Table of Contents
Q.1. Define Quality along with its dimensions. Justify how TQM plays a significant role in assessing challenges in hospitality industry with reference to daily operations.(10)
Garvin proposes eight critical dimensions or categories of quality that can serve as a framework for strategic analysis. There are eight such dimensions of quality.
These are:
1. Performance
It involves the various operating characteristics of the product. For a television set, for example, these characteristics will be the quality of the picture, sound, and longevity of the picture tube.
2. Features
These are characteristics that are supplemental to the basic operating characteristics. In an automobile, for example, a stereo CD player would be an additional feature.
3. Reliability
Reliability of a product is the degree of dependability and trustworthiness of the benefit of the product for a long period of time.
It addresses the probability that the product will work without interruption or breaking down.
4. Conformance
It is the degree to which the product conforms to pre-established specifications. All quality products are expected to precisely meet the set standards.
5. Durability
It measures the length of time that a product performs before a replacement becomes necessary. The durability of home appliances such as a washing machine can range from 10 to 15 years.
6. Serviceability
Serviceability refers to the promptness, courtesy, proficiency, and ease in the repair when the product breaks down and is sent for repairs.
7. Aesthetics
The aesthetic aspect of a product is comparatively subjective in nature and refers to its impact on the human senses such as how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes and so on, depending upon the type of product. Automobile companies make sure that in addition to functional quality, the automobiles are also artistically attractive.
8. Perceived quality
An equally important dimension of quality is the perception of the quality of the product in the mind of the consumer. Honda cars, Sony Walkman and Rolex watches are perceived to be high-quality items by the consumers.
TQM in Hospitality Industry
In the industry of hospitality, total quality management (TQM)is a sharing process that authorizes employees in different levels to work in-groups in order to start guest service prospects and determine the most suitable approach to meet or exceed these prospects. Implementing TQM in hospitality organizations in particular will improve customer satisfaction, competition condition and cost effectiveness as well.
People have diverse wants and needs in term of preferences which makes it tougher to control quality in hospitality organizations. Quality problems in hospitality firms are having direct impact instantly on the organization operation via customer complaints.
TQM emanates from guest expectations. An analysis of guest feedback, complaints and requests should provide adequate guidelines for devising a methodology for TQM in Housekeeping. The cycle is ongoing, particularly because guests visiting a hotel vary widely in their expectations.
Providing a clean, comfortable and safe environment for guests is primary but there is also the aspect of maintenance of the building. Hotel Housekeeping must work in close co-ordination with the Engineering department to maintain the premises and extend the lifespan of the property. Since quality is directly proportional to expenses, it is also essential to control expenses without sacrificing quality. This involves extensive research and expertise in procurement.
Monitoring every process in the Quality Chain from supplier to guest is essential and setting up a framework with detailed guidelines for this purpose acts as a roadmap to assist employees in managing quality. Studies have suggested that a TQM framework with Four Ps (Planning. People, Process and Performance) as the key factors and the Three Cs (culture, communication and commitment) to support the Four Ps will produce a desirable result.
Process mapping via flow charts is one of the common TQM tools. For example, creating a flow chart for the Laundry process not only provides a clarity in work processes but also serves as a referral for a work study analysis. On a micro level, creating standard operating procedures for every task to be performed is essential and must be followed up by diligent supervision to ensure that they are being implemented. Most departments have a standard operating manual but all too often this is a tome that stays on a shelf and is not put into practice. The traditional bed making with three sheets and a blanket has long since been replaced by the use of a duvet and bed runner so this switch over must be altered in the SOP. For this reason, it is necessary for SOPs to be reviewed periodically so that quality is consistent and up to- date with current innovations.
In its simplest form, TQM is providing a service quality that strikes a balance between guest expectations and their perception of the service received. Therefore, the more information the hotel can glean from the guest, the smaller the gap between the expectation and the perception of the service provided.
OR
Elucidate in detail with example how CRM is beneficial in improving long term profitability and customer retention.(10)
Customer Relationship Management In Hospitality Sector
CRM is a powerful management tool that can be used to exploit sales potential and maximize the value of the customer to the hospitality industry. In the long term, CRM produces continuous scrutiny of the hospitality business with the customer, thereby increasing the value of the customer’s business. Hospitality sector’s greatest assets are their knowledge of their customers.
They can use this asset and turn it into a key competitive advantage by retaining those customers who represent the highest lifetime value and profitability. They can develop customer relationships across a broad spectrum of touch points such as their franchise branches. Simply implementing a solution intended to achieve organizational goals is not enough to achieve CRM success. The process should ensure that these goals are achieved.
The hospitality sector needs a comprehensive CRM strategy in which all departments within the hospitality sector integrates. Customers are the backbone of any kind of business activity, maintaining the relationship with them yields better results. By capturing, tracking and analyzing customer service data, CRM enables a firm to identify new performance issues. Customer data will help a firm in identifying new product development opportunities, provide personalized services to the customer based on their behaviour and responses.
Benefits of using CRM in Hospitality Industry
CRM has some obvious benefits for the hotel industry, but these are not especially different than they are for any other industry. The principal benefits that come to mind are fairly obvious –
• Increased customer satisfaction and retention, increased repeat business,
• Increased share of category spend,
• Increased likelihood of referral business.
• Increased sales through better timing by anticipating needs based on historic trends
• Identifying needs more effectively by understanding specific customer requirements
• Cross-selling of other products by highlighting and suggesting alternatives or enhancements
• Identifying which of your customers are profitable and which are not This can lead to better marketing of your products or services by focusing on:
• Effective targeted marketing communications aimed specifically at customer needs
• A more personal approach and the development of new or improved products and services in order to win more business in the future
• Enhanced customer satisfaction and retention, ensuring that your good reputation in the marketplace continues to grow
• Increased value from your existing customers and reduced costs associated with supporting and servicing them, increasing your overall efficiency and reducing total cost of sales
• Improved profitability by focusing on the most profitable customers and dealing with the unprofitable in more cost effective ways
These results come from a strategy of strengthening customer relationships by constantly providing customer value leading to satisfaction.
Q.2. List various factors deemed necessary in Market Segmentation. Differentiate between Product and Target Marketing.(10)
The division of a market into different homogeneous groups of consumer is known as market segmentation.
