Be A Best Hotelier - Part 1.

Be A Best Hotelier.

SIX PRINCIPLES OF HOSPITALITY

Smile & Great Every Guest.

Speak To The Guest In A Warm, Friendly & Courteous Manner.

Display Genuine Enthusiastic Interest In The Guest, Pay Complete Attention.

Anticipate Guest Needs & Be Flexible In Responding To Them.

Be Knowledgeable About Your Job.

Learn To Take Ownership Of Guest Problem & Resolve Them.

Cell Phone Etiquette

We all have been annoyed, disturbed or irritated with them. You know? Those crazy cell phone users who trounce around talking into their cell phone thinking that the world is their private conference room. Whether it be at a restaurant, movie theatre, or in a library, no place is safe from their babbling. If there is a cell phone signal you can expect to find them. The frightening thing is that most don't even realize how annoying they actually are. Thus, this article will cover some basic cell phone etiquette that every cell phone user should know.

Talk At A Normal Tone
Many cell phone users think that it is some how better to shout into a cell phone. Apparently they perceive higher voice levels with a better cell phone signal strength. Rather than shouting, when you can't hear the other person, why not go outside or in a area with a better signal strength?

Choose The Vibrate Mode Over Ringer
I can not see any situation, apart from broadcasting your latest downloaded ring tone, that would compel you to choose the ringer over the vibration mode. The vibration mode does the same thing that the ringer was originally intended for, it alerts you when you have an incoming call, however unlike the ringer this mode is less annoying.

Remove The Earpiece
Another annoyance is the number of cell phone users who insist on talking with you while having their ear piece on. You are consistently being placed on hold in mid conservation only to hear the ramblings of another semi-private conversation. If you have to take the call, at the very least notify the other party, that way there is no awkwardness. There is nothing worse than trying not to make eye contact with someone across from you who is not talking to you.

Avoid Talking With Someone When On The Cell
Avoid talking on the cell phone when you know you are going to be talking with someone, such as at a restaurant. Nodding and hand signaling to the waiter while on the phone is extremely rude, it suggests that you are too busy to even be bothered with acknowledging their the presence. In doing so you open yourself to retaliation...food poisoning?

Text Message More
If you have to communicate with another person while at a public area, than try to use one of the many instant messaging clients available on today's cell phones. Not only is text messaging less rude, it saves all off us from hearing your conversation, it is also very efficient. You are more inclined to get straight to the point via text messaging than talking.

Use Voice Mail Feature More
There is nothing wrong in turning off a cell phone or missing a call. If a call is really important then the caller is more inclined to leave back a voice message. Many sensible people understand that not all people can be reached 24/7, after all you are not a receptionist or customer service rep.

Turn Over

Dear Friends,

Employee Turn over is a major issue for providing consistency in service. How we can calculate the turn over ratio and how can we minimize this. Appreciated your inputs and formats.

Mystery Shopping

Dear Friends, Currently i am planning to start Mystery Shopping for my hotel, appreciated if any one have any information about this topic so that i can have a solid grounds for the success of this project. Once i will compile this i will also upload the document for all.

Dealing with New Boss

When you start at a new job you need to know that your new boss is going to have the most impact on your professional career at that organization than anyone else. Whether you succeed or fail is totally dependent on your new boss as he can help you grow or inhibit your growth by making it impossible for you to work. Your boss is the one person who is evaluating you from day one by establishing goals and benchmarks for your successful performance; he evaluates your actions and methods of dealing with other key players, and manages and controls all the resources that you need. Getting off on the wrong foot with your new boss can create a lot of difficulties at your new job and often you might find it difficult to continue in the job if your boss does not like you.

The key to maintaining a successful relationship with the boss is to build upon a productive working relationship. This will make it easier for you to perform the tasks that have been assigned to you without having to face problems from your boss.

Dealing With Your New Boss:

Dealing with your new boss can be easy or difficult depending on how you begin your tenure at a company and how apt you are at dealing with the problems at hand. Here are some of the suggestions which can help you in dealing with your new boss effectively on a long term basis.

Discuss Your Mutual Expectations:

You need to be able to clarify your mutual expectations early into the new job. You need to begin working on the expectations of your boss right away. Ask your boss on the very first day what he expects from you and make clear what you expect from the job as well. If you feel like your boss has some unrealistic expectations from you, do not panic. It is better to assess the situation first and then go to the boss with statistics. You can then tell him why his expectation is unrealistic and what can be done to make the situation better. It is better to tell the boss that the deadline is unrealistic and a certain project cannot be completed within the given time beforehand rather than trying to meet the deadline unsuccessfully and then providing explanations as to why you were unable to complete the task.

Get Commitment From the Boss:

Since you are expected to perform well during the entire probation period, you must get all the resources necessary for completing the tasks that have been assigned to you. Do not feel shy or be hesitant to ask for something which is needed to perform the job effectively and the absence of which can delay the project deadline.

Plan for Instant Success:

When you start at a new job, your boss is expecting to see some quick successes and your ability to make the deadlines and finish projects without any delays will be judged based on your performance in the first weeks on the job. Make sure that you find out which of the tasks assigned to you are top priority and work on finishing those within the given time period so that you have some success to show for yourself if your boss evaluates you.

Establish a System:

For dealing effectively with a new boss, the most important thing is to establish a working relationship with the boss, which means that you need to have a proper system for interacting and communicating with him. The most essential step is to figure out how you and your boss will be working together in the future and make sure that the system suits both your and the boss’s requirements.

Keep the Communication Door Open:

If there is miscommunication or rather lack of direct communication between you and the boss, there can be misunderstandings which will inadvertently complicate your relationship. So whenever you have an issue or a problem, rather than discussing it with your co workers and colleagues, it is better to talk to the boss or even send an email and make sure that your are clear on your point of view so that there is no room for misunderstandings.

Think like the Boss:

When you are dealing with a new boss, it is best to imagine yourself in his shoes. If you are used to having people work for you, you can understand what you expect from them which in turn can give you an insight as to what you boss expects from you. Being an understanding and insightful employee will help you in developing a productive working relationship which will reflect positively on your career as well.

What to Avoid When Dealing With the New Boss:

There are some common mistakes we all make from time to time which often create a bad impression on the new boss and are hard to undo. Avoid making some of these common mistakes which can lead to a lot of problems with the boss:

Unwillingness to Learn:

Many people feel that they are totally qualified which is why they got the job and hence are not too keen on learning on the new job. This is one of the biggest mistakes as the learning process on job keeps going on for as long as you are in the industry and thinking that you have learnt all there is to any specific job is a folly that gets you negative attention from the boss.

Trying Too Hard:

Taking up too much work in the initial few days just to impress the boss and create a good impression often has the opposite effect. Taking up too much work will lead to missing important deadlines and making careless mistakes which in turn creates a bad impression on the boss.

Gossiping With the Coworkers:

One of the most important things to avoid when you are at work whether at a new job or an old one is gossiping with your coworkers, about the boss or other coworkers. A gossip monger is not appreciated by any boss and if you get a reputation for gossiping, your boss and colleagues will stop trusting you and soon enough you will feel alienated at the work place.

Staying Focused at your work

When we arrive at our work station in the morning, there are many things which distract us from performing the tasks at hand. We often start checking emails, visiting social networking site etc and end up wasting a lot of time. Distractions and lack of focus contribute towards lower performance level and the quality of work also goes down.
Many employees are not even aware of the fact that they often waste hours in chatting with coworkers, checking emails and news websites, sending messages on the phone, arranging folders in the computer etc. All these distractions reduce the efficiency of the employee as he or she ends up working to a maximum of 5 hours whereas they stay at work for at least 8 hours or more.
If you are serious about your career and wish to achieve a high level of success at each and every job you have, it is important to know how to avoid distractions to increase your output and perform at your level best. By following some of the golden rules mentioned below, you can make sure that you give your best performance at work and climb the success ladder without any distractions.
Plan Your Each Day:
In order to be successful at working continuously without any distractions, you need to have a plan in place to make sure that all the tasks within each day go smoothly. The best way to do this is to create a list of all the tasks you have to complete the next day, before you leave work. This way you will have a task list on your desk when you arrive at work and can get to the assignments at hand without any delay.
Prioritize:
When you are creating a list of tasks that need to be finished within a given time frame, make sure that you do it in the order of priority so that you can get the tasks done without having to choose the one with higher priority from a random task list.
Allocate Time Slots:
It is best to allocate time slots to given assignments so that you do not end up spending a lot of time on the same task. If you are unable to complete a task within a given time period, leave it and go to the next time which has been listed in the given time slot. You can come back to the left over assignments at the end of the day.
Put Your Phone on Silent:
One of the most distracting things can be the use of mobile phones when at work. You can often get engrossed in reading and relying to text messages and taking personal calls. It is best to put your phone on silent mode so that you do not get distracted with unnecessary messages and calls. You can always check your messages at the end of the day and call back to the people whose calls you missed.
Apply Email Filters:
It is very important to apply all the necessary filters to make sure that you get only the important email in your inbox. Employees often waste a lot of precious time sifting through the email and deleting junk messages. There are many options available which can help you in making sure that you get the email you want to see in your inbox and the rest is filtered out to different folders under specific labels.
Get Your Desk Organized:
Having a messy desk means you cannot find the important documents when you need them and have to waste a lot of time in the process. You can easily get distracted if you start studying some other document which has been on your desk for a long time and you forgot about it. This can throw you off the schedule completely and hence reduce your efficiency level to a great extent.
Take Short Breaks:
It is an acknowledged fact that no one can work for 8 hours straight and needs to take regular breaks. If you schedule 2 to 4 short breaks of 5 to 10 minutes each day and walk away from your desk, it can boost your productivity level to a great extent.
Blocking Out the Noise:
Noise can be very distracting for an employee and often the offices are not as quiet as you would have expected. Since it is not possible to ask all your colleagues to keep their volumes down, the best way is to put on a par of headphone. You do not have to listen to any kind of music as that might be quite distracting as well but putting on headphones with no music on can also block out much of the noise.
Sign Off Messenger:
Staying signed in with any kind of messaging service such as the MSN messenger or IM can be very distracting for your work.  If you have to remain signed in as part of your official network, set your IM status to busy to make sure that you are not disturbed by any of your colleagues or coworkers.
Stay Away from Social Networking Websites:
One of the most common reasons why people waste time at work is that they start interacting at popular social networking websites. You might only be signing in for a minute or two but you can get addicted to using the websites for hours which affects your productivity negatively. So when you are at work it is important to make sure that you do not sin in at any social networking website. These activities should be restricted for free time at home only.
Conclusion:
It is very easy to get distracted at work and the over all productivity of each person suffers a lot owing to these distractions. You can make sure that there are no distractions at work by following the useful tips that have been mentioned in the article and increase your productivity to a great level.

Advice to a Hotel Professional

 1.       The real keys to success are not smarts or qualifications or belonging to a brand-name firm. Rather, success is derived from courage, drive, energy, passion, ambition, enthusiasm, excitement, initiative, discipline, a dream and enough self-confidence to keep trying.

2.      Some people are blessed in being able to find contentment, while some are cursed to pursue happiness. But which do you want? Buddhists believe that all life is suffering, and suffering comes from wanting things (desire). Their solution is to learn to stop wanting. My version is that if you truly can’t get something then you’re wise to stop wanting it. (It’s a pretty good defense mechanism anyway.) But you’ve got to want something—bad—or you’ll never accomplish anything.

3.      What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Stupid question. You’ll be a different person five years from now. Decide what you want to do with the next three years. Throw yourself into it. If it turns out that it’s not for you, you’ll move on. Most careers that look like a logical progression were, in fact, a series of unplanned, opportunistic choices.

4.      Don’t get depressed. It’s amazing how many times you can mess up in life and still succeed. George Washington barely won a battle in the Revolutionary War. He triumphed by not losing—just staying in the game ensured victory.

5.      Forgive yourself your weaknesses, but not completely. Don’t expect perfection today, and not even next year: but make a binding commitment to improve. Apply the same principle to others.

6.       If it can be delegated, it must be. Never work on something that someone less experienced than you can do—your career will be on hold and you’ll become more and more obsolete with each passing day.

7.      Be an individual, not a member of a class or subset. Step up to the plate, and don’t sit around bemoaning the disadvantages that your group (class, gender, race, religion) labors under, valid as they might be. No one owes you anything. It’s too easy (and useless) to blame others (parents, spouse, boss, co-workers). Take responsibility. When the system oppresses you, you have three choices: give up, fight the system or get to work regardless. I can’t say which choice is morally correct, but I do know which choice moves you forward.

8.      Logic and rationality will only take you so far; the most important thing you can learn is how to interact with other people. Everything you’ll want in professional life (and outside it) will come from another person: a client, a colleague, a superior or a subordinate. Do you know how to get other people to (willingly) give you what you want? As a good first approximation, think of others as being like you, not as “them.” If you want to influence someone, ask yourself, “Would that approach work on me?”

9.      What qualities do you try to show in a romantic relationship? Are you understanding, nurturing, sympathetic, supportive, considerate and kind? Apply the same to everyone you deal with and you’ll get more of what you want from them.

10. When searching for a romantic partner, looks are nice, brains are nice and money is nice, but character is essential. Ultimately, the same is true in all business relationships: character is the most important thing you should look for in a partner, an employee, a client, a boss or a supplier.

11.  When dealing with clients, subordinates or anyone else, remember that people are motivated more by meaning than by money. Help them find the drama, the excitement in what they do (or what you want them to do). And never lose sight of the meaning in what you’re doing.

12.  People may forgive you for a mistake you’ve made, but they don’t forget. The worst thing is to ignore it and move on. Repair fences when you can. You’ll be working a long time to re-earn lost trust and confidence.

13.  It’s never too soon to start getting good at business development. Practice your client relationship skills on every job you do. The better you are at business development, the more choice you’ll have for saying, “Sorry, I’m too busy,” to people you don’t want to work for.

14.  Broken promises are remembered more than kept promises. Do what you say you are going to do. It’s better to have the guts to say up front, “I’m not sure I can get that done on time,” than to accept a task that you can’t deliver on.

15.   The worst thing you can do if you want to get somebody to listen to you is to criticize him or her. As human beings, when attacked we attack back. And we attack back even when we are in the wrong. Many of us fall into the trap of thinking, “I know I’m right, so I’m going to tell the others how wrong they are!” It’s tempting, but it doesn’t work. The goal is not to be right; the goal is to get what you want.

The Real Reason that one in five employees resign

According to
independent research conducted by an external exit interview organisation, the
real reason that one in five employees resign is because of their manager.

Perhaps one of the main benefits of having an external organisation interview
outgoing staff is that employees are more likely to give truly honest answers
to an impartial third party. Collecting the information from these genuine
answers can allow employers to more precisely identify the main areas that are
driving the turnover of staff in their business. Once this information is
correctly identified employers can better allocate their resources in an
attempt to address these issues and consequently reduce their staff turnover
rates.

In most cases, it can be found that staff members who are internally
interviewed on their reasons for leaving generally give what are considered the
commonly 'acceptable' responses. It is thought that this is because they are
concerned about how their comments and feedback will be received by their
employer and do not necessarily want to destroy any relationships that have
been established during the course of their employment.

In internally conducted interviews the most common, and 'acceptable', reasons
that are given include moving to a more senior position elsewhere, heading
overseas or family circumstances.

With national staff turnover currently at a rate of 18%, Australian businesses
are losing $100 billion annually on lost productivity, training and
recruitment.

Most employers underestimate the amount of control that they have over their
individual business' staff turnover rates. According to the statistics, almost
half of all staff members that leave their jobs say that they could have been
convinced to stay. Interestingly, in two thirds of cases employers have made no
attempt to change their minds. This one simple action could potentially save
business owners 66% of their employees, as well as countless amounts of money,
time, productivity and unnecessary stress.

A large number of employers readily assume that the main reason their staff
move on is the lure of larger salaries. It would seem that this is not the
case, with only 14% of employees stating pay rates as a major influencing
factor on their decision to leave.

It has been found that the most commons reasons that employees leave their jobs
are:

* Little or no opportunity for career advancement

* A lack of interest in the actual day to day work that is required

* The current job role does not challenge the individual

* Poor leadership and management relationships

* The desire to pursue a new/different career

Managers play such an instrumental role in shaping each employee's career and
furthering their skills base. Because of this, and in light of the relatively
high national staff turnover rate, it is extremely important for staff
retention purposes that managers are constantly, and correctly, addressing the
above areas for each individual staff member.

Some Email Etiquettes when making a complaint to Service Providers

• Be polite when you send the email complaint. Use an appropriate word to discribe your problem. For example, use "unsolicited email" or "unwanted email".
• They are not spammer. Remember the email you send is to those who handle abuse activity. They are not the one who abused you.
• Do undestand especially if you don't get any reply from the domain. It does not mean they have not handle your case. Maybe they are overwhelmed with complaints.
• Remember, your ISP (upon receiving complaints) has to communicate with other Service Providers/Network Administrators to settle your problem. So it may take sometime to get the reply. Some Service Providers/Network Administrators are a bit reluctant to handle spamming activity.
• Say "Thank you" whenever you get the response. Although the response does not specifically mention that they have handled your problem. However, it really depends on you to send the note or otherwise. But of course an appreciation to their effort may just make their day.

