METIS Hospitality Consultant

04/02/2024

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2024...!

As we bid farewell to 2023, a year heavy with heartache and farewells, I reflect on the friends who now reside among the clouds.

Wishing each of you, my dear friends, a New Year filled with good health, boundless happiness, and abundant love.

May prosperity find its way into your lives, bringing renewed hope and joy. Let's embrace the Lunar New Year with open hearts and look forward to brighter days ahead. 🎉🐉✨

19/04/2022

HOW HAS THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BEEN ADAPTING TO A SHIFT IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE AFTER C-19?

Shallower income, lighter manpower and less touchpoints is the new normal. How effective is the use of technology in hotels and restaurant?

There’s no doubt that the working world has shifted. For better or for worse, every person in the workforce must now continuously add value, not only to the work they are doing but to the experience that customers have while interacting with them and their product.

12/03/2022

https://www.huahintoday.com/thailand-news/thailand-is-facing-a-labor-shortage-in-the-hospitality-and-tourism-industry/

Labor shortage in the hospitality and tourism industry is not a new problem, this situation has been ongoing for several years but the pandemic has made it far worse.

03/02/2022

THAILAND IS FACING A LABOR SHORTAGE IN THE HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY - By Richard Mehr

Labor shortage in the hospitality and tourism industry is not a new problem, this situation has been ongoing for several years but the pandemic has made it far worse.

Following weak operations in 2020 and 2021, the hospitality and tourism industry will continue to see depressed conditions through 2022. The first shoots of recovery may start to break through from the end of this year and throughout 2023 and 2024, but it could take at least 2-3 years for foreign tourist arrivals to return to pre-COVID level, according to Krungsri Bank Outlook Report 2021-2023.

With global travel crashing by a record-breaking rate of 74% from 2019 level. The hardest-hit were the Asia-Pacific region (-84%), with severe drops in arrivals in Singapore (-85.1%), Thailand (-83.2%), South Korea (-85.6%) and Japan (almost -90%). In Q4 of 2021, TAT announced in November 2021 that Thailand would welcome between 400,000 to 700,000 foreign visitors for the year, it is a long way from the 40 million tourists pre-Covid, in 2019.

In response to this unprecedent situation, hoteliers had no other options but to adapt to this situation by overhauling their operations. For example, they had slashed room rates, change the range of services they offer, switched focus to domestic tourists, cut overheads, and sought alternative sources of revenue in related areas.

According to the Thai labor department, a little over 3 million jobs have been lost in the hospitality & tourism sector since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2019. Many workers who have lost their jobs have either entered into new industries, moved back with family to assist with the family business or started their own business.

Despite a lot of efforts, many establishments kept their staff on board for as long as possible, even with furlough and government help. But when the third wave came in April 2021, those establishments did not have the cashflow, reserves nor leverage any longer to keep their staff and had to close temporarily or for good. According to the Tourism Council of Thailand, 36% of all hospitality businesses closed with an estimated 550,000 jobs lost during quarter 2 in 2021. It has been estimated that over 1 million jobs were lost in 2021 only, decreasing the labor force by a further 25%, to 3.34 million from the 6.27 million in 2019. Although there were some glimpses of recovery for end of 2021 and 2022, the latest cancellation of the Test&Go, will slow down drastically foreign arrivals to the Kingdom affecting the tourism industry and ancillary services.

The shortage of employees in the hotel and travel industry is not only in Thailand, everywhere around the world, there is a labor crisis. Hoteliers are yet to face their biggest challenge, finding qualified employees if not employees at all. Many workers in the hotel industry do not wish to return working in the sector, a major contributor to the staffing problem is its perceived culture of very long working-hours, work overload and low wages driving people away. Many hospitality employees feel they are viewed as a number, disrespected and were let go too easily. These individuals, the industry relies on for success, are leaving in masses as they feel the industry which they have given so much of their lives, and made sacrifices, has failed them.

Some companies have even stopped investing in their employees, eliminated training, staff recognition, awards and rewards and continue to drive low wages, yet they asked more of their employees. It should not come as a surprise as to why many hotel employees are reluctant to return to the industry and new comers walking away.