Rather than offer the same marketing mix to vastly different customers, market segmentation makes it possible for firms to tailor the marketing mix for specific target markets, thus better satisfying customer needs. Not all elements of the marketing mix are necessarily changed from one segment to the next. For example, in some cases only the promotional campaign would differ.
A market segment should be:
• measurable
• accessible by communication and distribution channels
• different in its response to a marketing mix
• durable (not changing too quickly)
• substantial enough to be profitable
A market can be segmented by various bases, and industrial markets are segmented somewhat differently from consumer markets, as described below.
Consumer Market Segmentation
A basis for segmentation is a factor that varies among groups within a market, but that is consistent within groups. One can identify four primary bases on which to segment a consumer market
• Geographic segmentation is based on regional variables such as region, climate, population density, and population growth rate.
• Demographic segmentation is based on variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, income, and family status.
• Psychographic segmentation is based on variables such as values, attitudes, and lifestyle.
• Behavioural segmentation is based on variables such as usage rate and patterns, price sensitivity, brand loyalty, and benefits sought.
The optimal bases on which to segment the market depend on the particular situation and are determined by marketing research, market trends, and managerial judgment.
Product marketing is a process of promoting and selling a product to a customer. Also product marketing is defined as being the intermediary function between product development and increasing brand awareness.
For example, product management deals with the basics of product development within a firm, whereas product marketing deals with marketing the product to prospects, customers, and others.
Product marketing, as a job function within a firm, also differs from other marketing jobs such as social media marketing, marketing communications , online marketing, advertising, marketing strategy, and public relations, although product marketers may use channels such as online for outbound marketing for their product.
A product market is something that is referred to when pitching a new product to the general public. Product market definition focuses on a narrow statement: the product type, customer needs (functional needs), customer type, and geographic area.
Product marketing addresses five strategic questions:
• What products will be offered (i.e., the breadth and depth of the product line)?
• Who will be the target customers (i.e., the boundaries of the market segments to be served)?
• How will the products reach those customers (i.e., the distribution channel and are there viable possibilities that create a solid business model)?
• At what price should the products be offered?
• How should we position the product in the minds of the customer?
Target marketing is researching and understanding your prospective customers’ interests, hobbies, and needs so that you can focus your message and your marketing budget on the specific segment of the market that is most likely to purchase your product or service.
A target market is a group of consumers most likely to use a company’s products. These consumers usually have similar demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, income or education. They also may have similar interests or hobbies, beliefs and usage patterns. A usage pattern may include when a person buys or how they use a particular product or service.
Target marketing is typically advantageous for small companies, as marketers can better match marketing strategies with core customers.
The target market typically consists of consumers who exhibit similar characteristics (such as age, location, income or lifestyle) and are considered most likely to buy a business’s market offerings or are likely to be the most profitable segments for the business to service.
Once the target market(s) have been identified, the business will normally tailor the marketing mix (4Ps) with the needs and expectations of the target in mind. This may involve carrying out additional consumer research in order to gain deep insights into the typical consumer’s motivations, purchasing habits and media usage patterns.
The choice of a suitable target market is one of the final steps in the market segmentation process. The choice of a target market relies heavily on the marketer’s judgement, after carrying out basic research to identify those segments with the greatest potential for the business.
OR
Define Budgetary responsibility. Classify Budget and figure out a budget process flow chart.(10)
Budgetary control or Budgetary responsibility
• A control technique whereby actual results are compared with budgets.
• Any differences (variances) are made the responsibility of key individuals who can either exercise control action or revise the original budgets.
Budgetary control is defined as: the establishment of budgets relating the responsibilities of executives to the requirements of a policy, and the continuous comparison of actual with budgeted results, either to secure by individual action the objective of that policy, or to provide a basis for its revision.
A budget may be defined as a financial or a quantitative statement prepared prior to a defined period or time which focuses on policies to be persuade during that period for the purpose of attaining a given objective.
TYPES OF BUDGET
On the basis of types of expenditure–
1. Capital budget
Make provision for all items of capital assets, these are assets that are not normally used up in day to day life. It is important to keep a record of purchase and repairs as a form of control. Equipments, machinery, furniture and fittings etc .are typical examples of capital expenditure.
2. Operating budget
Makes provision for all those items which are required for day to day operations e.g.-cleaning agents, guest supplies, salaries and wages contract services etc.
3. Pre opening budget
Makes provision for the smooth opening of new hotel .e.g. resources for opening parties, advertising, generation of initial goodwill, initial cost of employee salaries and wages etc.
On the basis of department involved-
4. Master budget
These represents the forecasted budget for the whole organization and incorporate all incomes and expenditures estimated for the organization.
5. Departmental budget
Each department of the hotel forwards a budget for its estimated expenses and revenues to the financial controller. E.g.-housekeeping budget, F&B budget etc. Rooms division budget is the combined budget for both front office and housekeeping.
On the basis of flexibility of Expenditure-
6. Fixed budget
These budget remains unchanged over a period of time and are not related to the volume of sale e.g. rent, insurance, depreciation etc.
7. Flexible budget
These are also pre determined budget based on the revenue expected but differ with different volume of sale.
Others-
8. Cash flow budget
A cash flow budget examines the inflows and outflows of cash in a business on a day-to-day basis. It predicts a company’s ability to take in more money than it pays out. Managers monitor cash flow budgets to pinpoint shortfalls between expenses and sales.
9. Sales budget
an estimate of future sales, often broken down into both units and currency. It is used to create company sales goals.
10. Revenue budget
consists of revenue receipts of government and the expenditure met from these revenues. Tax revenues are made up of taxes and other duties that the government levies.
Budget Process
1. Budget Formulation
Budget formulation consists of all steps, actions, and documentation in the budget process that are required or that properly should be taken in advance. It refers to the preparation of budget.
2. Budget Approval
The budget approval is a process when annual estimates of revenues and expenditure made by budget committee are discussed and approved.
3. Budget Execution
Budget execution is the process by which the financial resources made available to an organisation are directed and controlled toward achieving the purposes and objects for which budgets were approved.
4. Budget oversight/Evaluation
Budget evaluation refers to the stage of the budget cycle when there is an assessment of whether resources have been allocated appropriately and effectively.
5. Budget Remedial
Budget Remedial is a stage refers to the correction if any mistakes are found during evaluation of the budget.
6. Action/ Modification
The final stage of the budget process i.e implementation of the budget.
