The English Language & Your Local Knowledge

5.1 The Importance of Language as a Hotel Manager

First, let us begin by examining
the importance of language when you are the hotel manager.

English is the most widely used
language in the world, so from a business perspective, it is essential that the
manager and the main hotel staff have at least some knowledge of the language.
The reason for this is simple. The hotel will generally have a number of
English-speaking guest sat any one time, and it is important that their language
is taken into account in order to provide them with the best possible experience
during their stay.

Having more than a good grasp of
English will certainly result in your being seen as more professional by not
only the hotel management, but also the guests. By being able to use proper
English, there will be less chance of misunderstandings that could have a
negative impact on how your guests view their stay.

It can also often be the case
that there are a number of other members of staff that perhaps do not have
English as their first language and their grasp of it is not as good. In this
instance, your ability to work in English will, in turn, make their job a lot
easier as well, as it removes a certain degree of the stress associated with not
having a good grip of the language .As the manager, there is a real need to give
confidence to the rest of the staff, and it is amazing how something as simple as
language can actually give a boost to everybody else that works
within the confines of the hotel.

It is also the case that no
matter where you work in the world within the hotel industry, certain aspects of
the business side will be conducted in English or at least have an English
format. For any individual that has it as a second language, it does mean that
there is always the possibility of there being issues with perhaps not being able
to correctly follow through on certain plans simply because of a lack of
understanding. As a hotel manager it is important that you have a fantastic
command of English along with the other talents that are required to really be
able to do your job to the best of your ability. It does require some work on
your behalf to improve your language skills, but it would be crazy to
allow English to ruin your chances of having a very successful career within the
hotel management industry.

So, when it comes to the
importance of being able to speak English as a hotel manager, then we need to
stress the following points:

*You will encounter a number of
English-speaking guests.

*You may be in charge of a number
of English-speaking employees.

*English is now regarded as being
the business language of the world. Your command of the language can make it
easier for those with poorer skills. It allows you to provide a more
professional service.

*It reflects better on both you
and the hotel.

If you thought that it was just a
case of knowing another language, then think again, because in your position, it
is worth a lot more than that..

5.2 How to Improve your English if Required

Next, we need to look at how you
can improve your English if you need to do so.

If your English is not perfect
and fluent, then there is something to be said for doing whatever you can to
improve it, as it will only further enhance your chances of having a successful
career within the hotel industry.There are a number of approaches available that
will help you to improve your English, and it is important to explore the
possibility of using each and every one to help you as much as possible.

Language Lessons

First, there are language lessons
that can help you improve your English in the shortest period of time possible.
This kind of one-on-one help allows you to use the knowledge of your tutor
in order to learn various phrases that may not originally appear in the tutorials.
It is also easier for you to learn specifics related to the industry, as this will
also allow you to provide a level of service that is far superior to what you
have been able to provide before.

Next, see if the hotel you work
for has the option of providing classes or at least giving you some assistance in
improving your English. This can solve the problem of wondering where you will
be able to learn, as they will use companies or individuals that do understand
the industry you are working in and the key issues faced by individuals that
struggle with English in the hotel industry.

In other words, it is best that
you seek some professional help when it comes to learning English rather than
trying to do it yourself. This approach allows you to feel more confident that
you are indeed learning the language in the correct way and that you will be able
to use it during your time at the hotel.

FACT

The world's most widely used
language is English, which has over 1.38 billion users worldwide

Source: Wikipedia

5.3 The Importance of Having
Local Knowledge

We have to also turn our attention
to something else that forms an integral part of your role as a hotel manager,
and that is the level of local knowledge that you have at your disposal.

It is important to remember that
the vast majority of individuals that are staying at your hotel will have very
little experience of the town or city where you are based.

What this means is that you have
to almost become the go-to person when people are looking for some insider tips
on what to see or do in your location. Now, some may feel that this is
the role of the concierge, but you are the general manager and there is a need for
you to be able to do aspects of pretty much every single job that forms the hotel
and that includes the concierge department. You must also remember that there
is a certain degree of trust when a hotel manager gives a recommendation and
that is one major reason why the information that you then provide your guests is
something that will make a further difference to their stay in the city.

If we look at the different areas
where your knowledge can pay dividends, this will help you to see the parts where
you must be up to date with what is going on.

Dining Out

First, there is dining out,
because even if your hotel does indeed have a wonderful restaurant that clearly
does not mean that guests will want to eat there with every single meal.
Instead, it is advised that you have a good understanding of the best local
restaurants that cover a range of cuisine and budget options as this is the kind
of local information that guests love to have at their disposal.

