HGE401 Discussion Forum

After listening to the podcast, I understand that business is a stage or a platform for the employees to work (perform) in a theater for the customers and customers being the ones actually experiencing it. Theater being any place where someone is watching you work and every individual being unique, acts differently when working; Also, there is an authenticity measure of how much genuine and fake acting is going into the work. A lot of unseen activities and hardship go before performing on stage. Customers are coming in to get a feel of the theater, having a memorable experience which in return giving profits to the business. Time, also being one of the factors where how you make an experience memorable in that particular time frame holds the key to performing successfully on stage. Notably customizing the product and making it into something which is highly personalized will give the customer a memorable experience.

1)   Hospitableness as a virtue, I think that Ms. Telfer is right in some context, but it will be purely based on how an individual looks at dealing with the situation, and if he/she carries the trait of hospitableness in general then they might unknowingly carry all the other traits in them. Ms. Telfer speaks about the human qualities compassion, benevolence, and affection which can be practiced but they need not be necessarily associated with hospitality in general, so she states that it is an optional virtue. Also, she suggests that one can achieve an all-round hospitableness by targeting a group of audience, or by being a good Samaritan and being hospitable to his/her wider circle of friends while the close circle of friends will hopefully sympathize, help in the good Samaritan activity and potentially this alienating activity can result in good friendship.
Similarly, for a commercial host, as they have chosen hospitality as a job, whether hospitableness is an optional virtue when they have developed a habit of being hospitable when on duty and are not able to show any other virtue other than generosity, kindness and so on.

2)   To prepare for a career in hospitality, we need to look at improving our current skill set, enhancing our unique human capital, to be recognized in the current field of work and to add leadership skills.
Whilst today we need to start with searching for a job and company that helps us add leadership skills, with the prospect of meeting our career goals. We need to start gaining trust and respect by doing our jobs well and not just by accomplishing everyday objectives but to overachieve day to day goals. To start where ever we can, even if it means to do non-motivating work and then to challenge over emotional intelligence to accept current needs and plan to build our future.

3)   The behavior of an individual that meets our expectations of being a ‘’professional’’ registers them in our minds as one. This judgment can be made even without engaging in conversation with them, as we recognize a fellow professional based on their presence.  To be professional and not just by being a member of a profession needs a level of knowledge. In the hospitality industry, we recognize a professional by the behavior they show in dealing with their colleagues, guest and their presence in general; This comes with confidence and it is achieved by the level of knowledge and understanding of a subject and their surroundings. Facing familiar or unfamiliar situations; analyzing, understanding and learning from their outcomes. Other traits of a professional are, the ability to take independent decisions, working together as a team and achieving a high level of service, passing on professional knowledge and skills to others.

Thank you.

Warm regards,
Prathamesh Samant