Staff Training in Moroccan Hotels: A Bonus or a Necessity?
16 June 2009
Read by 2255 persons
Two key aspects of a hotel are customer satisfaction and achieving high revenue with significant profit margins. To balance these, several elements must work together to ensure customer satisfaction.
A customer might choose Hotel X over Hotel Y for various reasons: comfort, professionalism, welcome, setting, building, amenities… but above all, service. In a hotel, a customer transitions from adult to child, wanting all desires fulfilled; they become demanding and sensitive, interpreting even minor misunderstandings negatively. But isn’t the customer king? We must know how to serve them. Consistent service is key. Since staff play a vital role in hotels, existing human potential must be developed and used effectively.
Therefore, a training department within a hotel is essential. It contributes significantly to company performance. Training can be a tool for fostering employment and developing management skills, but also a driver of company strategy. Training is ultimately a continuous cycle; the key is knowing when to start and how to maintain it. However, the right environment must be created for training to be effective; training for prestige alone is useless.
An independent department, with autonomy and reporting to the general management, can be highly effective. A well-equipped center with audio-visual materials will aid the manager and trainers. This center will become a place for all staff, regardless of rank, to improve skills and learn new hotel techniques. Businesses in rapidly changing sectors quickly realize the value of their human capital.
Any internal training system must be integrated into the company’s overall policy to ensure perfect service. Once the environment and resources (depending on budget and hotel category) are available, progress can be made.
While training principles are universal, each hotel or chain should have its own philosophy and methods. Training can take various forms: Firstly, general training for all staff, but especially middle and senior managers, to develop leadership, effective communication, delegation – the four pillars of sound management: planning, communicating, deciding, controlling. This method brings together staff from different backgrounds and levels, tackling practical cases and simulations.
Groups should be limited to 10-15 people for effective meetings. Secondly, on-the-job training, where individuals develop skills using hotel equipment, guided by a trainer. This includes theoretical training within or outside the hotel, covering reception, housekeeping, restaurants, and maintenance; the trainee familiarizes themselves with their work environment.
What about Morocco?
The situation is mixed; few hotels or chains prioritize training. There are occasional, short-lived initiatives with foreign trainers who share their knowledge but not necessarily their methods, due to time constraints. International chains have revolutionized the sector, but face challenges in know-how transfer: what works in London or Chicago might not work in Morocco. However, we should recognize these chains’ pioneering role; they have created training centers. We hope they progress further. It requires long-term commitment, rigor, and patience as results only appear in the medium to long term. Managers must identify needs, plan training according to schedules and occupancy rates, evaluate results, and provide ongoing monitoring.
Training aims to maintain high skills and motivation. The success of training is measured by improved service, increased productivity, reduced costs, greater flexibility, a positive work environment, and higher customer return rates.
Training ensures company longevity by transmitting culture and fostering pride in working for a specific hotel. Training is a bonus if the hotel seeks prestige, reputation or to match competitors.
Above all, training is essential for any tourism or hotel business seeking growth, sustainable foundations, and a strong, dynamic brand image. The budget is significant, but you get nothing for nothing. Is training the sole catalyst for developing our hotels? Are there other factors involved?
Posted June 19, 2008
jeunesdumaroc.com
A customer might choose Hotel X over Hotel Y for various reasons: comfort, professionalism, welcome, setting, building, amenities… but above all, service. In a hotel, a customer transitions from adult to child, wanting all desires fulfilled; they become demanding and sensitive, interpreting even minor misunderstandings negatively. But isn’t the customer king? We must know how to serve them. Consistent service is key. Since staff play a vital role in hotels, existing human potential must be developed and used effectively.
Therefore, a training department within a hotel is essential. It contributes significantly to company performance. Training can be a tool for fostering employment and developing management skills, but also a driver of company strategy. Training is ultimately a continuous cycle; the key is knowing when to start and how to maintain it. However, the right environment must be created for training to be effective; training for prestige alone is useless.
An independent department, with autonomy and reporting to the general management, can be highly effective. A well-equipped center with audio-visual materials will aid the manager and trainers. This center will become a place for all staff, regardless of rank, to improve skills and learn new hotel techniques. Businesses in rapidly changing sectors quickly realize the value of their human capital.
Any internal training system must be integrated into the company’s overall policy to ensure perfect service. Once the environment and resources (depending on budget and hotel category) are available, progress can be made.
While training principles are universal, each hotel or chain should have its own philosophy and methods. Training can take various forms: Firstly, general training for all staff, but especially middle and senior managers, to develop leadership, effective communication, delegation – the four pillars of sound management: planning, communicating, deciding, controlling. This method brings together staff from different backgrounds and levels, tackling practical cases and simulations.
Groups should be limited to 10-15 people for effective meetings. Secondly, on-the-job training, where individuals develop skills using hotel equipment, guided by a trainer. This includes theoretical training within or outside the hotel, covering reception, housekeeping, restaurants, and maintenance; the trainee familiarizes themselves with their work environment.
What about Morocco?
The situation is mixed; few hotels or chains prioritize training. There are occasional, short-lived initiatives with foreign trainers who share their knowledge but not necessarily their methods, due to time constraints. International chains have revolutionized the sector, but face challenges in know-how transfer: what works in London or Chicago might not work in Morocco. However, we should recognize these chains’ pioneering role; they have created training centers. We hope they progress further. It requires long-term commitment, rigor, and patience as results only appear in the medium to long term. Managers must identify needs, plan training according to schedules and occupancy rates, evaluate results, and provide ongoing monitoring.
Training aims to maintain high skills and motivation. The success of training is measured by improved service, increased productivity, reduced costs, greater flexibility, a positive work environment, and higher customer return rates.
Training ensures company longevity by transmitting culture and fostering pride in working for a specific hotel. Training is a bonus if the hotel seeks prestige, reputation or to match competitors.
Above all, training is essential for any tourism or hotel business seeking growth, sustainable foundations, and a strong, dynamic brand image. The budget is significant, but you get nothing for nothing. Is training the sole catalyst for developing our hotels? Are there other factors involved?
Posted June 19, 2008
jeunesdumaroc.com
