Untitled - Hospitality Maldives

I m p r e s s u m
Published by
Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
H. Always Happy House, L2
Asrafee Magu
20034 Male’
Republic of Maldives
www.bynd.co.uk
Managing Editor
David Kotthoff
editor@hosmal.com
Advertising
Hassan Hisham
ads@hosmal.com
Design & Layout
Hawwa Sithna
info@bynd.co.uk
Print
Novelty Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Contributors
Anantara Maldives
Bert Van Walbeek
Bob Seldon
Corbin Ball
Daydots
Doug Kennedy
Dr. Mark Clark
Gina Abernathy
Hulhule Islan Hotel
Jorely Mathew
Kelley Robertson
“Maldivian”
Neil Salerno
Rick Hendrie
Roberta Nedry
ServSafe Essentials
Soneva Fushi & Six Senses Spa
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
Schihab A. Adam
www.ehotelier.com
Cover
Soneva provides the benchmark by which
resort experiences in the Maldives are
measured, and now the multi-award-winning
Soneva Fushi has once again moved that mark
by opening the only resort based astronomical
observatory of its kind in the world. Set deep
within the resorts dense lush jungle, the
observatory provides a unique experience for
anyone who has looked up at the night sky
and found a desire to learn more about the
universe and its surrounds. Read more on
page 24...
Disclaimer
No parts of this magazine or its content
(photographs, articles or parts thereof,
design, layout) may be reproduced without
the consent of the respective owner. Beyond
Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. or any of its associates
cannot be held responsible for the misuse
of the information and intellectual property
provided in this magazine. Opinions expressed
in this magazine are those of the writers and
not necessarily endorsed by the publisher.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Welcome to the 21st edition of Hospitality Maldives.
These days we find ourselves in interesting and challenging times. Worldwide stock
markets reach new all-time lows on a daily basis, tourism arrival figures are below their
expectations and the first ever multi-party election in the history of Maldives remained
inconclusive after its first round of votes. The million dollar question: Where and what will
all this lead to?
More than many others, resort owners and developers are feeling the downturn of the
worldwide economy. Prices for construction materials and logistics are on the incline since
months and with credit institutions and banks more and more reluctant to fund projects,
many new developments are on hold for shortage of cash. Of the 70+ islands and plots
of land that the government has leased out for new resort or hotel developments over the
past four years, only five have gone into operation to date with many projects not even
having started; a strong indicator for shortage of funds throughout the industry as well as
a general lack of foresight and planning.
Many owners are now forced to sell their leases and/or resorts at prices that just a few
months ago would have been considered a bargain. Still, potential buyers or lessees are
hard to come by. In addition, the lack of tourism arrival growth of recent months combined
with political uncertainty are two more factors putting off investors and banks alike, at
least for now. Only time will tell us a direction, fingers crossed that it’s a favorable one and
that markets will recover soon.
Yours in hospitality,
David Kotthoff
editor’s note

CONTENTS
42
44
46
52
54
58
62
64
66
68
Editor’s Note
Using Hospitality as a Disguise
Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
Training & Development Need Analysis
The Important People In A General Manager’s Life
How Much Service Is Too Much Service?
20 Ideas To Increase Technology Efficiency
It’s All About The People
Receiving: Check It Before You Accept It
Understanding Customer Dna
Winner’s Attitude
Lost The Fire? Time To Retire!
Leadership - Do We Know What It Is?
Tips On Employee Retention
Hospitality Bites
Customer Service: A Fading Memory?
Create And Committ To A Brand World View
More Website Hints, Tips and Tricks Unwrapped
Three Steps To Welcome
Last words
03
08
10
12
16
18
20
26
32
38

Proper Food Storage
In the past few years, awareness has been
raised about the importance of keeping food
safe in many areas of the kitchen. In particular,
much attention has been focused on
food prep areas and employees who work
there. Prevent cross-contamination. Wash
your hands. Use a thermometer. Clean and
sanitize everything. While all these guidelines,
and many others, are important, the
prep area often overshadows another area
that deserves attention – storage areas. This
is usually not the most glamorous place in
a kitchen because little action takes place
there. Essentially it is a holding area for food.
Nevertheless, proper care of foods in storage
areas is imperative for keeping food safe.
Perhaps most near and dear to a manager’s
heart is preserving food quality and reducing
spoilage waste. To achieve this, food rotation
principles must be followed. A First In, First
Out (FIFO) system is the simplest method for
proper food rotation. This system states that
the foods received or prepared first are same
foods that are served to customers first.
Careful tracking of the shelf life of each food
is the key to success. This is made simpler by
using Daydots color-coded day-of-the-week
labels, which come with the day printed in
multiple languages and feature a different
color for each day of the week. Using tools,
such as Daydots labels, make rotation quick
and easy for all employees and speed up audits
by managers.
As important as preserving quality is, it means
nothing if the food is not kept safe. The finest
restaurant in the world can be financially
ruined by a single outbreak of foodborne illness.
One of the simplest ways to limit the
spread of bacteria and viruses is to keep raw
meats away from ready to eat foods. Often,
it is not practical or feasible for a kitchen to
have separate storage areas for raw meats.
However, a single storage area can be organized
to limit cross-contamination. This involves
placing ready-to-eat and cooked foods
on shelves above raw meats. Even raw meats
should be placed in the specific top-to-bottom
order of raw seafood, whole cuts of raw
beef and pork, raw ground meats, and raw
poultry. This order is based on the minimum
Careful consideration
should be given
to how foods are
stored. This may
mean a total
reorganization of
storage
areas to protect
ready-to-eat foods.
It may be as simple
as adding more
lighting so that it is
easier to see the
foods and check for
signs of pest
cooking temperature of each food that will
kill the bacteria commonly associated with
it. Using color-coded storage bins and shelf
markers is a simple way to ensure that foods
are stored in the proper order.
Another aspect of storing food properly is to
keep food covered. This will limit the chance of
contamination not only from bacteria in food
drips, but also from physical contaminants.
For example, it is not uncommon when produce
cases are ripped open for staples to be
launched across the room and land in other
foods. Uncovered foods can also attract bugs
and rodents. In addition to denying pests access
to food by covering them, foods can be
protected by keeping shelves six inches off
the floor and away from the wall. If pests
have no way of crawling up shelving, they
are less likely to end up in foods.
Protecting foods during storage is one element
to a successful food safety plan. While
it may not seem critical on the surface, food
safety procedures in storage areas may actually
be one of the most important steps.
Foods contaminated in storage may not receive
any additional preparation steps, such
as cooking, which might otherwise prevent
an illness. With this in mind, careful consideration
should be given to how foods are stored.
This may mean a total reorganization of storage
areas to protect ready-to-eat foods. It
may be as simple as adding more lighting so
that it is easier to see the foods and check
for signs of pests. No matter what changes
need to be made, training employees about
the changes and the reasons behind them
will increase the chances that foods will be
kept safe in storage areas and be well worth
the investment.
This article is reprinted with permission by Daydots 2008.

Using Hospitality as a Disguise:
Are you Delivering Your Promises?
It was a dark, scary night. The wind was
howling and the lights were flickering. The
hotel sign noted “friendly service” so we ventured
in, hoping to find a reassuring face.
Our overworked and traveled souls were
craving a super comfortable bed and we remembered
an ad for this hotel that promised
sweet dreams and a relaxing experience. The
word “welcome” appeared everywhere. Unfortunately,
it was all a disguise to get us in
the door. Our hopes for sweet dreams turned
to instant nightmares before our heads even
hit the bed. Someone had called in sick so
one frenzied employee grunted at us from
behind the desk. His disposition became more
ghoulish and less welcoming with each question
we asked. Frustrated, he just assigned
us a room that appeared to be tortured by
rather than cleaned by housekeeping. The
smell of stale smoke filled the air and bed
sheets and the mattress seemed a bit haunted
with each squeak. We called to complain
and were told we would have to speak to the
manager about it….in the MORNING!
It sounded good. It looked good. But did it
really end up being good? Misleading hospitality
messages turn potentially loyal guests
into untrusting souls and those who won’t
come back. And since one bad story usually

