During this past September’s Tourism Month we highlighted the role that Tourism played in our economy and in creating employment. Many South Africans, as well as tourists from across the world, are making their way to different parts of our country as we enter high season for the South African Tourism Industry.
Hotels are usually at full capacity during peak season and service is the order of the day, just as it is in any other part of the world where tourists flock to for their holiday breaks. Increasingly hotel rooms are in high demand, all the time, for earlier check-ins. As a partner to the hospitality industry, Bidvest Prestige collaborates with its clients to find innovative and effective solutions to ease the pressures during the busy season. Sue Bell: Managing Executive: Key Accounts says, “As a service delivery agent, we motivate and reward our colleagues to do their best in the time they are given, with the least amount of disruption to our clients.” During high season, the industry is under even more pressure than usual, and any mistake from service providers reflects negatively on the image of our client’s brands, a responsibility that Bidvest Prestige takes extremely seriously.
Bidvest Prestige supply services to some of South Africa’s leading Tourism Brands including, Tsogo Gaming, Southern Sun, Sun International, Marriott Protea, Radisson, Peermont, The Coastlands Group, The Cape Town International Convention Centre and various independents and bespoke venues.
As the end user, this being the hotel management, it often costs them in having to provide their guests with gratis products, food and favours, if a room is not ready on time. This inter-dependent cycle of turning over rooms, is an economic model in its own and can make or break the reputation of a hotel or venue. Having a dependable cleaning team, is therefore as important as any other component of the hotel’s offerings.
This brings to mind the in-sourcing versus outsourcing debate, with the latter still being favoured, particularly in the hospitality environment, as it is much more cost effective when you do the maths with respect to HR matters, uniforms, cleaning equipment and products; as well as the daily management of the function. “We often have hotels who have in-sourced employees, request additional workers because members of their employees have gone on leave. The outsource model therefore works particularly well, as it makes for limited interruptions with relief colleagues always being just a phone call away. Furthermore, the added benefit of Bidvest Prestige ’s colleagues’ staffing requirements and its service level agreements with its customers, Bidvest Prestige works hand in hand with its clients to find the best solutions, to ensure the best possible guest experience at all times.”, says Sue
“In considering the ease of doing business in the hospitality industry, Bidvest Prestige ’s standards, technology and more importantly, their people, work together to make the service offering to its clients, a non-issue and for the client’s guests, a pleasurable experience, at a time when they need it most.” Bell Says in closing.