Q.3. A fine dining restaurant is different from a casual dining restaurant. Justify with examples.(10)
Difference between casual and fine dining restaurants are as:
1. Cost- The menu in a fine dining shall have some of the exotic or palatable recipes and hence, shall be pocket dearly. Casual dining retains much of the value proposition. Fine dining is much-more-oriented towards a quality proposition, from the perspective of the customer.
2. Ambiance – The ambiance does matter a lot in demarcating a fine dining restaurant from a normal or casual one. Casual dining is friendlier and more informal, whereas fine dining exudes a more elegant and formal atmosphere.
3. Service – The fine dining will incorporate exclusive and personalized service where as a casual dining can have self service counters. Cutlery and aesthetics – Silverware or EPNS is usually the quality used on fine dining restaurants. The casual ones, since have budgetary issues, shall have normal cutlery.
4. Location – A fine dining restaurant may have exclusive location based on its menu and clientele. A casual restaurant can be opened in a petrol pump too.
5. Food dressing/presentation – The presentation does matter a lot in a fine dining restaurant and as such, the food made is quite exclusive and above the bar. In a casual dining, well, the main motive is to give quantity and satisfy the palate of the diner more than anything.
6. Staff– In fine dining food is served by the qualified front of house personnel more formally. In casual dining, The waiters are not always well trained or qualified in customer care.
7. Uniqueness of concept In essence, if there are lots of locations of the same concept, then it is much more likely to be casual dining as opposed to fine dining. Fine dining’s cooking style/food preparation style is driven by individual chefs/cooks, and therefore resists the brand purity/consistency that is so central to operating multiple locations of the same concept. Fine dining is generally a unique experience; casual dining demands consistency from one location to another.
8. Size – Casual dining and fine dining restaurants are mostly small business with a single location or a few locations. Generally, fine dining restaurants have certain strict rules that should be followed by all including chefs, servers, and guests. The dining space is mostly indoor. While casual dining restaurant only requires us to know where we are and to behave properly. In terms of spaces and building, the casual dining place is relatively bigger. It usually has an outdoor and indoor space for dining.
9. Dress code– In casual dining restaurants, dress code is casual; however, some of the finer casual dining establishments sometimes have policies regarding clothes such as flip-flops or shorts.
10. Nuances– Both fine dining and casual dining restaurant provide an excellent nuance for guests. Casual dining always stimulates one to think of family, kids, teenagers, and spouses on a date. Casual dining gives a relaxing and enjoyable mode for visitors. It makes us just feel like at home. On the other hand, a fine dining restaurant provides a nuance that makes us feel as if we are in a formal event. It somehow forces us to behave like an educated and polite man or woman.
Example – In some hotel Coffee shop can be referred to as a casual restaurant and a speciality restaurant can be referred as fine dining.
OR
In today’s turbulent competitive market scenario, it is very cumbersome to sustain the growth and profitable business. What are the several pricing strategies you would like to incorporate in your 5 star restaurant to inforce best quality and quantity. (10)
Different costs consideration while costing & pricing of menu-
• Raw material
• Rent
• Labours
• Equipments
• Furniture & fixture
• Electricity
• Taxes
• Miscellaneous
Factors affecting Price
• Costing
• Type of restaurant
• Style & elaborateness of service
• Competition
• Clientele
• Profit objective
• Meal occasion/time
There are two main types of pricing methods-
i) Subjective Pricing Method
ii) Objective Pricing Method
Subjective Pricing Method-
• Prices determine to a large extent whether the financial goals of the operations are met
• Subjective pricing methods are based on assumptions
• Subjective pricing is not directly linked to the costs of the product
Types of Subjective Pricing
1. Reasonable pricing method
2. Highest pricing method
3. Loss leader pricing method
4. Intuitive pricing method
Reasonable pricing method
• Operator’s thinking will predict the price to the guest
• “How much i am willing to pay for this item, considering the type of establishment”
• the answer to this is reasonable pricing method
Highest pricing method
• Operator sets the highest price for the item he thinks the guest is willing to pay
• This is the concept of pushing the price to the maximum
Loss leader price method
• In this pricing some of the menu items are priced very low
• The philosophy of this pricing is that the guest will buy other items as well when he has been attracted to buy low priced items
• It is important to sell other profitable items in order to make profit
• It may be early bird promotion too
Intuitive pricing method
• Prices are set by the institution of the operator alone
• Wild guess works for such pricing
• It requires less effort & concern to the customer as its not linked to the value for price.
Objective Pricing Method-
Prices determine to a large extent whether the financial goals of the operation are meet.
Objective Method pricing is based on cost of the product and profit.
1. Simple Mark-up Pricing Method
• Ingredients Mark Up
• Prime ingredients Mark Up
• Mark Up with accompaniments
2. Contribution Margin Pricing Method
3. Ratio pricing Method
4. Simple prime cost method
5. Specific prime cost method
A. Simple Mark-up Pricing Method
It considers a mark up from the cost of the goods sold (in case of menu item that would be the standard food cost) the mark up is designed in such a way that it covers all costs to yield the desired profit levels
1. Ingredient mark up method :
•Determine ingredients cost
•Determine multiplier to the mark up
•Determine base selling price
2. Prime ingredient mark up method
Mark up pricing is directly linked to the main/prime ingredient of the item
3. Mark up with accompaniments costs
Operator determines the ingredient cost based only upon the entrée item & then the standard accompaniment cost is added before multiplying with the mark up contributions.
B. Contribution Margin Pricing Method
Contribution margin = selling price – food cost
Example to calculate C.M. Pricing
Non food costs = ₹695,000
Profit required = ₹74,000
No. Of guests expected to be served = 125,000
Food cost of a menu item = ₹4.60
Ave. C.M./guest = non F.C.+profit required/total guests
= (₹695,000+₹74,000)/125,000=₹6.192
B.S.P. = 4.60 + ₹6.192 = 10.8
C. Ratio Pricing Methods
Food cost = ₹ 435,000
Non food cost = ₹ 790,000
Profit requirements = ₹ 95,000
F.C. of menu item = ₹ 4.75
•Determine the ration between F.C. , N.F.C. & profit
N.F.C. +profit/F.C. = Ratio
790,000+95,000/435,000 = 2.03
the ratio implies that for every ₹ 1 earned to cover food cost we have to earn ₹ 2.03 to cover N.F.C & profit.