gets retold 10-20 times, each time with a bit
more horror and drama (we all love to exaggerate
and tell the bad stories), the long
term impact and deterrent marketing can be
powerfully disturbing.
As the Halloween season winds down, make
sure using disguises is not a year round event
relative to service delivery. Consider evaluating
if your messages simply lure guests in or
if they really deliver what the message promised.
When hotels or other organizations
promise hospitality on a variety of levels and
the guest signs on, excuses and problems
are not an option.
When a guest chooses a hotel, they have
chosen based on the hospitality promise that
the hotel makes. In Conde Naste Traveler’s
recent Business Traveler Readers’ poll (October
2006), the top five things ranked by respondents
were: location; comfortable bed;
price; security; and SERVICE. How is each
of these top five categories being positioned
and how are they actually delivered? Have
they been disguised or does the real thing
show up?
One interesting trend in some hotels is the
“outsourcing” of concierge and other services.
While potentially advantageous to
a hotel’s immediate bottom line, the result
can be disastrous from a long term guest
loyalty and profitability point of view. If an
outside source is not seamlessly integrated
in the hotel service promise, relationships
can turn sour. According to a recent article in
the Wall Street Journal (September 8, 2006,
by Hannah Karp), this issue is front row and
center as some hotels are signing on to save
money as competition grows. But, most of
the time, the guest does not know as outsourced
employees dress in hotel uniforms
and of course do not identify that they are
actually employed by those other than the
hotel. Aha….a disguise!
In this case, the concierge, known for their
professionalism and training in delivering ultimate
and personalized service, is not really
the hotel’s concierge yet is THE inside relationship
upon which guests depend. Ms. Karp
points out that the concierge; a hotel’s core
position, can indeed make or break a guest’s
experience. If that’s the case, why would a
hotel consider presenting a disguise of service
by farming duties out to those who may
not share the same commitment and understanding
of guests? How will other guest
service employees refer to these outside resources
and will the team work as a whole
to present a consistent service delivery standard?
And, if loyal guests get disenchanted
with this lack of commitment or understanding,
does this disguise really save money or
instead harm the long term reputation and
profitability by creating skeptical and untrusting
guests?
Another interesting disguise is the “Guest
Services Hotline” or the “at your service”
button on the phone. When it first showed
up, the concept was to offer guests a direct
connection with a real person to address immediate
needs, concerns or questions. In
some cases, other buttons like “front desk”
and “housekeeping” have even disappeared.
The problem is that many times, it still often
takes at least 10 rings to get an answer, and
even more frequently it’s the same operator
that answers regular phone lines. And then,
the guest is transferred anyway! Just this
past week, a guest in Philadelphia vented
to me about this exact issue. Aha…another
disguise! This time it’s a button that makes a
promise, gets the guest excited and then offers
even more distractions and frustrations
as before.
Vendors can also masquerade as key hotel
resources that end up fooling the guests.
One reader shared a scary story about a hotel
business center run by outsiders. When
there was a problem on the bill, the guest
went to the hotel front desk manager to resolve
the situation. Guess what? He said he
could do nothing as the “business center was
run by an outside vendor.” The guest encountered
a disguised effort of who was really
there to serve them and they, the guests, in
fact, were not served. Why would a hotel allow
this vendor, masked to the guest, to hold
such power? The hotel and the guest seemed
under a spell of “no service” and the vender
led the hoax.
Valet services are another area where good
intentions can lead to bad inventions. Contracted
valet services may care more about
numbers than people and their cars. While
hotels provide valet services as an extra convenience
to guests, many guests can relate
to the inconvenience of complete chaos when
delivering or retrieving a car and the abrupt
transition at the point of entry or departure.
The welcoming spirit promised by the hotel
may not be part of the contracted valet company’s
training and therefore becomes invisible
to the guest. Hotel staff must then begin
first impressions anew to get guests back on
board and in the flow of a good experience.
Unfortunately, those departing may not have
that chance.
Is anything disguised in your hotel? Have you
taken a close look at hospitality messages or
services that may not be delivering the seamless
continuity of service excellence?
It is so easy to get excited and devastating
to be disappointed. Beware of using hospitality
and service as a disguise to get guests in
the door or to use additional services. Your
guests will catch you in the act and they
won’t repeat the performance. Try to score
with guests, not scare them. They may keep
coming back to you, in this life and the next…
and that’s worth eternal service success.
It is so easy to get
excited and
devastating to be
disappointed.
Beware of using
hospitality and
service as a disguise
to get guests
in the door or to
use additional
services
Roberta Nedry is President of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., consultants in guest experience management and audits, service excellence training for
management and frontline employees and concierge development. To learn more about the programs her firm offers and their service expertise, visit www.
hospitalityexcellence.com She can also be reached at 954-739-5299 or roberta@hospitalityexcellence.com.

Hear No Evil
Speak No Evil
49 ways to CYA
(Cover Your Backside)
Albert Einstein once said: “The world is a
dangerous place to live, not because of the
people who are evil, but because of the people
who don’t do anything about it“
And that is why Evil Erik is still in the job,
since all that is necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do nothing.
And the good men ( and women ) keep leaving
their jobs, increasing the turnover figures
of “his” hotel by 100 % and costing the owners
a ton of money in finding and training
new staff that then leaves again, costing the
owners a ton of money, etc, etc .......
And this inhuman cycle continues while, in
the meantime, the guests wonder why they
don’t get any recognition and/or guest satisfaction
!
But Evil Erik has now developed his CYA system
to perfection and worked out a check-list
of explanations of why he can’t achieve the
goals he keeps promising the owners.
So for all the Evil Erik’s and for all the readers
of these columns that write me about his
replicas from around the world, here is the
perfect list to blame others for his failures
while making sure he gets the credits for
their success !
49 reasons why Evil Erik can’t perform ........
1. Normally I do it my way..........
2. I’ve never done it that way
3. It’s not part of my job.
4. I don’t have the time
5. I don’t have the manpower.
6. It’s not in the budget.
7. It’s too expensive.
8. I have tried it before.
9. The staff is not ready for it yet.
10. Good idea, but our hotel is different.
11. All right in theory but can you put it into
practice ?
12. Too academic.
13. Too hard to administer.
14. Too much paperwork.
15. Too early.
16. Too late.
17. Too much work.
18. It’s not good enough.
19. There are better ways than that.
20. What will the customer think ?
21. What will the management think ?
22. What will the staff think ?
23. You haven’t considered....
24. It’s against company policy.
25. It would have been suggested before if
it were any good
26. Let’s not step on their toes.
27. Too modern.
28. Too old-fashioned.
29. Let’s discuss it at some other time.
30. You don’t understand our problem.
31. Why start change now ?
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
We’re too small for that.
We’re too big for that.
We have too many projects now.
Has anyone else ever tried it ?
What you are really saying is .......
It has been the same for 6 years, so it
must be good.
Let me add to that.
I just know it won’t work.
Let’s form a committee.
Let’s be practical.
It needs more study.
Let’s think it over for a while and watch
developments.
That’s not our problem.
Let’s shelve it for the time being.
We can’t do everything at once.
The computer doesn’t work.
No ink in the printer.
We can’t get on-line.
Erik understands very well that it is not
whether you win or lose, it is how you place
the blame and by doing that he becomes the
man that can smile when things go wrong
because he has 49 reasons ( and is adding
more ... ) to blame it on someone or something
else !
May revealing Evil Erik’s CYA secrets to the
internet help you to discover other “bad apples”
before they spoil your human resources
and, last but not least, your profitability too!
Bert “Bow-Thai” van Walbeek has been an Hotelier for 45 years and Marketer of Tourism for 35 years, a Motivator for 20 years, a Master of Disaster for 15 and a
Lecturer for 15 years. He can be reached at bert@twe-winningedge.com

Training And Development Need
Analysis: Aligning The Diversity Needs
Learning Organizations constantly find innovative
ways to satisfy customers and other
stakeholders by integrating information resources,
technology, and people to produce
and then effectively use new knowledge
relentlessly altering through training and
learning from others. Planning ensures the
training / facilitation system to provide learning
opportunities to build competencies and
keeps employees motivated and involved in
learning.
The Factors To Influence The Learning
And Development Environment
The role of training has turned to a true business
partner by scanning and assessing the
external and organizational environments.
This would indicate the objectives to be
achieved by training activities along with the
measures to be used to assess the achievement
of those objectives. This could be done
through specific plans for organizational policies
and practices, along with a timetable for
implementing those identified plans.
At the same time, and due to certain factors,
we see increased competitiveness resulting
in shrinking margins and market share
and forcing businesses to continually revisit
their strategies for maintaining a competitive
edge. In this climate, Maldivian resorts must
be able to carve out new market shares to
continually innovate and reduce or manage
costs. They should pursue alternative means
to stimulate new, organic growth—within
their organizations and through the cultivation
of a creative and efficient workforce.
Another significant move in the business
world is towards a greater dependence on
teams, both across levels of the organization
and across its subsidiary functions. For
this reason, providing a coherent, pleasant
environment that encourages cooperation
with others has become an important feature
of competitiveness. Many organizations consider
training as a necessary evil to showcase
their commitment to learning. However, it is
not planned or analyzed to capitalize from
the outcomes it could produce to change
the most important resource –“Human Resource”.
This could be done with careful
planning as there could be various factors to
influence the effectiveness. This is influenced
by two major factors:
ORGANIZATIONAL
• Budget
• Technology
• Leadership style
• Industry orientation
• Business strategic Plan
• Union and Labor relations
• Company culture/ Core Values
• Performance Management system
EXTERNAL
• Lack of clear laws and regulations
• Economic conditions
• Industry orientation
• Political scenario
• Country culture
• Labor market
• Religion

