Due to social media, guest handling is extremely sensitive, as mistakes get blown out of proportion and damage reputation. Also, competition is high. So, besides holding on to our loyal patrons we have to train our team to convert walk-ins into loyal patrons.
We offer no guarantees. But yes, our client have seen positive changes; which is why some have been with us for over a decade. Of course, we can’t take all the credit. Positive results are a combination of good management, the teams attitude, the organisations policies and yes; a good training program and trainer.
If you don’t train and motivate your team, they may unintentionally damage your reputation and chase away patrons; can you risk this? Also, attrition, in general, is high. So, the risk of losing a few trained hands is real. However, training improves team work, bonding, efficiency and motivation. The increased job satisfaction obviously lowers attrition.
Yes, some sessions do have theory and would get a little boring; but then training is a serious business. However, our experienced trainers, share examples and practical solutions in a down-to-earth manner. We enliven sessions with interaction and learning tools like demos, role play, skit, games, quizzes and competitions. Participants are engaged, learn by doing and most often enjoy the sessions.
We never hire experienced trainers but prefer those from hospitality operations who have come up the hard way. We train them through our STAR (Smart Training And Research) Forum. This mix of, scientific training methodology and industry experience works well. Trainers easily connect with participants and transport the content as the examples and solutions provided are down-to-earth, practical and proven.
We would understand from you where we disappointed, improve and redeliver the session at no extra charge.
Sessions are delivered in, simple easy-to-understand, English, Hindi and 10 regional languages. Complex topics are simplified using games, demos, role play, skits… We test participant understanding and content absorption through verbal interaction, quizzes, games and simple written/ oral tests.
Based on your Training Need Analysis (TNA) we recommend a standard program which is then customised to suit your brand’s needs and expectations.
Our methodology is to initially deliver a few standardised training sessions and during this time we talk to staff and management to understand your training needs. We then address these concerns during subsequent sessions. However, if you wish we could specifically visit your property and do a TNA; this would attract an additional charge.
Training is not an expense but an investment. The Return On Investment (ROI) on training is huge… primarily it improves repeat patronage thus increasing sales. And if you don’t train your team guests complaints rise leading to increased complimentary/ discounts. And your reputation is at stake as derogatory posts may appear on social media for bad product or service.
An internal training team (or owner/ manager) should be most effective. But, staff get bored or take internal resources for granted – “Ghar ki murgi daal barabar!” At times they suspect that the internal resource has an ulterior motive or personal gain involved. However, staff welcome an ‘outsider’ as a refreshing change and listen attentively, argue openly and then implement learning. So, overall training effectiveness rises with an external resource.
During training we test/ rate participants and enter it in our TRACK Book (Training Report on Attendance, Competencies & Knowledge) and on the cloud (track.hti-india.com). TRACK gives a picture of an individual’s performance and can be used to compare with other units within your brand. TRACK could be used, by you, as a basis to reward and motivate staff.