HMG 6446 Activity 1

Q.1: It could be said that technology is just a tool for hospitality practitioners to provide excellent guest services. Please cite examples of how technology systems may be used to produce this outcome (5 Points).

Aside from having the right people to provide excellent guest service I would say having the right technology is the second most important aspect. I am a Catering Manager for the wife and President of Florida Atlantic University and the Manager of the faculty restaurant on campus. I do not have much time to sit at my desk in front of a computer which means that my smartphone is essential to communicating with both of my teams. I text and send/receive emails all day long while out on the floor and without my smartphone I wouldn’t be able correspond with clients and coworkers who support me in both departments.

In the restaurant, we use a Micros terminal that is very basic since we only offer a buffet. Aside from the obvious benefit of Micros doing the math and printing checks, we can run reports to show covers and sales and it communicates to MyFinance so that we have real-time sales results that we can compare to budget and last year’s numbers. This spreadsheet also includes labor numbers so we can cut employees early to manage labor costs if necessary.

And most important and necessary for me to provide excellent service would be Catertrax, the operating system we use to create BEO’s, kitchen prep reports, and so much more. The various reports allow kitchen staff to spend more time prepping and less time in an office creating a prep sheet. Accurate and thorough BEO’s help to make us more efficient and ultimately create the best guest service experience possible.

Q.2: Organizations are systems that are comprised of people (workers, managers, guests, suppliers, and shareholders). Would you say a hospitality organization is a mechanistic or organic system? Why? (5 Points).

A hospitality organization would be both mechanistic and organic. For example, the different departments in a hotel would operate mechanistically. The front desk checks guests in and out and gives additional information about the hotel and surrounding area. The front desk agent won’t go get a guests car.

However, on an organic level a guest will probably also visit the restaurant, the bell stand, and valet parking. The front desk recommended the restaurant and after breakfast the guest asked for the server to call for their car. The server calls valet and their car is waiting for the guests with their golf bag in the trunk ready for the guest to enjoy their vacation. The Directors and Managers in each department communicate both verbally and in writing with other departments and to their own employees.

In the departments, managers delegate tasks as needed based on business demands, but the important decisions are made by the few very important people at the top of the organization.

Q.3: Please explain information processing with your own words and give examples for inputs, transformation process and outputs (10 Points).

Input Decision making Output Feedback

Information processing is using data to make changes to improve service. Let’s use the example of a comment card. There are 3 multiple choice questions rated 1-5 and some lines available for the guest to write their comments. Our guest in the above example decides to fill out a comment card and places it in the locked box for the FO manager to read. This is an example of input. The manager reads the comment card and the guest has given three 5’s and wrote outstanding comments about all the employees he came in contact with. The FO manager contacts each of the managers of the employees listed on the comment card and informs them of the great news. This is an example of processing. During the weekly staff meeting, the General Manager reports that the hotel has received the report that their secret shopper had shown up and it was the guest above. Fortunately, in this case all the employees are stellar and the only issues the guest expressed were that the building could use a refresh. This information came via email and the GM will discuss the results with the Engineering department to find ways to improve the conditions of the hotel. The email is an output.