Extra Credit FSS

As in any market, before starting a hospitality business, its owner has to be fully aware of the requirements this particular sphere has. When running a company, there is always an opportunity to either profit or face losses. Both options are possible. However, even if a business has already shown some serious signs of defeat, it still has a hope for recovery. Of course, such chance will not be missed by any mature leader. The examples of such cases when bars, restaurants and hotels were under a danger of being closed forever or were only going to be opened, were depicted in the series of Restaurant Impossible, Bar Rescue, Hotel Impossible, Restaurant Start Up and Restaurant Stake Out TV shows.

Therefore, the common issues for restaurant, bar and hotel smooth work were shown in the series:

• Making sure the leader is performing his/her job well. It means that all areas like staffing, budget management, safety, decisions regarding design, promotion, positioning – all has to be done by this person. Control measures have to be in place, as well.
• The importance of the interior and exterior designs. These simple things drag attention of customers, making them stay at the venue longer, or even come back. Proper design and its functionality are the key aspects of success. Customers enjoy sitting at comfortable tables and having beautiful pictures to look at while they are waiting for the order. The same goes for hotels; it is always lovely to come to a neat and cozy room and enjoy staying there.
• The level of cleanliness. Nobody ever wants to relax in a dirty hotel or drink from a dirty glass. The cleaning system has to be regular and set up and ready at any time. To avoid unpleasant situations when something needs to be urgently cleaned and the company has run out of cleaning materials stock, it is worth keeping extra supplies.
• Quality of food and beverages. Either at a bar or hotel, the customer will be willing to have tasty food and drinks, being sure that he/she will not be poisoned or suffer some stomach problems after tasting it.
• Staff members make the organization’s face. They ensure everything is running in the best manner. That is why the role of each of them is highly appreciated, and any problem that might occur regarding the relation of the stuff to their work is visible to everyone. Clients will think that they are not cared for. Moreover, even the owner does not always control what is happening in the business. It is important to have staff work as one team, avoiding many conflicts.
• Marketing and positioning. When it comes to looking for a hospitality venue worth visiting, we often rely on the Internet resources and feedbacks available online. Business owners should know their customers. A real picture of a targeted audience should be obtained, and everything in the business should be in line with the main vision of the company. It is best to stress that depending on the average age of the customer, such beverages as water will be in a bigger demand than alcoholic drinks, for example.
• In any business, it is important to have clear goals, aligned budget figures, as well as strong expectations for earnings and the potential for growth.
• For a bar or restaurant to work efficiently, one should introduce differentiated systems like the system of cleaning, the system of taking orders, the system of room service, etc. In addition to making the whole place work as one organism without unnecessary pauses, this approach can guarantee additional earnings.
• Willingness to communicate with customers and learn more about what they think of a business. Every client wants to be heard and, therefore, the business leaders have to be able to provide them this possibility. After having received a feedback from a customer, it has to be thoroughly discussed with the team members involved in the processes and the solution for improving a service should be found. In case a customer enjoyed everything and gave a very positive comment, it should be used in marketing and PR purposes.

Speaking about the differences in issues discussed in the TV shows, it would be worth to describe them in the following way:

• The general approach to any business seems to be very similar. For example, one may watch the restaurant team fight for its future and making all systems work for some time. Thereafter, one may decide to open a hotel and apply the main aspects he/she has observed in running a restaurant.
• However, it is understandable that the size of a hotel and a bar can differ a lot. So when a hotel demands 100 members of staff, a bar can work perfectly having 10-15 staff members on board only.
• A point to mention is also a number of working hours. Restaurants usually work during the day and evening, bars – evening and night, hotels – 24 hours a day, correspondingly.

In conclusion, customers are very demanding nowadays, so in order to attract and retain them, a business should be one of the best in its sphere. Competition drives development heavily, however, customers influence businesses even more. When a bar of a hotel has many customers – it is a sign that everything is fine. If not – the company’s policies need to be reviewed and even changed. It is almost never too late. One just should seek for a solution and will find it.