•Amount required to cover n.f.c & profit =₹ 4.75 x 2.03 = ₹9.64
•B.S.P. = ₹9.64 + ₹4.75 = ₹14.39
D. Simple Prime Cost method
Prime costs refers to the significant costs in f & b operations such as food cost & labour cost.
Example to calculate simple prime costs method:-
Menu item F.C. = ₹3.75
Labour cost = ₹ 210,000
No. Of exp. Guests = 75,000
Desired prime cost = 62%
•Labour cost per guest = ₹ 210,000/75,000= ₹2.8
•Prime cost per guest = ₹ 3.75 + ₹ 2.8 = ₹6.55
•B.S.P. = prime costs per guest/desired P.C.
= ₹6.55/62% = ₹10.56
E. Specific Prime Cost Method
Operator develops mark ups for menu items which takes into account their food costs & also fair share of labour cost
Menu items requiring more labour intensive preparation would have a higher mark up & those requiring less labour would have less mark.
Q.4. State briefly about Menu Merchandising. List its advantages and disadvantages. (10)
Menu merchandising refers to any technique used to stimulate sales within the Food and Beverage facility. The efficient menu merchandised will affect the popularity of the food and beverage facilities. Some Menu merchandising tools that can be used inside an F & B establishment are-
• Floor stands displays used at the reception to display menu of the day
• Tent cards – are placed on the tables to promote special events, attractions and encourage upsells.
• Posters are displayed in reception areas, lobby walls, elevators, cloakrooms, in the restaurant dining area itself.
• Wall Displays and clip on’s
Merchandising consists of product display, pricing, store layout, signage, promotional events and all manner of other sales-driving techniques aimed at raising the profile and the profits of your small retail business. For all its advantages, merchandising does bring a few possible negatives to the table.
Advantages
1. Brings Customers In
Merchandising can increase the amount of customers who notice and enter your store. With increased traffic may come increased sales and success. Merchandising should start outside, where customers first see the store and make the decision whether to come in and shop or not. Bright signage and manicured grounds, a clean parking lot and well-kept retail structure are all factors that help shoppers to determine if a trip inside is warranted or if the store does not look like somewhere they would prefer to be. What happens once you get them inside is up to your interior merchandising, product line and pricing.
2. Increased Sales
Effective merchandising can have a clear and definite positive effect on retail sales and the bottom line, which is, after all, the goal of any business approach. Pricing, displays, product packaging and arrangement, sale signs and promotional marketing can all drive sales upward while improving the shopping experience for your customers. Good merchandising can help you to get more out of the same retail space without expansion or renovations. Your customers will begin to associate your attractive merchandising with your store and it may also impact where they go to shop on a regular basis.
3. Attractive Spaces
Proper merchandising may require the rearrangement of aisles, shelves, display fixtures and the general layout of the interior retail space. Interior spaces should flow more easily while directing the consumer to important sale items and significant displays. An effective retail space brings with it the advantage of flexibility and more usable space. It will also help to create an environment that can handle more people, more efficiently and makes the overall shopping experience less of a chore. This is attractive to customers and increases the perception of your brand.
Some other advantages-
• Increase guest inflow
• Increase sales
• Sales and marketing resources optimization
• Customer loyalty
• Increased guest Satisfaction
• Branding & positioning
Disadvantages
1. Demands on Staff
An increase in customers often translates to a necessary increase in payroll. With more people coming in on a daily basis, more sales and more deliveries comes more customer service issues, longer hours and a need for more bodies to do the work. More work and more workers are two disadvantages of successful merchandising.
2. Once is Not Enough
The greatest disadvantage of successful merchandising may be the need to keep at it to meet the expectations of your clientele and to keep a steady stream of new customers coming in. Once the bar has been set, allowing it to fall would negatively affect your sales and shrink your customer base. The stresses and obligations of small-business owners are many, and some are not willing to take on the additional task of large-scale merchandising.
3. Expense
The expense of installing new fixtures, creating new signage and improving the overall appearance of your retail space inside and out can add up quickly. Although good merchandising can result in an increase in profitability over the long haul, it will likely cost you time, effort and money in the short run. You must be comfortable with the disadvantage of an initial investment to reap the rewards later in the process.
Some other disadvantages-
• Changing Spaces
• Demand of staff
• Once is not enough
• Expenses
OR
WOW factor is considered as prime quintessential feature in repeating business. Justify this statement with reference to qualitative service oriented sector.(10)
WOW factor means an ability to go above and beyond – not just answering a customer’s question, but also surprising and delighting them. The best customer service reps just love making people’s day. Often times, if you can find this one trait in a person, the others can be trained.
Ultimately, hospitality is all about relationships. What makes guests feel special is the quality of the relationship you create with them, and whether they want to come back to see you.
According to the Chron, “The “WOW” factor is a commonly used slang term in business that most often depicts what a company does to go above and beyond customer expectations in delivering a great product and service experience.”
The WOW factor brings Guest satisfaction and guest satisfaction can, Enhance the hotel property’s positive image and reputation. Increase the sales, frequent purchases from satisfied customers. Lower the marketing costs in attracting new guests.
More and more companies today, worldwide are concentrating on one word – “QUALITY” and it is has become synonymous with the best in the industry, whichever industry it happens to be.
With increasing competition in every field in the country, India too is waking up to one reality, i.e.; for survival, provide quality and to be a leader-excel. These words are very often used in the hotel industry also. With the number of hotels increasing with every passing day, the existing hotels are looking at this aspect very seriously.
While we talk of the wow factor, We shall concentrate only on aspect of the hotel, the dining experience that is the restaurant service. Let us break up the above sentence in to various parts and understand each of them in brief.
● Dazzling and delighting
● Guest
● Unmatched service experience
● Remembering for years to come.
Unmatched Service Experience:
What is service: providing a customer with what he wants is service.
A good hotelier is the one who understands that a customer visits a five star or a “A” category restaurant for any or a combination of the following reasons.
● Satiation of his food and beverage needs
● Enjoyment
● Business dealings
GUEST: A guest is one who is looking forward to a service experience, a combination of the hardware and software components. Once someone said, what difference does it make call him a customer or a guest. The answer lies in the Sanskrit phrase- Athithi Devo Bhava which when translated means -“Guest is God.”
DAZZLING & DELIGHTING THE GUEST:
The wow factor, to set in a restaurant really needs to put in a lot of efforts aimed in one direction: Dazzling and delighting every guest who visits the restaurant
The factors which greatly contribute in achieving the Wow result are:
● Hardware components- location, ambience, décor, tableware, other equipment etc.
