Having a place to sleep and relax after a long day of traveling is important to anyone on the road. As the person in charge of one of these facilities, it is your responsibility that your staff is educated and happy with what they do. Giving them rewards, recognizing their hard work, and promoting your brand will ensure that your guests have a great stay. Here are a few ways that you can manage your hotel.
Know What Your Employees Do Each Day
To manage your staff effectively, you should know what they do each day. Being in their shoes for a while will let you see what the challenges are that they face and how you can help them. Set aside time to clean the rooms and review their equipment. They should be assigned quality housekeeping carts for hotels complete with storage for supplies including a mop and vacuum. Purchasing this item will cut down what you spend on labor since your employees will get more done in a shorter amount of time. The individuals that work for you will also be happy with the change. Schedule some time to work the front desk and assist your guests. This should happen for every shift, including overnight. It gives you the opportunity to evaluate how you can make your clerk’s lives easier as they represent your brand.
Show Your Appreciation For Their Efforts
Your competitors are looking for employees like yours to fill the vacant spots on their roster. A way to retain these team members is to offer rewards that show your appreciation to them. Find a fair way to select an employee of the month then determine what you want to give them for it. Along with recognition, you can give them a cash bonus or a gift. Be flexible when someone requests time off or needs to change shifts. Allow them to put their family first when an emergency arises. Bring in treats or meals frequently and set up contexts and games they can participate in for prizes. Talk to them about what they would like to see changed in your operations or what would make their day better when they are there. Do the little things that make your staff understand that you value their efforts.
Set Up Guidelines For Each Position
It can be a challenge to know what you want from each employee unless you tell them. It can also be difficult to remember what you said as they are completing their tasks during the day. A simple way to help them remember what they should cover during their shift is to design a checklist that has each assignment on it. You should add as much information as possible for each point so that even new employees know what they are responsible for and the tools to complete the job. You can laminate it and provide your staff members with a dry erase marker so they can check off each duty when they are done. Load their carts with the items they will need to finish what must be done. Set aside time to answer their questions and provide guidance if they require it.
Stay Up To Date With Your Website and Social Media
There is more to your job than your basic day to day operations. You have to get customers to book with you and stay in your motel. If they see outdated photos and less than favorable reviews on your website, they will go somewhere else. Take the time to address everyone’s concerns, whether they are on the internet or in person. Be sure to remedy the situation the best you can if it is truly a problem. Snap new pictures of the facility and upload them to your site whenever there is a change. Post daily on social media about new events or specials that could be of interest to your followers. There are many facets to being the manager of a hotel. Showing appreciation to your staff, rewarding them as much as possible, and being aware of their everyday tasks can keep your place booked and successful.
