Affect Of The Employees On Customer Service

Managers have to be careful with who they hire in their business, as the employees are the face of their company. In the hospitality industry this is a major issue, as many of the jobs in this sector involve the employees interacting with the customer. This is where managers get to promote how good their customer service is in their business.        

       A way in which managers can deal with this issue is by having a strict interviewing policy. Many businesses already do this, however due to the current recession; managers have had to be very careful in how they choose their employees. As one of the problems businesses have is whether to hire cheap and unskilled workers for example students or hire skilled staff but at a higher cost. This may be a managerial issue, as managers need to think about both looking after their customers but also their business. As if they do not cut back on aspects in their business, then they will not be able to afford to keep the standards up which could affect the reputation of the businesses. On the other hand, if they do this by hiring students at a cheaper wage limit, they could affect their reputation as students might not be skilled enough and be able to deal with customers at the standard they require.

       However research from Nottingham’s Business School Centre for Leisure Retailing shows that “85% of employers thought students were reliable employees and 90% said they were quick to learn”, this disproves the theory above, and shows that using students for employment does have benefits and could help managers out with this issue. However having said this, the research also showed that “Only 4% of students are currently employed in hotels”. This may be because of the recession and managers having to cut back.

       Customer service is the one thing that can affect a whole business. A person’s view on something can easily be spread and affect other people judgment. This is an issue managers need to think about in the hospitality industry, as many of the sectors e.g. hotels, get their reputation from customer’s reviews and people commenting on their business.

Referencing

Bernadette McAndrew. (2010). Research reveals region's hospitality industry is failing to capitalise on student workforce. Available: http://www.eastmidlandstourism.com/?p=311. Last accessed 17th