If Thailand is expecting the same number of visitors by 2024-2025 (in 2019 the hospitality and tourism sector represented 21% of Thailand’s GDP), maybe it is time for the Thai Government to create professional schools, teaching and preparing the new generation the tricks of the trade, rather than rely on hotels and qualified hotel staff to train new employees. Maybe time has also come for the hospitality & tourism industry to review and improve their working environments, starting with their human resource department, changes are taking place as we are now entering a new era and there is no room for conservatism.

11/09/2021

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY
Introducing Modern Technology to reduce costs

There’s no doubt about it that the working world has shifted. For better or for worse, every person in the workforce must now continuously add value, not only to the work they are doing but to the experience that customers have while interacting with them and their product. Customers today want the whole package: stellar service from beginning to end. There is too much competition out there today to offer anything less than service excellence. How well we do at creating and increasing this value makes all the difference, between future success and future failure.

Nowadays, hospitality industry experts are recommending steps forward into a ‘new future’ and adapt to the new norms, it is imperative for small and middle-sized hotel owners, management companies and hotel operators to analyze the past and present situation before jumping into an uncertain future.

It is irrefutable that the domestic market remains the bread and butter of many hotels in the Kingdom and this, for a long time to come. Those thinking that the international market will suddenly return, the moment the borders reopen, are overly confident. It is difficult to predict the future when we’re still in the midst of fighting the pandemic, and no one can be sure of what will really happen in a-year from now. In my reality, it will take years before international business returns to an acceptable level in Thailand, our focus for the years to come is the domestic market. Industry leaders, politicians and opinion key leaders must stop feeding false hopes to the society in regards to ‘an eventual return’ of the international tourism within the next few-months or next year, it’s unlikely to happen. We need to think domestic. Diversification, innovation, adaptability and modernization are key words that will define the future of any companies and this will be primarily with the domestic market. Unlike Vietnam who has a much higher percentage of middle-class market travelling within the country and staying in local hotels, the Thai hotel industry is struggling to fill their hotels with the domestic market. Hotels & Resorts are fighting daily to get customers through their doors, by offering attractive rates to increase occupancies, which in return significantly reduces their margins.

Many hotels have ‘lightened’ their workforce at all levels, to minimize their costs which eventually impacts the quality of service; slow follow-up, infrequent preventive maintenance, poor communication, swift promotional changes not only affect the customer experience but definitely add stress to the employees who have to cover these gaps in their respective departments. These manpower cuts create gaps at the service level which can easily be resolved with the introduction of modern technology, helping overcome the overload of work whilst optimizing planning, service and information and reduce staff turnover. Another important cost that needs scrutinizing is energy costs, there again modern technology can be very handy and help reduce furthermore these expenses.

Minimizing these two major costs by introducing modern technology will help you increase your margins, even though rates have been reduced and will carry out in the future when business resumes, enabling you to keep a smaller team of employees without overloading them with work, manage your energy costs efficiently, respond rapidly to customer needs, increase customer satisfaction, promote better communication inter and intra departments, provide you with instant information which will enable you to review your marketing strategies and get a full picture of how well your property is performing.

METIS Hospitality Consultants “Experience driven solutions”
OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Contact: [email protected]

13/08/2021

Interesting read: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4103717.html

Thus a point that needs to be clarified post COVID and no one seems to have approached the subject - staffing?

Will there be a shortage of staff in the hospitality industry, leading hotels, restaurants, bars, etc... to suffer of inconsistent and poor service? What is your plan?

There is something that we can all agree upon and this is the vast and unforeseen impact the COVID-19 sanitary crisis has had on all our lives.

30/07/2021

ADAPTING TO THE NEW NORMS

It’s not the end of the world. International travelers will eventually return; slowly for sure and it will take longer than expected, but after nearly 2-years of uncertainties, lockdowns and extended period of state of emergency, the urge of wanting to break free and travel again is increasing, and people willing to take calculated risks.

As our knowledge of the pandemic deepens, we are reluctantly adapting to the ‘new’ norms, we don’t have a choice, but complying intensifies our chances of survival. We all understand that being vaccinated does not mean you are one hundred percent protected but it certainly decreases your chances of getting seriously ill, nor does it cure people asymptomatic who carry the disease without getting sick themselves. Wearing a mask, keeping social distances and washing your hands as frequently as possible are now fully part of our daily habits and unlikely to disappear in the years to come. Covid has taught us to be more wary and sensitive of the wellbeing of the people surrounding us in private and professional life and we shall witness in the years to come, people when slightly sick with the flu or influenza, will be wearing masks and keeping their distances, unlike what we’ve experienced in the past. I am sure most of you have shown-up at work slightly sick, feverish and coughing and did not bother wearing a mask, it was not out of bad will but simply because we did not think of it, we didn’t know any better. Although Japan has been, since the early days, leading on that front, we all remember seeing pictures of Japanese wearing masks in the subways, the buses or in public areas, to prevent spreading their disease in the 80’s and 90’s.

