Key Issue No 6

Trainer Manual
Key Issue N 6 - Handling guest requests

Reliability weighs more than
the price.
Andreas Mengen (German manager)
Key Issue N 6 - Handling guest requests II
M.Bredow /2004
Contents
Contents II
Trainer Information 1
Training Unit Schedule 3
Worksheets 14
Slides 20
Lots 24
Key Issue N 6 - Handling guest requests 1
M.Bredow /2004
Key Issue N 6 - Handling guest
requests
Trainer Information
For what reasons is handling guest
requests so important?
Each assignment we are given is an opportu-
nity to strengthen our guests confdence in
us. John Wanamaker, the founder of the frst
large department stores in America, once said:
Fires, storms, earthquakes may destroy my
building, my fxtures and furnishings and my
goods - but I lose little if I still have my custo-
mers confdence.
Gerhard Neumann, an American manager of
German origin, had this to say on the subject:
Many years of relations with our customers
have taught me one thing: The main reasons
for success were setting up a personal trust
relationship, listening to the customers opi-
nion, keeping your promises, and the obsession
of keeping or bettering commitments you have
made.
The process that builds up our guests trust
begins when we accept an assignment. In some
cases a basis of confdence can also be esta-
blished by refusing to take on an assignment
we cannot fulfl and helping the customer to
fnd a suitable alternative.
Key Issue No. 6 deals in particular with
assignments we take on within the Hotel, i.e.
situations in which the guest is waiting for
something. The issue of outside assignments is
dealt with in more detail in Key Issue No. 2.
Accepting an assignment correctly is important
as it provides the basis for ensuring that the
guest actually obtains the service or product he
expects.
If this frst link in our service chain is weak,
it is not unusual for the whole chain to break
down already at this stage. In such a case all
our efforts to offer an outstanding product or a
unique service fail because the guest/customer
obtains something other than what he expects.
What do we at Mvenpick consider to
be a formally correct way of handling
guest requests?
Mvenpick Hotels & Resorts has drawn up
a guideline for accepting assignments. Ideally
we should put these points into practice (see
illustration page 2); if we do so, we have done
a great deal towards ensuring that accepting
assignments genuinely is the strong link that
holds the subsequent service chain together.
If we take all the rules to heart, we seize all
the opportunities for providing the guest with
precisely the service he expected.
For that we can be awarded our sixth MP Ser-
vice Star.
M.Bredow /2004
Reference:
Key Issue No. 6 the SAM
This issue is discussed in the SAM documents
from 17 June to 14 July.
The Sixth Service Star
Be always courteous, professional and effci-
ent.
Listen carefully to the guest.
While repeating his request, mention at least 2
times the name of the guest.
Infmr the guest about the time it will take to
fulfl his request.
Give feedback to the guest in appropriate
manner.
Guest requests should be fnalised during
normal duty hours within 15 minutes.
Guest requests must be fnalised off normal
hours within 1 hour.
M.Bredow /2004
Training Unit Schedule
Section Contents / Questions / Answers Aids
Greet the
participants
Present todays schedule
Introduction: Todays issue is accepting assignments.
Lets start with a small example to illust-
rate the problem.
Introductory exercise: Whats this?
Ask a participant to volunteer for the next
task. His task will be to describe a picture
to the others with his back to the group.
The others are to follow his instructions
in silence and do what he says. At the end
compare the original with the drawings
made by the group.
What does this have to do with
handling guest requests?
Often errors occur because we have only
part of the information we actually need
and we piece together the rest according
to our own imagination / opinion.
How can we change this situation?
By listening carefully, by asking questions
and by telling the client what we have
understood. By keeping in contact with
the client and observing his response to
what we repeat.
Materials:
Picture
(page 15 in the Annex)
M.Bredow /2004
Explain:
The fact that we piece certain things to-
gether according to our ideas has serious
repercussions for both the party issuing
the assignment and the party accepting it.
This fact is responsible for many misun-
derstandings and a good deal of annoy-
ance.
By applying the basic rules for accepting
guest assignments, you will save yourself
a lot of work and also be able to commu-
nicate better in your private lives.
Present the Units
learning objective
Learning objective:
After this training unit you will be able
to list the things you need to take into
account when accepting an assignment.
You will be able to explain why these
