Somebody help me!
At lot can be said for hotel sales and catering people attending meetings at other hotels from time to time. By attending an event at another hotel recently my eyes were opened to the potentially frustrating process event planners often have to go through to get assistance.
I am referring to simple requests such as needing an extra flip chart pad of paper, or needing a coffee refresh or lowering the room temperature.
At this particular (nameless) hotel the meeting planner simply needed an extra marker for the whiteboard that the trainer was using. To request the marker she had to find a Banquet Captain. Being as it was a large property with not a lot of events going on, the banquet captain was not always around - and naturally they never are right there when you need them. So the meeting planner picked up a house phone and called the operator. After telling the hotel operator she needed an extra marker, the hotel operator said she would page the banquet captain. So then 5 minutes later the banquet captain arrived and the meeting planner requested the marker. By the time the banquet captain had walked back to their office and returned with the marker at least 15 minutes had passed since calling the operator.
At this particular (nameless) hotel the meeting planner simply needed an extra marker for the whiteboard that the trainer was using. To request the marker she had to find a Banquet Captain. Being as it was a large property with not a lot of events going on, the banquet captain was not always around - and naturally they never are right there when you need them. So the meeting planner picked up a house phone and called the operator. After telling the hotel operator she needed an extra marker, the hotel operator said she would page the banquet captain. So then 5 minutes later the banquet captain arrived and the meeting planner requested the marker. By the time the banquet captain had walked back to their office and returned with the marker at least 15 minutes had passed since calling the operator.
Sound familiar?
Why couldn't the hotel operator have passed on the message to the banquet captain?
Imagine the frustration of a meeting planner that is holding meetings in multiple function rooms - having to wait in a designated location for the banquet captain to arrive just to make a request is sheer madness!
Why couldn't the hotel operator have passed on the message to the banquet captain?
Imagine the frustration of a meeting planner that is holding meetings in multiple function rooms - having to wait in a designated location for the banquet captain to arrive just to make a request is sheer madness!
Other hotels handle this with finesse. I once worked for a hotel that had all the function room house phones automatically call the banquet captains radio so requests were made directly to the captain. I also once worked for a resort that had all function room house phones go straight to the hotel operator who would take the request and then radio it directly to the banquet department.
I would suggest it's probably worth your while examining what procedure your meeting planners need to go through to make simple requests. Now imagine you are a banquet captain introducing yourself to the meeting planner prior to the event and explaining to them how they can get in touch with you. The procedure should be as simple as picking up a phone and telling the person that answers exactly what you want - if it isn't then you need to change the procedure - for the sake of your meeting planners and your service staff!
I would suggest it's probably worth your while examining what procedure your meeting planners need to go through to make simple requests. Now imagine you are a banquet captain introducing yourself to the meeting planner prior to the event and explaining to them how they can get in touch with you. The procedure should be as simple as picking up a phone and telling the person that answers exactly what you want - if it isn't then you need to change the procedure - for the sake of your meeting planners and your service staff!
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