultancy which helps clients create and market memorable brand experiences. For a complimentary newsletter go to www.remarkablebranding.com.

More Web Site Hints, Tips, and Tricks – Unwrapped

When it comes to boosting web site sales, search engine optimization (SEO) has become the first and last choice by many web marketing companies. It seems that SEO has become the current Rx prescription for non-producing web sites. In itself, SEO can be very beneficial, but it is certainly not the cure-all that some web marketers claim. The ironic thing about search engine optimization is that it actually needs to begin with the structure of the site itself. Applying SEO to an improperly designed hotel web site is like adding high-test gas to a car that doesn’t have an engine or transmission. It’s still going nowhere. Designing a functional web site is not rocket science, but there are some fundamental design necessities to produce a marketable web site. Don’t get caught up by web designers who want to create a work of art instead of a hotel web site that sells rooms. Don’t think that a hotel site only needs to look good. Flash elements are still a bad idea and entire flash web sites, a new trend, may be great for museums and art galleries, but terrible for hotel web sites.

There are still many web designers who don’t understand the purpose of a hotel web site. In their eagerness to make an attractive site, many completely ignore the interaction between search engines and web site content; how they must compliment one another. Text content sells rooms, yet many designers treat it like an after-thought. Text is what search engines see in order to rank a web site. There are just a few key components of a well designed site; thoroughly researched and well-thought-out Meta Tags; a simple site navigation theme; well written sales text; a good link strategy; a good booking engine; use of low density photography; and knowledge of how consumers choose hotels. It’s amazing how many sites violate one or more of these essentials. Many hotel web sites today are producing upwards of 30% to 50% or more of their hotel’s total room business. Some hotels claim even higher production numbers and yet, on the other hand, there are still many hoteliers who are facing dismal production but love the ‘look’ of their sites, so they do nothing.

Many hoteliers have allowed themselves to get hung up in the technical subterfuge of measuring the effectiveness of their site by ‘hits’, ‘unique user visits’, and other technical jargon used by web designers who know little about selling rooms online. I can’t count the number of web sites, I’ve reviewed, that are completely dysfunctional from a search and/or sales stand-point, but get a descent number of ‘unique users’. The problem is they don’t book many reservations. The average hotel web site converts less than four reservations from every one hundred visitors; many even fewer. A well designed site can increase conversions by two or three times. The true measure of a well designed web site is the number of reservations it generates. A good booking engine will give you the ‘look-to-book’ ratio of your site. If it’s only average, you can do something about it. I hear from many hoteliers, who have spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars for the development of their web sites that are now very unhappy with their site’s production. They have web sites that are attractive brochures instead of sales productive web

sites. As a result, many of these hoteliers are frustrated with and disappointed in their site’s ability to generate business. The fix doesn’t have to cost a fortune and the return can be very cost effective. Take a lesson from the bright people managing franchise web sites. During the past few years, several franchises have invested time and energy to improve the ability of their sites to capture reservations. They have made their sites more user, search, and navigation friendly; reduced the number of clicks to make a reservation; improved their booking engines; and enhanced their sales message through well-written text. As a result of their efforts to improve the market ability of their web sites, many franchises have significantly increased overall production. Making your site sales worthy is the first step in marketing your web site. Ok, you’ve improved your web site, it’s now optimized to ‘sell’ reservations; and your new booking engine is integrated into your site and ready to capture and track new reservations. Now, it’s time to apply search engine optimization, right? Well, not exactly. A very effective way to prepare your site for SEO is to create a good ‘link strategy’. Search engines like Google and Yahoo place a strong emphasis on links within, to, and from your site when it is ranked. When choosing a designer, check-out their knowledge of links and how strategic links can be effectively used on your site. Populating your web site is similar to populating your hotel. Greater popularity of your site generates even more popularity. Sometimes, a temporary boost from pay-per-click sites like Google and Yahoo can give your site that added popularity needed to improve your rankings by search engines. They will work with your budget, so it doesn’t have to be open-ended. They can place your site among the first four search results. It may sound too simple, but I am surprised at the number of people who haven’t yet learned to utilize the ‘signature’ on their emails. A link to your web site along with a brief message is simple to create and can be beneficial.

Marketing your web site includes marketing on-your-web-site. If your current booking engine doesn’t accommodate the booking of packages, it’s time to change engines. People love packages; especially simple packages with popular elements. At the very least, they provide an additional choice for visitors. If your hotel accommodates group business, include a ‘request for proposal’ page on your site. If planners visit your site, give them an opportunity complete an electronic RFP to get a quick response; it’s only common-sense. Use your site to develop a data base of the users who visit. One way to accommodate this is a simple email newsletter link to which users can register. A simple award of some kind can enhance the popularity of this link. A good site designer can easily build this for your site. Use your new data base to further market your hotel. Location is still the number one criterion for choosing a hotel. Simply listing your address is not enough. What are the room night generators in your area? Descriptions of and links to these generators can multiply your chances for getting bookings. Meet with your sales and/or front office team to review the text details on your site. They know the ‘hot buttons’ which your guests share. It amazes me that so many sales and front office people have no clue as to what is on their hotel’s web site, yet they are the most guest-knowledgeable people in the hotel. Pay keen attention to what rates are offered on your site. Are they current, are they at parity with rates offered at the front desk and other channels, and are they competitive with your neighbors? Rates should never be developed in a vacuum. If your deserved position is to be number one in your market, let your rates reflect that position. This is especially important for independent hotels; your rates will define your hotel. People don’t shop rates, they shop value.