Dining Etiquette

In today’s inter-reliant, international and culturally diverse world economy, cross-cultural differences can have an impact on business success. Both at an individual and organizational level understanding the values, etiquette and protocol of different cultures can positively influence your dealings in the worldwide marketplace
A lack of cross cultural awareness can result in misinterpretations which may cause offense. Such outcomes may end in your reputation being tarnished and your business objectives impacted. Cross cultural understanding and appreciation of foreign etiquette is important for today’s globe trotting business person to avoid such negative repercussions.
One area of importance in cross cultural awareness is the different dining etiquettes of the world. Understanding dining etiquette can help international business people polish their conduct and behaviour while dining or entertaining.

Cross cultural dining etiquette involves considering the following points:

• Seating – is there a protocol as to who sits where? Should one wait to be seated? Is it acceptable etiquette for men/women to sit next to one another? • Eating - what utensils, if any, are used? Is it a knife and fork, hands or chopsticks? Is there any etiquette around using them? • Body language – how should one sit? Is it bad etiquette to rest elbows on the table? If seated on the floor what is the correct position? • Conversation – is the meal the proper place to engage in conversation? If so, is discussing business appropriate? • The food – what foods are common to eat? Is it good etiquette to compliment the cook and how? Does one finish everything on the plate? Is it polite to ask for more. • Home/restaurant - what differences in etiquette or protocol would there be? Does one take a gift to the home? Who pays the bill at a restaurant?

By way of outlining some of the cross cultural differences in dining etiquette across the world, the following countries shall be used as examples:



Dining Etiquette in Germany

• It is good etiquette to remain standing until shown where to sit. • Table manners are continental – fork in left hand and knife in right. • Do not begin eating until the host signals to do so. • It is bad etiquette to rest elbows on the table. • Try and cut food with the fork as it compliments the cook by showing it is tender. • Everything should be eaten on the plate. • Indicate you have finished by lying the fork and knife parallel across the right hand side of the plate.

Dining Etiquette in Japan:

• An honoured guest sits at the centre of the table furthest from the door and begins eating first. • Learn to use chopsticks – never point them, never pierce food with them, rest them on the chopstick rest when breaking for drink or chat. • It is good etiquette to try a bit of everything. • Conversation is subdued.

Dining Etiquette in Turkey:

• Meals are a social affair. Conversations are animate and loud. • The head of the family or honoured guest is served first. • It is good etiquette to insist the most senior is served first instead of you. • Asking for more food is a compliment. • If taken to a restaurant, Turkish dining etiquette has strict rules that the one who extended the invitation must pay.

Dining Etiquette in the USA:

• The fork is held in the right hand and is used for eating. • To use the knife, the fork is switched to the left hand. To continue eating, the fork is switched back to the right hand. • If you are more comfortable eating in the Continental manner it will not offend anyone. • Foods or drinks can be refused without causing offense. • Many foods are eaten by hand.

Dining Etiquette in the Middle East:

• Guests are honoured with prime choice of meats – head, eyes, etc. • Eaten with right hand only. • Meat is torn by holding down the piece against the dish and ripping off a desired amount with forefinger and thumb pressed together • Rice is scooped up. • Do not be afraid of making a mess. • If you are finished leave food on your plate otherwise it will be filled immediately. • It is proper etiquette to compliment the host on the food and his hospitality.

The above are a very small number of examples of cross cultural differences in dining etiquette. It is prudent to try and ascertain some facts about the dining etiquette of any country you plan to visit on business. By doing so you present yourself to the best of your ability and maximise the potential of your business trip.

Table Accessories

An Accessory may be a thing of secondary or subordinate importance but one cannot deny that they add to the beauty, convenience and effectiveness of whatever they are accessorizing.

Tables

The dining table is definitely one of the most important piece of furniture in any home. For it is over this piece that the family gathers two to three times a day, to share not only their meals but also their thoughts and deeds. Therefore it is very necessary that a lot of thought goes into choosing the table that would suit your purpose.

While choosing a dining table one has to take into consideration a few points. Like for example design is important but not at the cost of basics. All tables should have a height of 30 inches and correspondingly the chairs should have a height of 18 inches whereas for kids an extra cushion can be added.

For a table for two to four persons, the convenient size is 3 feet square (minimum 2.5 feet square is required), or 4 by 2 feet rectangle or 3 feet diameter if it's a round table. For more than four people, you have to choose between a rectangle or round table with the size increasing correspondingly to the number of persons you want to accommodate on one table. Availability of space is however the prime aspect. The material and design come next, which has to complement the rest of the décor. Wood is still the most preferred choice. Allow good leg space and facility for chairs to be pushed in when not in use. Chairs should be sturdy and designed to support the right posture for sitting. A water- proof tabletop is the most ideal.

Side Table

A side table should ideally, compliment all dining tables. It not only has a utility value but can also add to the aesthetics and make the room look full. It can be utilized to keep crockery, cutlery, glassware, jugs, mats, ice buckets, napkins, coasters, candle stands, cruet sets, flower vases, menu stands, other decorative pieces, trays etc. If space provides one can also keep preservatives like pickles, sauces etc. It definitely increases the efficiency of service. Make it a point however to ensure that after the meal all things come back to the side table properly washed, wiped and stacked in its original place.

The worktop of the side table should be at 34 inches from the ground. You can have the display cabinet designed upto a height of 72 inches above the worktop, fitted at the back of the side table. Width of the side table should be 18-24 inches. Upto the worktop, the side table can have cupboards with shelves and drawers to keep various things. They should be lined with sound absorbing cloth. You can also keep an electric heating plate on top, which can keep a few dishes warm while they wait their turn to be served. With the side table at your service you can empty your dining table and double its use for study etc.

Table Manners

To the Manners Born

The word Manners is defined in dictionary as social conduct as per the rules prevalent in the society that one lives in. And if one aspires to attain any degree of social standing it is absolutely necessary to conform to these rules. There are Manners set for every aspect of social existence among which Table Manners play an important part in making a favourable impression. They are visible signals of our behaviour and upbringing and therefore essential to professional as well as personal success.



How to Behave at the Dining Table

Posture: Sit up straight at the table, never lean backward, nor forward and also never let the elbows touch the table. This makes a good impression. When you are not eating, keep your hands on your lap or rest on the table.
"Please" and "Thank you" are basic manners at the table: Say "Please" when asking people to pass you something and "Thank you" when you receive something.
The best way to use a napkin: The napkin should be placed on the lap to catch crumbs or drips while eating food and should be kept back on the table neatly, after the meal is finished.
Food is passed at a family meal by the head of the family or the host/hostess: It is often passed in a counterclockwise movement around the table.
Wait for others to start eating. In many homes they say a prayer first.
It is best to order foods that can be eaten with a knife and a fork. Finger foods can be messy and are best left for informal dining.
The only way to eat is slowly and quietly. Chew small bites of food and swallow with the mouth closed.
Smoking should not be done while dining out.
One should avoid touching nose, teeth and combing hair while dinning.
The table and tablecloth should be kept clean. Do not put bones or any other morsels on the table.
Avoid spitting anything out. If there is something in the mouth, which can't be swallowed, quietly put it in a paper napkin and then continue. (e.g. bones, seeds, etc.)
End the meal properly. When a person has finished eating, the fork and the knife are placed diagonally crossed across the plate, this is the best way to inform the server that you have finished eating.
When you have finished eating, express appreciation for the meal. You can perhaps say "What a delicious meal! Thank you so much." And then wait for all to be finished before leaving the table.
Some Important Table Manners

To handle some of the unfortunate and embarrassing moments while eating food, following are some tips:

1 If some beverage or food is spilled on some guest while eating: The best way is to handle the situation with a calm and quiet frame of mind. Apologise first and then using the cloth napkin and water wipe it gently or else gently guide the guest to the washroom.
2 When a bug appears: If a bug or anything of that sort appears in your salad etc. quietly send it back but do not point it out because it might ruin the entire dinner for the rest of the people.
3 To remove a distasteful food item from the mouth: The food should be removed in the napkin discreetly and the food morsel should be kept out of view from others.
4 If a piece of silverware falls onto the floor: It should be picked up if one can reach it and the server should be told to replenish it with a clean one.
Some food items can be eaten with fingers: Some food tastes better when eaten with fingers. So you can eat with your fingers provided you use just the first two segments of the thumb, the index and middle fingers to pop the food into the mouth. Avoid licking fingers after finishing the food. Food should be always eaten with right hand.

Table Setting

Buffet Set Up and Services

buffet meal is the most convenient way to serve a group of people at informal gatherings. It is usually set up on a large dining table on which food is laid out in a particular order to make it more navigable and attractive. It should be bright, inviting and in sufficient quantities with the marvelous aromas wafting across. All buffets whether they are cozy, noisy or sophisticated should contain an element of joy and merriment.

In this type of setups, the plates should be stacked at the end of the table from where the service is going to begin. The entire cutlery, along with other crockery, should be placed next to the plates. The food placed on the buffet table should follow the order of the courses of the menu (salads, soup, main courses, breads, accompaniments, etc). Desserts can either be kept on the same buffet table or on a separate dessert section, where a variety of desserts can be displayed.

The term 'Buffet' service means self-service so the guests normally serve themselves, but if the host wants to give a personalized service to his guests, he can serve them. At the buffet table if the service of any dish is difficult for the guests to manage while holding the plate, an appropriate server should be arranged to serve that particular dish.

Plated Service and set up:

In this type of service, the dishes should be pre-plated in the kitchen and placed at individual covers as soon as the guests are seated. The food should be served in order of the courses of the menu - soup being the first and dessert being the last. If desired, additional food may be placed in the center of the table or on an extra table adjacent to the dining table
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  FAQ about Dining Etiquette
 Q: Why are meals part of interviews?
A: Employers may want to see you in a more social situation to see how you conduct yourself, particularly if the job for which you are interviewing requires a certain standard of conduct with clients and superiors. You could be critically scrutinized on your table manners and conduct. On a practical level, interviews that last for several hours may extend through mealtimes, and the employer is acting as a gracious host to provide you with meals. The meal is a time to visit and interact, and this is always more important than the function of eating.


Q: Who should sit down first?
A: You should wait for your interviewer/host to ask you to sit down before taking your seat. If he/she doesn't ask you to sit, wait for him/her to be seated, then sit.


Q: Is it okay to sit with my legs crossed?
A: You should not push your chair back and cross your legs until the meal is completely finished. During the meal, sit up straight and keep your feet flat on the floor or cross your legs at the ankle. Crossing your legs during the meal can cause you to slouch, and looks too casual.


Q: Which salad plate, bread and butter plate, and drinks are mine?
A: Your salad plate and bread and butter plate are on your left, above your fork. Your beverages are on the right above your spoon. Remember: Solids on the left, liquids on the right.


Q: Which fork is for what?
A: Always use your silverware from the outside in. So if you have two forks, the outside fork is for salad and the fork closest to the plate is for your main course. The silverware will be removed as you finish each course. There may be a third fork outside the salad fork for appetizers. Usually no more than three utensils are placed on each side of the place setting. If a fourth utensil is needed, it is placed above the plate and is usually for dessert and/or for coffee to be served with dessert. (When you are seated, don't play with your utensils or make them a topic of conversation.)


Q: What do I do with my napkin?
A: As soon as everyone is seated, unfold your napkin and place it across your lap, folded, with the fold toward you. Do this discreetly without flourish. If you need to leave the table, place your napkin on your chair, folded loosely (NEVER wadded). Only after the meal is over should you place your napkin on the table to the left side of your plate (NEVER on your plate!).


Q: How do you wipe your mouth with the napkin? Is it considered poor etiquette to wipe one's mouth with the napkin?
A: It is considered poor etiquette NOT to use your napkin. The purpose of the napkins is to keep food off your face. Use it frequently to discreetly dap or wipe (no ear to ear swiping, please) your mouth. Replace the napkin on your lap loosely folded, not wadded and not stuffed between your legs.


Q: What do you do if you drop your napkin on the floor?
A: If your napkin falls on the floor and it is within easy reach, retrieve it. If you are unable to retrieve the napkin without drawing attention to yourself, ask the server for another one.


Q: When is it okay to begin drinking and eating? Does one wait until the host/hostess starts eating his/her meal at a restaurant?
A: If water is on the table as you are seated, it is appropriate to sip your water after everyone is seated and after you have placed your napkin in your lap. For other beverages and foods, wait until everyone has been served, and do not eat until your host/hostess has begun; when your host picks up his/her fork, this is an indicator that you may do so. Do not help yourself to the bread basket and other communal foods until your host has indicated you may do so. If you pick up the bread basket, hold the basket and offer to the person to your left, then serve yourself, and then pass the basket to the person on your right. (Same applies to butter, salad dressings, and other condiments that are passed.) The host/hostess may ask you to start eating and you should comply with the request.


Q: What do you do if your host/hostess uses the wrong utensil? Do you follow his/her lead?
A: You should eat correctly, but never point out errors of others. If you don't know how to eat a certain food, follow the lead of your host.


Q: What should I order to drink?
A: Water, juice, or iced tea are safe choices. It is best not to order alcohol even if the interviewer does. One glass of wine, sipped slowly, may be acceptable. Know your own limits. You want to remain sharp and responsive. Do not consume alcoholic beverages if you are under 21 years of age! Coffee or hot tea after the meal is okay if this is offered and if time allows.


Q: Is it rude or wrong to use multiple packets of sugar/sweetener in tea or coffee?
A: Limit yourself to one or two packets of sugar. Tear one or both at the same time ¾ of the way at the top of the packet, and leave the paper waste at the side of the plate. Using more than two packets of sugar or artificial sweetener may be seen as excessive.


Q: What is an appropriate way to explain a food allergy?
A: Refrain from talking about health during meals and in business situations. If you know the menu in advance, you can let your host know ahead of time that you cannot eat a certain food. Be pleasant about your request, and apologize for any inconvenience. This allows your host to make arrangements for you. If food you cannot eat is served to you at a meal, simply leave it. Be discreet and pleasant if you are asked why you are not eating. In a restaurant where you are ordering from the menu, you can explain any allergies discreetly to your server. Again, be pleasant and don't call attention to yourself or make this a topic of conversation.


Q: What do you do if the menu is fixed and you are served something you do not want?
A: Be polite and appreciative. Never criticize or state a dislike for a food that is served to you (something we all should have learned by age 5). This is insulting to your host. Simply eat foods you do like, and make an attempt to taste unfamiliar foods. If you are asked point blank if you like something, and it would be an obvious untruth to say you do, say something gracious like, "It's different," or "I'm not accustomed to this flavor, but I'm glad for the opportunity to try this." The job for which you are interviewing may involve business travel and dining in other other cultures than your own. You could be evaluated for you grace in such situations.


Q: What if I order from the menu but am served the wrong thing.
If it's a major mistake, you can discreetly mention this to the server immediately so that it can be corrected. If the error is small — you didn't want tomatoes, but they are served to you, or you received the wrong side dish — ignore it. Fussing over food can make you look childish, finicky and concerned with the wrong things (not assets in a job candidate). Your goal is to appear gracious.


Q: What is appropriate to order for dinner?
A: Simple foods that are easily eaten with a fork and knife (meats, simple salads and soups). Avoid spaghetti or other things with red sauce, huge deli sandwiches, greasy hand held items like pizza, and gassy foods like beans, broccoli, or cauliflower. Sometimes you may not have a choice. Follow your host's lead.


Q: Is it best to avoid ordering a food if you can't pronounce its name?
A: No. If you'd like it, ask the server to describe the food, and point to it on the menu.


Q: How are things like the bread basket, butter and salad dressings passed?
A: When your host indicates ("Please help yourself to bread," or something similar), the person closest takes the service plate/basket, offers it to the person on his left, helps himself, and passes to the person on his right. Always include the service plate in passing; don't, for example, lift the salad dressing bowl off the service plate and pass the bowl by itself. Foods should go from the service plate to your plate, never to your mouth. Butter should be placed on your bread and butter plate, not directly on your bread. Don't touch other people's food, and never use your used utensils to obtain food from a service plate.


Q: Is it okay to spread butter on my entire roll at one time?
A: No. It is appropriate to break off a bite-sized piece of your roll, butter it and eat it, one bite at a time. If the piece you break off is slightly too big to make one bite, it's fine to eat it in two bites, and much better than stuffing a too-large bite into your mouth.


Q: Is it okay to cut your salad if the lettuce pieces are too large?
A: Yes. Cut a few bites at a time; don't slice and dice the entire salad at once. It is preferable to cut large salad pieces than to attempt to stuff large bites of food in your mouth.


Q: How do I eat and answer questions at the same time?
A: By taking very small bites, so you can quickly finish and swallow the bite before speaking. Never speak with food in your mouth. You may not have much time to eat if you are being asked a lot of questions; remember that the main point of the meal is to interact and eating is secondary. You can initiate asking your host questions so that the conversation is more balanced and you have more time to eat. Don't eat too quickly, and don't attempt to hurridly scarf down all your food. A large, hurridly-eaten meal can make you drowsy and uncomfortable; a disadvantage if you have interviewing after the meal.


Q: How should soup be consumed?
A: Dip your spoon away from yourself to fill your spoon with soup. Rest your spoon periodically. When a service plate under the soup bowl is provided, always place your spoon on the service plate behind the bowl. If no service plate is provided, obviously you rest your spoon in the soup bowl. Used utensils are never placed on the table. Sip quietly. To finish the last bit of soup, you may slightly tip your bowl to fill your spoon.


Q: Should one go out of his/her way to use utensils when he/she is eating finger food?
A: When in doubt, eat with a utensil rather than with your fingers, even those foods (like french fries) that you may eat by hand at home. If something is served on a plate, you should use utensils! Chicken, or any other meat with a bone, is not finger food; you should use the knife and fork.