Getting Around

Another area that is important is
how they can get around the city in general. Having a good understanding of
local transport and which trains or buses they need to catch in order to get
to certain locations just makes exploring the city a lot easier for your guests.
It is also a good idea to have access to timetables and also perhaps prices to
help people to budget for moving around.

Things to do

One of the things that you will
be most likely to be asked is what they can do or see in and around the city and how
to get there. The amount of information that you need to have at your disposal
for this depends on your location, but it is at least advisable for you to have
access to facts and figures that you can call upon in an instant.

With this aspect, you need to
consider getting yourself organised as you will undoubtedly have to deal with
business people, families, couples, and people with special interests and they
could all be seeking your advice on what they should do in the city.

Nightlife

We have included nightlife on its
own, as guests may ask you for advice on where to go in the evening or even the
kinds of shows that are available during their stay. This is one area
where you really need to keep your information as up to date as possible, but
thanks to the Internet, that is very easy to do.

It is always advised that you
have a comprehensive list of what is happening at night close to hand along with
ideas as to what it will cost as your guests will be reliant on both you and
your staff to help them out with this part of their stay. After all, you are the
expert in the local area in their eyes and you certainly do not want to let them
down in this respect.

Shopping

There will always be a moment
during a stay where a guest will want to know where the best shopping locations
are in the city. This means you must be able to point the min the right
direction according to the kind of items that they are looking to purchase. Now,
even if shopping is not your thing, it is still going to be information that you
want to have at your disposal. All you need to do is to make sure that you
understand the kind of budget that they have available to make sure that you are
sending them to the correct places and not somewhere that is out of their price
range.

Overall, having all of this local
knowledge will just make you look far more professional and as we have said
repeatedly it means you will be giving your guests a more professional service
that can only serve you well in your role as the hotel manager.

Finally, we need to discuss how
you manage to improve your local knowledge because not only do you need to have
that information to hand, but it must also be up to date and relevant.

You do not want to give your
guests incorrect information, as that will only reflect badly on you and the hotel
in general.

There is only one way to improve
your local knowledge: Do your research.

However, we are not talking about
studying every aspect of the city, because in certain locations this would prove
to be rather impossible. Instead, we are talking about being clever in your
approach and using resources that are already readily available to your
advantage, because with this comes the ability to provide quality information
without it taking up too much of your time.

Using Local Resources

Perhaps the key factor as a hotel
manager is to understand the importance of using local resources to help to
improve your understanding of what is locally available. These resources come
in various forms, but the most important one to focus on should be the local
tourist board.They will be willing to work with you and the hotel to make sure
all of your guests are given adequate information from which they can then work
out what they would like to do in and around the city.

This can often come in the form
of various leaflets and some areas will also have a local magazine that could be
offered to guests when they check in. This kind of information is certainly
something that guests will love as they understand where it is coming from know
that they are able to trust what it says.

Using Local Businesses

Another point to explore is the
possibility of using local businesses in order to create a network that can be
recommended to potential guests. Now, we are not saying that you as the hotel
manager should be offering any personal recommendations as part of a marketing
ploy with other businesses in the area, but working with local businesses to
provide guests with discounts or reasons to got on the location will certainly work
in your benefit.

Use Your Staff

Use your staff to your advantage
and get them to provide you with snippets of information about the local area that
should be passed on to your guests. This allows you to basically create
an insiders' guide to the city with tips about specific points of interest that
will be loved by the guests. Ask for regular updates on what is happening and how
various places are currently being viewed as this will help you to build up a very
personal database full of information that you can then pass on.

Get Out There

We can also heartily recommend
getting out there in person to really see what is available and build your very
own list of places to visit, things to do, and also how much they cost. This
means that you are able to provide guests with real hand on knowledge that
simply cannot be matched anywhere else. Try local restaurants. Find out the best
places to shop. See if the tourist attractions are actually worth visiting or
not. Try to determine if there are any hidden gems that you have
discovered and could be worth passing on to your guests. At least with this
approach you are able to tell people how you are giving them your personal
recommendation, but just be sure that it is worthy of you giving your opinion.

In essence, you must be prepared
to do your homework and put in the effort to study the local are a in order to
provide the best information possible. This does take some time to do
correctly, but it is certainly worth it when you know that you are contributing
to a positive experience for your guests during their stay in your hotel.

Just remember that as the hotel
manager it is your responsibility to make sure that everything goes according to
plan for your guests, and that includes the information that you can provide
to them.

Summary of Module

In this module, we have focused
on two key areas, the importance of understanding English, and also the
importance of being aware of what is happening in and around your location.
Both of these areas will further enhance the experience that your guests will
have at your hotel, so clearly it is something that you need to invest time in to
ultimately provide them with the kind of stay at your hotel that they are
seeking.