Along with markets for goods, capital, labor force a vast market of services exists and interacts with them. The service sector is one of the most promising, fast-growing sectors of the economy. In developed countries, the share of services in gross domestic product reaches 70%. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people employed in the service sector.
Despite the rapid development of this area and the strengthening of its role in the economy, a generally accepted definition of the term “services” has not yet been developed.
According to GOST R 50646-94 “Services to the public. Terms and definitions “service is the result of direct interactions between the performer and the consumer, as well as own activities performer to satisfy consumer needs.
Based on their functional purpose, services are divided into material and socio-cultural. A material service is a service to satisfy the material and everyday needs of the service consumer. These include household services, housing and communal services, transport and services catering. Socio-cultural is a service to satisfy the spiritual, intellectual needs and maintain the normal functioning of the consumer. Social and cultural services include medical, educational services, cultural services, tourism and hotel services.
A number of definitions of the term “services” should be given by representatives of well-known domestic and foreign scientific schools. So, according to the definition of specialists from the Moscow state university service, “a service is nothing more than a useful effect of the consumer value of a product or direct labor.” It follows that services can exist both material, tangible, and intangible - in the form human activity, the results of which have no material content. However, any service is accompanied by beneficial effects that are designed to satisfy people's needs, which, in combination with economic results provides significant social effects. According to F. Kotler’s definition, “services are objects of sale in the form of actions, benefits or satisfaction.” From this definition it follows that services are not stored and the client is offered something that does not have a material form. However, service is a complex and complex concept; the specific nature of the service should also be taken into account; if a material service is a product of material production, ultimate goal which is the production and offering of a specific product, then the intangible service is perceived in a subjective form. The reason for this is its intangibility, although some services of this group may also include highly tangible material elements.
What the different species have in common labor activity for the provision of services is the production of economic goods that primarily do not acquire a material form. As a result, service markets are completely different from other markets. There are two reasons for this difference.
First, a service does not exist before it is provided; a product is created during the process of providing the service.
Secondly, service delivery often requires special knowledge and craftsmanship that the client cannot fully appreciate.
With all the variety of services, they all have four things in common: characteristic features.
A service in general and a hotel service in particular are fundamentally different from a product.” Understanding the essence of this difference is extremely important when identifying objective indicators of service quality, and is also necessary for the formation effective systems promotion of services.
The specifics of a hotel service are determined by the features and technologies of serving guests. Process provision of hotel services includes:
I will meet the guest at the entrance to the hotel;
Registration, paperwork and guest accommodation;
Room service;
Maintenance in the provision of food services;
Satisfying cultural needs, sports, health and fitness services;
Registration of departure, farewell upon departure.
All of the above elements do not leave the guest with anything material or really tangible, but it is they who form either a feeling of satisfaction or a feeling of annoyance from uselessly wasted time and money.
A service cannot have a ready-made, complete form; it is formed during the service with close interaction between the performer and the consumer. The processes of production and consumption of hotel services occur simultaneously from the moment of entry into the hotel until the moment of departure; during the entire hotel cycle, the guest perceives the service as the result of the activities of the hotel staff. A hotel service is produced and consumed in one place - the service point, and the consumer himself becomes part of the distribution system. The guest comes into contact with the service staff in the restaurant, at the reception desk, in the room, therefore, the hotel enterprise must ensure successful contact between the staff and the client. At the same time, the guest is obliged to comply with the rules of residence and follow accepted standards of behavior in public places.
Important feature hotel service is the impossibility of its storage and accumulation. It is also impossible to exceed the natural capacity of the room stock when accepting applications and checking in, while unoccupied rooms and places objectively lead to the loss of beds. Thus, a hotel service is an organized interaction between a guest and hotel staff, continuously influencing the guest throughout its entire duration. This product exists only during the guest’s stay, and during this time there is a constant dialogue between the guest and the hotel; it cannot be programmed or created a certain standard or service algorithm. Consequently, the hotel service in each specific case is individual in nature.
All noted features determine the specifics of services marketing.