Q: If you are wearing a nametag and are having problems with it, what is the appropriate course of action?
A: If the nametag is not sticky and keeps falling off on the table or on the floor, remove it. If the nametag is in your way, move it.


Q: Is it better to spear or scoop food?
A: Scooping or spearing depends on the type of the food. Do not jab at your food; try to scoop and spear in the same action.


Q: How does one indicate having finished an appetizer or soup? Should the fork or spoon be placed in or out of the bowl?
A: When a service plate is used under the food vessel, always rest your utensil on the service plate behind the food vessel. Obviously if there is no service plate, rest your utensil in the food vessel. Your utensil always rests with the handle to your right. Never place a used utensil on the table. If plates are being cleared and you are not finished, simply lift your utensil as though you are in the process of eating. However, don't lag behind the rest of the diners; if everyone else is finished, and you're not, simply leave the remaining food.


Q: Do you always pass the salt with the pepper, even if someone asks for salt only?
A: Yes, always pass the salt and the pepper together. It is also considered rude to use it first before passing it to the person who asked for it.


Q: Is it rude to season your food before tasting it?
A: Yes. This is an insult to the chef. You should not salt and pepper your food before tasting it. Try a bite first, then season if necessary. Don't over season; this can appear childish.


Q: What do you do if there is a hair in the food?
A: You have a few choices if you find hair in the food. You can discreetly remove it, eat around it, or politely ask the server to bring you another plate. In any case, do not cause a scene and do not spoil the appetites of others at the table.


Q: Do you announce to the table if you need to be excused? What is the appropriate way?
A: You can excuse yourself from the table by saying, "Excuse me"; you do not need to offer an explanation. If you must leave during the meal, you can indicate whether you are finished eating through proper placement of your utensils. Ten and four o'clock (handles at four, knife blade toward you) indicates you are finished. Three o'clock to center (handles at three) indicated you are not finished. Do not rest utensils or utensil handles on the table.


Q: If a lady were to get up during the meal, should all men get up too?
A: Yes, men should rise when a lady leaves the table. It is not necessary to completely stand for a temporary departure. Simply rise off the seat to acknowledge her leaving.


Q: Is it appropriate to put eye drops (for contact lenses) in my eyes at the table?
A: Absolutely not. No grooming of any kind should be done at the table. You should excuse yourself for this purpose.


Q: If you are a slow eater, should you finish completely or just quit when everyone else is finished?
A: Try to stay with the pace of the meal so that you don't hold up the remaining courses. If you are lagging behind, when the others are done eating, don't make them wait on you too long.


Q: Is it ever OK to remove your jacket for heat or other reasons? Is it appropriate to ask? Does this differ for males and females?
A: As a general rule, follow the lead of the host before removing your jacket. If the host keeps on his/her jacket, keep yours on. If it is unbelievably hot, it is appropriate to ask the host's/hostess' permission. This applies to both men and women. Keep in mind that some restaurants/clubs require customers to keep their jackets on during meals.


Q: What is the correct response to someone accidentally sneezing on the table (near the food)?
A: Respond by saying "Bless you," and continue with your meal. If the person sneezed on your meal, don't eat it, but don't make an announcement about it.


Q: Where do you place the knife when you are eating?
A: Put the knife across the top of your plate when you are eating, blade facing toward you.


Q: What do you do with your soup spoon when you are momentarily not eating?
A: When you are resting, place the soup spoon on the service plate, or leave it in the bowl if there is not a service plate. When you are finished, place the spoon on the service plate.


Q: Is it okay to lick your fork/spoon before putting it down?
A: Absolutely not. Remove all food from your utensil when you remove the utensil from your mouth. Do not take partial bites off a utensil; so do not put more food on your utensil than you can place in your mouth with one bite.


Q: What if your dinner fork falls on the floor and you cannot get the server's attention?
A: Do not reach pick up dropped utensils. Wait until you get the server's attention and discreetly ask for a new utensil.


Q: How do I call the server if I need him/her?
A: You can usually catch her/his eye, but if not, you may ask a nearby server. If the matter is not urgent, wait until the server checks at the table to make sure everything is okay; be discreetly on the lookout for him/her to do so, so you won't be caught with your mouth full. Avoid getting up from the table to hunt someone down. Remember the meal is not the main purpose for your being there.


Q: What do you do if a piece of food falls off your plate?
A: If the food falls on the floor, leave it and don't step on it. If the food falls on the table and it is a big piece, use your fork and move it to a corner of your plate. Otherwise, let it be.


Q: How do you let someone know he/she has something in his/her teeth?
A: Be subtle and quiet. Do not bring it to the attention of everyone at the table and do not embarrass the person. If it is someone of importance, you may not want to cause him or her any embarrassment; so let it go!



Q: What if I get something stuck in my teeth?
A: Try to remove the lodged item with your tongue. If this does not work, excuse yourself from the table and go to the restroom. It's a good idea to go to the restroom after the meal to check your teeth and freshen up. Toothpicks should be used discreetly and in private; never at the table.


Q: What do I do if I have a bone in my mouth?
A: If you have a bone in your mouth, remove it unobtrusively with your fork, and place it on the rim of your plate. Any time something needs to be removed from your mouth, remove it be the same means (fork, spoon, fingers, etc.) that it went in.


Q: What do I do when I don't want to swallow something I already have in my mouth (such as an olive pit or a piece of gristle)?
A: If it went in with your fork, it should come out with your fork and likewise with your hands. Move it to your tongue and onto the fork and deposit it on the rim of your plate. No one should notice you doing this, because the fork to mouth motion is a common one made by anyone who is eating.


Q: How do you avoid eating a certain food? (For example, onions on a salad)
A: Discreetly eat around the food and/or move it carefully to the side of the plate or bowl. Don't make a fuss, and don't remove it from the plate.


Q: What should I do if my food is cold or doesn't taste good?
A: If your food needs to be warmer but is not unbearable, you should just eat it and not call the server over to avoid a scene. However, if it is not edible, politely call the server over and explain.

Q: What do you say when you really don't like your meal and someone asks, "How is your meal?"
A: Be polite and say, "Fine, thank you."


Q: Is it OK to rest your wrists on the edge of the table in between bites?
A: Yes, it is all right to rest your wrists on the edge of the table or place your hands in your lap, but no elbows on the table!


Q: As a left-hander, is there anything one should do differently?
A: If you are allowed to choose your seat, choose a seat where you do not hit any other person's elbows.



Q: Should you clean your plate in any particular way? (Push all uneaten food to one side?)
A: You do not have to clean your plate. It is polite to leave some food on your plate. Do not push the remaining food around on the plate



Q: What do I do to signal I am finished with my meal?
A: Your silverware should be parallel to each other in the ten and four o'clock position (as on the face of a clock), with handles at 4:00 and tops of the utensils at 10:00. The knife blade points toward you. Never place or rest used utensils on the table.



Q: What do I do when the check comes?
A: Typically in an interview, you are the guest and so the meal is paid for by the company. Your host will most likely pick up the check so you won't have to deal with it. Remember to thank your host for the meal at its conclusion.



Q: What should I do if I feel sick during the dinner?
A: If you really cannot make it through the dinner, just excuse yourself and go to the rest room. Return when you are feeling better or have the server explain that you are not feeling well.


Key Points to Remember:
1. Remember the purpose of the meal.
2. Follow the lead of your host or hostess.
3. Be discreet

HR Interview Etiquettes

Once you have been offered an interview with a company you want to work for, you will want to make sure you demonstrate the proper etiquette. In order for you to be hired, you must complete the interview successfully. There are a number of things you can do to tip the odds of being hired in your favor.
To demonstrate the proper etiquette, you should always speak in a proper manner. If you don't speak properly, you will send the wrong message to the person that is interviewing you. There are a number of things you will want to avoid when you speak during an interview.
The first thing you will want to avoid is interrupting the interviewer. This is rude, and will convey a message that you are impolite.
Always wait for the interviewer to stop speaking for you say something. While this may sound like common sense, you could do by accident.
The tone of your voice should match that of the person who is interviewing you. For example, if they are speaking in a soft tone, you should speak in a soft tone as well. Never use slang words or expressions. It is crucial for you to answer questions in a professional manner. When you use slang terms, you may sound unintelligent, and you may also sound rude.
Your personal appearance will play a pivotal role in your interview etiquette. It will often be the deciding factor in whether or not you're hired for the job.
When it comes to dressing up for an interview, you should wear the attire that you will be expected to wear if you are hired. For example, if you are applying for a job where you will be working in a professional office environment, you may be required to wear a suit. If you are going to an interview for a such a job, you will want to wear the appropriate attire.
It is important to make sure you smell good, and you will want to avoid bringing any gadgets that could make noise.
One example of this is your cell phone. When you go to the interview, it should be turned off. Not only should it be turned off when you are conducting the interview, it should be turned off while you're in the lobby waiting for the interview to be held.

Talking on the phone while you wait to be interviewed is unprofessional, and will take you away from the task at hand. When many people are nervous, they chew gum. This is another form of bad etiquette when it is done during an interview. If you smoke cigarettes, you will want to avoid doing it before the interview starts. If you carry the scent of cigarette smoke, this could be offensive to the person that is interviewing you.
Always give direct answers to questions that are asked.
Avoid giving answers, which are vague, and stay on topic at all times.
Make eye contact with the person that is speaking to you.
When you shake hands with the interviewer, make sure your handshake is firm. Giving a firm handshake will convey a message of confidence, discipline, and determination.
A weak handshake will convey a message that you are indecisive and unsure about yourself.
Always maintain a good posture throughout the course of the interview. Sit upright in the seat. Rest your hands in your lap, and avoid waving them around when you talk.

Another thing that you will want to avoid is speaking too quickly. This will send a message that you are anxious or nervous, and this is something that you will want to avoid. In contrast, speaking to slowly will convey the message that you are unintelligent. You will want to speak at a moderate speed. The interviewer should never have to ask you to repeat yourself. It is also important to avoid speaking to low. If the interviewer has to ask you to speak up, they may think that you are timid. Again, this is something you will want to avoid. During the interview, it is important to practice good etiquette.
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer. Being polite will always tip the odds in your favor.

Restaurant etiquette and manners:

The article gives advice on etiquettes and manners in getting great service in a restaurant, from booking the best table, to handling the maitre d', and even the chef, waiters and waitresses with courtesy and charm

What are the secrets of those restaurant patrons who always seem to jump the queue, and be led straight to the best table in the house? How do they get such great service, while others have to wait an age for their meal, which, when it arrives, is only half-cooked or barely even warm? There are ways to maximize your chances of becoming one of those regular customers whoThink ahead

Even the most obliging maitre d' is needlessly stressed by last-minute bookings. Try and get into the habit of giving your favourite restaurant plenty of notice when calling to book a table. When you make the call, introduce yourself, let them know that you've been to the restaurant several times, and find both the food and the service superb. You'd be surprised at how few people bother to do this. Everyone blossoms in the presence of a little praise - even a hardened maitre d' - so don't be afraid to offer some sincere and credible compliments.

Once you've established a sense of rapport over the phone, briefly explain the nature of the evening which you'd like the restaurant to host. Is it a birthday dinner, a surprise reunion, a meet-the-parents event? Let the maitre d' know something about the personal side of the evening, and how important it is that everything go smoothly.

Having set the scene, elicit his advice on the best place to sit. Too many patrons call and aggressively demand "the best table", only to find when they arrive they've been seated right next to the bathroom or a noisy kitchen. Involve the maitre d' in your situation, and he is much more likely to be willing to accommodate you.

On arrival

It is absolutely essential that you arrive looking like you are accustomed to receiving good service. If you know you're looking your best, you'll be more confident and outgoing. A polished appearance lets the staff know that you're a successful person who demands to be treated with respect. What you wear will, of course, depend on the formality of the restaurant and where you're going afterwards, but a good rule of thumb is to overdress rather than underdress.

Make sure that you greet the maitre d' warmly, introduce yourself, and remind him that you spoke to him on the phone about your requirements for the evening. Tell him again that you deliberately chose his restaurant as the venue for the evening because you've been here before, and were impressed with the quality of the food and the service.

Ask him if he managed to secure that table you talked about, and when he leads you towards the perfect table, be gracious and warm, but don't grovel. Remember that restaurant staff will only give you good service if they respect you, not if they feel sorry for you.

Handling waiters and waitresses

Once you're seated at the table of your choice, you must be ready to deal with the next level of restaurant staff: the waiters and waitresses. Again, by far the most productive approach is to be warm and charming. When the waiter approaches, look him in the eye, smile and ask how he's doing.

Listen to his recommendations, feel free to ask questions about the food or wine, and thank him for his help. Let him know if you had the veal last time and it was out of this world. Thank him every time he brings something to the table. Remember, waiters have a difficult job and deserve your respect and courtesy.

If you're being polite and pleasant to serve, you also have a greater chance of resolving any potential complaints that may arise. Say you've ordered three dishes and there are only two on the table. If you ask your new friend the waiter if he would mind checking on where the third one is, it's highly likely you'll find it steaming on the table within about a minute, accompanied by a polite apology for the delay.

However, if you've spoken dismissively to the waiter and have barely made eye contact, any little mistakes or delays are certain to take much longer to straighten out. In this scenario, the waiter doesn't care about giving you good service, because you've treated him as your inferior.

There's also an etiquette for leaving the restaurant. It goes without saying that a generous tip is essential. But make a point of thanking your waiter for the excellent service too. The phrase "send my compliments to the chef" is NOT a corny cliche, but an urbane way of making sure that everyone involved in your pleasant evening gets the thanks they deserve.

Naturally, you must also let the maitre d' know that you had a wonderful time, and acknowledge the part he played in the success of your evening. Tell him you'll be back soon for more of the wonderful food and service.

If you make such a charming exit, it's highly likely that you'll be seated at the table of your choice and be given excellent service every time you visit this restaurant are welcomed with open arms.

Don't Shoot from the Hip, Use a Script

Give me a salesperson who's struggling to fill his or her calendar with client appointments, and I'll show you a sales rep without a phone script.

Unfortunately, many salespeople labor under the false belief that they're too experienced to use a phone script and as a result, sabotage their phone calling effectiveness and income.

A well-designed and properly rehearsed script is a powerful tool for projecting a confident and competent professional image. In addition, a script guarantees that every call is delivered in a consistent and concise manner.

Sales reps that prefer to "wing it" and shoot from the hip, tend to lose focus and are quickly sidetracked down numerous unproductive paths. It's been said that the only thing worse than listening to a salesperson using a phone script, is to listen to one without a script.

There's absolutely no substitute for preparation and practice. Top producers understand the value of using a script, but you can't tell they're speaking from a script. Just like a movie actor, they practice and rehearse their words over and over again until they sound smooth and conversational.

Here are some proven tips to help you create a phone script that will keep your appointment calendar full:

• Write out your entire phone script from hello to goodbye.
• State your name and organization at the beginning of the call.
• Timing is everything. Be considerate by asking your prospect if they have a minute to speak with you. If your call is viewed as an interruption, you're dead in the water before you even begin. If your prospect indicates that it's not a good time for your call, apologize for the interruption and ask them when it would be OK for you to call back.
• Use a series of open-ended questions to draw your prospect out. Keep in mind when you design your script that your primary goal is not to sell anything, but rather to build rapport, gather information, and make an appointment.
• People are more comfortable with salespeople who they feel are similar to them. Use your voice to build trust and rapport quickly by "matching and mirroring" your prospect's voice tone, pitch, and pace.
• Never interrupt your prospect and allow them plenty of time to respond to your questions.

Look for opportunities to make an appointment, don't just answer questions. Avoid the temptation to answer all of your prospect's questions over the phone but instead, guide them toward scheduling a face-to-face meeting.

If you really want to dramatically improve your phone calling effectiveness and income, take the time right now to begin working on your phone script. Once you experience the positive results from using a phone script, you'll never want to "wing it" again.

Customer Service (Maybe)

It seems to me that all service sectors preach that customer service should be supreme. Yet most fall short, not that they don't try they actually do come close. The disparity lies in proper training and upkeep of that training. I find that after the initial training of the trainer the modules just seem to fade after a while. Is the program that difficult or is the training to expensive? Companies spend a lot of money on various training modules, I often wonder why they don't succeed. Well this next example might be one reason. I recently had to visit my bank Chase Bank of Nevada. I had been assured that when I opened my checking account that Money orders would be free of charge.  The day that I walked in to Chase Bank I proceeded to ask the customer service banker to issue a money order, she asked for how much and proceeded with the transaction, and just before debiting the account she informed me that there was a charge for this service. I promptly said no, there is no charge for money orders on this account. I asked to speak to the manager (Abraham Azar) I explained that when this account was opened it was based on the fact that money orders where free. The banker informed me that the policy had changed. I politely asked him to waive it, he said that "I will do no such thing" Now it was not the words that infuriated me as much as the attitude he took. Basically it said " If you don't like it go elsewhere"
It became very obvious that customer service training was not high on the priority list at Chase Bank. If the situation had been approached differently, maybe this scenario could have been avoided. He had the option to waive the fee, or explain the policy change in such a way as to defuse the matter. He chose to  add fuel to the fire. Was it necessary? What did he expect to gain? Is this the new policy at all Chase Banks? I know that at one time or another we have all had bouts with rude customer service agents at one time or another, however it has always been the way that it is handled that makes the difference.

Ease Public Speaking Anxiety Through Preparation...