Designing a functional web site is not rocket science, but there are some fundamental design necessities to produce a marketable web site. Don’t get caught up by web designers who want to create a work of art instead of a hotel web site that sells rooms. Don’t think that a hotel site only needs to look good.

Download and print your web site, give it to peers, friends, and family and get their viewpoint. You will gain a completely different viewpoint when you see it in print. Is the text in priority order; does the text sell; is it upto-date; is it accurate? The devil is in the details; your web site deserves your attention.

Contact: Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA, Hotel Marketing Coach, www.hotelmarketingcoach.com, NeilS@hotelmarketingcoach.com

Three Steps to Welcome What a conversation! A British gentleman working in global logistics, his American entertainer wife who recently became a mother, an Australian event coordinator and me. Four different cultures – and different points of view. We talked about the service we received at retail stores, banks, restaurants, hotels and airlines around the world. We each had very different opinions about what constitutes ‘good service’. The logistics guy likes fast and efﬁcient; pleasantries are incidental. The entertainer wants time to browse before she is approached, and feels ‘hurried’ if someone comes too close, too soon. The Australian feels just the opposite. She wants attention right away or she walks right out the door. And me? I like the ‘human touch’: a smile, friendly tone of voice, a twinkle in the eye. Our differences are not surprising given our backgrounds. But what a challenge for committed service providers! Should your service be reserved and polite, or outgoing and friendly? Should you be fast and efﬁcient, or personal and attentive? Should you initiate contact and offer immediate help, or wait discreetly until you are asked?

What pleases one customer may easily disturb another. But you’ve got to do something. So what should you do? Beneath the preferences of one person and another, I found ‘Three Steps to Welcome’ that always apply: 1. Acknowledge the person 2. Make a positive gesture 3. Extend an offer to help Acknowledge the person means letting them know that you know they are there. This can be done with simple eye contact, a tip of your head or a momentary opening of your hand. Have you ever been in a store with sales staff who completely ignored you? Did you feel awkward as they talked on the phone, or invisible as they chatted with each other? Have you ever been happy to wait several minutes while a clerk helped someone else, because she acknowledged you ﬁrst with a tiny gesture, raised eyebrows or a smile? It doesn’t take much to acknowledge another person. But it does require something. One small gesture makes the difference. Make a positive gesture doesn’t mean waving your hands and shouting ‘C’mon in!’ That might be good for a carnival or a bustling

street on a busy night. But theatrics can be out of place at government offices, hospitals or jewelry stores where couples search slowly for rings. At the government service counter, a positive gesture could be simply, ‘Next, please’. In a museum or fine restaurant, a slight tilt from the waist is enough. In a retail store, the wide sweep of your hand invites shoppers to browse freely. Extend an offer to help is easy when spoken: ‘How may I help you?’ ‘Your passport, please’, ‘Good morning. My name is Ron’. In silence, two open hands mean ‘I am here to help you’. One guiding palm says ‘Come this way’, or ‘Have a seat’. Your ‘Three Steps to Welcome’ will depend on where you work, whom you serve and what reputation you wish to create. This may take fine-tuning before you get it right. When Giordano clothing stores first opened, the staff were too excited, cheering new customers and scaring timid ones right out of the store! Today, Giordano’s has refined the welcoming process to an elegant dance of body language, gestures, facial expressions and spoken words. They watch customers carefully and observe how they react. Staff know when to go slow and let new shoppers browse, and when to step forward with personal attention.

American Express went too far with their initial Platinum Card telephone service. Caller ID allowed Amex to know who was calling and answer the phone using the customer’s name. But customers were shocked to be addressed by name before they had introduced themselves. (Now Amex only uses your name after you’ve said it once yourself.) Raffles Hotel understands that too much service can become unpleasant service. A personal welcome by the chef, the manager, the hostess, every waiter and busboy will scuttle the best hospitality intentions at dinner. Raffles’ Chief Executive Officer likens their style of service to ‘a gentle breeze’, soothing you when you want it, but never blowing too hard in your face.

Key Learning Point

Action Steps

Everyone entering your place of work should receive acknowledgment, positive gestures and an appropriate offer of assistance.

Survey customers of all types: old and young, male and female, hurried and relaxed, on a budget or on a spree. Ask them how they like to be greeted. What would be ‘too much’, what would be ‘too little’? Discuss the results with your colleagues and ask their opinions, too. Decide which ‘Three Steps to Welcome’ match your company’s image and your customer base. Then set standards, practice with role-plays, train and supervise new staff. Use these three steps to make your customers feel recognized, appreciated and welcome.

“Your Hospitality Magazine is amazing.” Mohamed Naeem, Deputy General Manager, Banyan Tree Maldives

LASTWORDS

“Just a word of thanks for the great scope in your latest hospitality magazine. Am sure that over time you have received many praises in the name of the art of work – however it is awesome to have the material each time as a point of refresh references that all can relate too some how or another.” Shaun Dunhofen, Rooms Division Manager, Huvafen Fushi

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