● Attitude of the staff
● Staff knowledge and Training
● Willingness to learn and do more on part of the staff
● Quality of food
● Personalization of service
● Innovations and creativeness
Finally, the creativeness and innovativeness is what makes a difference to a restaurant’s establishing a wow factor for the guests. The restaurants need to create something new and have an element of surprise to provide every once in a while to their patrons. This ensures continued patronage by the guests.
Q.5. Write Short Note on any Five (5×4=20)
a. ISO
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies.
ISO is a nongovernmental organization that comprises standards bodies from more than 160 countries, with one standards body representing each member country.
BIS(Bureau of Indian Standard) is a founder member of International Organisation for Standardization (ISO). It represents India in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Member organizations collaborate in the development and promotion of international standards for technology, scientific testing processes, working conditions, societal issues and more.
The organization has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where a central secretariat oversees operations. ISO was founded in the year 1947
ISO published its first standard, in 1951. The standard is now known as ISO 1:2016. As of 2018, ISO had published more than 22,000 standards.
Popular standards
Some of the most popular ISO standards include:
1. ISO 9000 Quality management
2. ISO 14000 Environmental management
3. ISO 26000 Social responsibility
4. ISO 50001 Energy management
5. ISO 31000 Risk management
6. ISO 22000 Food safety management
7. ISO 27001 Information security management.
8. ISO 22000 HACCP
9. ISO 20000: IT Service Management
b. Shop & Establishment Act-
- Formed in the year 1953
One of the important regulation to which most businesses in India are subject to is the Shop and Establishment Act, enacted by every state in India. The Act is designed to regulate the payment of wages, hours of work, leave, holidays, terms of service and other work conditions of people employed in the shop and commercial establishments.
The Shop and Establishment Act is regulated by the Department of Labor and regulates premises wherein any trade, business or profession is carried out. The act not only regulates the working of commercial establishments but also societies, charitable trusts, printing establishments, educational institutions run for gain and premises in which banking, insurance, stock or share brokerage.
The Shop and Establishment Act regulates a number of aspects relating to the operation of a shop or commercial establishment. Some of the key areas regulated by the shop and establishment act include:
• Hours of work
• Interval for rest and meals
• Prohibition of employment of children
• Employment of young person or women
• Opening and closing hours
• Close days
• Weekly holidays
• Wages for holidays
• Time and conditions of payment of wages
• Deductions from wages
• Leave policy
• Dismissal
• Cleanliness
• Lighting and ventilation
• Precautions against fire
• Accidents
• Record keeping
c. Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.
Key CSR issues: environmental management, eco-efficiency, responsible sourcing, stakeholder engagement, labor standards, and working conditions, employee and community relations, social equity, gender balance, human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption measures.
A properly implemented CSR concept can bring along a variety of competitive advantages, such as enhanced access to capital and markets, increased sales and profits, operational cost savings, improved productivity and quality, efficient human resource base, improved brand image and reputation, enhanced customer loyalty, better decision making, and risk management processes.
- India is the first country in the world to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandatory, following an amendment to the Companies Act, 2013 in April 2014.
- As per the laws, the companies having Net worth of INR 500 crore or more; or Turnover of INR 1000 crore or more; or Net Profit of INR 5 crore or more during any financial year shall be required to constitute a Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Every qualifying company is required to spend at least 2% of its average net profit for the immediately preceding 3 financial years on CSR activities.
d. Apprentices Act 1961 and Employment Exchange Act 1959
Apprentices Act 1961
An Act to provide for the regulation and control of training of apprentices and for matters connected therewith.
Purpose of the Apprentices Act, 1961
The main purpose of the Act is to provide practical training to technically qualified persons in various trades. The objective is the promotion of new skilled manpower. The scheme is also extended to engineers and diploma holders.
As per the basic scheme of the Apprentices Act, every employer is required to provide training to apprentice.
The scheme is applicable to engineering, non-engineering, technology or any vocational course.
The employer is required to provide training facilities for apprentices. Multiple employers to come together, either themselves or through an approved agency to provide apprenticeship training to apprentices under them.
The employer is required to pay a minimum stipend to apprentice.
An employer is required to enter into Apprenticeship Contract with Apprentice. The contract is required to be registered with Apprenticeship Adviser.
Hours of work and leave of apprentices will be as per the discretion or policy of the employer.
Employment exchange Act 1959
The Employment Exchange Act, 1959 provides for compulsory notification of vacancies and submission of employment returns by the employers to the employment exchanges.
According to the Act, the term ’employment exchange’ means “any office or place established and maintained by the Government for the collection and furnishing of information, either by keeping of registers or otherwise, respecting:-
(i) persons who seek to engage employees;
(ii) persons who seek employment; and
(iii) vacancies to which persons seeking employment may be appointed”.
Thus, the main activities of the employment exchanges are registration, placement of job seekers, career counselling, and vocational guidance and collection of employment market information
The Act applies to all establishments in the public sector and such establishments in the private sector as are engaged in non-agricultural activities and employing 25 or more workers.
The employer in every establishment in public sector in any State or area shall furnish such information or return as may be prescribed in relation to vacancies that have occurred or are about to occur in that establishment, to such employment exchanges as may be prescribed.
Also under the Act, if an employer fails to notify to the employment exchanges any vacancy in contravention of the Act, he/ she shall be punishable for the offense.
Its functions are-
• Registration and placement of job-seekers so as to ensure a proper balance between demand and supply.
• Collect comprehensive Employment Market Information on a quarterly basis for creation of a database for use ineffective management of the demand and supply of labor, preparing career literature for counseling and vocational guidance.
• Career Counselling and Vocational Guidance.
• Conduct area-specific specialized study/surveys to have an assessment of skills available and the marketable skills required for encouraging the job-seekers for self-employment, particularly in the rural informal sector.
• Some of the State Governments arrange disbursement of unemployment allowance to certain specific categories of job seekers out of their own resources through the employment exchanges as registered with them.
e. Waste Management
Waste management (or waste disposal) include the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process.
Waste can be solid, liquid, or gas and each type has different methods of disposal and management. Waste management deals with all types of waste, including industrial, biological and household. In some cases, waste can pose a threat to human health. Waste is produced by human activity, for example, the extraction and processing of raw materials. Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on human health, the environment or aesthetics.