The intangibility of a hotel service is characterized by the fact that it is almost impossible to study and evaluate it before receiving it. In some cases, this causes great difficulties in promoting hotel services, in particular accommodation facilities, however, using modern computer technology, the consumer can “visit” a virtual hotel and select the room he needs, the view from the window, and the necessary furnishings. But such technologies are used only by large hotels or travel agencies, in most cases it is extremely difficult to demonstrate a hotel product in advance.
The inextricable relationship between production and consumption determines that many types of hotel services are inseparable from those who provide them. Thus, personal service services in a hotel are inseparable from the qualified work of the receptionist service, and service in a restaurant depends on the skill of the cooks and the quality of the waiters. In fact, the person producing the service becomes part of it and is inseparable from it, so competent personnel management is necessary. A hotel can be filled with the most modern technical facilities, have a prestigious environment and have the most modern material resources, but this will still not be enough, since the main thinking and feeling “element” of service is people.
An inevitable consequence of the inseparability of production and consumption is the variability of service delivery. The quality of a service depends on where, who and when it is provided. It often happens that in hotels of the same category of service the service is different: in one hotel the rooms are cleaned strictly according to the standard, linens are regularly changed and toiletries are replenished, in another they do this only after reminders and complaints from customers. The variability of hotel services is influenced by groups of factors:
Organization of work with hotel staff;
Individual characteristics of consumers of services requiring personal approach and comprehensive systematic study of the client.
To reduce service variability, we are developing professional standards industry and service standards.
Service standards are a set of mandatory customer service rules that are designed to guarantee the established level of quality for all operations performed. A characteristic feature of a hotel service is its inability to be stored; a hotel service cannot be stored for further sale. The unsustainability of hotel services means that it is necessary to take measures to align supply and demand. Among these measures:
Establishment of differentiated prices;
Application of discounts;
Increased speed of service;
Combination of personnel functions.
Marketing Services enterprises hotel business based on marketing research can identify periods of increase and decrease in demand under the influence of various factors (season, day of the week, event calendar, holidays and holidays, etc.), can form a broad discount program and a system of incentives for travel during periods of low demand.
Thus, the characteristics of the hotel services market, the specifics of hotel services, and the characteristics of consumers of hotel services determine the specific features of marketing in the hotel business.
It should be noted that hotel services are complex in nature and consist of a variety of services provided various areas, forming a single product in the form of a “package of services” selected for the client depending on the level of his needs. However, such a “package” is not rigid in nature, and the client independently varies its components.
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Hotel is an enterprise whose goal is to make a profit by selling its “product” in the form of a set of services (accommodation services and food services).
There are different concepts of service. In the narrow sense, service- This is an action that brings benefit, helping another.
In a broad sense, the service– this is the result achieved through direct interaction between the performer and the consumer, as well as the performer’s own activities to satisfy the consumer’s needs.
Service is an intangible thing, and therefore cannot be measured, but can only be assessed.
The hotel service consists of:
1) services for providing special premises that can be used to meet your needs;
2) services provided by hotel staff (room cleaning, client registration, meals).
The main element of the accommodation service is, of course, a hotel room (a room equipped for rest, sleep, and work of the client). The main function of the room is the ability to sleep. Depending on the purpose of the hotel and the needs of the guests, no less significant may be such functions as the ability to work in the room (typical for business class hotels that have a desk, telephone, fax, computer in the room).
Regardless of the category, area, equipment, each room must have a bed, a table or bedside table for each bed, a chair or armchair according to the number of guests, lighting in all rooms of the room, and a waste basket.
In order to feed guests, it is necessary to prepare dishes in the kitchen, sell prepared foods, alcoholic and soft drinks, serving hotel guests in a restaurant, bar, cafe, hotel rooms.
There are additional services in the form of a swimming pool, gym, conference rooms, car rental, dry cleaning, laundry, hairdressing services, massage room.
Nowadays, accommodation services are taken for granted, and in order to attract customers it is necessary to develop additional services that will help to stand out from hotels of the same category.
Let's consider features of hotel services.