“If We Fail To Plan We Plan To Fail.”
The assessment of organizational training and
developmental needs can drive bottom line.
This is achieved by integrating and aligning
the sectional (departmental) objectives with
that of the core business objective. The areas
where training and development intervention
is identified and planned for the future course
of action requires all leaders to acknowledge
the need and develop a multi functional task
force to drive organizational effectiveness.
Hence training needs assessments are carried
out in organizations by Quality assurance
leaders in participation with team leaders and
the employee needs – The “gap analysis”.
The Training And Development Needs
Assessment
This ambitious exercise seldom backfires
with the lack of vision, proactiveness and
follow-up. Training is a learning experience
that seeks a relatively permanent change in
an individual that will improve his/ her ability
to perform on the job. It involves changing of
skills, attitudes and knowledge. Development
is more future oriented and more concerned
with education than training. Management
Development activities attempt to instill sound
reasoning processes to enhance one’s ability
to understand and interpret knowledge. It
focuses on the personal growth and also on
Analytical, Conceptual and Human skills.
The keys to needs assessment are:
• Review of previous training plan.
• Quality Circles / Thinking councils.
• Performance Reviews – Departmental &
Organizational
• Business plan – Both Macro and Micro
• Guest Comments
• Audit Reports and Results
• Succession Planning tool
• Department training review results
• Departmental goals
• Department budgets
• Individual’s learning need
(Conscious In competency)
• Employee evaluation result
(Unconscious In competency)
• Business plan of the organization
• New Technology / Process
• Corporate priorities
• Diversity and Inclusion
The Diversity Issue In Training
Diversity is about differences, while inclusion
is about managing those differences.
Training is to facilitate a unique environment
where everyone can be fully participating
members of the environment. There’s also an
individual focus in creating an organization
or an environment where all people have the
opportunity to fully engage, as diversity is
integrated into key business processes.
The Maldives is now predominantly a service
and knowledge economy. As a consequence of
globalization and the multinational character
of the tourism industry, today’s workforce
is often international in the resort and spa
business, resulting in an increased need
to manage workplace diversity. The ability
to take advantage of a diverse employee
population can mean the difference between
success and failure in today’s business
world.
Managing diversity in the increasingly
international workplace with multi cultural
and multi ethnic groups has never before
been such an integral part of cultivating
competitiveness. This issue does not end
with employees; so are consumers even
more diverse. The background of customer
groups has changed as we are in a Multimillion
dollar service Industry in the Maldives
contributing to a major GDP to national
economy.
In fact, we should not only measure and track
diversity statistics (all facets of diversity -
gender, disability, age, and visible minorities),
but the managements should also be
accountable to ensure that our population is
as inclusive as possible and is representative
of the demographics of our multi-faceted
Maldivian resort employees. The key point
here is that we have created a positive work
environment through our programs, hiring
practices and recognition that being different
is something to be accessed, planned and
celebrated.
Jorely Mathew BHM, CHE, Training Manager, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Republic of Maldives

The important
people in a
General
Manager’s
life
We should never
forget, however,
that people are
most important.
We depend on
them. They are not
an interruption of
our work; they are
the purpose of it.
Without
co-workers, guests,
and business
partners, we would
have no business to
run.
I began my hotel career as a front desk clerk.
I subsequently worked as a reservations
manager, a director of sales, and then as a
multiple property sales manager. While working
my way up the ladder, I noted the closed
doors and watch-dog secretaries of many
general managers. Those managers rarely
took tours of their properties, never said
good morning to guests, and had their secretaries
screen all calls. I vowed that someday
I would be a very different kind of general
manager-the kind that I never had.
I mentioned my determination during my interview
for a general management position
with Hamister Hospitality. When asked for
clarification, I responded: “I want to be the
kind of general manager that puts all peoplecustomers,
co-workers, vendors, community
members-first.” I got the job. Here is how I
transformed my ideals into action:
Team Spirit Originates from the
General Manager
I believe that the demonstration of team
spirit and a willingness to get your hands
dirty must be high priorities. There is no
more meaningful way to prove that you and
your staff are on the same team. If we are

short-staffed, I clean rooms with my housekeeping
staff. On one occasion, I had my
own cart until 7pm; my little boy played with
his toys in the rooms I was cleaning. The act
earned the respect of my staff and it showed
that I did not feel that I was above them or
their work.
My co-workers know that if a difficult issue
or customer problem arises, they can call me
anytime, day or night. I never show annoyance
when these calls occur: if I do not maintain
a helpful attitude, my staff will not feel
that they can rely on me the next time they
find themselves in a tight situation.
Embrace the People Coming into your
Office and into your Life
An open door policy should not be a just another
corporate buzzword: it must be a ubiquitous
and constant practice. The positive
energy of an open door should attract people
into our offices. Co-workers, guests, and
vendors should feel free to stop in without
an appointment.
Showing that We Value Others through
Personal and Prompt Communications
I believe in answering every phone call and
returning every message. I use email when
I feel that my correspondent prefers this
method of communication, but I pick up the
phone whenever I feel that a more touch
would be more effective.
I was so blessed one day after responding to
an email from a guest. After I had emailed
him an answer to his question, he responded:
“Thank you so much for your reply. I
am impressed that you, as a General Manager,
answer questions like mine by yourself,
meaning that you receive the inquiries from
your website personally. Most managers delegate
this, and become so ‘distant’. This is
probably why you got the Platinum Award!
Congratulations and way to go.”
my eyes, put everything else aside, and, for
that moment, I pretend that the person with
whom I am speaking is the most important
individual in the whole world.
The Importance of Gratitude and
Celebration
Saying thank you is one of the best ways to
show people that they matter. We do not
hear or speak these words as often as we
should. My sales manager and I send handwritten
notes to our clients and vendors. On
one occasion I sent a letter to the owner of a
food vending company. One of his representatives
went above and beyond in his job and
I thought the owner should know about it.
The representative received praise from his
boss and our relationship was strengthened
as a result.
Saying thank you to co-workers is equally important.
I give literal pats on the back and
tell people that they are doing a good job as
often as possible. When co-workers receive
a good customer comment, I reward them
with a special certificate. We hold a Thanksgiving
potluck dinner each year, give small
gifts at holidays, and celebrate birthdays. I
bake for my staff regularly and bring them
treats. Such gestures are constant reminders
that I truly care for them.
People are our Purpose
During my years in the service industry,
I have become keenly aware of how vital
people are to me both personally and professionally.
General managers have to balance
many priorities: driving revenue; controlling
expenses, labor, AR/AP, and inventory; ensuring
profitability and a return to the investors,
and so on. We should never forget, however,
that people are most important. We depend
on them. They are not an interruption of our
work; they are the purpose of it. Without coworkers,
guests, and business partners, we
would have no business to run.
An open door
policy should not
be a just another
corporate buzzword:
it must be a
ubiquitous and
constant practice.
The positive
energy of an open
door should attract
people into our
offices. Co-workers,
guests, and
vendors should feel
free to stop in
without an
appointment.
Everyone’s time is valuable. I make it a point
to have a two to four hour response time.
This truly shows people that they are my priority.
Listening is so different from hearing. I remind
myself to stop typing or reading when
someone is trying to talk with me. I focus
Gina Abernathy is a Hamister Hospitality General Manager. For more information on Hamister Hospitality, visit www.hamisterhospitality.com. Feedback and comments
can be sent to Gina at news@hamistergroup.com

How Much Service is
Too Much Service?
People often ask, ‘What level of service
should we strive to provide? Should we give
“Unbelievable!” service if our customers are
not willing to pay for it?’
My answer is definitely no!
Don’t go to the moon on service if your business
model on the moon doesn’t work. No
sense ‘serving yourself to death’, bending
over backwards but going broke in the process.
You need to determine what level of service
your business can provide, and match that
with what your customers are willing to pay.
Take note: customers rarely put voluntary
limits on their service expectations. That’s
why making clear service agreements is so
important to you…and your customers.
You must communicate clearly what you
promise to provide, and what you are not
promising, too!
The manager of a local Internet Service Provider
(ISP) approached me with this relevant
complaint:
His staff go into customers’ homes and offices
to install modems and communications
software. They train their customers to access
new e-mail accounts and surf the World
Wide Web.
Before his staff can leave, however, officebased
customers start asking about unrelated
hardware compatibility, new software
upgrades and suggestions on how to fix nonworking
printers!
Eager home-based customers insist on help
installing new games and joysticks, debugging
new versions of Windows, even assistance
repairing their children’s Nintendo!
His staff’s explanation that, ‘We are just an
Internet Service Provider, not a computer repair
service’, seem to fall upon deaf ears. As
far as his customers are concerned, ‘You are
the computer people, and we have a computer
problem. Now that you are in our home
or office…fix it!’
One look at his brochure reveals the source
of the problem. It reads: ‘Enter the digital
age! Modernize your life! Capture the computer
advantage!’
Plenty of glittering encouragements to buy,
but no clear and detailed listing of the actual
service promise.
To eliminate the problem, this company must
clarify and specify what services they do provide…and
what services they do not.
For example:
We provide A, B and C.
We do not provide X, Y or Z in the normal
service package.
We can arrange X, Y and Z for you at an additional
charge, or
We have associates who can do X, Y and Z.
Reliable referrals are provided on request.
Key Learning Point
Be sure the service agreements you make
with your customers and internal partners
are complete and clear. Misunderstanding
can lead to disappointment once delivery of
your service is underway.
Action Steps
Check with your customers and staff. Find out
where misunderstanding and disagreements
arise. Then look closely at your proposals,
contracts and service level agreements.
Wherever uncertainty is found, replace it
with accuracy, clarity and understanding.
Note: Don’t use this principle to avoid regularly
upgrading your service agreements.
With technology you may improve the quality
of your service without increasing your costs.
(Your competitors are working on it now.)
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality customer service. He is author of the bestselling “UP Your
Service!” and founder of “UP Your Service College”. Visit http://www.UpYourService.com for more such Customer Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or
to buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on Customer Service from his secure Online Store.
You can also watch Ron live or listen to him at http://www.RonKaufman.com

