NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

GROUP ASSIGNMENT REPORT

CASE STUDY: DISCUSS QUESTION

Supervision in Hospitality
Dr. Tran Huy Duc
Hanoi, January 2022
Group Participants

Bui Thao Phuong

Ha Thi Que Anh
Nguyen Phuong Anh
Nguyen Thanh My
Pham Phuong Thao
Phan Thanh Son
Vu Thi Thao

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CASE STUDY 1: What steps could the staff at Gordon Sumner's
hotel have taken to improve their service?
The restaurant failed to provide vital information concerning restaurant
service hours to the front desk, according to reports. If the times are new
or odd, as they clearly struck Gordon as strange, the food and beverage
staff should have made sure that everyone who would have interaction
with guests was aware of them. In the end, though, it makes little
difference who was to fault in this case. What is important is that each
sector understands how its actions, policies, and performance influence
the business as a whole. It is critical that front-office professionals, who
may be the only members of the hospitality staff with whom visitors
interact, have the training they require to effectively and appropriately
answer queries. Therefore, the front desk employees might have had a
better understanding of the restaurant's service hours. They should make
an effort to inform guests of the operating hours and closing times when
they arrive. This would put any doubt or displeasure about not being
served to rest. This would also permit them to sleep in or linger in their
rooms more while waiting for lunch, or plan to get up earlier in order to
avoid missing breakfast service hours.

CASE STUDY 2: What factor was out of Freddie Bulsara’s control?

How could he prepare for problems?
Freddie could have benefited from remembering one old piece of wisdom: “If
something looks too good to be true, it probably is.” He should be congratulated
for winning two large blocks in one weekend. But he erred in scheduling them so
tight together that he was literally counting the minutes between one group’s
departure and the other’s arrival. In another situation—say, on a cruise ship—such
precision might be possible. Here, however, too many variables were out of
Freddie’s control:
● The dancers’ spur-of-the-moment request for a late check-out.
● Brian’s handling of the request.
● The start and end times of the dancing competition.

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● The Wolves’ early arrival.

How could he prepare for problems?

- Freddie should schedule more time between groups to allow for unforeseen
difficulties. He should rely on the booking information, the estimated check-out time
of the previous guests to schedule a reservation for the following guests. The check-
out time of the first guest and the check-in time of the following guest needs to have
a safe distance to avoid the current situation Freddie is facing.

- He could put every part of the booking arrangements in writing. Although

there is a PMS in the hotel to manage rooms, Freddie still needs to have a specific
notice about his booking arrangement, especially when the check-in and check-out
times of the two groups are quite close. Then talk to the front desk staff because
they are the ones who take care of guests' problems. A sheet of a specific booking
schedule will help them easily remember special notes. From there, they can
remind guests to check out on time. Especially in this case, Brian is an
inexperienced front desk employee, he easily makes mistakes. Freddie needs to be
even more careful in scheduling bookings and communicating and exchanging
information with Brian to make things go as smoothly as possible. If Brian knows
the room handover schedule, when the dancers announce that they want to check
out later than scheduled, he can communicate with the guest so as not to affect
later guests and Brian needs to notify Freddie immediately about this problem
from the night before so he can make arrangements

- He should verify details by phone prior to the weekend—at which time he

could also have clarified arrival times and time zones. He needs to clearly
inform the guest about the status of the room booked in advance so that the
customer can be prepared and sympathetic, thereby adjusting the check-in
and check-out schedule to save time for both parties. A few hours before
check-in time, Freddie should also call to greet and remind guests of the
reservation schedule so that they can be more proactive about the time.

- Freddie could meet with the dance group on their arrival to review the
arrangements and discuss any changes or additional requests. He should also
communicate with the customers more, especially the important group of guests,

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 regarding the subsequent guests. His care and thoughtfulness both increase
customer satisfaction and help him to receive problems early, thereby being more
proactive in providing solutions.

- Freddie should also have backup plans in place so that everything he does is
always the best. Especially in this case, these are 2 large groups of guests, he
must ensure smooth check-in and check-out so as not to lose guest satisfaction. In
fact, The Wolves arrived 1 hour earlier than expected and at lunchtime. They must
have been in need of a place to rest after a long flight, but they were also very
hungry. Freddie should tell them about the current problem that they haven't
prepared the best room for the guests because they arrived earlier than expected ,
hope they understand and can arrange for them to have lunch at home hotel goods
first, your luggage will be moved to the room. Besides, he can give customers
discounts, vouchers so that guests are not too disappointed. Lunch time can last up
to 2 hours. Meanwhile, the group of dancers will check out and the housekeeping
department will clean the room and prepare to welcome guests

Case study 3. What might Red Dwight’s list of affected areas and
guest’s wants/needs include?
- List of affected areas:
● Front Desk