There is still a lot to be discovered about COVID-19 and its deviants but we must keep faith, that at some point our scientists will be able to suppress this virus. Meanwhile, the hospitality and travel industry are adapting and took appropriate measures to reinforce trust amongst the travelers. Having said this, how efficient are the measures you’ve taken to ensure your safety standards are effective and followed?

Over the past eighteen months, we have read a lot of postings on LinkedIn or Facebook from hotels, B&B, Golf clubs, fitness centers…etc, around the world, showing how they adapted their cleaning standards during the pandemic, which prompted several comments from readers, asking themselves how efficient were the cleaning standards post-Covid? The answer is simple, it has never been about the cleanliness in general which is relatively high in most hotels but about the new disinfection procedure implemented in the cleaning process to avoid cross-contamination.

Moving forward, there will be no greater focus from a guest’s perspective than a hotel’s, B&B, golf club, fitness centers…etc, commitment to its disinfection initiatives. Resetting for success in 2022 and beyond means understanding new disinfecting methods can significantly enhance new procedures that support it. Reflecting this dynamic presents an opportunity to lead the way in delivering the processes needed to support both housekeeping teams and guest confidence in this new era of hospitality.

We can help you ensure you are following the new norms and adapting to new customer expectations.

METIS Hospitality Consultants “Experience driven solutions”
OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Contact: [email protected]

05/07/2021

HANDLING A POTENTIAL COVID ALERT IN YOUR HOTEL

I can’t say it enough, prevention is better than cure!

Sadly, it seems that we’re stuck with the COVID pandemic for a while and maybe forever! Vaccines may be great at preventing you from getting sick but at the same time isn’t necessarily stopping you from getting infected or spreading the germ and that’s a fact! Preliminary evidence seems to suggest the COVID and variants vaccines makes it less likely for someone vaccinated to transmit it further but the proof is not yet ironclad.

Although safety protocols and Emergency Response Plan have been implemented in most hotels, there is still a high risk that you may have to deal with a potential COVID threat, whether from a guest or from an employee, you cannot and should not let your guard down! To the contrary, you need to be more cautious and hold frequent trainings with your teams to remind them again and again of the safety measures implemented. Too often, employees and managers alike, fall into a routine and tend to become less vigilant and this is where danger comes and slaps you in the face… Hotel employees who have been vaccinated or not, need to remain diligent and meticulous about mask-wearing, physical distancing, frequent handwash, wearing gloves and other precautions against the coronavirus.

Whilst many protocols are geared towards guest handling, many times the danger comes from within and the same vigilance and strict measures need to be applied with your employees. You simply have no control over who your employees are seeing after hours, family, friends, religious communities, clubs & associations, vaccinated or not, asymptomatic people don’t know they are carrying the virus and often haven’t been tested or haven’t tested in a while. Whilst in some countries, access to PCR and antigen tests are free, in Thailand people are required to pay, and the fees applied are utterly and outrageously ridiculous (RT-PCR between THB 2,300 to THB 5,000 and RT- antigen between THB 500 to 3,000) depending where you get tested.

Nevertheless and no matter what, you need to ensure you have an emergency protocol in place and one that is rigorously followed by heart by all your employees, should you have to deal with a potential COVID threat in your property. This will allow you to face any situation immediately, take the necessary steps to control the situation, and avoid legal issues and penalties with the local authorities, after all, you’ve had 16x months to prepare and implement one.

Your Emergency Response Plan and Safety Protocols need to be regularly reviewed, updated and trained weekly to lessen the chances of a potential threat.

We’re here to help.

METIS Hospitality Consultants “Experience driven solutions”
OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Contact: [email protected]

28/06/2021

Fun Sunday at the beach....

"WAY TO GO METIS Volley ball team - Proud of you...!"