20 Ideas
to Increase
Technology Efficiency
We are going through technology
adolescence. This awkward “pimply”
time is difficult as we cling to old (paperbased)
methods of managing our tasks
while transitioning to more efficient digital
methods. It can be very frustrating trying to
keep one’s head above water in this sea of
technology advancement.
But don’t despair dear reader – there is
hope out there! As computers and the web
continue to evolve, things will become easier.
Computers and the web are much easier to
use now than they were ten years ago as they
will be much easier ten years from now.
However, in the meantime, I have a few
practical recommendations to make this
transition easier:
Integrated Office Software and Email
Suggestions:
1.
2.
Learn to make the most of Outlook/
Lotus notes or other integrated (email/
contact management/calendaring/
task) management suite. The ability
to manage your contacts, email,
calendaring and task lists within one
system in an integrated manner can
yield great productivity increases.
Specifically, poor email management is
likely the greatest time waster around in
the average business setting. Consider
these suggestions to improve email
efficiency:
• Turn off the distracting chime when
new mail comes in and, instead, set
aside specific times to manage email.
Dropping everything to answer each
email message is very unproductive.
• Use a good spam filter with a low “falsepositive”
rate so that spam messages are
recognized but real message are not. I
recommend SpamNet from Cloudmark
(www.cloudmark.com).
• Use a short and relevant subject line – it
is the most important part of your entire
message in terms of getting it read by
the recipient.
• Deal with each email message when
you read it. Delete, respond, or tag to
deal with it later. Don’t let email stack
up in your Inbox.
• File the email messages you decide to
keep in sub-folders with the goal of
keeping your principal inbox empty.
Many people have a long list of
message in their inbox, making it a
significant time-waster in trying to find
old messages.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The “Task” utility in Outlook, once you
get used to it, is a much improved
function from an old-fashioned paper
check-list. Tasks unable to be completed
immediately can be filed easily away
to pop-up when you can. File ‘em and
forget ‘em until you can deal with ‘em
allowing you to focus on the key tasks
of the day. These tasks can also easily
be flagged by priority.
The “Calendar” in office suites also can
work in a more effective manner than
your paper calendar. Recurring tasks can
be set with a high level of configurability
(for example: an automatic reminder
on the second and third Thursday of
every month). Meeting invitations can
be sent via email, and when accepted
will automatically be entered in your
calendar as well as the invitees’.
Contact management systems integrate
with email, can auto-dial your phone,
can be segmented by contact category,
can track all sorts of detail such as
birthdays, and much more. Specialized
contact management programs such
as SalesForce.com, Act, and Goldmine
will integrate with Outlook and provide
even more capability for sales lead
management.
As you can see with these previous
points, there are many features to
learn in managing Outlook or a similar
system. Taking a class to fully learn the
capabilities is very worthwhile. It may
take some effort, but the productivity
increases will likely be well worth your
time. Additionally, classes in other
commonly used software products such
as Excel, PowerPoint, Word and others
can be very helpful as well.
A smart phone (such as the Treo,
Blackberry Curve, the MotoQ and
others) will sync with your Outlook
calendar, contacts, email and task list
making life much simpler as you travel
to meetings. Eschew your paper-based
calendar and contact phone book! One
source to manage all these data which
can be copied to your phone or other
device, and which can be automatically
backed up is a much more efficient way
to go.
Use a free file search utility such as
Google Desktop (desktop.google.com)
to quickly find old emails, documents
and other files on your hard drive. The
new Windows Vista operating system
has an improved search utility as well.
Backing Up:
9.
The one challenge in putting all of your
digital “eggs in one basket” is that
it increases the need for automated
backup. There are free tools such as the
Outlook Personal Folders Backup utility
(available free from Microsoft) to back up
your principal Outlook file automatically.
On a broader basis, regular, full
backup of all of your documents can
be accomplished automatically, either
through a program such as Genie (www.
genie-soft.com) or through your system
administrator. If you are backing up to
a stand-alone computer, I recommend
using a separate, external hard drive
(with a USB 2.0 connector). These are
small, inexpensive, are very easy to
install (plug in the plug), and protect
data if your main hard drive crashes.
They are also great to take lots of data
on the road.
Remote back up is also very important.
If you ever have a catastrophe (fire,
earthquake, hurricane, etc.), storing
your backup data remotely is vital. I
use Mozy (www.mozy.com) -- every
night it automatically backs up my
crucial files -- and it does the first two
gigabytes free!
Hardware issues:
10. Use dual monitors to improve desktop
efficiency. The more screen real estate
the better! This is relatively easy to set
up (it requires a special video card for
your desktop computer which can easily
be set up in any computer store). Dual
screens allow you to much more easily
work between applications.
11. Pay attention to ergonomics (an
adjustable chair, the correct keyboard/
monitor heights, and use of a telephone
headset). This will protect against
repetitive stress injury and will make
you more efficient as you interact with
technology tools.
12. Try a VoIP (voice over internet) phone
if available to you. Not only is it less
expensive, you gain computer tracking
tools and the ability to receive voice
message via email.
Office Standards:
13. Establish office standards for your group
documents. Work with your colleagues
accessing common files, to file and
name group documents in a consistent
manner. The ability to quickly find the
document will save substantial time.
14. Adopt APEX
standards in your
meetings-related
documents (www.
conventionindustry.
org/apex). This may
require additional
work initially as you
change from your
existing documents.
However, in the
long run, as these
standards are
adopted by meeting
planners, suppliers,
and technology
providers, very
significant efficiency
increases can be
made through
electronic data
interchange (EDI).
This will allow all
sides to be on
the same page
electronically
eventually saving
lots of time.

Moving away from paper:
Meetings Technology:
14.
Let go of paper and “flat files” such
as Word to manage data. By using
integrated office suites, managing email
efficiently, using Wikis (and other online
databases), and other digital tools, data
can be much more easily accessed,
stored, backed up and shared with
others. A piece of paper is a “white flag
of inefficiency.”
18.
Online registration is a “killer app” of
the meetings industry that can increase
efficiencies by up to 90% or more
compared to paper-based means of
managing attendees. Application service
providers (ASPs) provide easy-to-learn,
web-based systems that do not require
significant IT support, and automate
security and data backup tasks.
15.
16.
17.
Learn to use Wikis (online collaborative
web sites) such as the free spreadsheets
found at http://docs.google.com – these
free tools are perfect for collaborative
work teams and task management.
Avoid the fax machine whenever
possible. Faxes are paper-based,
inefficient methods of managing data.
Use electronic transmission of files
instead such as Adobe’s .PDF format.
A free utility to convert any Windowsbased
document can be found at
www.pdf995.com. If you absolutely
must receive faxes, receive them
electronically. Programs such as eFax
(www.efax.com) allow you to receive
the faxes via email. They then can be
easily filed and forwarded to others
electronically.
Avoid collecting data via paper – online
registration (see next recommendation),
surveys, and audience polling can be
accomplished more accurately and
efficiently via web-based tools.
19. Alternatively, there are times that
outsourcing the technology can ease the
pressure. Several companies specialize
in sourcing hotel sleeping rooms/
meeting space with great efficiency
(as they are using their tech tools).
With their buying clout, they can often
negotiate as good or a better deal than
the planner directly. The same applies to
online registration. VARs (value added
resellers) of online registration systems
can do the “dirty work” of setting up the
online registration forms/registration
pages. Outsourcing allows your
company to use the latest technology,
while not having to learn it.
These are just a few suggestions to help in
the transition to much more efficient digital
systems, which ultimately will save you time
and allow you to provide better service to
your clients. So, as we go through this time
of technology adolescence, let go of paper,
embrace technology tools to automate many
tasks, and relax – technology will eventually
mature and become increasingly easy to
manage.
So, as we go through this time of technology adolescence,
let go of paper, embrace technology tools to automate
many tasks, and relax – technology will eventually mature
and become increasingly easy to manage.
Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP is a professional speaker and consultant focusing on meetings technology. With 20 years of experience running international citywide technology
meetings, he now helps clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. He can be contacted at his extensive
web site: www.corbinball.com.

Shangri-La Announces
Key Executive Appointments
Madhu Rao appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,
Greg Dogan appointed Chief Operating Officer
Left: Greg Dogan
Chief Operating Officer
Right: Madhu Rao
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Shangri-La Asia Limited has appointed Madhu
Rao managing director and chief executive
officer of Shangri-La International Hotel
Management Limited (commonly referred to
as Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts) and Greg
Dogan as chief operating officer.
Mr. Rao replaces Mr. Giovanni Angelini, former
managing director and chief executive
officer of the company, who has relinquished
his responsibilities on medical grounds. Mr.
Angelini remains an executive director of
Shangri-La Asia Limited and a member of
the executive committee of its board of directors.
Mr. Rao has more than 20 years experience
with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, which he
joined in 1988 as group financial controller.
He was appointed chief financial officer of
Shangri-La Asia Limited in 1997 and continues
to concurrently hold that position.
Previously, he was 17 years at a leading chartered
accountancy practice in Mumbai, India,
responsible for the management consultancy
practice of the firm, including 12 years as
partner. He is a graduate in Commerce from
the University of Mumbai and a fellow member
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
of India.
In his new position, Mr. Dogan will report
directly to Chief Executive Officer and Managing
Director Madhu Rao. Mr. Dogan was
previously regional vice president and general
manager of Makati Shangri-La, Manila
following a position as regional vice president
based in Dalian, China. He has held senior
management posts at Shangri-La Hotel, Dalian;
Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta; and Shangri-
La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu. Prior to
joining Shangri-La in 1997, Mr. Dogan held
senior managerial positions at luxury hotels
in Spain, Dubai and China.
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Asia Limited,
Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel company,
currently owns and/or manages 55 hotels
under the deluxe Shangri-La and mid-market
Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of
over 28,000. The group has over 50 projects
under development in Austria, Canada, mainland
China, France, India, Japan, Macau,
Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan,
Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United
Kingdom and the United States.
For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