They will need additional help to quickly process all of the guests at check-
in and maintain accurate records. Since the affected flight was an
international one, language difficulties may arise at the front desk. Spanish-
, French-, and German-speaking staff members should be called in to help.
● Food and Beverage
Guests would likely want snacks, coffee, soda—maybe even kitchen
service—at hours when food service is not normally available. Two
hundred and sixty people ordering simultaneously from room service
would be a disaster—at any staffing level.
● Housekeeping
Although all of the rooms should already be prepared for guests; some
rooms may need cribs or rollaway beds.
● Sales

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 Lorenzo is the contact for all meetings held in the Carlton and Heritage
Rooms. If the hotel was going to use those rooms for emergency storage,
the sales department needs to know about it.
- List of guest’s wants/needs may include:
● Basic in-room amenities: Toiletries (e.g. Shampoo, lotion, etc.), Personal care
(combs, shaving cream, razor, shower cap, hair dryer), Coffee Kit (maker,
coffee and creamer), Tissue box, Bathrobes and slippers, Room Purification,
Relaxation Devices, Internet access, etc. are the basic requirement of every
customer when entering a hotel.
● Cleanliness: is one of the top priority and also the bare minimum in any case
or scenario. The hotel should always have a standardized requirement when it
comes to cleanliness. At the very least it should have ready-to-use bathrooms,
neat and aesthetic decorations, and clean facilities.
● Clear communication: Since the 260 customers recently got involved in an
bomb threat situation, careful and wise communication should be prioritized.
The hotel staff can provide occasional reassurance, up-to-date information and
news, as well as quick and easy-to-understand instruction and assistance to
customers when needed.
● Peaceful sleeping environments: There are many occasions when customers
cannot sleep in a hotel room. So it would be best if we can help them out, by
creating a comfortable space for them to rest.
● Guaranteed safety: As mentioned before, the customers were recently
evacuated from a bomb threat situation, so it is important to make them feel
safe during their stay in the hotel. A personal in-room safe to keep their
valuable belongings, a standard system of security guards or planned
preparation against risk and challenges can help the hotel to meet up with this
customers’ need.
● Excellent customer service: Even though the customers are only staying for a
short amount of time, the hotel should remain performing tasks at their absolute
best. A good impression is always important, and when receiving great
customer service, the customers can feel like they are not in an unavoidable
situation.
● Decent meals: Eating is a basic need of humans, so without a doubt, safe and
good quality food service is another must-have. Customers can have their own
preferences when it comes to cuisine, so it is important to take notice of that.
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 Including a wide variety of dishes and utilizing local and eco-friendly products
can be among the solutions for this.
● Local travel spots and recreational activities: Customers can feel frustrated
because of their current situation, so the staff can give recommendations on
what to do in the area. It is better for the customers to make the most out of
their stay even if they got their flight delayed.
● Indoor entertainment, service and facilities: For those who do not want to
leave the hotel, it would be ideal for them if the hotel offers services such as a
bar, swimming pool, gym, sauna, spa, etc.
● VIP treatment: For those who can afford and want luxurious services, the
hotel should be ready at all times to provide what they need and want.
● …

Case study 4: Family Reunions: Worth the Hassle?

1. In order to make clear to your front office staff the values of an
individual customer, how could you calculate the revenue a frequent
customer may generate over a long period of time?

In order to make clear to our front office staff the value of an individual
customer, we could calculate the revenue a frequent customer may generate
over a long period of time by calculating the customer lifetime value (CLV).
In addition, we can calculate the discounted value of revenues obtained from
a customer over a long period (based on the opportunity cost of capital
discount rate). Besides, we can use the lifetime value metric to determine
which customer segments bring the most value to the business, and then
devise appropriate strategies to create relationships with that segment. It is
necessary for us to create a dashboard that clearly shows the CLV metrics
and our business can view and analyze the real time metrics. From there, we
can consider and implement appropriate policies, loyalty programs that suit
the needs of customers in order to entice customers to return as well as
create more relationships and strengthen customer loyalty.

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2. Family reunions are big business. As front office manager, how would
you work with the sales department to ensure quality service for group
business?

As front office managers, I should first know the services that need to
be offered to the group bookings such as family unions on the basis of the
package contracted between the customer and the sales team. This may
include dynamic packaging (e.g. room rent, car rentals, airlines tickets,
recreational services, travel etc. under one package). I must know the
components of the dynamic package. The staffs under my control should be
able to guide and help the customers attaining the components of all such
packages. Adding to this, the staff should also encourage the customers to
enjoy other parts of revenue collection which are not a component of the
package. The level of customization to these customers should also be
explored jointly with the sales team and based on the agreed upon level, price
should be quoted.