What are the best management practices which will improve the efficiency of Hotels and Restaurants?

For stand alone restaurants the rates should be cut down, because stand alone restaurants can reduce there rates for a short period of time, in which they can attract customers.

For Hotels what could be done is, make some discount packages like offer customers Hotel membership at discounted rate for 12 months and get it renewed gain and again.

These are one of the alternatives that could be applied and i strongly feel this could work effectively in this time of recession.

Staff recognition and orientation is also an important factor to improve the efficiency of the unit. Staff plays a major roll in improving the quality. One should sustain the old staff to retain in the market.

People when come to hotel, what they expect is good food served in the best possible way. If customers are given a homely feeling, personal attention and proper service they will definitely come back and at the same time spread the word of mouth to atleast 4 more people about their great experience. This will increase the footfall of the Hotel.

A Hotel should be efficient in utilizing all its resources, and when it comes to energy, it is a global concern. Hotels utilize a major chunk of the electricity, which should be used efficiently.

Hotels show that approximately 60% of then energy consumed in a property is in the equipment and machinery rooms, boiler rooms, air conditioning rooms, water treatment and pump areas and sewage plants and laundry. Unnecessary use at these places should be minimised.

Some energy can be saved from the kitchen also which utilizes approximately 25 % of the energy.

Guys

Apart from all the good ideas floating, like to put across my exp of improving the efficiency of the restaurants via technology serive innovations in India.

Couple of years back did a Business counslting to improve the effeicancy of the one of leading restaurants in North America. We did implemented best practice surrounding around technology usage. Though intial it had a capital investment but benifits and the ROI are quick. Nowdays I am seeing most of that happening in Indian resturant too. Only thing there needs to be shift in the mindset of the people. And it is happening slowly.

Kindly find the followings things which we did helped the restaurant using Service Innovation:

1.Queue management: 

Best Practices: Pagers for table management

Defination-Alerts customers when their table is ready;Order taken while customers are in line and transmitted to the kitchen

2.Internet-based

Best Practices: Online reservations

Defination:Make reservations online; Order online for pick-up or delivery

3.Menu-based

Best Practices:Virtual menus available tableside with nutritional information & Virtual menus online with nutritional information

Defination-Electronic menus that have nutritional information of the restaurant’s menu & Online menu with nutritional information tableside

4.Kiosk

Best Practices:Kiosk-based payment & Kiosk-based food ordering

Defination-Payment using a touch screen terminal ; Order taken on a touch screen terminal

5.Payment

Best Practices:Payment via SMS or text message & Payment via ‘smart’ card (RFID-enabled) & Payment via cell phone using NFC technology

Defination-Payment made using a cell phone & Payment made with a RFID enabled credit card & Payment made with a near fields communication (NFC) cell phone

Apart from the above discussed ideas related to frontline management, backend processes can also help in improving the efficiency. Efficiency is nothing but the ratio of output by input, therefore, if you we reduce the generetion of waste it will ultimately help in improving the efficiency of hotel and at the same time save money also.

Reducing rates & discounts are sales related and have nothing to do with increasing efficiency in a Hotel or Restaurant. Efficiency is a Performance-based criteria where each job-related task & procedure is performed at it's best in order to produce optimum customer satisfaction which in turn speaks volumes on the Efficiency of the organisation.

Since these criterias corncerning efficiency are highly employee-oriented it is necessary to motivate the employee into performing at his peak & maximising his productivity & alertness on the job. When it comes down to brass-tacks, every employee is driven to 2 major factors, a pat on the back & compensation for a job well done. So performance based incentives right from grass-root level employees to top management would motivate them to perform at maximum efficiency at every level of the hierachy thus bringing forth a highly motivated & efficient team of professionals & thus a highly efficient Hotel or Restaurant.

I think this is the best way one can keep track of resources used, actually it will keep a track of resources used optimally. This will give an overlook of where we are wasting resources, and identifing the problem area itself is solving the problem to a greater extent. So, I think it will be the best management practice to be adopted.

Dear friends,

Mr. Adesh and Mr. Aakash is right at their respective place. Management efficiency and services are varies from place to place. Waste controlling, smart buying, efficient use of energy and money, staff cooperation and training, appreciation, personalised services, low rate package to attract middle class guests, ensure customer satisfaction, proper research and development on guest and staff habbits, grievance management etc. are very much required to boom hotel and restaurant industry.

 Management can improve efficiency among the staff by - introducing some appreciation and prize programme, provinding good salary package, grievance redressal, supproting and friendly environment, training and promotion etc. A happy person can make others happy.