Stellar Astronomical Observatory
introduced at Soneva Fushi – Maldives
Soneva provides the benchmark by which
resort experiences in the Maldives are measured,
and now the multi-award-winning Soneva
Fushi has once again moved that mark
by opening the only resort based astronomical
observatory of its kind in the world. Set
deep within the resorts dense lush jungle, the
observatory provides a unique experience for
anyone who has looked up at the night sky
and found a desire to learn more about the
universe and its surrounds.
At the push of a button, the telescope allows
guests to instantly observe razor sharp images
of craters and mountains on the moon,
the satellites of Jupiter, the awe-inspiring
rings of Saturn and galaxies made of over
200 billion stars. Using advanced Ritchey-
Chretien optics - exactly like same technology
used in the NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope –
the telescope offers coma-free, wide-angled
views of the heavens above Soneva Fushi.
The 12-metre high observatory tower houses
the telescope on the upper most level, high
above the tree-line canopy, along with a fullyautomated
dome providing uncompromised
360 degree views of the night sky. For guests
wishing to learn more about astronomy, the
second level houses a comprehensive reference
library complete with educational books
suitable for all ages and knowledge levels.
The telescope is linked to a plasma screen in
the library where recordings are made and
lectures are performed by specially trained
hosts. At certain times of the year visiting
astronomers will be invited to offer exclusive
presentations to Soneva Fushi’s privileged
guests.
The new Meade RCX 400 is a professional
class astronomical telescope offering the
most sophisticated and technologically advanced
mechanics and electronics currently
available. All the mirrors are laser aligned
for extreme collimation and housed in an
anti-dew heater system, providing all night
fun for those who want to be amazed by the
night’s sky. The telescope’s computer database
contains a few million stars, nebulae
and galaxies of the sky, whilst the eyepiece
of the robotic machine aligns itself though
GPS satellites orbiting in outer space.
Set on a 45-hectare or 112-acre island within
one of the furthest atolls from the capital,
the legendary and eco-friendly Soneva Fushi
presents an understated yet sophisticated
style, which allows guests to enjoy the natural
reality of the destination. Offering just 65
accommodations, Soneva Fushi captures the
very essence of a castaway fantasy. 33 villas
offer private pool options while the prestigious
Jungle Reserve and The Retreats incorporate
the Maldives first tree houses.
Six Senses is a resort and spa management
and development company established in
1995, which manages resorts under the
brand names Soneva, Six Senses Hideaways,
Six Senses Latitudes and Evason, plus Six
Senses Spas and Six Senses Destination
Spas.
Soneva by Six Senses – Intelligent Luxury.
Soneva is committed to offer luxuries of the
highest international standard in an environment
that nurtures the indigenous feel in design,
architecture and service; fusing nature
with guest experiences and creating destinations
unto themselves. A Soneva resort has a
limited number of accommodations, all offering
generous personal space.
For further information please contact: Six Senses Resorts & Spas, Public Relations , Tel: +66 (0) 2631 9777, Fax: +66 (0) 2631 9707
ben@sixsenses.com, www.sixsenses.com

It’s All About The
P E O P L E
It was 40 years ago during the Summer of
Love that philosopher Timothy Leary was encouraging
baby boomers to tune in, turn on
and drop out. Now after four decades of socalled
advancements in telecommunications
technology it seems appropriate to say to
hoteliers: Turn off and tune in. Turn off your
BlackBerry and tune in to relationships, that
is! If my observations as a hospitality industry
conference speaker and trainer are any
indication, this seems like an especially appropriate
directive these days as more general
managers and other hospitality executives
I witness in action are increasingly becoming
enslaved to their Bluetooths, BlackBerries,
Treos and other PDA devices, and, as
a byproduct, are increasingly detached from
what is happening around them at any given
moment.
Not that these devices or this medium of
communication are the culprits, but rather
that the instant accessibility they have enabled
have caused too many hoteliers to
spend more time responding immediately
to e-mails and phone calls from the corporate
office and/or ownership than they do
responding to the needs of their guests,
meeting with vendor-partners, and staying in
touch with internal customers and frontline
associates.
These phenomena became glaringly obvious
last month when I was speaking at a major
technology conference and it was time for
the first break. On the agenda it read ‘networking
break,’ which, to me, represented a
30-minute opportunity for participants from
this niche of our industry to meet and greet
and to exchange ideas and resources at this
once-a-year meeting of some of the brightest
minds in the business.

But standing in the outside corridor, I noticed
that the vast majority of participants
were standing alone, either typing feverishly
with their thumbs on tiny keypads or talking
animatedly into thin air, with only a prominent
metallic earpiece to indicate that they
hadn’t lost their sanity and started talking
to themselves. Standing there looking out at
such a prestigious crowd, I couldn’t help but
to ask myself what could possibly be more
important at this very moment in time than
networking with the top minds in your profession
at an event you paid a registration
fee and travel expenses to attend?
Granted, as a veteran of hotel operations,
I’m certain some of them truly had a crisis to
handle, which is when such devices can make
things better for everyone, including guests.
But looking at the percentage of the audience
that was standing outside alone versus
networking with their peers, I just couldn’t
believe that many hotels had bad enough
luck to require their immediate attention at
the very same moment.
But our industry’s growing obsession with
connectivity via cell phone and e-mail is not
just evident when hoteliers are on the road
at conferences and events. Too many general
managers traverse their lobbies with a
Bluetooth in one ear and a PDA in their suit
coat pocket, ready to respond immediately
to an e-mail from ‘corporate’ when it beeps
or buzzes. The worst part is that it’s most
often not by choice nor preference that hoteliers
are chained to their devices, but out
of necessity.
Now this is not to say that the medium of
e-mail is the enemy, nor that PDAs and other
devices are themselves the distractions. But
rather it is how we as an industry have adapted
to using this enabling technology. For a
very few, this technology has helped them
better tune in to the needs of guests, and to
improve communication and especially service
efficiency. Yet for the vast majority, most
are spending way too much time obsessing
on keeping their in-box clean versus keeping
their guests happy. While our industry has
traditionally encouraged MBWA-Managing By
Walking Around, a new and better acronym
might be MBEE-M-Managing By Endless E-
Mailing.’
What’s ironic in all this is that I would argue
today’s hoteliers are actually less organized
with their filing and trace systems due to
these e-mail devices. I cannot tell you how
many times my most techno-savvy and earlyadapting
hotelier friends are calling me for
copies of an e-mail or attachment that they
cannot find due to their e-mail filing systems
(or lack thereof) because they read e-mails
on various devices.
So, if you are ready to turn off (periodically
of course) the beeping, blinking or vibrating
PDA you are carrying around right now, and
instead ready to tune more into the needs
guests and associates, here are some suggestions:
Schedule a set time and place to read and
respond to your e-mail versus responding to
every ‘ping’ from your Outlook e-mail server
or buzz from your PDA and allowing the incoming
message to re-order your day’s priorities.
Set up separate e-mail inboxes, one for ‘external’
customers, which, of course, truly require
and justify a quick response, and the
other for ‘internal’ e-mails from colleagues,
associates and vendors that are not as time
sensitive.
Use e-mail to inform, notify, update and to
survey. But when it comes time to negotiate,
brainstorm or to work through complex problems,
pick up the phone, or even better, visit
in person when possible.
Avoid e-mailing every thought or idea that
comes into your head at any given moment.
Instead, add them to running task lists or
brainstorming journals that you can bring up
in person at an appropriate time when they
can be given due consideration.
If you find yourself e-mailing the same person
more than two or three times per day,
don’t! Instead, make a running list of issues/
topics to discuss with them. Then at a regular
time of the day hold one direct conversation
(preferably in person or at least over
the phone) and knock out all of the issues of
concern at once.
If you work for a corporate office or ownership
group, make sure your on-site executives
know that their first job is to take care
of the guests and associates, and that your
e-mails and phone calls can (and should)
be responded to later when time allows. Be
aware of how both planned and unplanned
activities in the hotel and local area can impact
the hotel and its management team’s
priorities.
If you are a g.m., v.p. or other top-tier, onproperty
executive, make sure you have a
bias toward talking in person or at least on
the phone versus e-mail. Not only will this
reduce the time your executive level managers
spend e-mailing you back but you will set
the tone for your hotel’s ‘e-mail culture’ and
along the way foster teamwork by reducing,
if not eliminating, the frequent miscommunications
that occur within companies that
obsess on e-mailing.
By choosing how we utilize these enabling
technologies, we can ensure that they are
best utilized to help us improve communication-not
to over-communicate.
Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented
over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational seminars, and on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every segment of the
lodging industry. Visit www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at: doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.