The process of production and consumption occurs in one time period. To receive a hotel service, it is necessary to involve both the consumer and the performer in the consumption process. To provide a service, hotel staff have to come into direct contact with the consumer. For the client this contact is an integral part of the service itself.
Intangibility of hotel services. A hotel service cannot be touched or seen, as it is intangible. In order to evaluate a service, it must first be consumed. A service is a promise to perform certain actions to satisfy the customer's needs.
Hotel services cannot be prepared in advance, since they are not expressed in material form. The hotel product is produced to satisfy the real needs of customers, and they need to be satisfied within a certain time frame.
Variability of quality. The quality of the services provided depends on the provider and the environment in which they are performed. Qualification, mood and other factors can have an impact great influence on the quality of service delivery. After all, the same performer can serve a client in completely different ways (for example, at the beginning of the working day, when the performer has more strength, the quality of the services he provides will be higher than at the end of the working day, when his strength is running low). Service variability very often provokes dissatisfaction on the part of consumers.
Seasonality of demand for hotel services. Depending on the situation, the demand for a hotel product can change almost every day. Seasonality is very pronounced in countries with a changing climate (most tourists prefer to relax in the summer months).
There are certain factors that influence sales volumes. These factors include:
1) hotel location. This factor undoubtedly plays a very important role, since the price of travel to the hotel and the attractiveness of the hotel depend on it. environment, infrastructure development of a country or city;
2) service level. This factor depends on the quality and completeness of the services provided, the availability of various types of amenities, their style and quality;
3) price. This factor can sometimes be decisive when choosing a hotel;
4) ease of maintenance;
5) range of services. Today, hotels offer a wide range of services that can satisfy almost all the whims of their guests. The most common are accommodation services and catering services. In a good hotel, without leaving the hotel, you can get a quality haircut, take a steam bath in the sauna or play billiards. The main income of the hotel comes from accommodation fees, but with well-developed additional services you can also make a good profit;
6) image of the hotel. Every hotel values this factor very much, as it helps it remain competitive and receive additional profit (in the case of a positive image). Image is a complex consisting of all the above factors.
The main object of the hotel business is, of course, the hotel room. Hotel services is a special hotel product that can be purchased through exchange transactions. The client pays not for the right to own the number, but for the right to have access to it at the agreed time. Modern conditions businesses require hotels to resolve all production and other issues as quickly as possible short terms. People do not like to wait, so to improve the quality of service it is necessary to provide services quickly and efficiently.
ABSTRACT
in the discipline "Hotel Business Management"
on the topic “Characteristics and features of hotel services”
1. Definition of the concept of “hotel”
Many authors consider the concept of "hotel" as a derivative of the Latin "hospitalis", which means hospitable. Today there are other opinions regarding the origin of this concept. One of the common points of view is that English word"hospitality" comes from the Old French "hospice", which means "hospitable house". The oldest of these institutions is the Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy, also known as the Hotel Dieu - "House of God". It was founded in 1443 as a charity hospital and shelter for the poor. This hospital is still functioning today.
In domestic management practice, which has survived to this day, the word “hospitality” is associated primarily with the concept of “hospital,” meaning a military medical institution for inpatient treatment.
From the point of view of common sense, there can be no talk of any hospitality without satisfying the primary needs of a person - the needs for food, rest and sleep. In this regard, the most reasonable and quite logical is the following definition of a hotel.
A hotel is an enterprise that provides people outside the home with a range of services, the most important of which (complex-forming) are equally the accommodation and catering services.
IN this definition indicates the mandatory presence of two main services in the hotel - accommodation and food. However, their relationship with each other can vary greatly.
On one side of the scale there is an enterprise offering accommodation services and only breakfast in the room or in a special room, on the other hand there is an enterprise offering accommodation services and a whole range of food services (meals in restaurants serving European and national cuisines, bars, pizzerias, organization of catering services on the floors).
Hotel rooms are the main element of the accommodation service. These are multifunctional rooms designed for relaxation, sleep, and work of resident guests. Due to the fact that hotel rooms are used by guests mainly in the evening and at night, their most important function is to provide the opportunity to sleep. The importance of other functions of hotel rooms primarily depends on the purpose of the hotel and the needs of the guests. For example, in business hotels it is very important function rooms is to provide the guest with the opportunity to work, that is, a desk, telephone, fax, computer, etc. are needed here.
