Hotel Front Desk Clerk Escapes Killer Plate, What Do Tools And Training Have To Do With It?

The front desk team had just cleared several long check-in lines. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an enraged hotel guest beelining for the front desk.

I saw something gleaming in his hand and just at that moment that "something" took flight, spinning like a killer Frisbee in the direction of a fellow front desk clerk.

Without missing a beat, the clerk ducked and a plate crashed into the wall behind him smashing in a hundred pieces while chocolates and fruit littered the floor.

It suddenly occurred to me that this was a "return guest gift" that had been hurled. Beautiful hand crafted chocolates and artfully cut fruit presented on an antique plate, now just a mess on the floor.

We were experiencing a case of room rage and this hotel guest had just lost it.

The hotel had been acknowledging this guest for his return business; however on this day, the guest had not been checked into the same calibre of room he had stayed in on previous stays.

The "return guest gift" had been looked after that morning so the guest history in the Property Management System had been consulted. During this stay however, when room pre-assignments had been completed, someone had missed assigning the guest their expected room type.

Could this incident have been avoided by using the guest history information more effectively? Was there something lacking in the business tool (software) itself? Was there a lack of training of the individual that was in charge of room pre-assignments and return gifts?

The reality is that it very well could have been all or some of the above or perhaps this guest may have reacted as they did regardless. This type of behaviour cannot be condoned under any circumstances but serves as a dramatic example of the affect that business tools and the use or misuse of them can have on your business.

The items mentioned above apply to all business software, not just the type mentioned in this article. Ask yourself these questions to make sure you and your staff are getting the most out the software that you are using to run your business.

1. Are all the features you could take advantage of, being used to help your business process?

2. Are the right tools (software) being used to do the job?

3. Are all employees trained to use the software properly?

When you are evaluating potential Property Management Software for your business, you may find that the system you are evaluating does provide features that you require. You need to make sure the features work the way you expect them to and provide full and easy access to information that you require to complete the everyday tasks that take place at your Hotel.

The success you experience with your Property Management System also hinges on how well your staff are trained to use the software to accomplish their work and look after your guests.

Training should be on-going for new hires, with reinforcement training for existing staff.

During the evaluation process you need to be sure that the software you choose is the best fit for your hotel. You also need to confirm that the vendor offers the resources your staff will need for training during the implementation procedure and for the life of the product.

Good luck with your evaluation process!

Jeff Sefton