Hulhule Island Hotel Anniversary cake cutting:
Mr. Mohamed Amir – Chairman, MIC (Center), Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – General Manager, (On side) and the team members
Hulhule Island Hotel Marks
Seventh Anniversary
Hulhule Island Hotel, located on the
airport island of Hulhule in Maldives was
officially inaugurated on August 15, 2001
by His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom,
President of the Republic of Maldives. Since
then, the hotel has been serving the tourism
industry tirelessly. They marked their seventh
anniversary at a function held on August 17,
2008.
Over the past seven years, the Hotel has
become a key member of the travel trade in
Maldives. Hulhule Island Hotel is well known
for its excellent service and the hospitality
offered to tourists visiting Maldives.
In Hulhule Island Hotel’s pursuit of
continuous improvement and to serve the
more discerning travelers even better, the
following developments took place over the
last couple of years:
2005 - At-site cooking counter
2005 - Gymnasium
2006 - Champs Bar
2007 - Spa
2007 - Renovated lobby
2007 - New Café for team
2008 - Corporate re-branding of HIH
2008 - New accommodation for team
2008 - New recreation room for team
2008 - Refurbishment of Faru Coffee House
2008 - Refurbishment of porch area
2008 - Soft refurbishment of all
existing rooms
2008 - 51 guest rooms – Deluxe wing
2008 - Rooftop restaurant Uduvilaa
2008 - Sunset deck
2008 - Beach area
2008 - Tennis court
2008 - Golf putting green
2008 - Landscaping with orchid nursery,
herb & vegetable garden
The revised inventory for Hulhule Island Hotel
is 136 rooms inclusive of various categories
of rooms on offer post the expansion. The
hotel has received rave reviews from the
guests regarding the new facilities that have
been added to the portfolio of services to
make their stay more comfortable.
Some of the programs conducted to mark
the hotel anniversary were the annual

presentation which included the distribution of rewards and
certificates to the outstanding team members, followed by the
cake cutting. In addition to these, trophies were given away to
the winners of the inter-house tournaments. All the rewards and
certificates were distributed by Mr. Mohamed Amir – Chairman,
MIC and Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – General Manager, Hulhule Island
Hotel.
Hulhule Island Hotel is ISO 9001:2000 certified hotel and is
currently in the process of getting HACCP certification as well.
Hulhule Island Hotel has also been nominated for the prestigious
‘Word Luxury Hotel Awards 2008’ scheduled to take place at Cape
Town, South Africa later this year. Hulhule Island Hotel epitomizes
the Maldivian spirit of exemplary service in the field of Tourism.
The hotel has earned considerable laurels for its commendable
personalized services and unending efforts to continue to improve
on the standards. At the recently held Hotel Asia Exhibition &
Culinary Challenge 2008, Hulhule Island Hotel won 19 awards and
medals which was the highest, won by any Hotel / Resort.
Hulhule Island Hotel also won the prestigious award for ‘Best
Culinary Establishment 2008’ at Maldives. Hulhule Island Hotel
received a trophy and USD 1000/- for the same. This is the second
time in succession that Hulhule Island Hotel has been adjudged as
the ‘Best Culinary Establishment’, the earlier being at the last Hotel
Asia Culinary Challenge Competition in 2006.
‘We are proud to be adjudged as the Best Culinary Establishment
yet again and we shall continue to excel further. Our team is
our biggest asset’ said Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar, General Manager of
Hulhule Island Hotel appreciating the sincere efforts of his team
emphasizing the continuous focus on quality in operations.
Hulhule Island Hotel, with the hotel expansion managed to further
increase the percentage of Maldivian team members to an all time
high of 59%. HIH also has a programme to recruit the Maldivian
trainees imparting training to the people who do not have any
experience in the field of hospitality and eventually recruiting
them once they are ready.

Parfait À La Réglisse With Pistachio Crisps
And Raspberry Sauce
Schihab A. Adam,
Executive Pastry Chef
The Beach House at Manafaru
Maldives
For the Parfait:
Method For Parfait:
Method For Crisp:
55 g Réglisse stick
2 no eggs
1 no egg yolk
44 g caster sugar
250 ml whipping cream (Elle & Vire)
1 tsp glucose
2 tbsp Pernod
Raspberry Sauce:
100 ml raspberry purée (Ravi fruit)
20 g caster sugar
10 ml cherry brandy
Place réglisse and cream into a small saucepan
and heat gently without boiling until
the réglisse is very soft. Blend the mixture
in a food processor until well combined and
pour through a fine sieve to strain out the
tiny fragments of réglisse. Set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan inside a larger saucepan
of gently simmering water, make a sabayon
by whisking together the eggs, yolk,
glucose, sugar and Pernod until the mixture
turns pale and fluffy. Remove from heat and
continue whisking until it cools slightly. Fold
in ½ of the sabayon réglisse mixture. Once
combined, fold in the remaining sabayon until
well combined. Pour into flat tray to a halfinch
thickness and freeze.
Whip up egg white and 65 gram sugar until
firm, and then add the ground pistachios and
remaining sugar. Mix together, and then fold
the pistachios into beaten egg white. Pipe
in round shape and bake it at 180°C until
golden brown.
Method For Raspberry Sauce:
Bring sugar and purée to a boil, stirring to
ensure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from
heat and add cherry brandy. Stir well and refrigerate
before use.
To Assemble:
For The Pistachio Crisps:
140 g egg white
65 g caster sugar
145 g caster sugar
115 g ground pistachios
colorant liposoluble vert
Cut the parfait into two round disks and
separate them with pistachio crisps on both
sides and in the middle. Serve with raspberry
sauce, blanched pistachios, and a sugar
spiral with a touch of gold leaf.

Receiving:
Check It, Before You
Accept It
The beginning of every great meal begins
with the purchasing and receiving of the
freshest products available. Careful selection
of your suppliers is the first step in ensuring
you receive these fresh products. Question
your suppliers to ensure that they have established
food safety practices in place. You
should only buy from suppliers who are getting
their products from licensed reputable
manufacturers who adhere to all applicable
health regulations. Suppliers should meet the
following criteria:
• use a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point) system in their operations
• train all employees in sanitation
• use clean delivery trucks with proper
refrigeration
• package foods in leak proof, protective,
durable packaging
• should meet federal and state health
standards
You should let vendors know what you expect
from them by putting safety standards
in your purchase specification agreement and
note any deficiencies for further review.
Once your establishment has set up a relationship
with a supplier, be a smart customer.
Always inspect deliveries. Don’t take anything
for granted. Even though federal and
state agencies regulate and monitor the production
and transportation of food such as
meat, poultry, seafood, eggs dairy products,
and canned goods, it is your responsibility
to check the quality and safety of food that
comes into your establishment. Remember
that receiving is the first step where you can
control the safety and quality of the food in
your restaurant.
Make sure that you are prepared for your
shipment. Have clean handtrucks, carts or
dollies, and containers available in the receiving
area. Make sure you have enough space
in your storage areas prior to receiving a
shipment. If possible receive only one delivery
at a time. Inspect and store each delivery
before accepting another one to avoid product
abuse in the receiving area. If deliveries
arrive at a time that is not convenient ask the
supplier to come back at another time that
is. Schedule shipments so they arrive at the
non-peak times of the day. That way you can
ensure that your crew can check to see that
the food arrives in good condition.
Employees assigned to receive deliveries
should be trained to inspect food properly, as
well as to distinguish between products that
are acceptable and those that are not. They
should be authorized to reject products that
are not acceptable.
Take sample temperatures of all refrigerated
and frozen foods as well as the delivery
truck. Use a clean, calibrated thermometer
to check the products. All products – especially
meat, poultry, and fish – should be
checked for proper color, texture, and odor.
Live molluscan shellfish and crustacea must
be delivered alive. Eggs should be checked
for freshness and be checked for cleanliness
and cracked shells. Dairy products must be
checked for freshness. Produce should be
fresh and wholesome.
Make sure delivery trucks look and smell
clean and are equipped with proper storage
equipment. Ensure that the refrigerated
products are at the proper temperature of
41 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Make sure
frozen foods are in air-tight, moisture-proof
packaging. Broken boxes, leaky packages, or
dented cans may be signs of mishandling and
could be grounds for rejecting the shipment.
Check packaging for signs of re-freezing, prewetness,
and pest infestation. Just because a
product is dry or frozen upon receipt does
not mean it was not wet or had not thawed
during prior handling.
Label all items before storage with the delivery
date or the use-by date to ensure proper
food rotation. Put products away as soon as
possible, especially frozen food or foods that
require refrigeration. Keep the receiving area
clean and well lit to discourage pests.
It is your establishment’s right to refuse an
unacceptable delivery. If the product does
not adhere to these criteria when it arrives,
you have every right to refuse the shipment.
Having established procedures for inspecting
products can reduce hazards before they enter
your establishment.
Adapted with permission from ServSafe Essentials - Second Edition, ©2002 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
ServSafe is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. This article is reprinted with permission by Daydots 2008.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort And Spa, Maldives’
Spa Therapists Undergo Training At
The Shangri-La Spa Academy
A team of 10 spa therapists recently appointed
by Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and
Spa, Maldives are on their way to the Shangri-La
Spa Academy in Manila, Philippines for
a three-month training programme. Among
them are Aishath Zulfishan and Hassan Shiyam,
natives of Hithadhoo in Addu Atoll.
The Spa Academy was established in February
2007 to meet the demands of the rapid
expansion of CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La
– Shangri-La’s signature spa brand. Certified
spa professionals from internationally
accredited spa education facilities teach the
trainees under the direction of CHI training
managers. In addition to practical skills,
trainees learn about CHI, The Spa philosophy
and the inspiration of Shangri-La’s CHI
experience as well as receive instruction on
how to deliver the Shangri-La style of service
within a spa environment.
For Aishath Zulfishan and Hassan Shiyam,
this opportunity is a milestone in their careers.
“This is the first time I am attending
such an extensive spa training programme. I
am really looking forward to learning all I can
at the academy to provide our guests with
memorable spa experiences,” said Hassan
Shiyam.
With this latest opportunity for international
exposure, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and
Spa, Maldives continues to focus on the talent
development of young Maldivians. While
four trainees have just returned from an
extensive 18-month on-the-job training programme
in Dubai, the top five students of the
hospitality course conducted at the beginning
of this year in Addu Atoll are currently
undergoing further training in Kota Kinabalu,
Malaysia.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives
will be the first luxury resort in the
southern Maldives, on Addu Atoll. The resort
will feature 142 villas with views of the
ocean or the island’s natural lush vegetation.
The Maldives’ second international airport,
Gan International Airport, is an eight-minute
boat ride away from the resort and Male International
Airport is 70 minutes by domestic
flights operating around the clock.
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
currently owns and/or manages 56 hotels
under the Shangri-La and Traders brands
with a rooms inventory of over 28,000.
Shangri La hotels are five-star deluxe properties
featuring extensive luxury facilities and
services. Shangri-La hotels are located in
Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong,
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand
and the United Arab Emirates. The group
has over 50 projects under development in
Austria, Canada, mainland China, France,
India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines,
Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United
Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United
States. For more information or reservations,
please contact a travel professional or
access the website at www.shangri-la.com.
Press contact: Susie Lim-Kannan, Director of Communications, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, Pre-opening Office, Singapore
Tel: (65) 6213 4934, Fax: (65) 6836 4804, E-mail: susie.lim-kannan@shangri-la.com, Website: www.shangri-la.com. For digitised pictures of the group’s hotels,
please go to http://www.shangri-la.com/imagelibrary

