You should find out from the hotel owners or managers over you whether you have authority to fire and hire new staff members, if necessary.
Remember that good communication goes both ways. Encourage staff members to speak to you, and listen to what they say. Staff should report any concerns they have or problems that they see throughout the hotel. This will help you correct things before the guests notice them.
For example, if your hotel includes a restaurant, you may not personally need to assign the work schedule for waitstaff. Delegate that task to a “head waiter” or allow the waitstaff to work as a team to develop a functioning schedule. You may still need to provide some oversight, but delegation is the key to higher productivity.
Institute an incentive program for staff members with solutions to problems. Provide positive feedback whenever you can. Recognize staff members publicly for good work. Host occasional social events for your staff.
You should always provide adequate mentorship and training for new staff members. Providing opportunities for staff to learn and move up within the hotel promotes overall morale and helps you develop well-rounded employees. [6] X Research source
You may be limited by your location, but you can always do something to make your hotel attractive. If you are in the middle of a large city, you obviously cannot provide an attractive front lawn. Even so, you can bring potted plants and indoor decorative trees to your lobby to provide a fresh appearance. Small touches, like providing artwork for the guestrooms and public areas, can greatly improve the appearance of any hotel.
Encourage staff to listen to what a guest says rather than how the guest says it. A rude or demanding attitude is generally the guest’s way of expressing that something is wrong. Find the source of the problem and correct it. Remember that an apology goes a long way.
Consider what extra amenities you can provide in the rooms. For example, guests commonly expect color television. But you may be able to expand their cable or satellite access. Some hotels provide coffee makers or even microwave ovens and small refrigerators in the rooms. These can add to your guests’ comfort.
Adjust as needed. A good budget should be a fluid tool for your business. If you need to increase income, you may need to adjust prices. During slow travel periods, you might decrease rates to encourage business. During busy times, rates can go up. If finances are not a strength of yours, you may be able to find individual classes at a nearby hotel management college program.
Forecast expected income. You will need to read industry reports and follow trends in the market to plan ahead for sales. Plan your expenses. You should be able to match your needs to your expected customer flow. As the number of guests increases, your need for expendable supplies will likely increase. You will also have certain fixed expenses (utilities, salaries, maintenance) that you must manage.
If you make occasional visits to the supplier’s office, you can personalize the relationship even more. This can lead to better service. Usually, you will want to build steady relationships with suppliers, so you are not constantly making up new orders for supplies. Occasionally, however, you should study the market and see if other suppliers might work better for you. If you have a longstanding relationship with one dealer, but someone else is offering better prices, you may want to ask your first dealer to match the price. This can help you keep expenses down.
For example, if you manage a Motel 6, you should realize that you are not a luxury brand. Nevertheless, you can encourage your staff to maintain a clean, comfortable atmosphere where guests will feel welcome. If you are managing a top-level luxury hotel, you will uphold higher standards. Train your staff to meet those standards.
Regularly check heating and cooling systems in every room to be sure they are in working order. These are things that will cause guests to ask to change rooms, which can be disruptive to your scheduling.
Develop an evacuation plan for the entire hotel in case of fire or other large emergency. Post evacuation routes in individual rooms and hallways. Educate your staff of all emergency plans. Everyone should know his or her role in case of an emergency. Provide working emergency response equipment throughout your hotel. This will include smoke alarms and detectors, fire extinguishers, first aid kits and AEDs (automated external defibrillators). Educate your staff in using all safety equipment.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate. If guests have trouble making a reservation on your website, they are likely to move on to another hotel whose website is easier to use.
Create your own YouTube channel. Then, for very little cost, you can develop a brief video (think “commercial”) about your hotel and post it. [21] X Research source Maintain a Facebook page for your hotel. Keep it current. Post updated photos and news items about coming events, at your hotel or in the local area. Use ‘@’ in Twitter to link to local attractions and events.
It may be worth investing some money in hiring someone to help you with what is called SEO, Search Engine Optimization.
If one person responds about poor cleanliness, for example, that one person may have just been overly picky. But if you see many comments about cleanliness, then you should carefully examine your rooms and cleaning routines. Post responses to customer reviews. If you take action in response to a particular review, you should post a note and let people know. Even if you cannot take immediate action, you should acknowledge the customer’s dissatisfaction and express your plan to improve. [25] X Research source
