When people are hired, they have generally been selected according to some skills and obligations to fulfill. That’s perfectly normal. However, when professionals are already within companies, it is common to hear the following argument: “I was not hired to do this”. And “this”, most of the time, are less noble tasks, let’s say so, that people refuse to do. They cross their arms. By taking this attitude, they are sealing their possibility of growth.
That’s because we’re admitted by our technical attributes, but fired for our behavior. And attitudes unfortunately are not detected in the curriculum, but in practice, when professionals are working on a day-to-day basis. It is the so-called emotional intelligence that will increasingly make a difference in companies, especially in the area of services. Knowing your virtues and your GAPs is essential to continue evolving as a person and professional. There are numerous paths to this, from hiring behavioral profile mapping to mentoring and coaching. Self-development makes a big difference to your career, in any area of expertise.
Especially in the service area, in which hospitality is inserted, it is the good initiatives that are marked not only for managers, but who most interests to get it right: guests. Who has never accessed a hotel price comparator and goes straight into the recommendations or complaints of guests. They are the ones who often induce us to a particular hotel or not. Therefore, serve the customer well regardless of the area where we are, whether in the accounts receivable or in the administrative. You can claim that you are distant from the customer, but think about what the guest will print if you do not receive the invoice for compensation from your company. Or if your reservation wasn’t made and the hotel is packed with some event in town?
The hosting experience
Therefore, each employee is the company in the eyes of the customer, whether you are in front of him or not. The lodging experience is the result of all the route traveled by him during his stay, from the reception to the bed well done, from the check-out performed without discomfort to the smile received by the attendant at breakfast. From the invoice sent correctly to your email to the scheduling of a tour. Everything is recorded in the client’s memory.
And more. A satisfied customer becomes a fan of the company, a disseminator in its area of influence. A customer who leaves with a bad impression is willing to tell the four corners of the world how was his frustration in detail and not just among his circle of influence. It starts to sting the brand on the hotel sites, on the social networks of the company and every moment you remember the bad experience.
“I wasn’t hired for this” is an argument that doesn’t
is for those who want to pursue a career in hospitality or
in any segment. This is because each
employee is the company in the eyes of the customer
That’s why the service area is so challenging, because it’s people dealing with other people, it’s expectations that need to be overcome. And in hospitality, competition leaves us no room for error. A false floor is a reason to lose the guest forever. Hence the need for constant training, recycling, new approaches, increased care and, above all, love for what is done.
If you want and think about acting in hospitality as a career, I always give a suggestion: do you like people and take care of them? If your answer is yes, welcome to the hotel industry. That’s what we do 24 hours, 365 days a year. We serve people who come to us with the most varied demands, but a single requirement: to be welcomed.
@NilsonBernalHospitality
Co-Founder and CEO da Plataforma Bymschool. Consultor na área da hotelaria e hospitalidade, palestrante e escritor. Atua na Indústria de hospitalidade há mais de 25 anos em companhias como Complexo Jurema Águas Quentes Resorts, Bourbon Hotéis & Resorts, Mabu Hotéis & Resorts, Bristol Hotéis & Resorts e Atlantica Hotels International. É embaixador pela Divine Academie Française des Arts Lettres et Culture (Paris). Membro Executivo de Honra da Academia Europeia da Alta Gestão desde abril/2019. Atualmente mora nos EUA estando a frente de vários projetos.