Waste management practices are not uniform among countries (developed and developing nations); regions (urban and rural areas), and residential and industrial sectors can all take different approaches.
A large portion of waste management practices deal with municipal solid waste (MSW) which is the bulk of the waste that is created by household, industrial, and commercial activity.
Managing waste in hotels is one of the major issues and ends up not being properly treated. It is mandatory for hotel industries to develop a complete framework which helps in optimizing each waste material in the industry and also reduce environmental impact.
Various Methods of Waste Disposal
1. Landfills
2. Incineration or combustion
3. Recovery and Recycling
4. Composting
5. Special Waste Disposal
6. Avoidance/Waste Minimization
f. Quality Assurance-
Quality assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes and defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering products or services to customers.
Quality Assurance is popularly known as QA Testing, is defined as an activity to ensure that an organization is providing the best possible product or service to customers. QA focuses on improving the processes to deliver Quality Products to the customer. An organization has to ensure, that processes are efficient and effective as per the quality standards defined for software products.
Quality assurance has a defined cycle called PDCA cycle or Deming cycle. The phases of this cycle are:
• Plan
• Do
• Check
• Act
An organization must use Quality Assurance to ensure that the product is designed and implemented with correct procedures. This helps reduce problems and errors, in the final product.
Quality Assurance Programs
There are several certifications available in the industry to ensure that Organizations follow Standards Quality Processes. Customers make this as qualifying criteria while selecting a software vendor.
Eg- ISO Standard, BIS marking, etc
g. BIS
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
The organisation was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies No. 1 Std.(4)/45, dated 3 September 1946. The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
A new Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 which was notified on 22 March 2016, has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017. The Act establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.
As a body, it has 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer organisations. Its headquarters are in New Delhi, with regional offices in Eastern Region at Kolkata, southern Region at Chennai, Western Region at Mumbai, Northern Region at Chandigarh and Central Region at Delhi and 20 branch offices.
h. HACCP
Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, physical hazards and more recently radiological hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level.
In this manner, HACCP attempts to avoid hazards rather than attempting to inspect finished products for the effects of those hazards.
The HACCP system can be used at all stages of a food chain, from food production and preparation processes including packaging, distribution, etc.
HACCP is believed to stem from a production process monitoring used during World War II because traditional “end of the pipe” testing on artillery shells’ firing mechanisms could not be performed, and a large percentage of the artillery shells made at the time were either duds or misfiring.
HACCP itself was conceived in the 1960s when the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) asked Pillsbury to design and manufacture the first foods for space flights. Since then, HACCP has been recognized internationally as a logical tool for adapting traditional inspection methods to a modern, science-based, food safety system.
HACCP has been increasingly applied to industries other than food, such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. HACCP is focused only on the health safety issues of a product and not the quality of the product, yet HACCP principles are the basis of most food quality and safety assurance systems.
Principles of HACCP
1. Conduct a hazard analysis
2. Identify critical control points
3. Establish critical limits for each critical control point
4. Establish critical control point monitoring requirements
5. Establish corrective actions
6. Establish procedures for ensuring the HACCP system is working as intended
7. Establish record keeping procedures
Q.6. Discuss the seven principles of HACCP. Develop a HACCP module with steps for your organisation.(10)
HACCP is a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation, and control of food safety hazards based on the following seven principles:
Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis.
The application of this principle involves listing the steps in the process and identifying where significant hazards are likely to Occur. The HACCP team will focus on hazards that can be prevented, eliminated or controlled by the HACCP plan. A justification for including or excluding the hazard is reported and possible control measures are identified.
Principle 2: Determine the critical control points (CCPs).
A critical control point (CCP) is a point, step or procedure at which control can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels. The HACCP team will use a CCP decision tree to help identify the critical control points in the process. A critical control point may control more that one food safety hazard or in some cases more than one CCP is needed to control a single hazard. The number of CCP’s needed depends on the processing steps and the control needed to assure food safety.
Principle 3: Establish critical limits.
A critical limit (CL) is the maximum and/or minimum value to which a biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence of a food safety hazard. The critical limit is usually a measure such as time, temperature, water activity (Aw), pH, weight, or some other measure that is based on scientific literature and/or regulatory standards.
Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures.
The HACCP team will describe monitoring procedures for the measurement of the critical limit at each critical control point. Monitoring procedures should describe how the measurement will be taken, when the measurement is taken, who is responsible for the measurement and how frequently the measurement is taken during production.
Principle 5: Establish corrective actions.
Corrective actions are the procedures that are followed when a deviation in a critical limit occurs. The HACCP team will identify the steps that will be taken to prevent potentially hazardous food from entering the food chain and the steps that are needed to correct the process. This usually includes identification of the problems and the steps taken to assure that the problem will not occur again.
Principle 6: Establish verification procedures.
Those activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan. The HACCP team may identify activities such as auditing of CCP’s, record review, prior shipment review, instrument calibration and product testing as part of the verification activities.
Principle 7: Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures.
A key component of the HACCP plan is recording information that can be used to prove that the a food was produced safely. The records also need to include information about the HACCP plan. Record should include information on the HACCP Team, product description, flow diagrams, the hazard analysis, the CCP’s identified, Critical Limits, Monitoring System, Corrective Actions, Recordkeeping Procedures, and Verification Procedures.
Steps in developing HACCP Module
Task 1 – Establish a HACCP team
To fully understand the commodity system and be able to identify all likely hazards and CCPs, it is important that the HACCP team is made up of people from a wide range of disciplines. The team should include:
- A team leader
- A specialist with a detailed knowledge of the commodity system is required.
- Several specialists, each with an understanding of particular hazards and associated risks,
- People, such as packaging specialists, raw material buyers, distribution staff or production staff, farmers, brokers,
- A technical secretary.
Task 2 – Describe the product
To start a hazard analysis, a full description of the product, including customer specification, should be prepared using a form such as that given in Appendix III. This should include information relevant to safety, e.g. mycotoxin regulation/target level, composition, physical/chemical properties of the raw materials and the final product, the amount of water available for microbial growth (aw), the amount of acid or alkali in the product (pH).
Task 3 – Identify the product’s intended use
How the product is intended to be used is an important consideration. Information on whether the product will be consumed directly, or be cooked, or be further processed, will all have a bearing on the hazard analysis, see task 6). The nature of the target group for the product may also be relevant, particularly if it includes susceptible groups such as infants, the elderly, and the malnourished.
