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Tiếng ViệtAs an owner of an accommodation service business (hotel, resort …), have you ever wondered, why do tourists choose Hotel A instead of Hotel B? Why are some hotels keeping customers coming back and not others?
The answer lies in the term “Hospitality”. Mastering the term “Hospitality”, your chances of success will increase dramatically.
WHAT IS HOSPITALITY?
According to the dictionary, “Hospitality” simply means hospitality. The word “Hospitality” is derived from the Latin word “Hospitalitis” (or Hospitalitas), which refers to the relationship between the guest and the host, as it comes from the word hospes, the word for the host when there is a guest or stranger visit. Therefore, Hospitality – “Hospitality” is the act of welcoming guests or strangers or “entertaining guests or strangers without rewards or with kind and generous freedom” (Webster Dictionary).
But Hospitality’s simplicity is probably only in… the dictionary. Because with the development of the tourism industry and accommodation services, the term “Hospitality” has constantly upgraded, becoming an industry. Initially, the Hospitality industry was born out of the random interaction between locals and tired travelers looking for a safe place to relax. Gradually, simple and affordable accommodations have developed into places not only to stay, but also to meet the needs of rest, experience, and enjoyment, luxury hotels, resorts. At birth, the Hospitality industry has also “grown” from there.
So in the modern context, how is the term “Hospitality” understood?
Basically, it is still hospitality, but that hospitality is built from warmth, sincerity, forming a value, an intangible product that travel and accommodation providers send to their customers.
WHERE TO DEVELOP HOSPITALITY FROM?
When we want to develop hospitality, we first need to define hospitality clearly. First, it’s easy to confuse Hospitality as a service. No, not at all. Service is a transaction (the tasks of running a hotel) while Hospitality – comes from sincerity (the human element of running a hotel).
In the book “Setting The Table”, Danny Meyer emphasizes the importance of balancing service and Hospitality: “Understanding the difference between service and Hospitality is the cornerstone of our success. Service is the technical delivery of a product. Hospitality – is how to deliver that product, how it makes the person receiving the product feel “.
The book “Setting The Table”, Danny Meyer
Hospitality is the closest point of contact and experience to make each guest feel valued and feel “at home”. “Caring for customers makes them feel good when away from home, making them feel valued is something you can’t do with a computer. Only able to interact directly between people and people, so is the importance of Hospitality ”, Bill Marriot offered the point.
Ian Schrager, legendary in the Hospitality industry, shortens this to four words “customer care”, while founder Joie de Vivre, author and former head of hospitality at Airbnb Chip Conley sees Hospitality’s goals as making strangers friends. For that reason, he chose to call the hotel staff “hosts” instead of the manager. Because it is the hotel staff who directly contact the customers.
Ian Schrager, Legend in the Hospitality Industry
Also in his book Setting the Table, Danny Meyer writes: “The great staff will bring a special experience to the visitors, which is why the staff is the most important group. The only way we can earn compliments, grow our business and embrace customer loyalty is to make sure our employees are happy when they arrive at work. Therefore, it is important to consider working conditions, building a culture of retaining talent, thereby bringing great experiences to guests about hospitality ”.
In other words, Hospitality must start to be built from the staff, and from the most basic communication behaviors, it is a smile, a warm greeting, and immediate help when the guest is in need, listening skills, and communication skills, etc.
An example of Hospitality is the “Rule 10 and 5” applied in hotels. Accordingly, employees must acknowledge and smile warmly at any customer within 10 feet (3 meters) and give a sincere, audible greeting within 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Above are some of the basic concepts of the Hospitality industry. Some opinions say that the Hospitality industry has built up greater values than synthesizing its own parts because, in addition to the business factor, Hospitality is also CULTURE.
Author: Thanh Toan synthesized
Translator: Nam Pham – HSSC Hospitality
Image: Internet source