points are so important.
Slide 1
Learning objective
M.Bredow /2004
Time so far:
5 minutes
Introduction to the
issue:
Guest requests within our
department
Questions:
What sort of requests do guests give you?
...
What would you as a guest expect if you
were giving such an assignment?
- that Im listened to properly
- that my request is dealt with
- that Im given a time frame
- that the time frame is observed
- that Im advised in a professional way
- that Im treated in a polite way
- that the matter is dealt with quickly
Flipchart
Title: Requests within our
department
M.Bredow /2004
Time so far:
7 minutes
Assessment:
Which of these responses would matter
most to you?
Each participant can award three points.
He can either give all three points to
one statement or spread the points among
several answers. The participants are to
indicate the point allocations with a show
of hands:
One point = show thumb;
Two points = show thumb and
forefnger;
Three points = show thumb, forefnger
and middle fnger.
Go through all the statements and make
a note of the points scored in a different
colour after each statement.
Finally underline the expectations that
achieved the highest number of points.
Main factors invol-
ved in handling guest
requests
Reactivate 1)
Complement fipchart
Write down the points in
colour after the answers
M.Bredow /2004
The Sixth MP Star
- Key Issue No. 6 -
(Information 1)
Explain:
You have all wanted similar things.
Mvenpick Hotels and Resorts has sum-
marised in Key Issue No. 6 (the rules
for which we can receive our sixth ser-
vice star) the factors we need to take into
account when handling guest requests.
Be always courteous, professional and
effcient.
While repeating his request, mention
at least 2 times the name of the guest.
Inform the guest about the time it will
take to fulfl his request.
Give feedback to the guest in appropri-
ate manner.
Guest requests should be fnalised
during normal duty hours within 15
minutes.
Guest requests must be fnalised of
normal hours within 1 hour.
Slide 2
The Sixth MP Service Star
Time so far:
12 minutes
M.Bredow /2004
Worksheet:
Key Issue No. 6 in everyday
life /
For what reasons do we
observe the individual
points?
Group work/partner work
10 minutes to draw up the
fndings
5 minutes to exchange results
(pages 21-24 in the Annex)
Key Issue No. 6 in
everyday life
(Work through 1)
Key Issue No. 6 in everyday life / For
what reasons do we observe the indivi-
dual points?
Well know form two groups. Each group
is given half the sub-points of Key Issue
No. 6.
Your task is to fnd out in your group
the reasons why we need to observe these
points.
You have 10 minutes.
Make a note of all the results on your
worksheets.
You will then be assigned a partner from
the other group. You will tell your partner
what you found out in your group. Your
partner will in turn inform you of the
fndings of the other group.
You have 5 minutes.
Procedure:
Divide the participants into groups 1 and
2.
Hand out the worksheets (one worksheet
for each participant).
Choosing partners:
After 8 minutes or so hand out the lots
to the two groups (coloured lots for one
group and white lots for the other).
Draw the lots.
Exchange:
Participants with the same number should
exchange their fndings.
Time so far:
15 minutes
Preparing the lots:
Divide the number of partici-
pants by two. Take the result
and copy out the correspon-
ding number of lots.
(pages 25-26 in the Annex)
You need to enter each
number once on white paper
and once on coloured paper.
o Cut out.
o Fold up.
o Keep the colours separate
M.Bredow /2004
Timeso far:
30 minutes
For what reasons are
these steps so impor-
tant?
(Put into practice)
Flipchart
Title: How do you accept
Assignment XYZ*)?
Lets now apply Key Issue No. 6 to a
practical example and complement it with
the rules for our department.
Next write an example of an assignment
in your department onto the fipchart.
How do you accept Assignment
XYZ*)?
Ask the participants to form groups of
threes and determine what rules we need
to observe.
You have 5 minutes
*) any assignment in your department, for
example Room Service, etc
Compiling results:
Go through the individual steps together
(as submitted by the participants).
Make a note of the main points on the
fipchart.
Worksheet:
Acceptance ...
Opportunity for parti-
cipants to ask questions
Questions:
Is there anything else youd like to ask?
M.Bredow /2004
Time so far:
40 minutes
Checking the learning
results
We shall end todays session by forming
groups of three and practising accepting
an assignment. Each one of you will in
turn play the role of customer, observer
and employee.
Please prepare theoretical assignments for
customers.
The customers task is clear:
He gives an assignment.
The employees task is:
To accept an assignment in accordance
with Key Issue No. 6, complemented
by the rules just discussed.