Prepare, prepare, prepare!!!
You can never be too prepared to present. Knowing your presentation through and through can help boost your confidence while easing your fear and anxiety. Preparation does not just include knowing what you are going to say, it also includes how and why you are going to present the information. Here are some tips to help you create an effective speech or presentation.

1.Open with Confidence
Your opening gives your audience a first impression. Know the audience and the purpose of the presentation. Find out what they might expect from your remarks and what they may already know about the topic. Consider how you will grab the audience's attention. If you need to deliver bad news, consider ways to connect with the audience from the beginning of the presentation. Be well prepared for the opening because it sets the tone for your entire presentation--leave nothing to chance.

2.Focus on a Few Key Points
Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. Outline the key concepts in your electronic visuals, on a note card, or better still use a memory technique such as stacking so you remember your key points. Avoid trying to memorize your presentation because it will sound canned and stiff and you want it to sound comfortable and real.

3.Support Ideas with Evidence
It is always important to provide evidence to support your main points. Supporting evidence will reinforce your points to the audience and give you a chance to explain your points more fully.

4.Close with a Call to Action
This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to look at the purpose of the presentation and then determine a proper close. Emphasize the key action or actions that you want the audience to take after hearing your presentation. This serves as a nice summary of your content and assures they leave with a clear direction.

5.Remember, Anxiety is Normal
Most people have some presentation anxiety. Remember that people who don't feel some stress may appear to be taking their audience for granted. Replace negative thoughts that creep into your subconscious mind with positive affirmations from yourself and others.

6.Be Human
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Do not try to be a perfect presenter. A brief pause to collect your thoughts may feel like eternity, but it's not. Tell stories from your personal experiences. Conduct your presentations as if you are having a conversation with people rather than talking at them.

7.Ask for Feedback
You will be surprised how much will be positive. Accept and internalize compliments you receive without minimizing them. Remind yourself about what went well rather than what didn't. Focus on one or two key improvement areas for the next time. Not ten or twenty.

8.Prepare for Future Success
View each presentation you give as a development opportunity. Enjoy the experience. Use each presentation as an opportunity to enhance your confidence and skills for the next presentation.

New Era Reservations/ Social Media.

We are entering in to a new wave of technology, that not all of us have grasped. The guest are going to be using it quicker than the hospitality Industry will. Today guest are talking to each other over their smart phones. They are on several media outlets at the same time. The guest reads the tweets from others, even if they do not know them. The media revolution is upon us. If you are not prepared for it you will loose thousands of dollars in new revenue. Every hotel site has buttons to the most popular media sites on the net, facebook, tweeter, linkedin, tripadvisor, and such. They are able to see what is said about each property including yours, customer service is now the focal point of most travelers. Imagine a bad review about your property, how does it impact your business? How many guest will read it? Price is a consideration, but a bad review or several bad reviews wont matter over pricing. Today a guest can take a picture of the infraction at any property and it is on you tube going viral... Can you afford this? Right or wrong people believe what other people say about your property, they do not believe your advertizment on your web site, as far as they are concerned is embellished to make the sale. Get your properties engaged with the social media wave now before it gets out of hand and you are left behind. There webinars on the subject,seminars and books get savvy on this assign some one to monitor your property. There are over 8 million people who use social media to inquire and book reservations, and they all can't be wrong..

Secret Shoppers Share Five Restaurant Customer Service Tips

Mystery shopping services include experienced restaurant secret shoppers who observe, on a daily basis, both the best and worst of customer service. What have these expert mystery shopping providers uncovered? Though there are dozens they could share, here are five quick service staff tips that can elevate any restaurant guest experience.

1. Don’t let bad moods show: It’s common enough for servers to be harried, busy and overworked, and it’s just human nature to have bad moods. But restaurant secret shoppers say that foul moods too often show up at the table or in view of patrons. These staff members have forgotten the experience is not about them, it’s about the guest’s experience.

2. Service shouldn’t be tied to the level of restaurant: restaurant consultants say that good service is good service across the board, but often service standards (and lack thereof)
that secret shoppers observe at lower-level restaurants imply that these restaurants don’t agree. Just because there’s a more casual feel or budget-friendly prices, doesn’t mean the standards of service shouldn’t be excellent.

3. Make sure the washrooms are clean: Yes, the restrooms are part of the guest experience.
Why would you want a casual visit to the restroom to tarnish the image guests take away from an otherwise great restaurant? Mystery shoppers too many times find neglected restrooms during their evaluations.

4. Don’t keep guests waiting for the check: Many restaurant mystery shoppers say, even in restaurants where the pace of the meal is excellent, when it’s time for the check there’s an inexplicable slowdown. Just as first impressions are important, hospitality consultants also say last impressions stay with you. Waiting too long to conclude the meal can take away from an otherwise super experience.

5. Know the menu: Finally, our secret shoppers report that their questions about specific menu items often go unanswered or improperly answered. On the other hand, servers who know the menu, or go to lengths to get the answer to guests’ questions, elevate the experience. Restaurant mystery shoppers also say they’re more apt to order the items that a server enthusiastically describes.

Important aspects of a career shift

Many people realize that they have chosen the wrong career in their life and as soon as they are aware of their mistake, they want to change their career. However, altering your entire career path after you have been working in a field for years is not an easy task. You have to consider the problems which might arise when you decide to switch from one career to another. It might turn out to be a bad move as many people do not get settled into a new career so easily.

The problem with starting a new career is that you have to begin from the very first step and work your way to the top. For someone who has been working for years in an organization and has climbed the ladder to a certain extent, doing it all again can be scary. Not only that, since you have to start at the bottom you might also have to report to someone who is considerably younger than you are and that can be difficult for some people to deal with. 

A career change is not only a big change in your professional life; it also requires you to make some changes in your lifestyle to adjust to the new career. There are many people who are too scared to change their career paths and never try but there are also those who change the career but then revert back after a few months.  The main reason is that changing you career can be difficult and scary at the same time. Given below are some tried and tested ways to help you in starting a new career successfully and have a rewarding experience.

Plan Carefully And Meticulously:

The most important aspect of a career change is to make sure that you are taking the right step. Of course there might be some reservations and fears but you need to be sure that you have done all that was possible to make it successful. Before you leap to any job opportunity you need to consider some important things.  Decide whether you want an entire career change or a minor career shift, or maybe you need to change the industry or sector you are currently working in.

When you make specific plans, the change in the career path will be less scary. You must try to find out as much as possible regarding the career option you are leaning towards. For instance you need to know the number of average working hours in that career, any kind of special training that you’ll need to excel  in that field etc.

Discuss Your Plans With Others:

It always helps to talk to someone who has gone through a similar phase in his or her life and by sharing experiences you can learn a lot. Moreover you can learn from the mistakes they made and make sure that you avoid them when you make a career shift. You need to talk to people who have recently made a significant change in their career paths and are happy with their decision.  They can provide you with a lot of relevant information and motivate you to make the right decision. Even if you cannot find someone who has changed his career recently in your circle, you can always go to online forums and discuss your hopes and fears with people who have been through this rough patch.

Know What You Want:

One thing you need to know is that changing your career is not a simple task. You cannot change your entire career path every few years so it is important to make sure that you are choosing a career where your heart lies. Think about what you want from life, what you want to do in life and how you want your professional career to evolve. Finding an answer to all these questions will help you in making the right decision.

Technical Training:

When you have decided on a career change, you need to make sure that you are capable of joining that industry and perform well. If you need educational or technical training to join an industry, make sure that you get it before making the career shift as you need to be ready to take on challenges at the new job with the latest skills you have acquired.

Get In Touch With Your Network:

Networking is one of the most important tools when you are looking for a job and especially when you have made a career shift. Over the years, we make many contacts working at different places and hence the bigger the network gets, the higher are the chances that you will get a job successfully. Moreover, since you are new to the industry, a strong network can help you a lot in getting to know the basics of the industry and how it works.

Look At The Bigger Picture:

When you make a career change it is extremely important to see the long term effects of the move and evaluate how it will affect your professional life. Your career shift should help you in achieving your professional goals and evolve into a much better professional in the long run. Just looking to the short term benefits can hinder your growth as a professional and result in job related frustrations as well

50 Questions for Interviews?

Very Important Please Don’t Miss it.

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.

1. Tell me about yourself?

Ans: The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?

Ans: Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?

Ans: Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can. 

4. Do you consider yourself successful?

Ans: You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others. 

5. What do co-workers say about you?

Ans: Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself. 

6. What do you know about this organization?

This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention. 

8. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focuson this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals. 

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of. 

11. What is your Expected Salary?

A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That's a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range. 

12. Are you a team player?

You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I'd like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I'm doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone?

How did you feel about that? This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force. 

15. What is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization. 

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it. 

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved. 

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization?

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship. 

19. Why should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison. 

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made?

Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?

This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job?

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can't wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?

Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?

See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?

Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?

There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor?

Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?

Don't get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?

Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?

This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement and Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?

Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success. Your boss tells you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?

This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style?

Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?

Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?

Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute?

Between others. Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?

Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic?

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.

Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?

Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.

And Finally Best of Luck Hope you will be successful in the interview you are going to face in coming days.

"Never take some one for granted, Hold every person Close to your Heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones." Remember this always in life.

How to increase Operating Results!!

A different market.., needs different management …..

Business is NOT as usual anymore and when you think it is, then you will have much less results then before. There is no magic to have better results than other Hotels/ Resorts but if you think you don’t have to adept and your staff can work as usual, your business will be by now in trouble!

Hotels/ Resorts, especially in Pakistan and other parts of the world are fighting for survival as declining demand, some areas over-supply and the current law & order and financial crisis has results that many Hotels/ Resorts have problems paying the bills and banks are not supportive to overcome this period.

Hotel owners ask me what should I do, how can I increase my occupation….? Old strategies don’t work anymore, most hotels have adept very slow on the online developments and especially those are hit very hard.

Most hotel owner solutions are, saving on the cost and where do we save?
You save on things that do not hurt immediately ….. as re-finance to long or middle term or new financers/ participants, JV, not replacing staff that leaves, marketing, stock etc.

Most of that helps temporary but you can’t keep doing it, for example; there is a moment you have to spend on marketing again or revenues go down for a long time!!

The best hotels saved and asking themselves… what now, cost down, revenues down and what now??? Revenue enhancement… and how we have to do that is the question!!

Improvements

Is it that many hotel managers became less creative during 1998 and 2007, business was doing well in general with the standard strategies, was management a little spoiled?

We have to increase, on all departments, the services and quality to standout!

§                     Friendliness, cost nothing but it will guests forget little things that need improvement on your Resort or Hotel.  

§                     Consciousness of the staff, they have to understand we have an alarming situation that we can overcome/beat! Keep the trust level, of staff, high and increase their motivation!

§                     Communication is one of the keywords, to improve business, not management who knows it all and decides all… communication is the key. Communication between the owners and management, cards open on the table to receive input from many levels in the organization. Communication with your guests

§                     Brand Hotels depend too much on the head office strategies and creativity, which were successful from 1998-2007 but reality shows, managers need to be more creative.
You need top marketing/ sales management for that, do you have?
 You need flexible creative General Managers with new strategies! Do you have?  

§                     Local marketing strategies can be very successful, finding niches in the local market a head office will never know! Alternative strategies and creative game plans are necessary!

§                     Diversify your customer groups, hotels that only target elite customers, they really have to change their marketing attitude.

§                     Reaching the goals of the company that’s what most brand managers do and that is not enough! Those management forget to go further. I maybe have to say, they were never motivated to go further! (maybe one of the reasons I never worked for brand hotels, they limit my creativity and quick solutions) Those manager are their more to please owners, career, instead of guests!!

Go by the corporate rules, and I am pretty sure those corporate Hotel groups created this mentality. I have to be honest in standard times it worked but now?? Personally as turn-around manager, I saw it coming and I waited for the correction in the market and then only, so to speak, the raisins in the porridge make profits.

§                     It’s all about creativity and flexibility and not afraid to do things different, in a different market. To stand out, in quality, services and actions …..!

Have a creative year!

What is Sales and Marketing?

Important Questions of sales and marketing?
Q1: what is the difference between marketing and sales?
Q2: what are the five steps involved in developing a marketing plan?
Q3: what are the five basic five steps of presentation sale call?
Q4: what is difference between internal marketing g and internal sales? Why each in important
Q5: what is the role of general manger in internal sales? What re three ways to develop sales oriented staff?
Q6: what methods do hospitality firms use to monitor the effectiveness of advertising?
Q7: what is difference between advertising, public relation and publicity?
Q8: what are the three distinct groups of frequent business travelers?
Q9: what types of advertising re most likely to attract the attention of business travelers?
Q10: what are some travelers of individual leisure travelers?
Q11:  what is tour broker, tour whole seller? How does property reach each of them?
Q12:  what are some of the ways in which properties can provide good service to travel agents?
Q13:what are some of the challenges and opportunities travel agent will face in future?
Q14: what two segments compose the group meetings market?
Q15: what are the three face to face selling techniques used to reach meeting planner and how those be effective?
Q16: what are different types of reunion groups? how can property reach each group?
Q17: what are some trends affecting the restaurant industry today?
Q18: what are must be researched before positioning a restaurant?
Q19: what methods are used to merchandise food and beverage products?
Q20:  what are two basic responsibilities of most catering departments?

SIX KEY CONTEXTS OF INNOVATION!!

What are the six key contexts of innovation?
 Organizational leaders can benefit by viewing the dynamics and demands of innovation through the lens of the six contexts that are key to any innovation effort. These six contexts also provide a useful way to think about the wide variety of innovation opportunities on which any organization can capitalize.
 1. Strategic context—The organization’s comprehensive understanding of the forces driving its operating environment, as well as an appreciation of emerging trends and issues. (Opportunities include strategy and business model innovation.)
 2. Technological context—The organization’s use of technology to engage contributors in the work of innovation, as well as the impact of current and new technologies on the organization, its customers and other stakeholders. (Opportunities include innovation in current and new products, tools and other “tangibles.”)
 3. Cultural context—The organization’s internal climate and intrinsic support for collaboration, including encouraging risk-taking, supporting experimentation and the importance of genuinely learning from failure. (Opportunities include innovation in the structure and substance of the relationships between and among staff, customers and other stakeholders.)
 4. Intellectual context—The organization’s mindset and approach to identifying and leveraging ideas and knowledge both internally and externally. (Opportunities include service and experience innovation, as well as innovation around other “intangibles.”)
 5. Financial context—The organization’s underlying structures for managing both the uncertainty and financial exposure of innovation in order to minimize risk. (Opportunities include process, practice and delivery methods innovation across different organizational functions.)
 6. Leadership context—The capacity of leaders to fulfill their responsibility for making innovation consistently possible without exerting undue influence or control over it. (Opportunities include innovation in models for organizational stewardship.)
Leaders can achieve a deeper understanding of how to make innovation happen in their organizations by looking carefully at how the balance of freedom and discipline influences the underlying relationships between and among these contexts. For example, when the organization needs to ensure greater discipline within its financial context, how can it increase the degree of cultural freedom to ensure that innovation doesn’t grind to halt?
 Leaders can achieve a deeper understanding of how to make innovation happen in their organizations by looking carefully at...the balance of freedom and discipline.

20 Rules of Writing Effective Business E-Mails

Developing effective business-to-business (B2B) e-mail marketing messages is significantly different than developing business-to-consumer (B2C) e-mails. That is why, after writing extensively about consumer-oriented e-mails in past columns, I'll now address B2B communications.
As I'm sure you know from your own personal experience, business people who receive e-mail want to know the point as quickly as possible. They don't have time to read through a lot of copy unless something immediately captures their interest. They don't appreciate fluff and spin, just benefits and facts. Keeping this in mind, here are my 20 rules for writing effective business e-mail messages:

1. Be accurate. Whatever claims you make, benefits you offer, or statistics you quote, make sure they are true and not inflated. Nothing is worse than starting off a relationship with exaggerated or even false information.
2. Be brief. Your job with B2B e-mail is to capture interest, then provide more information if it's wanted. You need to identify the most important benefit to the recipient and sum it up in a short paragraph. Think of it as the 30-second "elevator pitch" in e-mail form.
3. Be clear. Most business people are turned off by e-mail messages with bad grammar, misspellings, and/or unintelligible content. If you personally struggle with writing, hiring a professional writer to prepare your messages is a worthwhile investment.
4. Be genuine. Forget the hype that works with consumers. The B2B relationship is built on trust. Make sure everything you say conveys you are a genuine, upstanding, honest person running a reputable business.
5. Speak their language. Whatever you're going to say, write in words they understand and are comfortable with. Don't write down to them or above their comprehension level. People tend to understand and react better to words they use in everyday conversations.
6. Put yourself in their shoes. Try to picture the daily routine of the people you're contacting and reflect that in your writing: "I know you're busy, so I'll get right to the point."
7. Watch out for a "knowledge gap." Don't assume recipients have the same knowledge about your product or service you do. After you've captured their interest and have reached the "additional information" stage, try offering a step-by-step walkthrough of whatever you're marketing to help them understand what you're trying to say.
8. Write business e-mails as letters, not as ads. In the B2B world, a forthright communication in letter format is much more effective than an e-mail that looks and smells like an ad.
9. Take your time. As you would with B2C (and any other communication, for that matter), let your B2B e-mail message sit for a day or two after you complete it. Show it to colleagues and other business people, and get their opinions. In almost every case, the passage of time and other people's input will help you improve your messaging and writing.

