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The hospitality industry has one of the most diverse workforces. It offers a huge spectrum of different career opportunities, and each has its own role to play within this vast and still expanding field. These roles, though, may or may not require a specific level of educational attainment. The only criterion that we believe is required across all positions is the dedication to provide the best service to people. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s one of the things that we love about the hospitality industry. Anyone with that degree of care will thrive. There’s less discrimination. On the other hand, this also makes training and development more crucial, especially when compared to other industries.

Service and Skill

After all, dedication alone is not enough to provide the best service. You also need the know-how to do so. It’s a common misconception that providing service is a simple thing to do, but the truth is, excellent service is a complex process made up of different elements that should be played in harmony with each other like an orchestra.

The Brand

And as if providing stellar service is not complex enough, you also need to factor in the brand of each company. Have you ever noticed the details that make establishments unique? Some focus on extra amenities, others offer a personalized care package as a welcome gift, others are known for their signature breakfasts. These are not simply add-ons that big hospitality institutions offer to go the extra mile, but they are actually reflections of the brand and specific company values that they want to represent. As such, these should be consistent across all branches. This shifting focus means that just because you served for 10 years in another institution, doesn’t mean that you can express (and use) that same training and experience in another one. The training and development programs must be tailor-made to serve the overall company name.

Return of Investment

Let’s not forget that restaurants are not charitable institutions. They provide service because that’s their selling point. The better the service provided, the higher the profit. By investing in people, the faster your ROI will be. Speaking of investment, it can be quite difficult for a new business to take flight especially with the saturated market and the competition that comes with it. If you need the extra money to provide the necessary training and resources for your employees, then know that there are options (such as applying for payday loans online), that you can explore.

Providing Awesome Human Experiences

Here’s the deal: when you provide service in the hospitality industry, you are also providing human experiences. Take note, the keyword here is “human.” This means that there will be times when things will simply go wrong. It can be the employee’s fault, or the guest’s, or (as is the case more of the time), it’s no one’s fault. It’s part of the business. However, you can significantly minimize the repercussions of these issues if your staff is fully trained on how to handle them.

In fact, knowledgeable staff can turn this experience into an opportunity to provide a more enjoyable and memorable experience if it is handled in an empathic, friendly, and positive way.

Safety and Security

Since we’re talking about unexpected negative experiences already, we believe that there is nothing worse than having your guest’s safety and security at risk. Anything can happen at a hotel or restaurant. Someone can choke, drown, or have a medical emergency.

You see, training and development in the hospitality industry don’t just involve learning how to serve food, or how to present one’s self to other people. They also cover what to do during emergency situations such as how to perform first-aid, or even CPR if needed.

Free Marketing

By providing excellent service and handling these unexpected issues and emergencies with finesse, you can be sure that people will hear of it through their own testimonials and reviews online. What’s more, is that the hospitality industry is a repeat business. This means that it maximizes profitability by ensuring that their clients come back for their services frequently. It’s definitely more affordable to keep your patrons coming back for more than to spend on marketing new customers to come in.

On the other hand, negative experiences will find its way through the grapevine as well. Don’t underestimate the consequences of poor reviews. Not only will it damage your establishment’s reputation, but it will also make it difficult for your business to recover should you decide to improve it in the future.

Reducing Employee Turnover

Aside from receiving negative reviews, here’s another factor that can cost you a lot: high employee turnover. The effort and time it takes to look for new applicants and interview them, the resources you spend to give them basic training, and finally, the loss in production as you get your new hires up to speed—all of these can add up and cost you thousands of dollars lost.

The problem is because there’s a high employee turnover, most owners believe that they should lessen this “loss” by providing less training and development opportunities. After all, who wants to invest in training if employees will just run off after some time, and worse, work for the competition using the training that you’ve provided them? Yikes. However, we should also consider the fact that adequate training and growth opportunities can significantly boost employee satisfaction and loyalty, reduce turnover, and provide lifetime careers that will all benefit the company. Training and development are important regardless of what industry your company belongs to, but it is more crucial to service-oriented businesses like the hospitality industry. That’s because it helps add value to the experience that your employees provide to your clients. Hence, whenever you’re considering whether you should provide ample learning opportunities for your employees, remember this: it will always be an investment worth doing. It not only reduces loss and costs, but it also increases employee loyalty and expertise. The perfect formula for any strong hospitality establishment. Good luck! – Source: fsrmagazine.

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