UNIT-3

UNDERSTANDING NATURE OF DEMAND

Introduction
Demand and supply do not always match. The supply of services by a hotel may exceed the
demand from customers in quiet times; demand from customers may exceed the ability of the
hotel to supply the required services during peak times. When supply exceeds demand, a hotel
is left with unused resources: rooms, restaurant seating and conference facilities, among other
things. When demand exceeds supply and there are no rooms or restaurant seating available
the hotel may have no other option than to turn potential customers away.
The fact that a service organisation such as a hotel cannot store its services is not problematic
but only when demand is steady and foreseeable. In reality, service organisations such as hotels
experience demand that varies significantly. This variation can take a number of forms:
Daily variation: The demand levels vary according to time of day: a hotel restaurant is busier
during meal times than during the rest of the day.
Weekly variation: A hotel located in a scenic area away from a city is busier over weekends than
during the week.
Seasonal variation: A resort hotels occupancy is higher during holidays than during out-ofseason periods.
Cyclical variation: The demand for hotel accommodation varies according to the economic
conditions in the country or region where the hotel is located.
Unpredictable variation: Demand for hotel accommodation can decrease sharply when a
terrorist attack or natural disaster occurs in proximity to the hotel.

TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAMME ON ROOM DIVISION

Lack of trained manpower is the single most limiting factor for growth of the
hospitality industry.

One of the main responsibilities of an executive housekeeper is to conduct proper ongoing

training programme for department employees. The task of conducting the training programme
may be assigned to supervisors or talented employees.
Training refers to the planned effort by a company to facilitate employees learning of job-related
competencies, which include knowledge, skills, or behaviours that are critical for successful job
performance.
The goal of training is for employees to master the knowledge, skills & behaviours emphasized in
training programs & to apply them to their day-today activities. It is conditioned by a combination
of the objective necessities in his firm, subjective and personal elements brought out by the
attitudes of managers, and his own conception of his role and personal skills he and the job
help to make each other.
It is important for hotel managements to invest in continuous training of their housekeeping staff
and also empower them to take greater initiative in providing guests with a seamless
personalised experience, which adds to customer delight. In a competitive and service-oriented
industry such as ours, it is really the intangibles which differentiate one establishment from the
other. As such, housekeeping is a core part of hotel operations, which must never be overlooked.
The main objectives of training are:
Develop competencies of employees to improve their performance.
Help people to grow within the organisation in order that as far as possible, its future Human
resources can be met from within.
Reduce the learning time for employees starting in new jobs on appointment, transfer or
promotion, and ensure that they become fully competent as quickly and economically as
possible.

Training offers following benefit to hospitality unit

Benefits to Trainee
o Prepares employees to do their jobs

o Improves self-confidence
o Improves motivation
o Improves morale
o Prepares for promotion
o Reduces tension and stress
o Provides an opportunity to succeed
Benefits to the Property
o Increases productivity
o Reduces costs
o Builds a strong employee team
o Decreases safety hazards
o Creates a better image
o Builds repeat business
o Increases referrals
o Attracts potential employees
o Decreases absenteeism
o Reduces turnover
Benefits to Guests
o Provides high-quality products
o Provides high-quality services
o Makes their visit more pleasant
o Makes them feel they are getting their moneys worth
o Provides a safer visit
TRAIN THE TRAINER
This is essential to prepare trainers who already have skills to proceed to training
implementation. This prepares them to conduct a training needs assessment, develop detailed
plans for training, develop and pilot test a training curriculum, conduct training using more
advanced training techniques, conduct training follow up and evaluate training.

Before starting a training program, a trainer analyzes his technical, interpersonal, judgmental
skills in order to deliver quality content to trainees.

The trainer need to be prepared mentally before the delivery of content. Trainer prepares
materials and activities well in advance. The trainer also set grounds before meeting with
participants by making sure that he is comfortable with course content and is flexible in his
approach.
It is critical that trainers be equipped with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to cope with the
pressures these demands will certainly bring. Knowing the trainees learning style, understanding
learning theories and the contexts within which each are most effective and evaluating training
results are all hall marks of the effective trainers.

Dos and Donts for the Trainer

The following dos and donts should ALWAYS be kept in mind by the trainer during any learning session.

DOS

Do maintain good eye contact.

Do prepare in advance.
Do involve participants.
Do use visual aids.
Do speak clearly.
Do speak loud enough.
Do encourage questions.
Do recap at the end of each session.
Do bridge one topic to the next.
Do encourage participation.
Do write clearly and boldly.
Do summarize.
Do use logical sequencing of topics.
Do use good time management.
Do K.I.S. (Keep It Simple).
Do give feedback.
Do position visuals so everyone can see them.
Do avoid distracting mannerisms and distractions in the room.
Do be aware of the participants body language.
Do keep the group focused on the task.
Do provide clear instructions.
Do check to see if your instructions are understood.

Do evaluate as you go.

Do be patient.

DONTS

Dont talk to the flip chart.

Dont block the visual aids.
Dont stand in one spotmove around the room.
Dont ignore the participants comments and feedback (verbal and non-verbal).
Dont read from the curriculum.
Dont shout at the participants.

TRAINING FOR EXECUTIVES

Training is an essential supervisory practice of the executive housekeeper. Each moment and
movement of the staff is under the watchful eye of the guest for the production of hospitality
and the hotel owner for efficiency and safety. The following are the areas for skill training: bed
making, vacuuming, dusting, window and mirror cleaning, setup awareness of the room,
bathroom cleaning, daily routine of the worker, caring for and using equipment and industrial
safety.
These major areas provide focus points where time, labor, safety, and cost savings can be
evaluated.
Training should be viewed as an objective of a goal for delivering hospitality; a plan must be
developed to carry out that objective. How can the executive housekeeper most effectively train
his or her staff?
If so, then the small financial investment in training will pay large rewards. It is important to
provide training to both new and experienced employees. Training gives new employees the
opportunity to strengthen skills brought with them, and it helps them adapt to their new
environment. Training helps employees of all levels of experience take on new responsibilities
with confidence, helping them to be more productive.

TRAINING FOR SUPERVISORS

This focuses on creating strong housekeeping teams through the hiring process to training and
integration within the department.
Supervisors and managers are taught how to motivate their staff towards efficiencies and correct
execution of standards.
It also focuses on best practices for room inspections, managing inspection report data as well as
effective coordination with the Maintenance Department.
It throws light on the best practices for scheduling and executing deep cleaning of a room; for
conducting linen inventories, leading into broader instruction of par-stocks and their calculation;
examination of standards and protocols for gratuities and their communication to housekeeping
team members.

TRAINING TO STANDARDS

Housekeepers set the standard your guests come to expect. At a national or international hotel
chain, continuity of service is required across the brand and guests know what to expect before
they arrive. Independent operators have to ensure their service offer matches or exceeds the
branded groups.
You need to be assured your housekeeping staff are maintaining your guest bedrooms to your
organisations standards. Housekeeping apprenticeships will develop skills needed to provide
an excellent standard of accommodation and facilities for guests.
Training will ensure your staff understand the correct allocation of linen, bathroom items and
cleaning materials to maximise efficiency and minimise costs.