Let the games begin
As the excitement mounts for the
biggest sporting
event ever hosted
in South African
history, the 2010
Soccer World
Cup, there is a
growing concern that not enough
of an effort has
been invested
into food safety
measures for both
spectators and
players of
this sporting
spectacular.
It would be disastrous for all
concerned if this event was subjected to a “food poisoning”
penalty – as this would
display to the watching
world that we have overlooked
the basics when
planning for this event.
Food safety is often taken
for granted by those fortunate
enough not to have
suffered from the dreaded
symptoms caused by the
onslaught of millions of
microscopic organisms that
deploy a strategy of random
selection when choosing
their victims.
Comprehending Coffee
There are few
things in life that
make me utter
the words “good
morning” with
more enthusiasm
than the aroma of
good, strong
coffee. Truth be
told, my sons were
taught to operate
the cappuccino
machine before they learned to
ride their bikes!
Being in the hospitality industry,
you most likely already
know just how important a
really good cup of coffee is
to a surprising number of
people. So, have you mastered
the art yet, or are you
still trying?
Cocktails and Mocktails
A good cocktail
can really bring the
profoundness out of
anyone, the more
elaborate the
cocktail, the more
profound the
person!
What with an impending global economic
meltdown, local politics in a bit of an
upheaval, climate change happening faster
and more destructively, oil prices going
through the roof and the world running out
of rice, it wouldn’t be surprising if your hotel
bar suddenly has a lot more patronage.
Snack tray treats
A sure-fire way to
impress your
guests is to
offer them a
complimentary
snack tray!
Offering your guests complimentary
gifts, no matter how
small, can go a long way to
impressing them. Accommodation establishment owners
often, in the rush of their
day-to-day business, forget
this and may even be
numbed to the guests’ reactions
to small details
Turn-down service
I don’t know
about you, but
when I get back
to my hotel room
after a day out
and I see a freshly
made bed with a
puffed-up pillow,
I get a childlike
excitement to see
what has been left
for me on my
pillow. It’s like
Christmas all over
again...
Well maybe not that exciting,
but its fun nonetheless. I
wonder if tonight it’ll be
fudge or maybe a carefully
wrapped nugget of nougat?
Oh look, its chocolate covered
Turkish delight. Ooh,
how exciting!
This reaction may sound
like an over-reaction to something
as small as a little piece
of candy being placed on a
pillow, but as an accommodation
establishment owner/
manager, one should always
remember that small gestures
can make a big impact
on your guests’ impressions
of their overall stay. On the
other hand, many guests,
particularly those on business,
may feel that this is not
necessary and may not
want to be disturbed just
before retiring after a long
day of conferencing or meetings.
Guest House Breakfast
It is said that until
you have shared a
meal at the table
of your host you
have not yet
experienced the
full potential of his
hospitality
Walking into a spanking
clean, attractively decorated
guest house or most inviting
well-equipped guest room
and sleeping between crisp,
clean sheets on a good
mattress with comfortable
pillows so fresh that you
would not know anyone else
has slept on them before,
may speak volumes about
the management of a guest
house. But the true and final
evaluation of enjoyment or
disappointment often happens
in the dining room and
is closely related to the quality
of both the food and the
service.
Variety is the spice of life... and spice adds variety and life!
Many establishments
are in the enviable
position of having
repeat guests – be they
corporate travellers
returning week after
week or guests who use
the establishment as a
stop-over for their
annual trek from
Gauteng to the Cape
and back. Some guests
return simply because
they couldn’t imagine
staying anywhere else!
Although every establishment
owner loves the
repeat visitor, the repeat
visitor (or long-staying
guest) unwittingly poses a
problem, for the kitchen
staff anyway. One cannot
conceivably feed the poor
guy the same dinner
every Monday night, the
same lunch every Wednesday and the same
breakfast every second
day! Somewhere along
the line he’s going to get
BORED.
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