Aids: Acceptance worksheet...
The observers task is:
To check whether the rules were observed
and to give the employee feedback
on what he did well and/or what
could be improved.
Aids: Observers worksheet
We shall rotate the roles so that everyone
plays each role once.
After 3 minutes I shall interrupt your
assignment acceptance and the observer
will then have 2 minutes to give his feed-
back.
Announcements:
Now its the turn of
- the observer to be the employee
- the employee to be the customer
- the customer to the observer
Worksheet:
Observer...
M.Bredow /2004
Then we continue as before:
After 3 minutes I shall interrupt your
assignment acceptance and the observer
will then have 2 minutes to give his feed-
back.
Announcements:
Now its the turn of
- the observer to be the employee
- the employee to be the customer
- the customer to the observer
Now that weve all played it through once,
I want to ask you once again for the stan-
dards.
M.Bredow /2004
What is the period of time within which
assignments should be completed during
normal business hours?
15 minutes.
What is the period of time within which
assignments should be completed outside
normal business hours?
1 hour.
For what reasons do we keep guests infor-
med in the appropriate manner?
So that they feel were looking after their
affairs and can make other arrangements
if they so wish.
For what reasons do we inform our guests
how long we expect it to take to carry out
their request?
So that they can make plans and if
required make other decisions.
For what reasons do we address each
guest at least twice by his name?
People like to hear their own names.
Checking the learning
results
Time so far:
55 minutes
M.Bredow /2004
Conclusion:
Accepting an assignment is almost like
concluding a service agreement. We
should regard accepting an assignment as
the frst link in a chain. That frst link in
the service chain has to be strong so that
the guest gets what he had in mind. A
service that differs from what the guest
had in mind or which is provided too late
can only be made good in part by an out-
standing product or an excellent service.
If we succeed in putting the individual
points of Key Issue No. 6 into practice,
the frst link in the chain will be stable
and the Sixth Service Star is virtually
ours.
Take leave of the
participants:
Thank the participants.
Announce the next date where applicable.
Time so far:
60 minutes
Slide 3
The MP Service Stars
Worksheets
Worksheet Key Issue N 6
Worksheet
15
Try and describe this picture to your colleagues so they can draw it for themselves.
You have 2 minutes.
Worksheet
16
Group 1:
Key Issue No. 6 in everyday life: For what reasons do we observe the
individual points?
Go through each point in turn within your group and state the reasons why each point is so
important and necessary. Make notes. You will then explain your fndings to a member of the
other group.
You have 10 minutes
Be always courteous, professional and effcient.
Reasons:
Reasons:
While repeating his request, mention at least 2 times the name of the guest .
Reasons:
Inform the guest about the time it will take to fulfl his request.
Reasons:
Make a note here of the results of the other group:
Give feedback to the guest in appropriate manner.
Reasons:
Guest requests should be fnalised during normal duty hours within 15 minutes.
Reasons:
Guest requests must be fnalised off normal hours within 1 hour.
Reasons:
Worksheet
17
Group 1:
Key Issue No. 6 in everyday life: For what reasons do we observe the
individual points?
Go through each point in turn within your group and state the reasons why each point is so
important and necessary. Make notes. You will then explain your fndings to a member of the
other group.
You have 10 minutes
Reasons:
Reasons:
Reasons:
Make a note here of the results of the other group:
Reasons:
Reasons:
Reasons:
Reasons:
Worksheet
18
Accepting assignments in our department:
Determine together which points we need to observe when accepting assignments.

Also think of the following points:
Worksheet
19
You are the observer:
Was the employee:
o polite?
o professional?
o effcient?
Did he / she:
o listen attentively?
o repeat the assignment?
o address the guest twice by his name?
o tell the guest how long he expected it would take to fulfl his wish?
o keep the guest informed where necessary?
Is the assignment:
o to be completed within 20 minutes during normal business hours?
o to be completed within one hour outside normal business hours?
Were aspects specifc to the department (see Acceptance... worksheet) observed?
Would you have liked to be served by this employee?
Slides
21
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Divide the number of participants by two. Copy the number
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Trainer Manual

Key Issue N 6 - Handling guest requests

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