Holidays and Hospitality

It's been some time since I last posted, I suppose I had lost some spark being in a tiny town and fighting to find some magic in the Hospitality Industry. With the hustle and the bustle of the Holidays, are you finding any magic in the hospitality industry?

Lunches with colleagues and guests brings us into the forefront of the industry but have you noticed anything has changed or has it gotten worse? Are you receiving exemplary service due to the influx of guests or are you noticing the slipping of the standards?

Sitting down at a table recently I noticed the busy location I was in was lacking in some much needed spirit. The server I was interacting with was, for a lack of a better term, bored and preoccupied. He lack of respect for me as her guest was evident but I totally always provide the benefit of the doubt and decided to be patient with her. I even extended some friendly banter to see if perhaps she would recognize her slip and come back to life. I even explained that I was in the industry of guest services and appreciated that she was extremely busy, overworked and totally understood. This apparently gave her the green light to unload on me and complain and bitch bitterly. OUCH!!  That left an extremely bad taste in my mouth and I can assure you, it will certainly take ALOT to have me return to this location.

Look, I realize that these weeks leading up to the Holidays have offered so much stress and tension. I realize that we ALL have things we need to accomplish in such a short time, I also appreciate that, unlike me....the planner, your not even REMOTELY ready for the Holidays. Keep in mind however that you are working, you do have an obligation not only to your guests but your EMPLOYER to be the very best you can be. 
I strongly believe that your attitude needs to be checked prior to walking in the door. I also strongly believe that your management team needs to be on their game more than EVER right now. Encouragement is key here. Showing your colleagues the way things SHOULD be and how things are EXPECTED to be done. Feeling like your part of a TEAM  SHOULD be taking this extremely seriously now. Stress is overwhelming for most and this time of the year, EVERYONE is facing it. Having a team leader who is supportive, fun and stress-free is really helpful whilst at work. Providing an atmosphere of calm, support and  understanding is essential. When your stressed, either working in a busy restaurant with bustling shoppers running in for a quick bite before heading back out into the race for more gift shopping, or at the front desk of the Hotel checking in coming off of an extremely long flight home.....we are all pushed beyond our limits. We have other things present in our minds.......notice I said presents?

Look- the Holidays shouldn't be all about gifts, however it seems as though nowadays, that is all anyone is interested in. This means money, the leading cause of stress in mostly every body's lives. Enter the Hospitality Industry person ( THAT'S YOU). Your suppose to be gleaming with  smiles and cool and calm as a cucumber and forget about YOU having a life. Your not allow, I'm trying to check in here. I know your snickering here but this is seriously what people are thinking. If your working with an excellent team, this shouldn't fizzle you. Your smiling, your having a great day, your making FABULOUS TIPS and your day is flying by. However, if your not in that atmosphere at work, your probably looking drawn, angry, tired and over worked and certainly underpaid. The joy of being at work, the great feeling of "WOW"ing your guests is a lifetime away.........I always look to the leaders for assistance, guidance. That is exactly what they are getting paid to do remember. Now, I don't blame them 100% but they are a major part of the problem. 




And guests, remember something- just because your in a rush, DOESN'T EVER MEAN RUDENESS SHOULD BE TOLERATED. Your human too. You have a cushy job but choosing a career in Hospitality is often out of necessity, TIPS, HOURS.........or a hundred other possible reasons so BE NICE. Take a breath. SMILE. That server has probably been working all day long too and has FEELINGS that don't need to be shaken with your hurried actions, and that tip you decided NOT to leave is certainly going to affect those gifts that they too have to buy. So, buy that coffee for the person behind you in that Starbucks line-up. It's not going to break you. Leave that extra $5 for that awesome sandwich you just had at the deli. That housekeeper that is about to clean your room wasn't going to happily wipe all that water off the floor and the towels that were strewn everywhere because you were late for your big shopping day so PICK THEM UP. Drop some change onto your table for them, they deserve it and really appreciate it.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!  Together, we can survive the Holidays  we can enjoy them with our families and friends and be reminded that tis the season to appreciate and respect our fellow man.