10. Remember your e-mail is likely to be passed around. Because it's so easy for e-mail to be forwarded, assume your message will be sent to others if the initial recipient has any interest. You may want to include links to information that is relevant to others, including technical details, operations info, and financial data.
11. Mimic your verbal presentation. Although a lot of what you say in person may not be necessary or appropriate for an initial e-mail, you should still consider how you verbally present your product or service, whether by phone or in person. Think about what points you stress (those could be underlined or bolded in your e-mail) and the words you use (stick with verbal explanations that people understand).
12. Check your signature block. Make sure it's complete: your full name, title, company, address, phones, pager, fax, e-mail, and Web site links. Give the recipient a choice of how to contact you for more information.
13. Carefully choose when you actually send the mail. Most business people spend Monday mornings catching up on the e-mail, postal mail, and phone calls that have piled up since the previous Friday. You don't want your e-mail mixed in with dozens or even hundreds of communications that are being reviewed by recipients.
14. Prepare your subject line carefully. After the sender address, the subject line is the first thing B2B e-mail recipients will look at. It's akin to what you might say on the phone in the first 5 to 10 seconds. The subject line should directly relate to the primary benefit your product or service offers.
15. Use graphics wisely. Business people are interested in benefits, details, other customers, and so forth. Unless graphics enhance your message in a meaningful way, don't use them.
16. Make sure links within your e-mail display and work properly. When you list "for more information" links, make sure they are clickable so the recipient does not have to cut and paste. Also make sure they go to the exact page you want and this landing page is up to date and provides the information you want them to have. Sending people to your home page and leaving to them to figure out where to go is not a good idea.
17. Be wary about sending attachments. Most of the time, you don't know what software the recipient has or what filter settings are enabled. Sending PDFs, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets may not be a good idea, since you don't know if the recipient can read -- or even receive -- what you send. A better idea: links to Web pages where the information contained in the attachments is displayed.
18. Test. Just as you do with any consumer e-mail campaign, test subject lines and message copy. Testing is no less critical with B2B e-mails.
19. Be complete. Most B2B e-mail recipients will form some sort of preliminary conclusion about your product or service before they respond to your e-mail. They'll determine for themselves whether your e-mail helps meet their needs. That's why providing details and complete information is important -- to give recipients the details they need to make the decision to call you or act on your offer.

Don't look like everyone else. Spend some time reviewing B2B e-mails you get to see what others are doing. Get on the e-mail lists of your competitors so you can see how they communicate. Analyse them all and find ways to differentiate yourself from the pack.

56 ideas for your hotel blog and newsletters

Recognise and reward loyalty
Start to build the relationship with your customers or guests as soon as they have booked by thanking them and giving them additional information. You can use any of the topics below to whet their appetite and get them looking forward to their visit.
•    As their arrival date approaches, send further timely information about specific events, travel updates and opportunities for upgrades or complementary services (e.g., making a dinner reservation).
•    Once someone has stayed or dined with you or attended an event, a simple thank you note is a great way to build rapport and an opportunity for some feedback, too.

Theme your articles and blogs
Establish different themes for your newsletters. If you segment your list (which I recommend) you can then target different topics to different segments to keep things relevant. Some examples:
•    Breaking news: Set up Google Alerts for topics relevant to your target audience (e.g., what's going on in your town or whatever topic is relevant to your unique selling point or of interest to your target audience).
•    Answer your most frequently asked questions.
•    An A-Z series of your “expert” topic or special interest (providing your prospects and customers share the same interest).

Show your personality
One thing that will always make you unique is you and your team.
•    Describe a day in the life of: your chef, housekeeper, sommelier, receptionist, events organizer.
•    Ask staff for their top tips to share with customers.
•    What's happening in your world both on site and out and about?
•    Get your staff to tell their own story—their background, experience and how they came to be working in your hotel/restaurant/resort.
•    Describe something that makes you different than everyone else.

From the kitchen
If you want to encourage guests to dine with you:
•    Introduce your new menu and how it's been created.
•    Select some seasonal dishes to try at home.
•    Talk about your sustainably sourced foods and other supplier stories.
•    Describe a trip to the market or market garden, and interview some of the growers about their produce.
•    Ask your chefs and other staff for their views on food on holiday and new recipes/flavours to try out.
•    Write some food-specific reviews, based on local ingredients.
•    Laugh at your own mishaps or recipes failures with a funny story.
•    Talk about a new product you’ve just discovered and how you are using it in your recipes, and explain why you love it.

Act like a travel agent
What are all the things that could help to sway a visit to your area?
•    Give average temperature for the area if you have overseas visitors.
•    Suggest some potential holiday itineraries with maps.
•    Explain what's happening at other attractions in the area (and ask for a reciprocal arrangement with your neighbouring venues) and why it’s special.
•    Tell them about specific things to do if they are coming with an elderly relative, young child or the family dog, for example.
•    Write about specific festivals and events happening in the region, their origin, what they consists of, how guests can find more information, and what impact these may have on guests’ stay.

Become their personal local guide
Give visitors an incentive to visit and something to look forward to.
•    Suggest some potential day trip itineraries highlighting local places of interest.
•    Give the weather forecast for the coming week so guests know what to wear and what to bring.
•    Tell readers about local events of interest.
•    Describe local walks, with pictures of the views.
•    Tell readers about unusual sightings of wildlife with pictures if possible.
•    Give guest or staff reviews on things to do (e.g. walks, days out and local attractions).
•    Tell the stories behind your local history and some of the famous local celebrities.
•    Be controversial and talk about what’s happening in your area.

From the garden
If you are proud of your garden or outside space:
•    Describe your seasonal activities (e.g. planting, pruning, harvesting from the vegetable garden).
•    Give gardener's tips on pruning, pest control and garden maintenance.
•    Tell readers what fruits and vegetables are in season, and how you are reflecting these in your menus (combine with kitchen blog for recipes).
•    Show your garden in all its glory with photos.
•    Show pictures of children having fun and enjoying the outdoors.

From the wine cellar
•    Review of a wine from your list.
•    Seasonal activities (e.g., the harvest, planting, pruning).
•    Talk about this year's grape harvest—what's good, what impact the weather and other elements will have on the harvest and the wine.
•    Expert's corner—tasting tips, buying tips, storing wines, what makes your wines different.

Testimonials
There’s nothing like a bit of social proof to demonstrate your abilities to please your customers.
•    Ask customers for their feedback, and ask if you can use their quotes. Better still: video them.
•    Write mini case studies of events and activities to help demonstrate the breadth of what you can offer in the way of activities or facilities.
•    Tell the story of where one of your team have gone the extra mile for a customer.
•    Show pictures of happy guests (with their permission, of course).

Joint ventures
Team up with others who share your customer list.
•    Ask them to write a guest feature article or blog (e.g., a wedding photographer on top photo tips; your fishmonger tips for buying fresh fish and fish recipes; your florist for tips on getting cut flowers to last longer, on flower arranging, etc.).
•    Ask your local suppliers for their stories, too; this helps to give providence to your ingredients.
•    News and awards from other local businesses including complementary businesses such as restaurants.

Doing your bit for CSR
Share your contribution to corporate and social responsibility
•    What fund raising or charitable events have you been involved in, and what’s been your contribution?
•    What changes have you made towards energy conservation?
•    What steps have you made with suppliers to source only sustainable produce?

Your news
And of course, don’t forget to blog or email about what you are up to, what you have planned, what's to look forward to.
•    What specials or offers you are running, and what’s in it for your customers to take up the offer?
•    Has your hotel or restaurant been featured in the news?
•    What awards have you entered and/or won?
•    Describe changes and improvements you are making or you've now completed and what these mean to your guests.
•    Tease your readers with tasters of future and current promotions, offers and packages.
•    Report back on a recent success story (e.g. review or feedback from a recent event).

Out of sight is out of mind, so use your newsletter (and blogs) to keep your hotel visible and to communicate to your customers and prospects regularly. The more you communicate with what your audience wants to hear (opposed to spam) the more you build up an emotional bond and establish trust and loyalty.

Sales Service (first Impressions)

Often, when we think about making a first impression, we think of those that work in the sales office of the organization they represent. We expect sales people to look good, dress well, be well versed, be friendly and always have a great disposition. We tend to "pigeon hole" a person or company by the way things look to us when we first meet them. The impression that we put forward to the client, guest starts with the first time they make contact with us. Ever wonder how much business we loose due to a poor impression from a sales, reservation, bell staff or other employee that have contact with our guest. To what extent is real, profitable business lost when we provide less that great service. What is it that we negatively do that can impact sales? If we were able to quantify the times it would most likely result in thousand of dollars of loss to a property over a 12 month study. We could use for example a client calling the property for a room, catering event, company meeting, convention, or any reason that could create a profit for the property. Some of the ways that can negatively affect the profit of the property.
1. The amount of times the phone rings and does not get answered promptly. The caller hangs up and goes on to the next cal. How many times does this happen, perhaps we will never know.
2. My pet peeve when the phone call goes directly to voice mail and you have to play the numbers game to get the right department.
3. The "Please hold" and before you can say anything, click you are on hold.
4. Phones that are answered promptly, but have a long winded message that is hard to understand.
5. The person answering the phone come across as not interested in you and wants to get back to her, or his work
6 The call gets transferred to some one else and you wait forever, or get music in your ear for unusual length of time. I got news for you out there client will hang up and call another property.
7. The caller gets transferred to the wrong department.
8. Callers that leave voice mail do not get call backs in a timely manner
 I could go on. The point is that at any time, any person on the hotel staff can be a position to lose business for a property by not making a great first impression.

HOW EFFECTIVELY WE SELL ON TELEPHONE?

I am starting a discussion, how can we sell on Telephone, i look forward to receive comments or any suggestions if any?
 SUBJECT:     TELEPHONE SELLING    
Definition/Description
This is not face-to-face, but it is still personal and some points are worth noting. The listener judges the personality by the voice, and linguistic style may affect the way others react. Therefore, how, we say something is as important as what we say. One should always be prepared and active before involving ourselves in telephone selling.
While preparing for telephone selling one should have prior information of the guests / client / organization and vice versa of his own product / hotel.
Policy and Description
Telephone sales are not only a useful support to normal sales promotions, but also a valuable independent means of obtaining extra business. Preparation is the keynote of telephone selling.
Pencil or ball point in hand.
Price list,
Fact sheets, a list of fully booked dates, customer records, records of previous contacts, copy of invoices, calendar and other material, as this information will help you to complete the telephone conversation without having to leave the phone to search in files, records, etc.
The telephone should also be positioned in a convenient location.
Sit comfortably seated to conduct the telephone conversation, no cigarettes, cup of coffee, no chewing on pencils etc.
At the start of the call, always check to see the customer has a few minutes for you.
Better preparation helps to overcome the restrictions imposed by the telephone on communication.
There is a limited amount of TIME - unlike normal face-to-face Conversation; we have just a few minutes in which to be effective.
The limitation of DESCRIPTION - the other person's senses cannot be involved. The whole appeal must be made to the ear. Make your sales pitch interesting to listen to by raising and lowering the tone of your voice.
There is visual impression of your listener's REACTION - observation of reaction must be by "intelligent listening". Again "we listen to your wishes".
To be successful, one must know and appreciate the effects of these limitations and prepare to overcome them when using the telephone.
Most people appreciate that they must have an objective and seek it when initiating a call. However, opportunities to sell are often offered when receiving an INCOMING call OBSERVATION
The straight enquiry, which can be converted into a sale. Too often we do not progress the conversation any further than agreeing to send the information required by the client.
One can often develop the apparently routine conversation into a real selling opportunity.
Standard Operating Procedures
There are four major factors to be considered in pre-call PREPARATION.
Knowledge of the "offer".
The objective of the Call. - Knowledge of the Customer.
Knowledge of the Customers’ needs.
There is no place for the word "Hello" in a telephone discussion. This does not progress the conversation at all. Instead a clear identification of yourself (Name, department, Company).
At the end of the conversation, caller should hang up first he may have an afterthought. As quickly as you can (and certainly before the end of the conversation) ask the caller for his name and job title. Reconfirm the company name and telephone number - the right extension too can be helpful.
Check to make sure that he understands and accepts what you are saying.
Express yourself clearly and always SELL BENEFITS. Make frequent use of the words "you" and "Your". Never undervalue the telephone as a means of swift action, effective communication and good selling.
Remember, business which comes via the telephone is just as valuable as the business which you generate in face-to face calls. Indeed it is sometimes more valuable in that it is so much less expensive than a personal call.
Ask specific questions. If the customer does not ask for any additional service offer it to him - he might have forgotten.
Take notes; repeat the name, address and telephone number of your customer.
Close the conversation with a positive remark. If you. Could not sell this time; let your customer know of your intended follow up.
After every sales call, be it a visit or a telephone call, make sure that the essential items are mentioned on the customer's filing card.

Ease Public Speaking Anxiety Through Preparation...

Prepare, prepare, prepare!!!
You can never be too prepared to present. Knowing your presentation through and through can help boost your confidence while easing your fear and anxiety. Preparation does not just include knowing what you are going to say, it also includes how and why you are going to present the information. Here are some tips to help you create an effective speech or presentation.

1.Open with Confidence
Your opening gives your audience a first impression. Know the audience and the purpose of the presentation. Find out what they might expect from your remarks and what they may already know about the topic. Consider how you will grab the audience's attention. If you need to deliver bad news, consider ways to connect with the audience from the beginning of the presentation. Be well prepared for the opening because it sets the tone for your entire presentation--leave nothing to chance.

2.Focus on a Few Key Points
Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. Outline the key concepts in your electronic visuals, on a note card, or better still use a memory technique such as stacking so you remember your key points. Avoid trying to memorize your presentation because it will sound canned and stiff and you want it to sound comfortable and real.

3.Support Ideas with Evidence
It is always important to provide evidence to support your main points. Supporting evidence will reinforce your points to the audience and give you a chance to explain your points more fully.

4.Close with a Call to Action
This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to look at the purpose of the presentation and then determine a proper close. Emphasize the key action or actions that you want the audience to take after hearing your presentation. This serves as a nice summary of your content and assures they leave with a clear direction.

5.Remember, Anxiety is Normal
Most people have some presentation anxiety. Remember that people who don't feel some stress may appear to be taking their audience for granted. Replace negative thoughts that creep into your subconscious mind with positive affirmations from yourself and others.

6.Be Human
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Do not try to be a perfect presenter. A brief pause to collect your thoughts may feel like eternity, but it's not. Tell stories from your personal experiences. Conduct your presentations as if you are having a conversation with people rather than talking at them.

7.Ask for Feedback
You will be surprised how much will be positive. Accept and internalize compliments you receive without minimizing them. Remind yourself about what went well rather than what didn't. Focus on one or two key improvement areas for the next time. Not ten or twenty.

8.Prepare for Future Success
View each presentation you give as a development opportunity. Enjoy the experience. Use each presentation as an opportunity to enhance your confidence and skills for the next presentation.

The Three Gaps
Character is higher than intellect.
Organizations don’t become great because they set great goals. They become great because great leadership is in place to inspire and motivate people to get great things done. Every year, companies spend millions on a variety of training efforts and performance management initiatives aimed at trying to close the execution gap between goals and greatness. Unfortunately, these programs find little or no success because they are focusing on the wrong set of challenges. The real challenge is to truly understand the nature of the business execution gap and to recognize that it is not one
Monolithic performance gap. The execution gap between goals and greatness is actually comprised of three people-related gaps:
1-Behavior
The first gap is a lack of focus on organizational behavior. Most organizations focus far too much time and resources on performance goals and outcomes, while simultaneously allowing behavior to evolve in a Darwinian (Theory of Evolution) political free-market environment where those who survive are usually the wiliest politicians. Indeed, performance goals can be tangibly measured and monitored, but they are influenced greatly by the softer side of business—human behavior, which is much harder to measure, manage, and monitor. The organization that is able to focus on leadership and employee behavior by assessing, monitoring, and nurturing it will see exponentially improved Performance results.
 2: Habits
The second gap occurs when organizations don’t create opportunities for their people to turn desired behavioral skills into habits. It is not enough to know what to do. You have to actually do what you know, do it well, and do it repeatedly until it becomes second nature. For example, most people are aware of (and agree with) the principles Stephen Covey laid out in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. But how many people have actually made the time to practice those seven identified behaviors until they become habits? Yet any great athlete, artist, or musical performer will tell you that they rely faithfully on the old adage: practice makes perfect.
The organization that is committed to carving out some time to help its leaders grow positive behavioral and leadership habits will see a solid increase in employee performance.
 3: Community
The third gap occurs when organizations do not form safe communities of practice where their people can practice positive behavioral habits together. Leadership development results can be significantly improved when individual practice is augmented with the active participation and feedback of others. Human beings are social by nature and are thus able to achieve much more with the trust, positive conflict, feedback, recognition, mentorship, and accountability that are inherent to communities of practice.
A community built around the collective goal of improving leadership behavior can help to increase one’s chances of new skill development.
 How to Close the Three Gaps
The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
The three gaps between goals and greatness manifest in organizations as a pervasive leadership gap. Without great leadership, organizations will be mired in team dysfunction, lack of productivity, and overall inefficiency. For the best clues on how to close these “execution” gaps, one must examine the following opportunities and threats in today’s leadership landscape:
Only Great Leadership can close the Execution Gap.
There Is a Growing Shortage of Great Leaders.
Most Leaders Don’t Focus on the Goose.
There Can Be No Lasting Change Without Practice.
Only Great Leadership Can Close the Execution Gap:
Nothing affects the success of an organization more than the quality of its leadership.
Not strategy, not technology, not systems, not innovation, and not processes. The single most important factor for bridging the business execution gap is people, and the only way to reliably and predictably improve the effectiveness and productivity of people is through great leadership at all levels of an organization.
There Is a Growing Shortage of Great Leaders:
The demographic reality of our time suggests that there is a shortage of great leaders in most organizations. Additionally, those baby-boom leaders are fast approaching retirement, but there aren’t new leaders ready and prepared to fill their spots in the leadership pipeline. In order to become truly great, organizations must implement cultures and systems that continuously develop new leaders to replace the retiring generation.
Most Leaders Don’t Focus on the Goose:
Whilst most leaders work hard to create high-performance in their firms (the golden egg), they don’t usually assign the same level of importance and attention to employee behavior (the goose).
The Goose and the Golden Eggs, an intense desire to acquire more golden eggs led a greedy owner to kill the goose. By focusing so intensely on the golden eggs at the expense of the goose, he ended up losing both and having none. This parable makes a simple, self-evident point: You must take care of not only that which you seek, but also, that which produces what you seek. In order to increase organizational success, companies must focus on improving the behavior of their leaders and employees, because that is what will in turn improve company-wide performance.
There Can Be No Lasting Change Without Practice:
Here’s a little-known fact: many efforts to develop leaders do not succeed. Another little-known fact: a 10:20:70 rule states that traditional classroom training, which is at the core of most of these efforts, is only 10% as effective as two other elements in the learning mix: mentoring (20%) and practice (70%). By focusing so much on traditional training and the occasional mentoring efforts, organizations are missing out on the most powerful method available for actually implementing lasting behavioral change—practice! Great athletes, musicians, or public speakers know the value of consistent practice, and any neuroscientist will tell you that the mind learns best through experience and repetition.
By focusing so much on traditional training and the occasional mentoring efforts, organizations are missing out on the most powerful method available for actually implementing lasting behavioral change—practice!
The Solution Is Practice!
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act,
But a habit.
Leader Practice is a leadership development process and software solution that helps organizations bridge the gap between goals and greatness. With Leader Practice, desired organizational behaviors are practiced in the safety of a community environment until they become habits.

