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Hotel work is unique when compared to almost any
other industry. The non-stop work environment, the
industry’s focus upon guest service, and the
turnover rate found in most hotels, all make the
industry stand out among others as one that requires
a special type of person to fill its ranks. Some
employees thrive in the industry, living off the
excitement, continual change, and guest interaction,
while others find the organized chaos a hectic and
exhausting work environment. Therefore, if you are
thinking of choosing a degree in hospitality management
with the idea of working in the hotel business,
it is best to determine first if you are right for
the work.
Hours
The extended or odd hours required of many hotel
positions can be one of the greatest detractors
of working in the business. While some positions
have set working schedules, and almost all employees
will work a specific shift (either first, second,
or third) there are times when schedules must be
modified to meet occupancy needs. While the occupancy
of a hotel will hit the front desk, food and beverage,
and housekeeping departments the hardest, almost
all departments will somehow be affected by a full
house or low occupancy.
You see, when a hotel is sold out, it means there
are more rooms to clean for housekeeping, more questions
to answer and people to check in and out for the
front desk, and more catered events and people to
feed for the food and beverage department. Property
operations might not be able to do any major repairs
in rooms, so they will most likely be taking more
calls for clogged toilets, ill-functioning televisions,
or HVAC issues. Meanwhile, accounting will be handling
credit card issues, and preparing billing for groups,
while sales will be meeting with group contacts
to see how their stay is progressing. Some managers
might work six or seven days straight to meet the
needs of a large group or conference, and there
might be plenty of overtime for line-level employees.
Meanwhile, in a low occupancy situation, hours
might be cut and managers might take waylaid holidays
or personal days since revenue is decreased. There
is no reason to have a bunch of employees hanging
around with nothing to do. Management positions
will likely still have work to do (possibly filling
gaps of those employees who are at home) but they
might not be working at the same gung-ho level as
during a sold out week.
Therefore, work in the hotel business ebbs and
flows with the tides of occupancy. Certain times
of year will often determine how busy a hotel is.
Occupancy might also be determined by the location
of the hotel (urban, suburban, rural), certain group
schedules or conferences, as well as the rates or
specials the hotel offers. Urban locations can be
hit especially hard when big conferences are in
town or certain citywide events are taking place.
Just because you are in management at those times,
don’t expect to be working a 40-hour workweek.
You might even see the general manager working over
a particularly busy or important weekend.
Guest service
So now that you’ve been informed about the
hours of many hotel jobs, it’s time to issue
fair warning regarding guests to those who are considering
entering the hotel business. Hotel guests can be
your best friend or your worst enemy. How you view
guests, and how they view you, is largely determined
by your attitude, although you must have some kind
of people skills to succeed within the hotel business,
otherwise you’ll find your work exhaustive
and unrewarding.
Many larger hotels and hotel chains live and die
by the guest service score sword. Therefore, whether
you enjoy dealing with particularly annoying or
overbearing guests or not, it is your job to do
all you can to satisfy their needs. The success
of the hotel, its employees, and many times the
ownership, will hang in the balance of guests leaving
with a good impression of the hotel and the service
they received. Much of the time, a large portion
of management and employee bonuses are based upon
the scores the hotel receives from these guests,
so be sure the general manager will constantly be
emphasizing guest service. If being friendly, problem
solving, and listening to complaints aren’t
your particular strong points then hotel work might
not be the right career choice.
Career advancement/turnover
Depending on your outlook and position, career advancement
within the hotel industry can be a blessing or a
real problem. For those new to the business and
looking to make their way into hotel management,
the high rate of turnover within hotels can lead
to a variety of opportunities for quick and easy
advancement. The reason turnover in the business
is typically high is due to ease of transferring
between chain or brand hotels, and unfortunately,
the often competitive salaries of other industries.
While this can be a wonderful advantage for the
career minded opportunist, it can be a killer as
a department head or manager. Trying continuously
to keep the ranks filled with talented individuals
can seem like a never-ending process. If you reach
the level of department head or better within a
hotel, it is important to ensure you let your top
performers know they are appreciate and reward them
for their hard work.
If this sounds interesting, find out more about
how you can get a hospitality degree online. Check
out the Hospitality
Schools directory today!
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