MALDIVIAN:
The Main Domestic Carrier of
the Maldives has Re-branded
Maldivian; the name referring to the people of the
Maldives gives instant recognition and identity to the
airline. The name also reflects the values of the nation.
Island Aviation Service Ltd, the main domestic
carrier in the Maldives, catering for the
demand of the domestic travelers since year
April 2000; made the first leap towards regional
operations in January 2008 by commencing
daily flights to Trivandrum, India.
Effective from 1st October, the airline will
be operating 14 flights to Trivandrum and is
gearing to commence operations for Colombo,
Sri Lanka from 6th November 2008 with
five frequencies a week.
Beginning with only 1 Dornier-228 (16 seats)
aircraft and 1 Dash8-200 (37 seats) in 2000,
the airline has been expanding its operations
domestically as well regionally by introducing
additional frequencies, acquiring additional
aircraft and now looking to commence operations
to new regional routes.
The airline fleet now consist of 1 Dornier-228
(16 seats), 2 Dash8-200 (37 seats), 2 Dash8-
300 (50 seats) aircrafts. With establishing
a strong presence and identity in mind the
most recent step taken is the re-branding of
the airline division of Island Aviation Services
Ltd as “Maldivian”. As the airline is making
its way to new international destinations, it
was natural to change the name of the airline
to a name which reflected its origins and
most importantly represented the country it
belonged to.
The name “Maldivian” was selected for its
simplicity and effectiveness giving immediate
recognition as the nation’s very own airline
and more importantly to represent the
people of the Maldives. The new name holds
meaning within the domestic as well as the
international sectors as its customers can fly
with a truly national airline.
Maldivian; the name referring to the people
of the Maldives gives instant recognition and
identity to the airline. The name also reflects
the values of the nation.
With the re-branding of the airline division
behind, the airline aims to further expand
and enhance operations by introducing an
additional Dash8-400 (75 seats) aircraft to its
fleet in 2009. According to the Managing Director
of Maldivian, Mr. Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem
“The Company will continue to expand
with investments in additional aircrafts and
new routes; and training staff for an efficient
organization to customer service at its best”.
In addition, the airline have invested in a new
reservation software which will be available
to all customers effective from 1st November
which will enable its customers to make
online booking and travel with e-tickets. This
again a major step towards enhancing its
services provided to its customers.
Many may still wonder, if the company Island
Aviation still exists and the answer is yes. Island
Aviation is still the proud owners and
operators of the airline Maldivian and with
the airline division making huge strides in
to the future, Island Aviation is also making
progress to expand the other key businesses
that it operates. The company is the ground
handling agent for all international flights to
Maldives at Male’ International Airport. With
Maldives popularity within the international
tourism arena as on the top destinations to
visit increases, the busier the country’s international
airport gets to welcome and receive
these tourists and as the ground handling
agent, it is a face of Island Aviation that one
first sees when arriving to the Maldives.
Island Aviation is also the sole air cargo handling
agent at Male’ International Airport. As
Maldives tourism boost with numerous new
resort developments, the number of good
both perishable and non-perishable is also in
the increase and the cargo services plays a
vital role in ensuring that the needed good
are handled and delivered to the customer
smoothly and on time.
With the parent company Island Aviation set
to expand its other businesses and the airline
“Maldivian” with the brand new name, and
a corporate commitment to continues training
for employees and service enhancements
for customers as the key focus, it really is a
matter of time before the airline operates to
other key regional destinations in future.

A Dining Experience with
a Difference!
After much anticipation and curiosity, Aïoli
restaurant is finally ready to open its doors
to you!
Aïoli is a 110 seat restaurant boasting
both a diverse menu and a cozy and hip
ambiance. The restaurant is the brainchild of
a young and dedicated Management Team,
comprising of individuals with backgrounds in
food, restaurant catering, event management
and marketing, coming together to offer the
ultimate dining experience in Male’!
Located in the rapidly expanding commercial
district of Male’, adjacent to the Bank of
Maldives main branch, and in the vicinity
of development projects such as the new
Holiday Inn, Aïoli is well placed to cater to
the hustle and bustle of the business day
while offering a relaxed and tranquil dining
venue for the evenings.
Aïoli is dedicated to offering the total ‘dining
experience’, rather than merely another
option on ‘going out to eat’. Featuring an
excellent mix of mouthwatering cuisine,
elegant atmosphere, lavish and comfortable
furnishing topped up with décor set in
soothing warm tones.
During the day, Aïoli will offer speedy yet
quality service, targeting corporate clients
who wish to have great food in a relaxed
atmosphere without spending too much time
away from work. Aïoli will offer the perfect
place to drop over for lunch with colleagues,
for a small business meeting or just to meet
up with friends for a drink and snack during
daytime. Aïoli is a place where you can have a
business meeting with relaxed yet thoroughly
professional service, a quiet conversation, or
mark a special occasion.
The evenings will transform Aïoli into a softer
atmosphere, with subtle lighting changing
the mood, while a choice of contemporary
music and theme nights will ensure that there
always is a buzz and something different
going on. The menu is set to be small, yet
comprehensive, inspired by cuisines from
different countries’ specialties that will appeal
to a diverse range of clientele with a wide
array of culinary tastes.
Rather than targeting a certain segment
of the market, Aïoli is stepping up to the
challenge of providing the total dining out
experience to everyone, including an area
dedicated to couples, a diverse menu and
friendly environment for families, while
offering an excellent mingling spot for Male’s
‘it’ crowd.
A significant sector which Aïoli will be
concentrating on is the Corporate & Private
Functions market, with business facilities,
special menus, and catering service for
functions. The first floor dining area can be
closed up for functions and converted into a
setting as desired by the client. Clients can
now leave this aspect of their functions to
the pros; the Aïoli team will take care of
everything, from the table settings to the
dessert!
Aïoli will be open seven days a week for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now you definitely
have something to look forward to!
Aïoli, Lotus Goalhi, Male’ 20095, Republic of Maldives, Tel: +960 3304984, Fax: +960 3304985,
Email: aioli@aioli-restaurant.com, Website: www.aioli-restaurant.com

Understanding
Customer DNA:
Da Need for Attention!
Do we ever periodically walk a mile in their shoes and
see things from their viewpoint? We have to become
aware of what our customers are thinking. We need
to determine what expectations they have of us and
what they place value in so that we can best tailor our
services and products to match their needs.
“THINK.”
I remember my Dad giving me a three-sided
wood block (in the shape of a pyramid)
for my bedroom desk with this word on it.
He told me that if I wanted to accomplish
anything, I would have to do this on a
never-ending basis. I wonder now if we, as
professional business people who spend so
much time thinking about what is important
to us, sometimes forget to think like those
whom we serve, our customers. Do we ever
periodically walk a mile in their shoes and
see things from their viewpoint? We have
to become aware of what our customers
are thinking. We need to determine what
expectations they have of us and what they
place value in so that we can best tailor our
services and products to match their needs.
One sure fire way of staying in-tune to our
customer’s experience is to become one of
our customers from time to time. Do you
have answers to the following questions?
• How many times does the phone ring
before someone answers it at your
place of business?
• What type of business image is
projected?
• What is the tone of the person answering
the phone? What is said and how?
• How easy is it for you to gather the
information that you seek?
• Can you easily compare services and
products among those your business
offers?
If it’s tough for you as an insider to do
business with you business, what do you
think is going through the minds of your real
customers, the outsiders?
Seek out information from your customers
as to what expectations they have for you.
Expectations will differ based on business
type (limited service vs. full service lodging,
fine dining vs. fast food, etc.). But what
do customers expect when they visit your
establishment? Quality is determined by
delivering on expectations. The greater
the delivery, the greater the quality of the
product or service provided. If this is so, why
do we spend so little time understanding our
customer’s expectations?

Forming a customer advisory or focus group
is a sure way of gathering useful information
into how your clients think and how they
really feel about your operation.
These groups can meet together either
fact-to-face in a social gathering or for the
shy, E-focus groups can be established.
The key to these types of gatherings is to
interact with customers who are willing to
offer constructive feedback on all aspects of
your business, from the quality of services
and products offered, to the level of
professionalism shown by associates.
Customer comment cards can provide
valuable post-sale feedback on your
customer’s experience. Incentives should be
used to insure you get feedback from your
customers. Whether using comment cards,
mailers, questionnaires, E-mail surveys or
making a personal phone call to follow up,
be sure the customer is favored for their time
and effort to respond.
Analyzing statistical information (past
business records, sales trends & promotions,
inventories) can also give insight into
the thinking and buying patterns of your
customers. How do you track your sales? Do
you know where your customers come from?
Who exactly are your potential customers?
What is your UCA (Unique Customer
Advantage)?
If you can become like Grissom on CSI,
studying your customers DNA, you’ll solve
any challenge that might come along with
satisfying you customer’s needs.
Consider using these phrases to turn regular
customers into loyal customers:
• “You Bet! We can fix this situation to
your liking.” This tells your customers
that you are solution oriented.
• “We are sorry that you have been
inconvenienced.” Shows awareness and
concern for your customers.
• “Consider it a done deal!” Tells customers
you are there for them, protecting their
interests and serving their needs.
• “We are sincerely delighted to serve
you.” Shows your business, at all levels,
values their patronage.
• “Thank you for choosing us. You did
have a choice” Shows you are indebted
to your customers.
• “Please let us know what else we can do
to make your experience a pleasurable
one.” Shows your businesses availability
and accountability to your customers.
• “Welcome back. We’ve missed seeing
& serving you.” We cherish long-term
relationships and relish your repeat
business.
Dr. Marc Clark, CHA, is President of MDCA & Associates, a management development firm specialing in assisting hospitality organizations maximize their operational
productivity and profitability. Dr. Clark is a speaker at conferences and author of several management development booklets and resources. Dr. Clark can be
contacted at mdclark@kih.net or by calling (270) 586-7244.