Task 4 – Draw up the commodity flow diagram
The first function of the team is to draw up a detailed commodity flow diagram (CFD) of the commodity system, or that part of it which is relevant. The expertise of the commodity specialist is important at this stage. Commodity systems will differ in detail in different parts of the world, and even within one country there may be a number of variants. Secondary processing will need to be detailed for each factory, using generic flows only as a guide.
Task 5 – On site confirmation of flow diagram
Upon completion of the CFD, members of the team should visit the commodity system (e.g. farm, store or manufacturing area) to compare the information present on the CFD with what actually happens in practice. This is known as “walking the line”, a step by step practice to check that all information regarding materials, practices, controls etc. have been taken into consideration by the team during the preparation of the CFD.
Task 6 – Identify and analyse hazard(s) – (Principle 1)
Effective hazard identification and hazard analysis are the keys to a successful HACCP Plan. All real or potential hazards that may occur in each ingredient and at each stage of the commodity system should be considered.
Task 7 – Determine the critical control points – (Principle 2)
Each step in the commodity flow diagram, within the scope of the HACCP study, should be taken in turn and the relevance of each identified hazard should be considered. It is also important to remember the stated scope of the HACCP analysis at this stage. The team must determine whether the hazard can occur at this step, and if so whether control measures exist. If the hazard can be controlled adequately, and is not best controlled at another step, and is essential for food safety, then this step is a CCP for the specified hazard.
Task 8 – Establish critical limits for each ccp – (Principle 3)
Critical limits must be specified and validated for each CCP. Criteria often used include measurements of temperature, time, moisture level, pH, water activity, and sensory parameters such as visual appearance. In the case of mycotoxins for example, they may include the moisture content or the temperature of the commodity.
Task 9 – Establish a monitoring procedure – (Principle 4)
Monitoring is the mechanism for confirming that critical limits at each CCP are being met. The method chosen for monitoring must be sensitive and produce a rapid result so that trained operatives are able to detect any loss of control of the step. This is imperative so that corrective action can be taken as quickly as possible so that loss of product will be avoided or minimised.
Task 10 – Establish corrective action – (Principle 5)
If monitoring indicates that critical limits are not being met, thus demonstrating that the process is out of control, corrective action must be taken immediately. The corrective action should take into account the worst case scenario, but must also be based on the assessment of hazards, risk and severity, and on the final use of the product. Operatives responsible for monitoring CCPs should be familiar with and have received comprehensive training in how to effect a corrective action.
Task 11 – Verify the HACCP plan – (Principle 6)
Once the HACCP plan is in routine operation, it must be verified and reviewed at regular intervals. This should be a task of the person charged with the responsibility for that particular component of the commodity system The appropriateness of CCPs and control measures can thus be determined, and the extent and effectiveness of monitoring can be verified.
Ways in which the system can be verified include:
• collecting samples for analysis by a method different from the monitoring procedure
• asking questions of staff, especially CCP monitors
• observing operations at CCPs
• formal audit by independent person
Task 12 – Keep record – (Principle 7)
Record keeping is an essential part of the HACCP process. It demonstrates that the correct procedures have been followed from the start to the end of the process, offering product traceability. It provides a record of compliance with the critical limits set, and can be used to identify problem areas.
Q.7. What measures will you adopt for preventing fire hazards in your hotel? Elucidate with the concept of guest safety.(10)
Fire Safety in Hotels can be adopted by following steps-
a. Carry out a fire risk assessment
To do so, we need to complete five steps
• Identify the hazards
• Consider who is at risk
• Determine what measures are needed and apply them
• Record your findings and changes
• Review and update
b. Appoint fire wardens.
We must appoint a competent person to take charge of fire safety prevention and evacuation procedures in the hotel. The person must receive technical and practical fire safety training so they know how to prevent and fight fire.
Fire wardens are essential in a hotel. Guests aren’t familiar with the escape route and may depend entirely on someone to guide them in an emergency, especially if they were asleep, as they’ll likely feel disoriented. The fire wardens should have a copy of the guest list and coordinate with fire rescue services if anyone fails to evacuate.
c. Train staff
Make sure employees know what to do if the alarm sounds – or how to sound an alarm themselves. Provide them with fire safety training that teaches hazard prevention methods, such as housekeeping, and how to spot and report issues.
d. Install detection and alarm systems
All hotels must legally have fire detection and alarm systems in place. We should install plenty of manual call points in obvious locations, which enable staff or guests to easily activate them if they discover a fire. Check smoke detectors regularly – at least once a month – and test manual call points during working hours once a week.
e. Arrange maintenance and repairs
Either a competent person in the business or an external service engineer or contractor can check equipment and carry out repairs.
Examples of what they should check include:
• Fire doors, emergency lighting, and firefighting equipment.
• Kitchen appliances.
• Equipment in rooms.
• Plug sockets.
Keep records of maintenance and repairs.
f. Plan fire routes
Escape routes should enable anyone to reach a place of safety during a fire, even if the fire blocks one of the escape paths. Therefore, you should have more than one route in place and should test each one regularly.
g. Plan your fire evacuation strategy
Not all evacuation strategies are suitable for every type of building. This is particularly true for hotels, where the size and complexity often varies between premises.
h. Provide information to guests
From the moment guests arrive, they should know where to find fire escape routes and manual call points.
During check in, draw guests’ attention to fire safety notices around the premises and point out the main exits. Hand over information sheets or display them in each bedroom in an obvious location.
OR
Waste Management plays a vital role in hotels. Justify the role of management with examples and adopt policy measures.(10)
Waste Management in Hotels
Waste management in hotels is important as it is getting increasingly difficult to dispose of waste. Moreover, it makes good sense to the business. When supplies are judiciously used it saves a lot of money on raw materials. You can generate additional income by selling old resources and by reusing and recycling useful materials. Therefore, you end up decreasing the cost of waste disposal as the amount of waste produced is decreased.
It can start with some examples like –
• Using refillable dispensers for soaps, shampoos, and conditioners
- Using washable cloth products and dishware instead of disposable ones
- Using water filters instead of plastic bottles
- Reducing and reusing supplies packaging materials
- Reducing the number of paper products
- Switching to LED lights
4 Steps of Effective Waste Management in Hotels
1. Characterization and Quantification of Waste in the Hotel Industry – It is important to categorize the types and quantity of waste produced by every department of the hotel industry so that it is managed properly. For example, office waste (like papers, documents, brochures), household waste (jars, bottles, cardboard), organic waste (vegetable and fruit peels, flowers) can be segregated in color-coded bins for easy and hassle-free waste management.
