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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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