Hospitality Management

Customer is king. And nowhere is it as important as in the hospitality industry. This is exactly the reason why impeccable people skills are a must have for all those who seek employment in this sector. But how does one go about learning these? And what does the phrase 'soft skills' actually mean?

Broad basics

In general, soft skills are qualities and social skills which enhance job performance. According to Venkatesh Bhat, former Corporate Chef at The Leela Palace and now an hotelier-enterpreneur, "In the hospitality industry, the most important tool in customer interface is soft skills. All sectors, whether the chef or F&B must know the pulse of the guests and cannot let their confidence slip at any given time ."

Industry insights

"The moot point is to adhere to the philosophy that the guest is always right," concurs Kulmohan Singh, Principle, Welcome Group Graduate School Of Hotel Administration, Manipal, and someone who has years of experience in the front office, F&B, training and marketing in the hotel industry. Singh adds, "The important soft skills that one most possess is the ability to listen patiently to customer needs, and be calm at the same time have the analytical mind to find what needs to be done at the very moment. "

Although soft skills are an important ingredient of success in every aspect of hospitality, your skills will be put to test depending on where you are placed.

Front Office

"How you greet a guest the moment he arrives, how you help him with the initial formalities, all comprise the basic tenets of soft skills that you need to master fast," adds Singh. Other important areas that need training are communication etiquettes like how to shake hands, and a positive body language- both of which go a long way in reinforcing the fact that you giving your guest undivided attention.

Restaurant

Here, what cardinally matters is how you welcome the guest and make him feel comfortable. If the guest has visited the restaurant previously, remembering his name or his likes and dislikes are extremely crucial.

Kitchen

To the surprise of many, even presentation of food requires soft skills. As Singh says "In food production, how you garnish the salad, how you make food look and smell better also come under the purview of soft skills. "
Broadly, all employees must know how to deal with customers firmly yet tactfully at times.
"Sometimes, a guest may misbehave with a female staff member. Without obliging the guest, or making a big issue out of it, a discerning employee should be able to find a quick solution, like sending a male counterpart to look after that guest thereafter, " says Bhat.
P Shivanand, Co-Founder Accord Consultants and a reputed soft skills trainer believes, "Employees in the hospitality sector should have effective communication skills. This only means language skills, but also empathy. They must put themselves in the customer's shoes and should make every attempt to understand his/ her personality, behaviour, attitude, and a actions."

Training Tips

Most hotels train their staff in-house through their internal training divisions while some outsource the training.
"Sometimes it is necessary to get external trainers, as in-house training can limit the exposure to candidates," asserts Shivanand. There are some institutes that also send their staff to five-star hotels for a stay. "We do this for operational orientation, so that they know the latest trends in the hotel industry and bring that experience and understanding back to the classroom," maintains Singh.
"The majority of training imparted is by the in-house training centre, which falls under our human resources department. Appropriate external training is also arranged as per need, for example, specific language training, first-aid training, etc. The skills are achieved through planned pro-active training, such that all team members undergo every topic as per schedule. Some of the mandatory training programmes to help equip the team in handling situations are body language skills, listening skills , the power of positive communication, telecommunication skills, situation handling skills through role play, exceeding guest expectations and guest delight, spirit of hospitality, etc, " explains Rajneesh Sharma,Director of Human Resources, The Oberoi, Banglore.

In Conclusion

While a few years back, all you needeed to land a job in the hospitality sector was a sound technical qualification, there is no denying the fact that today with the Indian hospitality industry setting international footprints, demand for employees with the right soft skills is certainly on the high. While most hotels bank on their in-house training facilities to train their staff, hotel management institutes are taking this non-technical aspect of training very seriously. Lastly, if you intend to make a career in the hospitality sector, soft skills is something you really cannot afford to treat softly!