2. Understand Waste Hierarchy – This concept was presented by Waste on Line (2006) provides options to manage waste by prevention, minimization, reuse, recycle, recovery and disposal which prevents a lot of waste from going to the waste stream. Recovery is the most important part of the process because some value of the material is retrieved through recycling. The last step is disposal which generally involves landfill and incineration of waste.
3. Data Analysis – Hotel industry generates a lot of waste and most of the time it is sent to the landfills without being treated properly. The first step in managing the data analysis of waste is to perform a waste audit. Waste auditing is identifying the process of productivity from waste management practices in hotels. With the help of trash compactors or industrial balers wastes can the volume of waste can be immensely reduced which makes it easier to handle and the cost of waste disposal is reduced. The organic waste in the hotel can be reduced with the help of a food composter.
4. Model and framework development – A framework is developed with special focus on which can save cost on local vendors and labor cost for handling the waste. It is classified into two:
- Profitability from Recyclable and Compostable Waste – This is the method of generating profit from the business events in a firm. The tool to increase the total profit by any methodical plan.
- Sustainability from Waste Management – Everything you need to survive is sustainability. When the social, economic and environmental aspects are taken care of and have all the required conditions to sustain from managing waste, any framework can survive if these three aspects are within.
Managing waste in hotels is one of the major issues and ends up not being properly treated. It is mandatory for hotel industries to develop a complete framework which helps in optimizing each waste material in the industry and also reduce environmental impact.
Q.8. What do you understand by branding and re-branding? Discuss(10)
Branding is a term used to define the features a company uses to differentiate themselves from other companies. Companies develop their brand in a variety of ways, using their name, logo, design style and slogan. You can display branding either physically or digitally.
Or
Branding is the term used to describe the overall design and promotion of a company, its products and services. Branding involves selecting the colors and design elements used in creating a logo and consistently labeling and packaging all products using similar elements to brand the recognition of the company into the minds of consumers.
Branding also involves recognition of a company’s overall message, which is woven into design elements and marketing features. Rebranding is the term used to describe taking an existing brand and changing or altering its message and design elements.
Physical branding can be leaflets, posters, billboards or newspapers. Digital branding refers to online branding such as social media marketing or Google AdWords which would both feature the company’s branding.
Companies want to market their brands as much as possible, so creating a bright and original logo is just that. You want your company to stand out from the rest as there is a lot of competition out there, no matter what industry you are in.
Advantages of Branding
Branding a company and its products or services helps set the company apart from its competition. If branding is done effectively and consistently, consumers instantly recognize the company based on its color and design elements alone. Examples of successful branding can be seen in many franchise restaurant chains and soft drink companies, where the image of the logo itself identifies the brand in the minds of customers.
Disadvantages of Branding
To be effective, branding messages must be repeated frequently and through numerous mediums. A company’s brand image should be consistent through its website, building signage, business cards, collateral materials and product packaging. This can be a costly prospect, especially for small businesses that may not have a substantial advertising and marketing budget. Another downside to branding is that if the look and feel of the brand becomes outdated, or if the company substantially changes its image, rebranding must take place.
Rebranding is a marketing strategy, very similar to branding, except it aims to update and refresh tired or out of date branding. This can include coming up with a completely new name, design, slogan or logo. Rebranding is usually completed with the intention to target a wider audience. Usually a company will rebrand with consumers, investors, and other competitors in the same industry as the company in mind.
Advantages of Rebranding
Rebranding can breathe new life into a company, product or service, changing the way it is perceived by consumers. It can also create an opportunity for the company to embrace a new message or position in its industry, allowing it to reach new markets and attract a new demographic.
Disadvantages of Rebranding
Much like the branding process, rebranding is also a significant financial investment for a company. Rebranding nullifies the previous brand and in some instances, can result in confusion or lack of brand recognition by consumers. If this happens, the rebranding effort is simultaneously expensive and detrimental to the original brand, which loses its equity and recognition. Successful rebranding often retains some elements of the previously known and recognized brand. This can include using the same color scheme or updating fonts to maintain a semblance of brand recognition for existing customers.
There are several reasons why a company will want to rebrand.
• If the market is growing too fast, an owner will want to keep their organisation competing in the market as much as possible and will want the services to be constantly at top form, otherwise clients will see them outdated and choose a different company that just has that cutting edge. You always want to be unique compared to your competitors and stand out.
• If an established company wants to target a different demographic, your branding needs to appeal to a new audience, and revising your branding is an essential part of this change. If your logo is over-complicated with graphics and text it can be hard to understand the tone the brand is going for and what they are trying to achieve as a company.
Q.9. Quality is planned not accidental. Discuss with examples from hospitality industry.
Quality:
People have found many ways to describe quality. Some of the most popular definitions of quality are listed below.
1. A degree of excellence
2. Conformance to requirements
3. The totality of characteristics which act to satisfy a need
4. Fitness for use
5. Fitness for purpose
6. Freedom from defects
7. Delighting customers
All of the above gauges of quality are useful, as they each contain elements of what quality means to users of products and services. However, for quality to be embedded in a product or service there must be a set of measurable performance standards, which when achieved will guarantee the desired level of quality.
Managing quality is critically important in hospitality industry beside with other types of businesses. The importance of managing quality for tourism organizations has vividly augmented in the last years due to the high-level of competition in the industry produced by the globalization and fewer obstacles for entering into the industry.
Measuring Quality in Hospitality Industry
People have been arguing that performance is difficult to measure in the service industry. This is due to the fact that people are not aware that service is also a product, the most famous models that measure quality service in the hospitality industry are the following:
1. The Five Gap Model
2. Perceived Quality Service Model
3. The SERVQUAL Instrument
4. The Critical Incident Technique(CRIT)
Quality Recognition in Hotels
Establishing quality makes for accommodation is done mainly for two reasons; to update consumers, and to encourage investment through encouraging hospitality companies to achieve and meet the quality marks and labels requirements.
Below are some of the most common quality standards and labels:
1. The Star Classification
2. The ratings that are built on consumer views.
3. The International Standards Organisation (ISO).
4. Eco-labels have progressively been established, refining the environmental management of hospitality industry.
5. The European foundation for quality management (EFQM)