Hotel protection strategy in a post-bin Laden world

Protection strategies
In formulating a protection strategy for our business centers, hotels, resorts and executives, we should evaluate the nature of terrorist groups. They adapt to changing defensive strategies. They conduct surveillance of potential targets. They identify weaknesses. They thrive on targets that suffer terminal routine. They move against businesses that are administratively and logistically unprepared to detect, deter and prevent an attack. 

The peculiar difficulties posed in detection and deterrence also are compounded by the risk that an attack may be launched from within the ranks of your employed staff or by the very guests you are trying to protect, as well as a visitor or seemingly random intruder.

Protection against these risks follows several fundamental principles which form a layered defense that considers: all administrative policies, procedures and protocols; the integration of risk management and security departments; and the prolific use of IT and security technology.


Some special areas of consideration are:

• employee and guest due diligence;
• risk management and security training;
• risk management and security protocols;
• IT department security compliance;
• software management of critical data flow—quantitative and qualitative;
• current generation security software and cameras with analytics; and
• special attention areas and items—outdoor perimeter; lobby; non-public access and obscure locals; boiler and machinery; storage area for flammables; and anywhere large groups congregate.

The preceding is not meant to replace an all-inclusive assessment. It touches on a number of limited but primary principles and areas that require attention in order to promote further evaluation of your facilities, to promote consideration of new protocols and to provoke thought and management discussion. The risk of maintaining the status quo is, by the nature of the threat, unthinkable.
HANDLING GUEST PROBLEMS
One of the greatest challenges in a hotel is to change and upset angry guests with a problem into a satisfied, happy guest who will enjoy his or her stay and return to the hotel again.  Often this is not easy.  It requires a professional employee to use the skills of:
1-Communication
2-Listening
3-Recognition
4-Channeling Emotions
5-Gaining Trust
6-Empathy
7-Job Skills and Knowledge
8-Problem Solving
SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE PROBLEM
One of the most difficult parts of dealing with an upset guest is not taking his or her anger personally.  If you become angry or upset yourself, this starts a vicious cycle which creates more bad feelings on both sides.
Think for a moment about a professional doctor who is a very nervous patient.  As the patient becomes more nervous, the doctor understands what is happening and seems to become more calm.  The doctor has learned to understand what the patient is going through and not to react with the same emotions himself.
Remember that an angry, upset person needs your help, no matter how much he is raising his voice or blaming you for this problem.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Giving recognition, showing empathy and controlling your own emotions are all necessary ingredients to successful problem-solving.  When you use these skills and the following steps, you will find the process rewarding.
Steps to Solving a Problem:
Determine the problem. Listen to the complaint. Ask questions to clarify the problem. Listening is a skill which most people do poorly. They are thinking about what they are going to say. Or, they are thinking about something else. Or, they are worried about the time.
If you concentrate on what the person is saying, the conversation will take less time. People who do not think you are listening are going to repeat themselves and become even more upset and demanding.
Show empathy for the person.
Mr. Khan, what seems to be the problem? The faucet in the sink leaks. That can be an annoying sound. I am sorry that this has happened to you. Is it the bar sink or the bathroom sink? I apologize that it was not properly fixed yesterday when you reported the problem."
Outline solution(s). Tell the person what you will do to solve his or her problem. If the problem is beyond your ability to solve, contact the proper person (your supervisor or a member of another department) and explain the problem to him or her.
Let me call the Maintenance Manager right away. I am sure that we can have the faucet fixed immediately. However, if there is any difficulty, I will be happy to change your room for you."
Agree on the solution. Have the person state that the solution will be satisfactory and will solve his or her problem. If he or she does not agree, proceed back to Step 2.
Will you allow me an hour to have the Maintenance Manager look at the problem?
Give a commitment.  Restate the action you will take and when you will take it.
All right Mr. Khan.  I will call the Maintenance Manager immediately and if the faucet cannot be fixed, I will contact you within one hour.  Again, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.
Follow through.  Be sure to do what was promised.  If other people are involved in the solution. Follow-up to make sure that they live up to the commitment.  Check back with the guest to ensure that they are satisfied.  (This gives some additional recognition.)
Mr.Khan, were you able to stop the leaking faucet in room? Mr.Khan room?”
Mr. Khan, I understand the faucet has been fixed.  Is everything satisfactory?
While all the steps are important, the most critical is follow-through.  If the promised action is not taken, the guest will end up with three problems:
His or her original problem
His or her second complaint on the original problem and
His or her disappointment in the hotel employees’ inefficiency and broken promise.
That means that someone must now deal with two additional problems and three times the original anger or frustration.  Thus, it is easier and time saving to FOLLOW THROUGH!
Here are 7 steps for resolving customer complaints which have proven to work well. Do not let time lapse and make things worse with your avoidance. Approach the customer as soon as you learn they are unhappy, and;
1. Listen Intently: Listen to the customer, and do not interrupt them. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.
2. Thank Them: Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. You can’t resolve something you aren’t completely aware of, or may be making faulty assumptions about.
3. Apologize: Sincerely convey to the customer your apology for the way the situation has made them feel. This is not the time for preachy reasons, justifications or excuses; you must apologize.
4. Seek the Best Solution: Determine what the customer is seeking as a solution. Ask them; often they’ll surprise you for asking for less than you initially thought you’d have to give—especially when they perceive your apology and intention is genuinely sincere.
5. Reach Agreement: Seek to agree on the solution that will resolve the situation to their satisfaction. Your best intentions can miss the mark completely if you still fail to deliver what the customer wants.
6. Take Quick Action: Act on the solution with a sense of urgency. Customers will often respond more positively to your focus on helping them immediately versus than on the solution itself.
7. Follow-up: Follow-up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied, especially when you have had to enlist the help of others for the solution delivery. Everything up to this point will be for naught if the customer feels that “out of sight is out of mind.”
Problems happen. It’s how you honestly acknowledge and handle them which counts with people. Customers will remember you, and happily give you another chance to delight them when you choose to correct problems with the very best you can offer, proving you value them and their business.

PATIENCE my FRIEND...!!!

I was just wondering why some people who are working in a Hozpitality Industry doesn't know the word "POLITENESS" and "PATIENCE" which for me who worked as well in one of the Hotel in Dubai is quite important.
Base on my experienced in room reservation department there are times that the work is really stressfull especially on a peak season,very busy that sometimes we n forgot to have our meal, but i cann't remember a time were we shouted nor scream to our caller like guest or agent. We've always try to be on our best friendly and helpful tone and extend our help in any possible way to assist their request.
It's quite frustrating that a five star group of hotels has a terrible, bad-manners, unprofesional reservation staff....It happened 2 days back were i send 01 room booking request in one of the well known 5 star hotel, i send the booking around 1400hrs, @ 1600hrs i called up the hotel to follow up my booking since i havent receive a confirmation ,  i spoke to 1 lady named Vanessa and she had told me that they will send the confirmation i just have to wait for 24hrs..24hrs?!!! I understand that, but I explained to her that my booking is for the next day arrival and my agent was keep on bugging me as well for the conf as we need to get the voucher before 1900hrs the same day, her voice was irritated and asked me to just wait, okay..then i hung up.
At 1800hrs i resend my booking request by mail, 1830hrs still no confirmation from them, so i called again and the same lady picked up the phone, when i asked her about my booking request, she almost yell at me and have the guts to tell that she already informed me to wait....i told her that im leaving the office at 1900hrs and i need the conf before that time as i have to send it to my agent too to have the voucher..she just repeatedly told me using her best high tone and irttated voice that she will send me the confirmation without telling me if she will send it now or she already put the booking, she just told me to wait...wait...wait...and wait, again i asked if she can send it tonight since that is for tomorrow's arrival, gosh..she said " i told you that we will send it..you just wait!!!" no please....hah..
That night, i wans't able to send an XO because until i left the ofc, she didnt send the conf..,the next mornig when i came to the officce i got an email from her..confirmation no sent by 2030hrs... :((
We are sending a bussiness/sales to them, we never ask them to be friendly if they cant do that but they should know how to be polite,and be patient atleast...hmmmm....losing words :(( anyway, i pitty her..maybe shes always having a hard time on work, or maybe she is not capable to have loads of work...

 

 

 

Hospitality Industry Challenges for the coming decade? Key in Success71

1. Work - Life Balance

Its not just an HR concern anymore.  The younger generation is definitely more attuned to the needs of 'having a life' and the ones who have spent some years in the industry are beginning to question openly the so called unwritten rules : working 12 hours a day, odd shifts, etc.  Most employees will begin to give up better salaries for a better life.
The answers also do not lie in creating a gym or game room for your staff.  The annual picnic or staff day is passe.  interests are varied and organizations that cater to those specific interests will win the loyalty war.  People want to work with humans and bosses will have to behave as such.

Challenge 2 | Customer Sensitivity photo by jetalone

2. Customer Sensitivity

Customers just don't have the patience anymore. We are not patient people as customers and as hoteliers we will not be able to demand that.  Companies, hotels, service firms who can accept and embrace customer sensitivity and work towards it will emerge winners.  the challenge will not be to ensure all check ins happen under 2 mins, the challenge will be to ensure all check Ins happen in the time the customer thinks she deserves.  finding that out is what will make your operations stand out.
Training will be play a key role here in ways not imagined hitherto.  training will have to move from process centric approach to individual centric approach. you will have to increase the discretionary powers of your team and give them the lee-way to perform as per individual customer sensitivity.

Challenge 3 | Experience Leaders photo by Ernst Moeksis

3. Experience Leaders

The next wave of hoteliers will be experience leaders.  most of us are willing to give up a little of the familiar for a little of the new.  'do the new' within the broad contours of the old and familiar will win.  managers will need to look at each process, each interaction, each moment-of-truth as a 'moment-of-ecstasy'.  If something does not make me twitter about it, it did not happen, its as simple as that.

Challenge 4 | Austerity photo by Orin Zebest

4. Austerity

Its the buzz word.  the bling will be in creating luxury that does not scream, but is rather created in the knowledge that only those who truly know will get it.  More and more you will see people wanting to get luxury rather than being bombed by it. 
Products, services will have to be toned down but upgraded in every small detail.

Challenge 5 | Specialists Professionals photo by Victor Bezrukov

5. Specialists Professionals

More people will work for themselves than ever before.  The desire to fulfill the work-life balance (see pt 1) will see experts currently in the employ of companies becoming freelance agents.  The hospitality industry will see a plethora of professionals come forward to work on niche and even super niche areas, secure outstanding results all the while retaining individuality and freedom. Managers will need to accept the change from people being company-loyal to task-loyal.
Specialists will add value where they think they can and not participate in areas that neither interest them nor excites them.
Experience leaders (see pt 3) will have learn to manage these individuals.

Challenge 6 | Changing Demographics photo by Made Underground

6. Changing Demographics

Everything changes when your customer changes.  The customers are getting younger, better informed, independent (in thought and in finance).  This will warrant a re-think and a re-draw of processes.  There is no single decision maker in an average household anymore and the hospitality industry like any other industry will have to appeal, talk and create goodies for each of those decision makers.
That is where the experience leaders along with the specialist professionals will win!
Prabhjot Bedi is a hospitality consultant, recruiter and trainer.
He works at creating superlative experiences and processes so that your business thrives.
He works with individuals in creating individual paths to glory!
More at www.prabhjotbedi.com

The Essential Resume Skills

An effective resume is one that will get you shortlisted for an Interview. That's it.

That is the job of a resume.

Start with these 10 Sure Shot Tips:

1. 'What Are You Applying For'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/07/podcast-resume-skills-what-are-...

2. 'Objective Of Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-obejective-onof-y...

3. 'How to Talk about your work experience! Really Talk'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-talk-about-your-w...

4 'How to Write Accomplishments'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2008/01/resume-skills-accomplishments.html

5. 'Hobbies & Interests - Make them make you stand out!'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-hobbies-interests...

6. 'Rules for References on Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-references-on-you...

7.'THE DO NOTS'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-nots.html

8. 'How To Create an Awesome Cover Letter'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-create-awesome-e-...

9. ''Do you have a Good Looking Resume?'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-...

10. 'Flaunt Your Profile'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/03/flaunt-your-profileresume.html

10 Simple Ways to Get to Know Yourself Better

I thought I would try and add some value to it.

1. Look at your achievements in school or at work
the phrase 'past success may not guarantee future results' is true for most of the financial markets and services, but for us - individuals - this is as good a yardstick as any.
dont look at the marksheets here, think of the times when some activity, some victory, some cause made you restless with excitement and you could barely wait to get to school/work again.

I remember an accountant becoming feverish for the volleyball tournament at work. he was vocal, creative and cheered with such passion you would think him a marketing man.

2. Identify your favorite hobbies and activities
I love good movies. I love great TV shows better. I love super books even more. But I really really love path-breaking ideas and innovations.
My hobby (tracking innovation) and the resulting activity it generates in me is irreplaceable.
What's yours?

3. Talk with friends and family members
two things I read somewhere come to mind:
a. you are the average of the 5 people you keep the most company of.
b. if you want to be something, find people who are already that and be with them.

Your current freinds and family members maynot really know the desires that you have or the potential that you possess. For me take this feedback more for negative traits than positive ones.

4. Consult with a professional counselor
its a question of trust.
if you see someone who has achieved what you dream of or has helped others do the same, you may want to consult with a professional. however most counselors in schools and colleges are as limited in their outlook as the parents.
here are some leads (I have not worked with them and neither do I endorse them) http://www.parivarthan.org/, http://ushagoyal.com/

5. Keep a journal
I do and I can attest to the power of a journal.
I have a small pocket size one for when I travel, a larger version for longer thoughts, an online onethat records 5 things/thoughts for everyday & I use the my mac/phone to record a video log for the day.
Its fun, insightful (I know my memory is weakening -) ) and helps me keep ideas in one place.

if you have concerns on How Long to Form a Habit? And What You Can Do Towards It... go to h...

buy some Butterflies Journal (Notebook, Diary) & Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large

6. Write a personal mission statement

what is a personal mission statement?
A personal mission statement is a written affirmation of what you want to be or aspire to be.
It is a personal guiding light for you to ensure you are always on your right path.

A personal mission statement is powerful. It not only helps you decide what to do, it ensures you do not do things that do not fit in with who you are or wanting to be. A personal mission statement motivates, challenges and helps you look at the bigger picture.

I have one.
I have had one since I was introduced to Steven Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & the 8th habit The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness: Miniature Edition

This is also a starting point for my effort 7 Days To A Remarkable You. You should start here

7. Set short-term and long-term goals

Goals are very powerful.
They take a life of their own once you spell them out.
Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (see here)

I am also a huge fan of daydreaming (see here) & manifestation (see here | 10 steps for manifestation)

Sharing your goals can get you so much more. Support, Ideas, like minded people & above all wishes. click here to know more about sharing your goals

I would also suggest reading Set Compelling Outcomes For Yourself - http://www.myeclatcoach.com/...

8. Job shadow and talk to people in a variety of positions

My career decision can largely be attributed to a successful individual already pursuing the cause ( see I am not me any more )
My subsequent success and learning is from people I could shadow, observe, emulate and sometimes learn from their errors and omissions.

Most people would be happy to help you. Just Ask.

9. Sign up for a crash course in an area of interest

Of course this assumes you have finally figured out an area of interest and there are crash courses in that area. sometimes this is daunting. some cultures, families do not look kindly at wasting time so to speak. I would suggest this only after the knowledge and support of the ones you feel responsible to.