Hotels have different categories of rooms, differing in size, furniture, equipment, equipment, etc. However, regardless of category, each hotel room must have the following furniture and equipment:
chair or armchair per seat;
night table or nightstand for one bed;
wardrobe;
general lighting;
trash can.
In addition, each room must contain information about the hotel and an evacuation plan in case of fire.
Services for providing food to guests consist of a combination of various processes: production (preparing dishes in the kitchen), trading (sale of ready-to-eat products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), service (serving guests by waiters in a restaurant, bar, cafe, hotel rooms).
3. Additional services
Additional or other services include the offer of a swimming pool, sports, conference rooms, meeting rooms, car rental, dry cleaning services, laundry, hairdresser, massage room and a number of others. Currently, additional services are becoming increasingly important in shaping the market attractiveness of a hotel enterprise. While remaining basic, the accommodation service is taken for granted by guests. The services that make this hotel stand out from others are of increased interest. In most cases, these services are additional. This is confirmed by the activities of many well-known hotel companies. For example, other services aimed at providing opportunities to engage in various types sports, are in first place in the range of services of the German hotel chain Robinson Club, consisting of 30 hotels. The hotels of the famous Swiss resorts of Davos and Crans-Montana, before attracting highly paid professionals, bankers, politicians, provided the opportunity to host international conferences and economic forums at the highest level, building and equipping conference rooms and a number of other premises using the latest achievements science and technology.
On hotel company accommodation, food and other services complement each other, in most cases are interdependent and are perceived by the guest as a single whole. Taking into account how they are designed and combined into a single complex, a certain type of enterprise is formed.
4. Hotel typology
Due to the constant emergence of new services and forms of service on the hotel market, the above typology is very conditional. However, such a division is important for understanding the management features of each type. Within the given types, as a rule, there are many varieties.
Luxury hotel - in terms of capacity, this type of hotel belongs to small or medium-sized enterprises. Usually located in the city center. Well-trained staff provides a high level of service to the most demanding clients, who are participants in conferences, business meetings, businessmen, and highly paid professionals. Characteristic high price rooms, including all possible types of services
A middle-class hotel - the capacity is larger than a luxury hotel (400-2000 beds). Located in the city center or city limits. It offers a fairly wide range of services, and their prices are equal to the level of the region of location or slightly higher. Designed to receive businessmen, individual tourists, participants in congresses, conferences, etc.
Hotel-apartment (apart-hotel) - in terms of capacity, this is a small or medium-sized enterprise (up to 400 beds). Characteristic for large city with a non-permanent population. Represents an apartment type of rooms used as temporary housing, most often on a self-service basis. The price in this type of hotel usually varies depending on the length of stay. Serves family tourists and businessmen, merchants staying at long term
An economy class hotel is an enterprise of small or medium capacity (up to 150 or more beds). Located near highways. Characterized by simple and fast service, a limited range of services. Consumers - businessmen and individual tourists who do not need full board and seek actual payment for the services they consume, which provides for a low percentage of service surcharge
A hotel resort is a business with significant variations in capacity, offering a full range of hospitality services. In addition, it includes a complex of special medical care and dietary nutrition. Located in a resort area.
Motel - simple one-story or two-story buildings located outside urban areas, in the suburbs, near highways. These are small or medium-sized enterprises (up to 400 places). Characteristic intermediate level services with a small number of personnel. The clients are different categories of tourists, but with an emphasis on educational autotourism.
Private bed and breakfast - this type of hotel is widespread in the United States. This is a hotel of small, sometimes medium capacity. Located in the suburbs or rural areas. The service is usually superior to breakfast and an early light dinner in a homely setting. Clients are businessmen and route tourists seeking the comfort of home.
Hotel garni is a company that provides clients with a limited number of services: accommodation and continental breakfast.
