Noticing the exceptional - Viability Management Consultants
Transkript
Noticing the exceptional - Viability Management Consultants
guy wilkinson comment & opinion Noticing the exceptional Guy Wilkinson has his eye on those recognizing the good work of others T here’s a lot of very good work going on in this region, much more than perhaps people realise. For example, under the leadership of GM Peter Mansourian, the Grand Millennium Dubai has recently been awarded four top awards in global and regional ceremonies: Dubai’s Leading Luxury City Hotel 2013 at the World Travel Awards, as well as top honours at the MENA Travel Awards 2013 with Platinum for Best Price Value Hotel, Gold for Best Fine Dining (for its Toshi restaurant) and Silver for Best Spa (for its Jasmine Spa). The hotel veers between the number one and two slots for guest satisfaction among all Millennium hotels worldwide, having at one point stayed in the top spot for nine consecutive months. Over in the East Coast town of Fujairah, the Noor Arjaan was voted the ‘Best Serviced Apartment’ in the UAE at the World Luxury Hotel Awards in 2013, while its GM Ahmet Ender also won the ‘Hotel Achiever of the Year 2012 Award’, putting him in pole position among all of Rotana’s GMs. The hotel scored 94% in Rotana’s guest satisfaction survey and no less than 98% in the employee satisfaction survey. SECRETS OF SUCCESS Both the veteran hoteliers behind these successes put great store — and evidently gain great satisfaction — in teaching their staff the traditional values of teamwork and putting the guest first. Mansourian says: “I am delighted at the performance of all the team members, from 26 the kitchen, house-keeping, front office, sales and marketing, security and stewarding through to operations and management. This is what makes us stand out from the competition. “Every person who walks through the door here is a VIP for me. We have guests who have come back 50 times, even 98 times! I stand in the lobby and know if it’s a new person, a new face in the hotel and that makes me happy. “As GMs, how many times do we go into the kitchen and talk to the poor guy who’s washing the dishes? How often does anyone go and say ‘Hi, how are you? You’re doing a good job’? It is one of my strengths to go around and talk to these people. You see the front of house, but everything comes from the back of house, the restaurants, the housekeeping, everything — so these people, they should be recognised.” Ender, who like Mansourian lives in his hotel, sees his job as that of mentor and role model. “Training is a must, for any level of colleagues. I don’t believe in eight hours or nine hours, I believe our work in the hospitality business lasts 24 hours a day. “I have to be an example. When I walk into the lobby, I have to put my jacket on, my attire must be perfect. My hair has to be properly combed, my tie, everything has to be matching. Once (the staff) see me, it will become automatic for them and they will do the same in everything — they way I talk to the customers, they will talk the same. “As soon as guests step into the hotel, they must be happy, because they are the managers. Even my receptionists should be able to go out of the reception and welcome the guest. I would be very happy — I would not penalise them — if I see them GM Ahmet Ender won the ‘Hotel Achiever of the Year 2012 Award’, putting him in pole position among all Rotana’s GMs. The hotel scored 94% in Rotana’s guest satisfaction survey and no less than 98% in the employee satisfaction survey” offer the guest a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes with them.” Both Ender and Mansourian have been associated with the UAE for many years. Member of a Turkish hotelier dynasty, the now Canadian national Ender first came in 1978 to open the Sheraton Dubai. He spent 15 years with Abu Dhabi National Hotels as catering manager, at the end of which the company was serving 90,000 meals a day in 68 locations, including Sheikh Zayed’s palaces. “He was a great leader. They say he was the father of the nation and it’s true – there’s no better word.” New Zealander Mansourian’s first UAE post some 30 years ago was F&B manager at the Al Ain Hilton, after which he managed the Taj Palace Hotel in Dubai and returned again four years ago to manage the Grand Millennium. “For me, each day I come to work brings something different — and I love it.” About the Author: Guy Wilkinson is a director of Viability, a hospitality and property consulting firm in Dubai. For more information, email: guy@viability.ae Rotana president Selim El Zyr and COO Omer Kaddouri present Ahment Ender with his Hotel Achiever award. Hotelier Middle Ea st | October 2013 | Volume 12 Issue 10