10. Take career and personality quizzes

I took some tests myself. to see my results, click here
some sites you can try are
http://www.personalitytype.com
http://www.humanmetrics.com/
http://colorwize.com/

Self Development| Accelerate Your Ability to Learn

I read the phrase 'Accelerate your ability to learn' and fell in love with it.

Simple? Yes. How do we do it.

Let's deconstruct the phrase.

The main aim is to Learn.
How you learn & what you do to learn is the Ability

But the essential idea that captured my imagination was 'Accelerate'

so not only are you supposed to learn, but improve and increase your ability to learn! think of it as computing power. Not only are the processors becoming faster, the rate at which they are becoming faster is growing too!

So I went digging.

This post aims to look/search for some more information on the
tools/thoughts/links that you could use to 'Accelerate your ability to learn'

1. Music
The founder of the Accelerated Learning movement, Dr. Georgi Lozanov, the renowned Bulgarian psychologist, developed a methodology for teaching foreign languages that used baroque music with
a beat pattern of about 60 beats per minute. Students learned in a
fraction of the normal time.

In a single day, one half of the normal vocabulary and phrases for the term (up to 1000 words or phrases) were learned. In addition, an added benefit was that the students had an average of 92% retention of what they had learned!

He found that Baroque music affects the emotional centers of the brain as well as the heart and breathing

here is an example to get you started

I use music all the time. To write I have some specific numbers, to work thru mundane emails
another set and some good ole favs for when I feel down and out.

2. Getting Ready To Learn
This is such a revelation!

anyone who has ever worked out, will tell you the importance of warming up. you could seriously injure yourself if you don't and yet when it comes to the mind we don't really stretch , do we?

I suggest you develop a quick routine to Get Ready to Learn. This could include music, looking at a photograph/art/point on a wall, chanting, breathing exercises or even self affirmations.

3. Managing Fear
this is such a big drag.

My suggestion is to admit it.

Admit that you are scared of the new thing/trick/skill/knowledge and that you need to learn it bad otherwise bad things will happen to you.

Fear is scared of being called fear.

the other thing fear is scared of? ACTION!
Start now. wanted to learn how to drive a car? ensure you are on the wheel of one today.

4 suggestopedia

Suggestopedia is a theory in which positive suggestion is applied in teaching. But there is something there that I want to focus your attention on.

The students must value the professional skill of the teacher.

Now, since we are talking about learning by yourself here, you must trust the source of your learning.
I do not take all information from the net seriously. I have a select set of authors who I respect and listen to. Not everyone is allowed to offer me suggestions or try and mentor me.

5. Mind Maps

I love these things.

The mind map is such an awesome tool, I keep wondering by people don't use it. It is simple, intuitive and versatile. Essentially a mind map is a hard copy of how your mind works. when I say the word 'blue', some of you might think of the colour, some the mood, some the music and others clothes etc. To capture this non-linear approach that our brain uses, mind map was created.
get the free software from imindmap

6. Create What's In It For Me (W.I.I.F.M)
Whenever you sit down to learn anything, create this first.

Your mind will now ensure that while you are reading, listening, watching, your mind will consciously & unconsciously looks for WITFM.

This is like an objective or intended goal.

7. Mirror neuron
A mirror neuron is a neuron which fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.

Want to learn something. Watch someone else do it. It works for humans too!

My mum tells me that the younger sibling starts everything in life earlier than the first born. skills like talking, walking, running etc. this is coz, he/she has another being to look at and ape!

8. Mnemonic

A mnemonic device (pronounced /nəˈmɒnɪk/) is a memory aid.

Like the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid

Create your own!

I am certain there are many more. Let me know if there are techniques that you use & that work for you. oh one more thing, I don't call this Accelerate Your Ability to Learn, I call it AYAL!

Cheers!
Prabhjot Bedi
www.prabhjotbedi.com

See more on www.myeclatcoach.com

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Why you should go prepared for an interview

As a personal success coach, I tell people they should prepare. prepare for the presentation, the meeting, the speech, and of course the job interview.

As a sceptic and someone who never did what was asked just because it was asked of me, I asked myself, why? Why should one prepare?

Look at it this way. The whole idea of an interview is that the people taking the interview (the company) think you are the best for the position. Now although you can prepare for some questions, how can you prepare for everything that will happen while you work there. Your success will be based on your ability to manage and manage effectively the unscripted parts. If that is the case, then the more you seem to have prepared your answers, the chances of your selection should be lower. it rarely goes like that.

Let me give you some examples:

1. when you as a bank customer withdraw money from your account, the back does not know how much you will withdraw, when you will do it and in what denomination you would want your money. So, should they just sit there and wait for you to come in. make your request, and then go about procuring the amount you need in the currency you need it?

Nope. They sit there prepared. They keep all currencies as far as possible and then, when you want your money, they can give it to you in the break up you need it in. They are prepared.

2. the hospital. do they run out to get machines after you show up for a diagnosis? do they manufacture medication after they find out what the pain is all about? no. they are prepared. because they are prepared, they know what to do when you are in pain.

This is why you should prepare. Think of yourself as a doctor, a healer if you will.

The company is in pain and hence it has advertised for a position.

They need someone who can come in, take charge of things and take care of them.

This is the senior leadership and they need someone to reduce that pain.

you are the doctor they are seeking out.

do you have your tools?

do you have your check lists?

do you have ideas?

do you have solutions?

simply put, are you prepared?

the doctor who seems to be prepared, can tell the patient that it will be ok, as long as the patient is willing to do certain things that the doctor suggests, the doctor will be hired.

I looked around for some definitions of preparation on the Web:

• the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose; "preparations for the ceremony had begun"

• formulation: a substance prepared according to a formula; "the physician prescribed a commercial preparation of the medicine"

• planning: the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening; "his planning for retirement was hindered by several uncertainties"

• readiness: the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them in readiness"; "their preparation was more than adequate"

• (music) a note that produces a dissonant chord is first heard in a consonant chord; "the resolution of one dissonance is often the preparation for another dissonance"

• training: activity leading to skilled behavior

I like these.

But, as another voice inside my head asks, 'If I prepare my answers for the interviews, wont I sound rehearsed?'

Every song, every important speech, every piece of music, film, theatre you see has been rehearsed before. Many, many times before.

Does it look stale to you as a viewer?

the rehearsals ensure you remove all that this holding the performance back.

the little little improvements every time you rehearse, create a masterpiece.

I was listening to some jazz yesterday, and the composer was saying on radio that it takes over 2 months of practice for each musician to even begin rehearsals on the stage. Wow!

Its just the same.

the performance that is the interview is your live show.

It is in front of a very accomplished and knowledgeable audience.

If it isn't rehearsed properly, they will notice the lack of effort and preparation.

Having said that, nothing keeps you from improvising.

You can take your prepared material and mould it, twist it, and create something unique for the very special audience in front of you.

A lot of performers will change the lyrics a little to include the name of the city or the organization they are performing for. The basic structure remains the same, the ability to do improv comes from the rock solid foundation of practice, of knowing your stuff.

unfortunately, you need a lot more preparation for improv.

You would need to know what your audience likes, doesn't like.

you would need to know what they believe in, what they dont put too much stock into.

you would need to know what they value.

you would need to know the history and more importantly, where they are headed.

Can a chef prepare something for you which is non-spicy and the same dish for me as a spicy one?

Yes. If she is a good chef.

How?

The recipe remains the same, the ability of the chef to create something different for a customer comes from the fact that she knows her basic dish very very well. The change in a couple of ingredients does not deter her. why? coz she is prepared.

To sum it up, research shows you need to get at least 10000 hours of practice into anything to become world class at it.

Once you are world class at something, you can start creating stuff that is uniquely you.

And that is the goal of an interview, isn't it?

To show the world that you are uniquely qualified for the job.

that what you can do, what no one else can!

Happy Successing!

How To Write A Resume - 10 essential resume writing tips!

How To Write A Resume - 10 essential resume writing tips!

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Over 20 articles on resume skills.
Over 100 resume tips.
No sample resumes, but I did create a list of some creative resume templates

But here is the kicker, I never did write anything about 'How To Write A Resume'

So, here goes.

Resume writing is geared towards one thing and one thing only 'getting you an interview'

That is it. A good, well written resume, will create that path for you
and then your selection will depend upon more things than just your resume.

First things first.

1. Its about the audience.

Some questions to answer when you sit down to write your resume:
Imagine yourself a product or service, now this is what your resume has to provide answers to:
- What are you selling? YOU
- What are its benefits? Your specials. Your strengths. What will you bring to the company, the job role.
- Why should people be interested in it? If there are another 1000
people applying for the same job, why should someone call you for theinterview. It has to show up on your resume
- What is better about your product or service than others in the
marketplace? Do you have a USP? A USP is unique selling proposition.
Lets call it UNIQUE SELECTION PROPOSITION for your resume template.

2. Most resume templates - have an objective. This is often misused, wasted and in some cases - simply ridiculous.
The top paragraph of your resume is very very important.
see more 'Get Immediate response using the Objective Of Your Resume'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-obejective-onof-y...

3. Use Simple Words
for the word 'simple' these are the synonyms
child's play, cinch*, clean, easy as pie, effortless, elementary, facile,
incomplex, intelligible, light, lucid, manageable, mild, no problem, no
sweat, not difficult, picnic, piece of cake, plain, quiet,
self-explanatory, simple as ABC, smooth, snap*, straightforward,
transparent, uncomplicated, uninvolved, unmistakable, untroublesome,
walkover

for resume?
CV, abstract, bio, biography, curriculum vitae, digest, epitome,
précis, recapitulation, review, rundown, sum, summary, summation,
summing-up, synopsis, vita, work history

The point I am trying to make is, you can make something indurate
(hard) and exasperate(irritate) recruiters by using words that don't
belong.

use simple words.
pssst.. also use action words.
see Resume POWER words. Use these words in your resume to increase effectiveness
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2009/12/resume-keywords.html

4. People buy benefits not features
In the product world you don't buy a CRDi engine, you buy the mileage or the ease of maintenance of that engine.
Its the benefit not the feature.
So just mentioning your designations & place of work as your feature, means nothing. what is the benefit from it?
are you someone who can create new revenue streams, manage projects, launch new services, what?
There could have been over 10 general managers of a particular
property, unit etc, but each may have been instrumental in different
things during their tenure.
one may be good with renovation, one with costs, one with revenues, and one with employee relations.
what is the benefit your features bring?

want an easy way to do this?
Think about the recruiter asking the question 'so what?'

e.g. your resume states '7 years experience with XYZ brand'
recruiter 'so what?'

5. Specifics sell, generalities do not
just writing on a resume, that you increased sales means nothing.
Increased sales by 20% y-o-y means something.
specifics.
always. 100% of the time!

6. Make sure your resume is believable.
I know.
I am sorry.
I did not mean to say you are lying on your resume or that your resume writing feels bogus.
I just mean, when you read some of the new age resume writing services produced- template created- resumes, you do wonder about the candidate.
Keep the jargon for the presentations.
Keep the jargon off the resume.

7. Make your resume look good.
Make no mistake, the content is the most important thing. I would hire
a creative genius if he just sent in a note, but for all professional
resumes, one must ensure it is good looking.
use resume templates, look at sample resumes, to determine the resume you want.
see ''Good Looking Resumes get Shortlisted. How to make yours Good looking!' http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/12/resume-skills-do-you-have-good-...

8. Resume Layout.
Research shows that we spend more time on the top, the center and the bottom of any print/letter/ad etc.
use this effectively.
* the top has your 'resume objective'
* the middle has 'your experience' listed effectively.
see 'How to Talk about your work experience! Really Talk'
http://www.myeclatcoach.com/2007/11/resume-skills-talk-about-your-w...
* the bottom should be more than just your address or your personal details. Use it creatively.
Think of it as a little reminder note to tell the reader, why you are special.
I may even be inclined to ask you to replace your personal details with your achievements as the last section on your resume template.

9. Write multiple resume copies.
start with atleast 3 different resume templates.
send out these templates.
see the response.
learn to improve the one that sticks.


10. Find a resume that you like, then write your resume using that as a template.
study resumes of friends, on sites etc.
If you like one (not the one that impresses you most, but the one you think you will call for an interview) use that to develop your personal resume template.

you don't have to use all the resume tips here.
As long as you use some, but whole-heartedly, you will be able to write a resume that could become a resume template for others!

happy resume writing!

p.s. Remember, it is a resume. it is only supposed to get you an interview. and please, please keep it less than 2 pages.

40 Steps to a Greener Hotel

40 ways that your hotel can go green

1. Programmable and digital control of your HVAC systems: Use electronic thermostats in guestrooms with pre-set settings to minimize energy consumption.
2. Key Card Energy Management System turn off lights when guests are not in room.
3. A linen and towel reuse program is a must.
4. Consider either Organic Cotton Linens or Linens made with Tencel Plus.
5. Ozone laundry systems reduce the detergent and chemicals used by the wash.
6. Advance Laundry Solutions also has new drying technology that reduces energy consumption by up to 90%, yet requires no vent and extends textile life.
7. In-room recycling.
8. Recycling containers in all public areas.
9. Use compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs and energy-saving lighting fixtures
10. Install motion sensor-activated lights in areas that are infrequently used.
11. Use natural light as much as possible in common areas, restaurants and meeting rooms. Consider changing window coverings or installing skylights to improve to reduce artificial lighting.
12. "Green roofs" create energy savings by acting as super insulators, keeping buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also serve as a storm water management systems, catching pollutants as they drain off the roofs.
13. If not plants, how about installing solar panels on your roof?
14. Improve window and door seals. You will save on heating and cooling costs, reduce noise levels and decrease dust circulation.

15. Improve air quality by circulating outside air into guestrooms.
16. Identify something that is being discarded and find re-use for that item - such as reusing old tablecloths to make napkins.
17. Turn off all lighting/equipment/computers when not in use.
18. Make guest registration paperless.
19. Scan and email instead of fax.
20. When you do need to print, use recycled paper, soy-based inks and print double-sided.
21. Biodegradable 100% recycled room keys.
22. Use biodegradable and all-natural bathroom amenities, such as soaps, lotions, shampoos and conditioners.
23. Use bathroom amenity dispensers rather than individually packaged amenities.
24. Buy amenities, food and cleaning products in bulk to reduce waste and transportation costs.
25. 1.6 gallon per flush toilets installed in all rooms and guest areas.
26. Low-flow faucet aerators installed throughout the building and in all guestrooms.
27. Use of environmentally friendly (low VOC) paints.
28. Check with your pest management company to ensure use of integrated pest management (IPM) products and policies that are environmentally friendly and reduce the use of chemicals.
29. Use groundcover and drought-resistant plants to reduce amount of mow-able grass on your properties.
30. Go Smoke-Free!
31. Serve meals buffet style to reduce packaging and waste.
32. Use electric buffet warmers rather than canned fuels.
33. Serve water by each guest's request rather than pre-pouring.
34. Stop using plastic water bottles.
35. Offer guests bicycles for short trips instead of driving.
36. Consider hybrid or electric vehicles for your fleet.
37. Used recycled rubber for the cardio room floor, or recycled tiles for pool floors.
38. Upcycle or recycle items you no longer need or use for their original purpose - such as in-room furnishings.
39. Give leftover food and/or amenities to charities.
40. Plant a garden and harvest organically-grown vegetables for your restaurant.

5 quick ideas to fire up your imagination

Imagination is everything.

That could be the most powerful statement of all time. only, its
useless, because most of us do not consider ourselves imaginative.

we believe, that artistes, writers and such people who dream new and wonderful things are imaginative. we, we on the other hand are more base. the ones who see an orange sun and blue sky. I mean who sees pink elephants, purple cows and flying pigs?

the imaginative ones. and most often than not, they make it come true.

here are 5 quick ideas to get imaginative:

1. Spend time with a child and go along with whatever she makes up
don't think, don't correct her. she is not the one who is supposed to
learn, you are. you are going to get a lesson ( and a very quick one at
that) on imagination.
its fabulous. there is just no reason that can change her vivid and very real imagination.
go along for the ride, you will come back spell bound.

2. Think of opposites
how would the world be if all of us worked at night and slept in the day (ok, that is not a figment of my imagination anymore, a lot of people already do that!)
or, what if we all walked on our hands? (ok that is scary)
but you get the general idea.

3. Juxtapose your fav characters
take the character from one book/movie/play/tv series and replace with
them with another from a different book/movie/play/tv series. now
imagine the dialogues, the interplay etc. fun!

4. Think about the absence of things
like what if there were no elevators, or no fruits or worse, no internet? (wait there was a time when that was true..) anyway, think about stuff and then think if it wasn't there!

5. Paint
I love this. just take some color (any will do, pencil, crayon, water, enamel etc) and paint.
forget what it will be, forget what it is and who it is for. just paint. once you are done, write a 3 line explanation for it. now, you will need to be imaginative! enjoy!
p.s. Leave ideas that work for you in the comments.

Editorial | 5 Skills For Career Success In Budget Hotels

Why? Budget is where the future is.

That's right, it is the fastest growing segment in the hospitality trade and will continue to expand for time to come.

Most of the brands are self-help, good looking motels.
If you walk in with skills you learnt in Hotel Management Schools, you would not only fail magnificently, you may want to go back and strangle some of the faculty.

Here are my 5 skills for career success in Budget Hotels:

1. MULTI-TASKING
more than anyother space, this segment, requires and rewards individuals who have the capacity to take on a myriad of roles without the slightest reluctance and hesitation.