Beach Volleyball Championship
Hua Hin Beach / Soi 77
Sunday 27th June 2021

24/06/2021

IS YOUR HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING TEAM READY FOR Q3 AND Q4 2021 AND 2022?

The challenges the hospitality industry has faced in the wake of COVID-19 reminds us how critical the housekeeping department’s role is to a hotel’s overall success. The urgency to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has accelerated changes in our industry, including the need for new hygiene and cleaning Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s).

Even before the virus, a vast majority of hotel guests believed cleanliness to be the most crucial factor affecting their choice of where to stay, nowadays hotel cleaning protocols have moved-up to the #1 priority with COVID-19.

As guests expect the highest standards of sanitation to feel at ease in a hotel and once again return to travel, hotel owners and management companies need to work with their housekeeping teams to better prepare for the impacts of these new realities. By using this time to further analyze housekeeping practices, hotel leaders have an opportunity to look into advancing technologies to more accurately plan for operational shifts that will, at the end of the day, influence bottom-line results.

Here are a few facts we wish to share and can prepare your housekeeping team for success.

Create a Structured Cleaning Program Using Industry Best Practices

To earn guest confidence, hotels will have to demonstrate that they provide a clean and safe environment and are following specific disinfecting protocols. It’s not enough to just advertise it, you have to make sure it is rigorously implemented, followed and efficient. Spraying some solution around in the air, as I have witnessed recently in a hotel, is a joke! The ability to develop and implement proven strategies to meet these new cleanliness standards will be critical to your reputation, survival and staying ahead of the competition.

This is a good opportunity to establish clear step-by-step standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the protocols needed to enhance cleaning regimens. Using the right disinfectant and disinfecting tools whilst creating a distinct checklist for each area of the property, including the lobby, restrooms, common areas, fitness center, and guest rooms, will help to ensure nothing gets missed.

Whilst branded hotels will turn to their corporate office for guidance on the latest safety protocol updates, independent hotels will need to keep-up and implement their own safety guidelines.

Alter Schedules for Guest Room Cleaning Based on Need

Many hotels are shifting away from daily cleaning with automatic opt-out cleaning programs, leading to, in some cases, dirtier rooms upon departure. At the same time, the enforcement of new hygiene protocols, such as leaving a room vacant for 24-72 hours between guests, including an increase in cleaning frequency in high touchpoints areas, will intensify the amount of time needed to clean a room as well as reduce your inventory during busy periods. Updated practices on the use of disinfectants and surface dwell times can additionally alter the flow in which rooms are serviced, depending on the product you are using.

So, what does this mean for housekeeping and operational teams? The rise in guestroom cleaning times can make forecasting labor and servicing pop-up requests a more complex endeavor. Lack of planning for additional time can also cause strain on staff, while last minute modifications to departure room schedules can impact room readiness.

Think ahead, invest wisely

Some hotels are being supplied disinfectant or provided decontamination services by their pest control companies but in fact they prefer their own employees to carry out the spraying, because the last thing you want is people walking around your property in Hazmat suits, spraying around the areas during the day or late at night. Other hotels have their teams doing the disinfection and this is where it becomes sensitive and prompts the question; how efficient is their disinfection protocols? Is it safe? Are the employees knowledgeable enough? Do they have the right tools and products? Well, here comes the answer: Not 100% sure… and you want to bet on your reputation and be at the center of a ‘possible’ pandemic outbreak scandal?

Then here is a solution, it’s called touchless medical grade disinfection? The disinfectant is sprayed via an electrostatic handle which imparts an electrostatic charge to the solution as it is applied. This generates charged droplets that repel one another and actively seek out environmental surfaces, which they stick to and even wrap around to coat all sides. The result is a uniform coating of disinfectant on sprayed objects, including hard-to-reach areas that manual cleaning can miss. It has the ability to disinfect, sterilize and decontaminate surfaces and air quickly and effectively (7-10 min per room), killing off 99.99% of harmful pathogens such as COVID, Noroviruses, fungi, mold and some 200 other pathogens and…. YOUR ROOM can be back in use 30 minutes after treatment. It is non-toxic, there is no residue (dry spray), safe on electronic equipment and environmentally safe. However, the investment can be substantial for the equipment and the solution BUT the ROI rapidly recovered, your reputation protected and your staff fully trained on safety protocols.

