Theoretical Considerations
The redesign of the hotel lobby will be subjected to the common rules of design, aimed at increase the customer/visitors flow. The key aspects of the hospitality business define the customer’s loyalty and impose an accent on the aspects of service. Thus, the ability to serve the customer is the highest priority of the redesign process. First, the following issues should be addressed:
- Where do you want to lead your clientele?
- How does the staff relate to the clientele?
The first question presupposes the revenue area (hotel rooms, bar, additional services, etc.). As for the second issue, the design layout will define the required level of services and hospitality of the personnel. Consequently, the uniform and location of the personnel will be regarded as a part of the entire design. As it is stated by Millett (2003, p. 413):
The quality of service the customer receives is equally as important as getting the customer to the desired location. The layout of your space can greatly enhance or hinder the customer service process. Once you have determined where you want to lead your clientele and have analyzed how your clientele relates to the staff. There is a necessity to analyze the most effective way to do that within your square footage.
From the perspective of this statement, the elements of the design, which should be considered are the following:
- Location of the key elements and services: reception, elevator, emergency exit, bar, restaurant, WC, gym, etc
- Comfort aspects for the customer flow
- Square footage and the expected capacity
- Analysis of the activities, which will be arranged in the redesigned lobby
- What is the relation between these activities
- The necessary equipment
- How the working environment could be optimized
Additional Services
The additional services, which should be implemented will be closely associated with the comfort of the visitors. Originally, most of them are upset by the exhausting registration procedure. Originally, to increase the comfort level, the essential part of this procedure may be performed by the reception personnel. Additionally, a mini-bar (or at least a coffee bar) may be provided for the visitors waiting for the registration, receptionist, or a porter.
The most important aspect of the reception personnel activity is the quick services and the accurate writing of the data. Thus, part of the process may be performed in a line regime.
Because any forecasting method can not be regarded as 100% accurate, there is a strong necessity to use at least two, which will be of various origins (quantitative and qualitative). The methods, which are used for the restaurant services demand analysis, are the prediction market and data mining tools. Despite the possible inaccuracies of the offered methods, the various approaches will provide the multi-angle analysis of the market performance, thus, offering a deeper analysis. The prediction market tool is aimed at researching the demand levels through the entire market by the means of reviews and analyses, while data mining is aimed at data collection and analysis. (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2010) The entire forecasting framework will entail the following factors:
Considering the long history of Savoy Restaurant, and the great number of famous dishes created by celebrity chef Auguste Escoffier, it should be stated that the popularity of the restaurant is constantly increasing among the visitors of the hotel. Originally, the key values of the service are explained by the statement that the cuisine, offered in the restaurant can satisfy the tastes of the wide audience. Thus, the capacities of the restaurant need to be increased. Moreover, considering the growing demand for afternoon tea in top London hotels, it should be stated that to cope with this demand, the restaurant will have to change its profile, or at least restructure it, to fit the tradition of the afternoon tea. Originally, Savoy restaurants are designed for serving dainty dishes. Therefore, as it is stated by Bassett (2005, p. 56):
The River Room restaurant features a magnificent view of the Embankment Gardens and the Thames, while the Michelin-starred The Savoy Grill, long one of London’s top restaurants, has gone on to still greater things under the direction of super chef Marcus Wareing, a regular business partner of Gordon Ramsay.
Thus, the afternoon tea, as the traditional meal in the UK does not fit the entire atmosphere of the restaurant. Moreover, the traditional accompaniment of the afternoon tea, which is: sandwiches, scones (with clotted cream and jam, see cream tea), and usually cakes and pastries (Jones, 2004). Thus, reformation of the restaurant profile will be the first step for attracting more visitors to the afternoon tea.
The next step is the training of the personnel. Thus, under some reviews of the restaurant, some visitors stay unsatisfied with the quality of the services. The matter is not on the high prices, but in the way, personnel communicates with the visitors. By the review, posted in UrbanPath (2010), some visitors believe that the price they are paying for the services is not justified: “One is paying for the name and the atmosphere, both of which were spoiled.”
Consequently, the personnel should be examined for their communication skills, and perfectly instructed for the issues of communicating with visitors. Because these aspects require additional responsibility levels, the additional qualification improvement will be helpful enough for coping with the increasing demand, and leaving customers satisfied with the quality of the services and the communicational skills of the personnel.
The analysis of the demand patterns requires the depth analysis of the offered product and the requirements of the target audience. Originally, the traditional Savoy restaurant will be featured with one demand pattern, while the afternoon tea restaurant will have a different pattern. Moreover, the implementation of the regarded steps will influence the demand pattern essentially. Originally, as it is stated by Mcelheney (1998, p. 23):
Traditional restaurant technology models are no longer adequate in an industry where everything is changing from formats, staff training requirements, regulatory mandates, and near real-time financial reporting needs, to consumer expectations, behaviors, online interactions, and demand patterns across diverse global markets.
In the light of this statement, it should be emphasized that the demand pattern for the Savoy restaurant will be closely associated with the changes in the atmosphere of the restaurant, and the improvement of the services offered. Thus, the demand pattern will be close to Ramp demand, which features the appearance of a new product on the market:
This pattern is related to the afternoon tea demand, nevertheless, the pattern of the Savoy grill (traditional) restaurant will not change, as balanced factors will keep the demand level on the same level. Thus, reformation of the restaurant concept will attract new customers, and will probably dissatisfy some returned visitors, and the improvement of the communication skills within personnel and the level of services will inevitably compensate for the possible demand decrease.
The operational resources of the hotel in general require additional transformation and reallocation. Originally, it is explained by the fact that transformation of the restaurant activity will require additional resources, thus, additional efforts will be inevitable.
Personnel
The hotel personnel will not be required, as the demand patterns of the restaurant activity will not affect the hotel.
Financial contributions
These resources will be required for the design modifications and the training of the personnel. Considering the origins of Savoy hotel financial performance, these actions will be equity-based, as the necessity to transform the restaurant activity is the task of increased urgency, thus, no debts will be tolerable.
Food
As an operational resource, food is not important for the hotel, nevertheless, the hotel sphere may benefit, if afternoon teas will be served in rooms by the honored English traditions. As for the matters of resource operation, these aspects will depend on the entire financial performance of the hotel.
In general, the functions of the resources involved will not be changed, as the necessity to implement innovative approaches towards the hotel and restaurant performance requires the in-depth analysis of the sphere in general and the application of additional resources.
Reference List
Bassett, G. 2005. Operations Management for Service Industries: Competing in the Service Era. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
Jones, C. A. (2004). Extraordinary Customer Service Management: THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS. Business Perspectives, 12, 26.
Lovelock, H., Wirtz, J., 2010. Services Marketing: People Technology and Strategy, 7th Ed., Pearson/Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Mcelheney, J. R. 1998. Good Service: A Must!. Management Quarterly, 39(3), 23.
Millett, J. D. 2003. Management in the Public Service: The Quest for Effective Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
UrbanPath. 2010. The Savoy Grill Restaurant (Strand). Web.