Contemporary Hospitality Management - Essay Example

? Marketing of Service In the modern evolving workplace, the frontline employees play a critical role in organizational, servicedelivery. Frontline employees need to feel good about their positions and capabilities. Frontline employees are can be said to be employees that develop products to the required organizational specifications, communicate directly to customers, and are viewed as the face of the company. The frontline employees have the capacity to influence the employees to revisit business premises repeatedly. Tony Roma has identified the frontline employees are the brand of the restaurant. The company has heavily invested in training these employees to ensure they handle customers efficiently. In the food industry, customer satisfaction and loyalty are largely influenced by the frontline service providers. Therefore, the employees who come into first contact with customers in the Tony Roma hotel have been empowered with skills to handle multiple clients. The company has invested in professional recruiting and selection programs1. These investments are essential to the provision of world-class services at to the customers at the frontline. The company is intentional about providing quality services to both internal and external customers2. Tony Roma hotel is keen on conducting research with an aim to reinforce the brand image and facilitate marketing. The selection procedure of the frontline employees entails checking the emotional intelligence of the workers. Data mining has been an effective method of ensuring high class services are offered by the frontline employees3. Frontline services have to be scripted if professionalism is to be enforced. Studies show that the most effective organizations have structures of picking employees and a culture of excellence4. This includes the frontline services. Tony Roma has been careful to manage customer expectations. The company has used developed marketing communication to shape customer expectations. Training has significantly reduced the roles ambiguity and conflict that can affect the quality of services at the front office5. Transparency in communications has raised the morale of the frontline workers at the Tony Roma hotel. In the food industry, understanding cultural differences play a crucial role in attracting and retaining customers. The company offers training that significantly reduces ethnocentric attitudes among the workforce. The ethnic diversity among frontline employees is harnessed to become an advantage to the company. Tony Roma is heavily investing in service innovations that are unique and customer oriented. The services are aimed at giving the organization a competitive edge at the front office. In most companies, frontline employees have the least voice since they are viewed as mere front office attendants6. However, the strategic policy of Tony Roma appreciates the enormous influence of the FLEs to the mindset of the potential clients. This is the reasoning behind the empowered, competent and energized frontline employees in Tony Roma. SERVQUAL dimensions of Reliability, assurance, empathy and responsiveness The company wants the frontline office to create brand experiences and not mere services. Frontline employees are trained to engage customers in lively and professional dialogues. The frontline officers are dependable when it comes to strategic planning, liaising the necessary departments and the external environment. The employees are expected to be eloquent and courteous while dealing with clients. They are required to conduct follow up of the customer requests and services. The company emphasizes on soft skills and likable personality traits as opposed to experienced and hardened personalities7. According to the company’s management, frontline employees are the face of the hotel8. Therefore, frontline employees are supposed to have natural social skills and authenticity while dealing with customers9. The company insists that the facial expression of joy must be perceived to be authentic and enthusiastic. The company has a strategy of having employees with hard skills but who can excel in soft skills. A genuine consumer experience makes the customer a potential brand agent. In the hotel and food industry, experiences are better than routine services. The frontline employees are required to be responsive and humane. The frontline employees are trained to keep their word to customers. The company uses the term authenticity to enforce these traits. According to research, it is possible to be empathetic without being sincere. The management of Tony Roma has invested in the frontline services and given the employees a strong voice. The employees report customer concerns directly to the relevant organs. This has minimized the conflicts of interests. In frontline services, the company has a centralized authority. This means that the front line employees do not receive orders from diverse top ranking officers. This has cushioned the frontline employees from abuse and confusion, which has minimized conflicts of interest10. The frontline employees short be fully capacitated and empowered to deal with most of the challenges raised by the customers. This is crucial in boosting the self confidence of the employees. The frontline employees must be trusted and trained to independently deal with the majority of the consumer concerns. Managers must keep the employees valued and respected at all times11. This sets the tone for customer service especially at the front office. This has caused Tony Roma to have professional and highly suitable front office employees. The company is committed to having an effective career trajectory for frontline employees. Promotions and talent reward systems are based on merit12. The employees have career aspirations, which are well taken care of through acknowledgements. The company is using the internet platform a strong promotional strategy. The company has an interactive website and is present on social media. The company has online menus and dispatches news to clients who sign up for email updates. The use of the internet has been cost -effective. The medium can reach many parts of the world and attract potential customers through the digital platform. The company used television advertisements to promote its strategic interests. Some of the advertisements are done in multiple languages. This includes commercials that are uncomplicated but effective. The company uses a variety of media to pass its message to the targeted audience. The company is keen to invest in the mobile phone applications to embark on the personalized marketing. Bibliography Ma H. "Creation and pre-emption for competitive advantage’,." Management Decision, 37, no. 3 (1999): 259–266. 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