Moving forward, there will be no greater focus from a guest’s perspective than a hotel’s commitment to its cleaning initiatives. Resetting for success in 2021-2022 and beyond means understanding new disinfecting methods can significantly enhance new procedures that support it. Reflecting this dynamic presents an opportunity to lead the way in delivering the processes needed to support both housekeeping teams and guest confidence in this new era of hospitality.

METIS Hospitality Consultants “Experience driven solutions”
OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Contact: [email protected]

21/06/2021

HOW GOOD IS YOUR CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN?
- Part 2 -

Crisis Management for Today and Beyond

These steps can help you create or refine an effective crisis plan that can be used now and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. Develop a flexible plan, tailored to your property business and designed to protect your brand and by all means it is better to prevent, than to heal!

Define Your Audience: Make sure you are reaching all important stakeholders.

Customers and Clients: You spent years developing your customer base. To retain those clients, you need to reach out to them, offering the latest updates, information on what you are doing to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the safety and security measures you have taken and implemented for their wellbeing, as well as helpful suggestions for dealing with the crisis. This is also a good time to update your email database.

Ownership: Keep all owners apprised of actions planned. Schedule regular Zoom meetings to discuss issues.

Employees: Keep employees informed of their status in a timely fashion. Quickly provide information they may need for tax filing, unemployment compensation, food stamps, Medicaid or other programs. On reopening, brief all employees on new processes every day in English and Thai. Recognize employee contributions in your messaging.

Area Media: Advise area media of closures, delivery schedules, community support efforts, reopening of services and measures you are taking to improve sanitation. A current email list of area media contacts is essential to any crisis plan.

Public Officials: This includes local and provincial representatives and area police departments. Keep them apprised of your efforts and any need for assistance. And, be sure to keep open communication channels for updates.

Community Organizations: This could include groups such as chambers of commerce, tourist associations, hospitality and travel groups you belong to and charities your company/hotel supports. This is also a good time to ask what you and your staff can do to help the community.

Tell It True, Tell It Fast, Tell It All: This is the mantra of crisis management and it applies to every kind of situation, from a natural disaster to a plane crash or an outbreak. If a situation arises from the crisis such as the death of an employee, crime, fire or accident, you must respond quickly and candidly with all information available. Media, law enforcement and the public will make the crisis infinitely worse.

Create Useful, Interesting and Current Content: Content can cover what your hotel is doing to help in the community and can also put the spotlight on what local charities need, particularly food banks. Post links to news articles from reputable media outlets that provide useful and/or entertaining information. Trade publications are also a good source for content. If your property is part of a major brand, include links to the main website.

Show Empathy, Say Thanks: Showing empathy is a pillar of crisis management. We tend to be so entangled in our own efforts to cope, it’s easy to forget how seriously others may be impacted morally and mentally. Show concern for your employees, guests, owners, partners and the wider community. And show your appreciation every day to the people who are risking so much to help us through.

Upgrade Your social media: social media is a key tool here, but there are cautions. Irresponsible, inappropriate social media posts have given life to countless rumors leading to crises. Meet with whomever handles your social media page and set up some guidelines for the pandemic. Consider what kinds of posts will accomplish the following:

- Provide useful, current information
- Protect your brand
- Maintain a positive attitude
- Show empathy and concern for guests, employees and the
community

Monitor your social media pages daily and respond quickly to questions and complaints.

Loose Lips Sink Ships: In times of crisis, there is an understandable urge to do or say something, anything to solve the problem. This can lead to statements and business decisions that are, at best, premature and, at worst, create a crisis within the crisis. Do not speculate, pass on rumors nor make hurtful comments in the name of ‘managing people’ or ‘people have the right to know’, this is not leadership. Every hotel should have a single spokesperson to deal with any media inquiries and to liaise with local officials. Every employee must be told not to speak to the press or anyone else regarding the crisis.

A Learning Experience, A Moral Responsibility: How we respond to this unprecedented crisis will determine the future of our industry. We can take responsibility for our personal and professional behavior and learn how to better handle the challenges that lie ahead. We can forge new ways of doing business and learn how to better serve our colleagues, employees and communities. We can grow spiritually and find new expressions for our faith. We can find common ground and understanding – most important is your ability to run a company/hotel in times of crises and the outcome of such a situation.

METIS Hospitality Consultants “Experience driven solutions”
OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SOLUTION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Contact: [email protected]