A boarding house is an enterprise with a simple standard and a limited range of services. Unlike garni hotels, breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided here (full board). However, only residential clients can receive food services.
Gostiny Dvor is an enterprise that differs from hotels in a simplified standard of service, smaller capacity, and the absence of a number of public spaces for meeting and staying guests (halls, lobbies, living rooms, etc.). The structure of the Gostiny Dvor must include a restaurant or bar.
Rotel is a mobile hotel, which is a carriage with single or double compartments in which sleeping chairs are located. There is a changing compartment, toilet, kitchen, refrigerator
Botel - a small hotel on the water, which is used as an appropriately equipped vessel
Flotel is a large hotel, often called a "resort on the water." Tourists are offered comfortable rooms with a wide range of services: swimming pools, water skis, fishing gear, equipment for scuba diving and spearfishing, gyms, congress and conference halls, libraries, various information support(telephone, telefax, teletype, TV, etc.). IN lately often used for organizing business tours, congress tours, congress cruises, and educational tours.
A hotel service is defined as a process of interaction between a consumer and a provider in order to satisfy the guest’s needs for accommodation, food and additional services, as well as making a profit.
It is interesting that the hotel service has a number of features that are unique to it and distinguish it, for example, from educational, medical or other services.
- 1. The process of production of a service, as a rule, does not coincide with the process of its consumption. For example, cleaning or preparing a room does not coincide in time with the moment of its sale to the reception service and the immediate check-in of the client. Non-simultaneity also characterizes food services. However, a component of any service is service. This concept we interpret it as service aimed at changing the physical, psychological and other state of the consumer. So, the provision of a service will always coincide in time with the moment of its consumption, because it is impossible to be polite and courteous before or after a meeting with a client.
- 2. Limited storage capacity. Services cannot be accumulated or stored. Organizations providing services do not need to store them, “overproduce” or “overstock”.
- 3. Urgent nature of hotel services. Problems related to the provision of services must be resolved quickly. The time it takes to provide a number of hotel services in modern hotels is measured in seconds. Interestingly, the fastest service in the world is provided by hotels in Tokyo. Their service standards limit the time for check-in, payment and key issuance to 45 seconds. In most other hotels, 10-15 minutes are allotted for these operations.
- 4. Services as an object of sale are intangible: they cannot be touched, but can only be described. This leads to the conclusion that it is necessary to place increased demands on documentation the service being sold, the quality of the information provided to the client about it.
- 5. The quality of services may vary: there may be a significant difference between the preliminary description of the services provided and the actual services provided in accordance with this description. This is explained by the impossibility of completely standardizing or technologizing a service, since the people providing it will always behave differently. For example, a receptionist may be less courteous to client A than to client B.
- 6. Nevertheless, the wide participation of personnel in the technological cycle is also an important feature of hotel services. Its behavior is controlled by service standards - sets of mandatory rules for customer service, which are designed to guarantee the established level of quality of all technological operations.
- 7. Demand for hotel services is variable, characterized by large and complex fluctuations, but is predictable and predictable. The demand for accommodation for leisure tourists is seasonal, on weekends, while business tourists use the services of hotels on weekdays, regardless of the time of year.
- 8. The dependence of hotel services on the purpose of travel is explained by the fact that the guest’s decisions to visit specific place As a rule, it is not based on the presence of a specific hotel in this place. It is determined by the attractiveness of the place of stay, personal travel goals, financial capabilities and other factors. However, the purpose of travel - to visit a specific hotel cannot be ruled out as the root cause, since at present many hotels can be tourist sites. For example, the Parus Hotel in the United Arab Emirates, the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
- 9. Interdependence. The sale of hotel services is influenced by marketing decisions made by the administration, travel agents, and tour operators. Fluctuations in demand are directly related to the socio-economic and political situation of the hotel location.
- 10. The buyer does not have the opportunity to evaluate and study the full sample of the service before purchasing. Therefore, problems arise with distribution. Services associated with increased attention to documentation.
- 11. An important feature of hotel services is the absence of work in progress. Shchetinina E.B. "Hotel Services Management". M., 2006. - 170 p. [p.10-12]
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