2. Think Efficiency
In everything that you do here, effeciency is the key word. Customer happiness/satisfaction will follow, once they are educated enough on what is on offer and what isn't.

3. ABILITY to say NO
I know, you were trained to the 'customer is always right' but this is not where it is to be practiced. This is a mass market and any deviation (customization) costs money. you have to be able to say NO to things that are not available/provided

4. Technology Savvy
If you dont know how it all works together, you will be at sea and without a life jacket. As these brands grow, technology will play a big part in facilitating multi-location issues and guest services

5. Process Management
Everything is laid down in a manual and your job is to learn it, implement it and train it further. dont question, dont try and change these things, just follow them. if it says, one swipe of the rag, then thats it.

Its a space that will give you a chance to take on mega responsibilities at a very early stage/age and you better learn to forget that 14 course meal they were teaching you in fnb classes!!

What the Hell is going on at EIH? oh wait Reliance just became the largest, again!

First they sell to Reliance, then we at hospemag.com wish them Goodbye, and now this?
read  ITC & EIH to combine hotel biz, become largest hospitality chain


What the hell?

Why would Mukesh Ambani pay so much more than required to keep ITC at bay and then invite them to the dining table?

or was it done to bring ITC on board as a partner and not an acquisition?

According to reports, ITC hotels will be demerged from ITC and merged into a new entity.

WOW! now, Reliance becomes the LARGEST, yes largest hotel chain in India. It does not need to wrestle with ITC, or buy it, the hotels are free from the ITC board and presto, they are market leaders.  Does Reliance like to be the largest? yes it does.  What does it do best? crowd out everybody else.

Should the Taj be worried?

You bet! Reliance creates a decent amount of business within the group itself, that of course will now go no way near the Taj, but also, this means a larger balance sheet for the new entity, more punch in sales & marketing and more reach - read cities, and depth.  With ITC they add budget/economy to the upmarket, upscale Oberois and Trident.

What about Leela? they need funds, so will Taj oblige? will they go the Reliance way too?

Suddenly Nita Ambani coming on the board of EIH doesnt sound that much looney, does it?

RIL buys 14.12 pc in EIH for Rs 1,021 crore

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries today said it has acquired 14.12 per cent stake in EIH, that runs the Oberoi brand of hotels and resorts, for Rs 1,021 crore.


The purchase is through RIL's wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industries Investment and Holding Private Limited, from Oberoi Hotels Private Limited and certain other promoters of EIH Limited, RIL said in a statement.

"RIL's investment in EIH Limited has been made as the Oberoi family had developed the 'Oberoi Hotels' brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector and as a result EIH Limited has excellent future prospects," the statement said.

RIL has full faith in and would support the management of EIH Limited and there is no change of management, operation or control of EIH Limited, it added.

Commenting on the stake sell, Oberoi Group Chairman PRS Oberoi said: "RIL desired to make a long term financial investment in the luxury hospitality industry. We are happy to encourage their investment in EIH Ltd. There is no change to control, management or operation of EIH."

The development comes less than two months after Oberoi ruled out selling promoter stake in EIH Ltd, although he said he could not stop rival ITC from buying shares in the open market.

Earlier this year, ITC Ltd had increased its stake to 14.98 per cent in EIH Ltd triggering speculation that the FMCG-to-hospitality conglomerate could go for an open offer once it crosses the 15 per cent mark.

"We have 46.4 per cent (in EIH Ltd) and there is no plan to sell any stake," Oberoi had said in July.

Asked about ITC increasing stake in EIH through open market purchases, he said: "If somebody wants, we can't stop people buying from the stock market."

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/RIL-buys-1412-pc-in-EIH-for-Rs-1021-crore/articleshow/6461765.cms

Say Goodbye To Oberois

to see the original story visit
http://www.hospemag.com/2010/08/ril-buys-1412-pc-in-eih-for-rs-1021...

I have been saying this for a long time now : Oberoi's run awesome hotels, but unfortunately a lot of them dont make money.

most of the vilas properties are run in the red and the sheer project cost of these hotels makes them very very difficult to digest. you need someone with deep deep pockets.

Mukesh Ambani is just the man.

here is what i think will happen:

1. expect management changes within 6 months - 1 yr (especially the project & finance areas)
2. expect an open offer within 1 - 2 yrs
3. expect rapid expansion
4. expect brand change within 3 yrs

I dont think this is purely an investment from Reliance. I would like
to think that it would be similar to Four Seasons or Aman (in both cases
the original owners retained 3-4% ownership in the company and no brand
changes were made), but I dont think so.

Mr. Oberoi will be around. The family (along with Mr. Analjit Singh)
might own 10% or so eventually, but sooner than later you will see the
Reliance stamp all over the company.

to see the original story visit
http://www.hospemag.com/2010/08/ril-buys-1412-pc-in-eih-for-rs-1021...

3 Immediate things to do for your hotel's Social Marketing

I quite liked Top 10 Strategies to Promote Hotels on Social Media Channels
I think it is a well put together article.

However for the ones venturing into this for the first time, it could be overwhelming.

here are the 3 things you can do for your hotel's social marketing, starting today!

1. Start a fan page on facebook


this is probably the simplest way to start.
Dont worry too much about design etc, just start a fan page, and link it from your website.
if you can add the 'like' button or 'fans' applet on your site.

< this is ours
visit http://bit.ly/cnFP8I >

2. Get a Blog
Ideally make it something like this www.blog.yourhotelname.com, but if
that is not possible then www.yourhotels.com/blog will also do.
post something atleast once a week
integrate a feed/email opt-in option

3. Create photos & videos and upload to flickr & youtube
these are very viral mediums and engage the net user in India very actively.
ensure that all updates are posted to your blog and facebook fan page.

You probably think twitter should be here too.
yes, it should, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.
you can very easily set up an automated posting account to twitter using tweetfeed etc.
if you can manage a blogpost everyday and ensure that is further 'ping'ed out, you are good.

How to Blog for Career Success

According to a report in economic times, blogging can now be good for your career.
Here are my 10 tips on ‘How to Blog for Career Success’

Below is the excerpt.

Blog is a shorthand term for weblog. It is an online journal where you can post your thoughts, observations and comments about a particular topic.
Blogs can enable an organisation to quickly share information among employees, partners or customers. But blogging has its advantages as well as disadvantages as far as an employee or an organisation is concerned.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/6460103.cms

Here are my points for ‘How to How to Blog for Career Success’

1. Take permission or at the very least inform the people concerned

I am talking about your boss, your PR department and any corporate communications in your organization.
If you are a position where you can blog/share your views freely, please do so.
I personally think the blog by Bill Marriott is so much better than any PR mailers.

2. Share your views not the news
You can also blog the latest announcements, but I am of the opinion you would have an official company website/blog/fan page on facebook/twitter account etc. let the news be there, let the views be on your blog.

3. Link everything to your blog
Linkedin, twitter, facebook, your email footer, your visiting card, everything.
Link and promote your blog on all your online and in all your offline presence.
Giving a speech? Visiting a college/university, sharing a talk at the industry association/meet, link it up to your blog.

4. Have a point of view
Take a stand. Don’t be someone who says ‘maybe/ they could have/ maybe not/ they couldn’t have’
Decide.
Take a point of view, then blog it.
Defend it, argue it, and scream it.

5. Invite people to comment
Ask your colleagues to comment, invite your readers.
Engage them.
Answer the queries.
Let even the negative comments go online.

6. Seek feedback
On your company services, your products and also your own blog.
Ask the readers and let them be frank.
Own all the feedback you get even if it does not pertain to your department/product/service etc.

7. Keep it simple
Please don’t make it too flashy or jazzy. Stick to the simple blog look. It is more personal that way. Let the content talk.

8. List your contact details
It is quite irritating to reach a blog and not find any contact details on it.
If you are concerned about privacy, do not blog.
If you choose to blog, then be open and available.
And please respond.

9. Do not put up any confidential information
Nothing that is not in the public domain should go up.
Not only is this unethical, you could invite legal trouble and financial liabilities.

10. Don’t wait for the perfect time, start NOW!
Learn as you go along. Start. Don’t worry too much about how many readers you garner at the very start. Concentrate on writing good stuff, people (read google) will find you!

What the Hell is going on at EIH? oh wait Reliance just became the largest, again!

First they sell to Reliance, then we at hospemag.com wish them Goodbye, and now this?
read  ITC & EIH to combine hotel biz, become largest hospitality chain

What the hell?

Why would Mukesh Ambani pay so much more than required to keep ITC at bay and then invite them to the dining table?

or was it done to bring ITC on board as a partner and not an acquisition?

According to reports, ITC hotels will be demerged from ITC and merged into a new entity.

WOW! now, Reliance becomes the LARGEST, yes largest hotel chain in India. It does not need to wrestle with ITC, or buy it, the hotels are free from the ITC board and presto, they are market leaders.  Does Reliance like to be the largest? yes it does.  What does it do best? crowd out everybody else.

Should the Taj be worried?

You bet! Reliance creates a decent amount of business within the group itself, that of course will now go no way near the Taj, but also, this means a larger balance sheet for the new entity, more punch in sales & marketing and more reach - read cities, and depth.  With ITC they add budget/economy to the upmarket, upscale Oberois and Trident.

What about Leela? they need funds, so will Taj oblige? will they go the Reliance way too?

Suddenly Nita Ambani coming on the board of EIH doesnt sound that much looney, does it?

Attrition rate in the hospitality industry in India set to touch 50 per cent by 2010 - What does the future hold for you?

According to an Economic Times report, the same reasons are back. Better pays at BPOs, international offers, work-life balance etc.

I have a better answer.


I think finally the people in the ivory towers, the rich owners are coughing up more. Salaries are improving almost as fast as 'servant attitude' is dropping.

more hospitality professionals want to be paid as professionals and treated as one too, and guess what, because of competition, the owners have to.

Let me try and see if I can predict a little into the future. lets say five years from now.

here is what I see:

- brands everywhere. standalone hotels will only exist in the far ends of the bell-curve. either these will be too small to matter, or too big (read upmarket or higher service levels) to ignore. everything in between will be branded.

that will mean more parity in salaries, more management training and therefore enrichment of the workforce and of course, more bargaining for the employees.

- hotel management institutes with tie-ups with hotels/brands. not the in-house management training programs that are such a waste of time (some of these are called MT programs only because no one was joining), but the more integrated approach to academics with a practical view.

- I beleive and I am willing to bet, more industry accreditation. you will need to be certified for everything and the ones with the certification will make more money.

- last but not the least, I think the designations will change. we will see more Deputy/ Assistant General Managers, we will probably even see AVPs - Associate Vice Presidents. why? because a lot of these branded hotels will be owned by companies where the GM will be President too. These will also make the hoteliers feel a little better about what they do. It works, ask the bankers!

there you have it.

oh, I almost forgot. if you are not getting a 20%+ increase this year, you are way below average. Consider yourself to be a high flier? aim at 50%!

cheers!

p.s. buy me a drink if you do make that raise!

·                                

Everything you wanted to know about LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.

See More

LEED - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

• How to achieve LEED certification
• LEED and the Hospitality Industry
• LEED Certified Hotels
• 10 Greenies @ ITC Royal Gardenia
• LEED Measures
• LEED Operations Checklist

How To Develop Your Menu

"It seems beyond the imagination of the menu-maker
that there are people in the world who breakfast on a single egg."
Melvin Maddocks

Melvin Maddocks' quote sums up my own feeling upon opening most hotel or resort beverage menus. While contemporary restaurants promote specific concepts through the selection of ingredients and style of cooking, enticing guests with imaginative dishes and neatly worded menus, the same ideology towards concept development has not been widely embraced in the bar and the lack of imagination to which Maddocks alludes is still common.
Take a moment to consider the outlets in your property. Does the cocktail selection in your signature restaurant dovetail with the food offering? Do any of your bars have a specific beverage concept or do your menus consist of mainly classic cocktails?
The classics are all very well - they endure for very good reason - but for your bar to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, consideration must also be given to signature concepts and cocktails. Aspiring operators are beginning to catch on and, at Fling International, we have seen an rise in requests for menu development in properties ranging from 4-star business hotels to exclusive boutique resorts.
We firmly believe that bar concepts are only limited by your imagination and that a little investment in intelligent menu development can really set your bar apart. Here is my 8-point guide to developing your own unique beverage offering.
1) Keep it Different
One of the keys to a bar's success is having a concept that stands out from the crowd. Have a look at the surrounding area and see what kind of bars are already established.
If there are a lot of Latin bars in your area, for example, then don't open another one, even if you think your head bartender's Mojito is the best in the world.
That doesn't mean you should eschew popular drinks for the sake of being different but why not put your own conceptual twist on them? What about an Italian concept that lists a sun-dried tomato Bloody Mary, a fresh basil Daiquiri or a Mojito topped with prosecco?
2) Make Sure it is On-Trend
Strong concepts take a current trend like the use of homemade bitters and syrups or the incorporation of local, seasonal ingredients and run with them.
Research what is current and popular through the internet and the industry press and be careful that you leverage the popularity of a growing trend rather than jump on to the back of a fad that will not deliver in the long term.
3) Make sure it fits
While you need to be different, don't be so different that your concept confuses your clientele. Developing a molecular mixology concept in the centre of a cosmopolitan city will endorse your bar as cutting edge, however, in a remote game reserve it would be out of place.
When developing a menu I always try to keep in mind a sense of place, especially if there is a number of tourists among the clientele. I believe the concept should not only promote the outlet but also the property and destination.
4) Don't price yourself out of the market
Gold dust and lobster-infused vodka may catch the eye on the menu but make sure your guests can bear the sales price or you risk implementing a vanity project rather than a profitable product.
One-off luxury drinks that require expensive ingredients or time-consuming methods can add value to an outlet but they should be kept to a minimum and highlighted on the menu for maximum effect.
5) Control the cost
Don't load your menu with too many ingredients that are only used in one drink. Smart concept design concentrates on ingredients you already purchase and integrates them into multiple drinks.
Look at how you can fit one ingredient into a non-alcoholic cocktail, a long cocktail and a martini cocktail. Place them in different sections of the menu so the repetition isn't obvious.
6) Spell it out
Make sure your guests understand the concept of your bar through the menu. This is achieved through the ingredients you use as well as the cocktail names and descriptions.
Your beverage menu should be a reflection of the bar and, worded correctly, it will celebrate the concept, generate positive interest and become a selling tool for the outlet in itself.

7) Make it deliverable

Don't burden your bar with a concept that is difficult to implement or sustain. A Mexican concept isn't going to work if your suppliers only have two different brands of tequila.
Also, don't overload the menu with concept cocktails. Develop six to eight signature drinks and highlight them at the front of the menu then use the remaining pages for popular contemporary cocktails and high-selling classics.
8) Train your staff
Perhaps most importantly, make sure your staff understand the concept and cocktails and are able to explain them to your guests.
While the menu can become a selling tool for the concept, it is essential that your staff have the knowledge to actively promote the concept, answer guest questions and make recommendations.
Andrew Mullins is a founder and director of Fling International
Fling International
Fling International is a group of professional bar developers and hospitality operators dedicated to the improvement of bartending, bar operation, hospitality training & guest experience worldwide.
They provide comprehensive consultancy and training courses including menu development, professional bartender and bar waiter courses, salesmanship and opening support. They count One&Only, Starwood, Shangri La and Conrad among a prestigious list of satisfied clients.

Recruitment Secret 'Recruiters Pay Human Resources'

The What & The Why

This is a dirty one.
Its not something that would happen at the best of companies, or then again you would think it does not happen.
Its all about demand and supply.
Industries where the demand for manpower is more than the supply, the recruiter is vital for existence and business, the instance of this happening is low. But, the other way around and you have possible "grease" money exchanging hands.
Some companies would not change their recruiter for the world and some HR professionals seem to carry the recruitment agency from one company to the other. I want to believe that this is all about merit, but then again, I know better.
Where it does not happen, you are good, where it does, you should know what to do.
Some years back, I asked a very promising young candidate to approach hotels in New Delhi directly. I told her to forget recruitment agencies and recruiters coz she was very very good. I did not see a hotel not wanting her. The position of a GR/ Front Office is one that is always in demand for a suitable profiles and she was perfect for it.
My logic then was, if a company was getting someone without having to pay the recruiter, it would grab that opportunity.
Saving HR costs would go down well on the KRA of any HR manager. I was wrong.

Out of the 9 leading hotels she went in to drop her resume, only 3 met her.
The rest asked her to just leave the resume.
Out of the 6 that asked her to deposit the resume, 3 called back to tell her they would get in touch in the next recruitment cycle and 3 never reverted.
But what is fascinating is, 2 recruiters called her.
They asked her to come across to their offices and assured her, they would get her the job she desired.
Now, how did the recruiters get her contact details? you don't have to be a genius to figure this out, from the HR.
One could look at this in a nice fashion too. I have some clients who will send everyone who approaches them for a job to me, so that I can do all the screening that we have come to offer them and they have come to trust. For an employer, this is worth the money he/she pays the recruiter. Having a special relationship of this sort, leaves the HR free for all the other tasks that a company HR needs to perform.
or you could look at it as what it could also be. reward-sharing. kickbacks. bribes.
I have repeated this process to figure out the HR folks (its not the company, its the people) who indulge in this and stay away from them. But what do you do as a candidate?
Here's another angle to the same story.
Recruiters for some leading hotels/companies are related to the decision makers. I know of General Manager's wives who run people search operations for the hotels where their spouse is the General Manager. You cannot tell me all of them are objective in their hiring decisions. It may not be just the HR, and it may not be just money.