In all large hotels there is a system of morning meetings, in which the department heads of the hotel converge to talk about the happenings of the previous day, to discuss the business and the revenues that the hotel has done, to analyze guest comments and to talk about future strategies.
In one of such typical meetings, the department heads of the hotel are found getting into heated arguments about the superiority of the tasks performed by their particular departments and saying that what is done in their department is of the ultimate, tremendous importance, without whose contribution, the hotel might run the risk of closing down.
They all expressed their argument and this is what they had to say…
“I am the Executive Chef of the hotel. I create the best of cuisines and I train my team to make the most delectable meals for the guests. If I do not make sure that the food that goes out of my kitchen is as per the taste expected by the guest, no client will want to come and stay here or would even like to eat in the restaurants. So, in my mind, kitchen is the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day.”
“I am the Food and Beverage Manager of the hotel. I make sure that the guests visiting our restaurants or the ones ordering food in their rooms are greeted courteously, with smile, that they are served professionally and are given extra care when their order is being served. If I do not train my service staff well and make sure that they give a professional treatment, no client will want to eat in this hotel and we will earn a bad name. So, in my mind, restaurants and banquet areas of the hotel are the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day”
“I am the Front Office Manager of the Hotel. I make sure that my guests have no problem while booking their rooms, that when they arrive, they are greeted with warmth, that they are allocated good rooms and all that they want is take care of by my team of managers and staff. Not only does my department generate the highest revenue of the hotel, the guests who I book also use the other services and restaurants of the hotel. If I do not extend to my guests a personalized service and do not make sure that they are comfortable, they will quickly go away to the competing hotels and we will earn a bad name. So, in my mind, Front Office is the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day.
“I am the Executive Housekeeper of the Hotel. I take care of the maintenance of the entire hotel, inside out and make sure that all the rooms, corridors, the public areas, restaurants, banqueting and recreation areas and the shopping arcades are well taken care of and the hotel wears a new look all the time. If I do not take care of the hygiene and the cleanliness of the hotel and I am casual about the international standards, the clients will quickly go away to the competing hotels and we will earn a bad name. So, in my mind, Housekeeping is the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day.”
“I am the Chief Engineer of the hotel. I make sure that all electrical installations, the machinery, the water heating, the air conditioning, the power distribution and the power generation are functioning to their full capacity at all times. If I do not make sure that these things are in a good running condition, guests will feel uncomfortable, will not like our hotel and will quickly go away to the competing hotels and we will earn a bad name. So, in my mind, Engineering and Facility Management are the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day.”
“I am the Food and Beverage Controller of the hotel. I make sure that the expensive food or the beverages we purchase from within India or import are not pilfered, neither wasted. I keep control on all food and beverage items and the stocks. My department is the backbone of the hotel. If I do not perform my functions well, the food costs will go up and will definitely reflect a great amount of losses due to which the hotel will not show profits and we might just have to close down one day.”
“I am the Purchase Manager of the hotel. I make sure that we the hotel gets the best of the supplies, at the most competitive rates and that we have enough stock of all the stores, I support the purchases of all the departments of the hotel. If I purchase inferior products, no guest will like to stay with us and they will quickly move to competition hotels. In my mind, my department, which also takes of the receiving and storing of all equipment, fresh fruits, vegetables dry rations and all cooking ingredients, these are the key departments and should be termed as the backbone of the hotel, without the support of which the hotel might just close down one day.”
“I am the Manager of Human Resources of the hotel. I not only take care of the recruitment of the best of staff for all the departments of the hotel, I also look after their personal welfare, their training, and, in accordance with the other department heads, offer increments and promotions to the entire staff. If I do not recruit the right kind of people and keep them motivated, staff will lose interest in work, neither will take care of the guests due to which the clients will quickly go away to the competing hotels and we will earn a bad name. So, in my mind, Human Resources is backbone of the hotel because it is not the machines but people who run the hotel, without the efficient management of which, the hotel might just have to close down one day”
“I am the Chief Security Officer of the Hotel” I look after the safety and the security (including the FIRE DEPARTMENT) of the hotel property, its belongings, the staff, and, most importantly the guests. If I or my staff are careless, the hotel will suffer a great amount of losses, there will be thefts and pilferages, and a big amount of calamity due to fire. In my mind, the Security Department is the backbone of the hotel, without the efficient operation of which, the gusts might suffer big losses, they will move to the competition hotels and our hotel might run the risk of closing down one day.
I am the Financial Controller of the Hotel. My function is to keep a tab on all the business and the financial dealings of the hotel and to conduct sales recoveries, handle foreign exchange and banks, pay taxes GST and levies, make provisions for salaries and the benefits of staff and pay purchase bills. I have to make sure that all goes well in accordance with the law. If my books of accounting and my computation systems are not in the conformity of the law, the government will find irregularities, and my hotel will get sealed and we might have to close the hotel one day. Mine is definitely the backbone of the hotel.
I am the Sales and Marketing Manager of the Hotel. I make sure that the hotel gets enough business and that it is running in full form and I also make sure that we meet the budgets. If I do not function efficiently, there will be no guests at this hotel and we might eventually have to close the hotel one day.
The General Manager of the hotel, by virtue of his tremendous experience over the years was quietly and patiently listening to the various arguments given by his managers and concluded by saying the following.
“I appreciate the argument that you all are putting up to prove the importance, the superiority and the indispensability of your particular department, but let me clarify that all of you function just like the parts of a body, wherein the efficient functioning of each part is as necessary and as indispensable as you think your own department in this hotel is. It is only after bringing all of you together that we form a complete body and are so are able to function as a complete operational entity. All the departments of this hotel complement each other and are dependent on one another and nobody can function in isolation. Ours will be termed as a professional hotel only after we appreciate the work put in by the others and not just keep blowing our own trumpet..
The managers were convinced at this wise judgement and shook hands with each other in appreciation…
Students of the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, Sushant University, renowned as one of the best hotel management institutes in Haryana with a French collaboration, upon finishing their studies often start thinking about the hotel department in which they should carve out a career – they all must know that their future depends entirely about what they like from the bottom of their heart. They are sure to succeed, wherever they may want to begin their career from.