A Winner’s Attitiude
Winners don’t dwell on the past-they focus
on the future because they realize that they
can’t change what has already happened.
However, they do know that they CAN
influence what happens from that point
forward.

What does it take to be successful in sales?
Certainly effort, hard work and dedication is
important. An excellent understanding of the
sales process is also essential. But it’s more
than that. The most successful people I know
have a slightly different outlook than their
coworkers and associates.
I recently worked with a group of people
who, collectively, had an extensive amount
of sales experience. And, for the most part,
they all boasted a pretty successful career.
Even though they expressed some frustration
that they didn’t close as many sales as they
would like to, or that prospects didn’t always
return their calls, they didn’t bitch, moan,
whine or complain about it. In fact, I didn’t
hear a single complaint during the entire session.
After more than a decade of conducting
sales training workshops and programs, I can
say that this mentality is rare.
It was evident that this group of people possessed
a winners attitude. And I believe that
this attitude contributed to their success. So,
just what is a winner’s attitude?
A winner’s attitude is the ability to focus on
your long- term goals even though your shortterm
results are not on track. This is more
difficult than it seems. Too many people take
their eyes off their long-term goal when they
experience a slow month or two and end up
focusing on their lack of results. As a result,
they get sidetracked and their sales continue
to suffer. In the words of Earl Nightingale,
“You become what you think about.”
A winner’s attitude means resisting the temptation
to blame the economy, competition, or
current market conditions when sales are
soft. Winners focus on what they can control
unlike the average sales person who redirects
the blame to take the heat off himself.
A winner’s attitude means exploring different
options and approaches to selling. The best
sales people constantly hone their skills. They
read books and articles. They listen to CDs
or Podcasts. They take advantage of every
training program they can including webinars
and tele-seminars. Winners know that business
gets more competitive every day and
they take action to improve their knowledge
and skill. They work at incorporating new
techniques into their existing style.
A winner’s attitude means focusing on showing
the value of your product or service.
Unlike average sales people, winners don’t
focus on price. They know that most buyers
and customers are more concerned with
solving their problems and getting a complete
solution rather than getting the cheapest or
lowest price. While average sales people are
quick to offer a discount, winners concentrate
on showing customers how their product
is different than their competitors.
A winner’s attitude is accepting the fact that
you won’t close every sale. Winners recognize
that a series of ‘no’s’ brings them that
much closer to a ‘yes’. Winners may not enjoy
losing a sale to a competitor but they’re
not going to beat themselves up when it happens,
providing, of course, they can say that
they did everything in their power to capture
that business.
A winner’s attitude means learning from every
sales interaction to improve your future
results. Winners take every opportunity to
learn. A sales manager once told me that
he evaluated every single sale when he first
took on a new territory many years earlier.
This brief analysis and self-critique helped
him improve his performance so he didn’t repeat
his mistakes. Plus, in each subsequent
sales call, he modified his approach slightly,
and in a few short years, sales in his territory
increased many times over.
A winner’s attitude is one of optimism and
enthusiasm. The most successful people I
know all have a great outlook. They know
that every cloud has a silver lining, and when
‘stuff’ happens, they recover quickly. They
look for ways to prevent ‘stuff’ from occurring
because they learn from every situation
(see above point). Winners don’t dwell on
the past-they focus on the future because
they realize that they can’t change what has
already happened. However, they do know
that they CAN influence what happens from
that point forward.
Winners recognize
that a series of
‘no’s’ brings them
that much closer
to a ‘yes’.
Winners may not
enjoy losing a sale
to a competitor
but they’re not
going to beat
themselves up
when it happens,
Sales managers who possess a winner’s attitude
work with their sales reps instead of
chastising them for a lost sales opportunity.
Winning sales managers coach their team,
go on sales calls with their reps, and provide
on-going training for their sales people. They
also go to bat for their team and support help
in every way possible. Sales managers with
a winner’s attitude celebrate individual and
team results and they foster a strong sense
of pride within the organization. Ultimately,
they lead by example and create a team of
winners.
What are you doing to develop a winner’s attitude?
© 2008 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved. Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses pinpoint what they
need to do differently to improve their sales. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at
www. kelleyrobertson.com.

Lost the Fire?
Time to Retire!
I was flying to the United States when an
In-Flight Supervisor recognized me and came
over to chat. We spoke about current challenges
and how quickly the airline was growing.
She lamented that some older crew felt jaded
and uninspired. They tend to do the minimum
of work in flight, she said, shifting the
burden to younger crew members. This behavior
was setting a poor example and had a
negative impact on the morale of new hires.
She asked me, ‘What do you think we should
do about them?’
Immediately I replied, ‘Tell them it’s time to
quit. And if they don’t leave or shape up, fire
them.’
She was shocked by my response. ‘But they
have a very strong union,’ she said. ‘And they
have served so many years. Doesn’t the airline
owe them something for that?’
Again I shared my strong views:
‘Find them a meaningful role on the ground
that harnesses their skills and experience to
real advantage. If that doesn’t work, or they
won’t do the work required, then fire them.
‘And if you can’t fire them because of union,
then create a “Department of Dead Wood”
and park them inside until they retire. They’ll
still cost the airline in payroll accounts, but at
least they won’t cause so much damage.
‘As for the airline “owing them something”,
hasn’t the airline been paying the crew,
training and rewarding them all these years?
Haven’t the airline and crew members grown
up together?
‘Everyone shares good feelings for achievements
and successes in the past. But
shouldn’t we share responsibility, too, for
building a strong and successful future?’
The supervisor was not comfortable with my
answer, I could tell, but it certainly got her
thinking.
Key Learning Point
When someone on your team loses his or her
enthusiasm or commitment, it’s time for them
to either change or go. This is especially true
when that person is very senior and is looked
up to as a role model by newcomers to the
organization.
When you’ve lost the fire, it’s time to retire.
Action Steps
Share this insight with everyone on your service
team. Make it part of your staff orientation
program so that new team members
know what to expect of the elders.
Share this with your senior staff, as well.
They must understand what it takes today to
keep an organization going – and growing.
What about you?
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality customer service. He is author of the bestselling “UP Your
Service!” and founder of “UP Your Service College”. Visit http://www.UpYourService.com for more such Customer Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or
to buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on Customer Service from his secure Online Store.
You can also watch Ron live or listen to him at http://www.RonKaufman.com

Leadership:
Do We Know What It Is?
4 Pointers To Start You
On The Road To
Becoming A Leader

A great deal of work has been done by many
authors and researchers in trying to identify
and define “leadership”. The vast body of research
has focused on leadership traits, habits,
competencies, behaviours, styles, values,
skills and characteristics. Dave Ulrich (Ulrich,
D et al, Results Based Leadership, Harvard
Business Press, Boston, 1999) categorised
much of the research into:
• Who leaders are – values, motives, personal
traits
• What leaders know – knowledge, skills
and abilities
• What leaders do – behaviours, habits,
styles and competencies
However, when one looks at the vast body
of research into leadership, it is mostly concerned
with:
• the inputs of leadership and leaders,
• not the outputs – ie. what leaders
achieve.
Two significant factors have led to a great
deal of the confusion around the issue of
“leadership” and the definition of leadership
itself. Firstly, many authors erroneously use
“leadership” and “management” interchangeably
as if they were the same thing.
Secondly, a great deal of the research into
leadership has been with people who are in
formal organisational positions (e.g. supervisors,
managers, senior executives) – the inference
being that leadership is an integral
part of the formal management role (Parry,
K.W., Leadership Research: Themes, Implications,
and a new Leadership Challenge,
Leadership Research and Practice, Warriewood
1996).
Our experience in designing, developing and
implementing management and leadership
development programs, processes and interventions
over the last twenty years has
led to the development of The Leadership
Benchmark (http://www.nationallearning.
com.au/index_files/LeadershipDevelopment.
htm ), a 360 developmental tool for leaders
and aspiring leaders. Much of the initial research
emanated from focus groups of key
stakeholders (participants, peers, managers,
staff, customers, suppliers etc) conducted as
part of these development initiatives (http://
www.nationallearning.com.au/index_files/
OnlineLeadershipandManagementDevelopment.htm)
and the subsequent follow-up
interviews, coaching sessions and evaluation
processes and forums.
In developing The Leadership Benchmark,
we have clearly delineated that:
• Leadership is different from and distinct
to, management – it does NOT necessarily
occur as part of a formal management
position
• Leadership is contextual and therefore
has to do with outputs (what the leader
achieves) as much as what the leader is
or does (inputs)
1.
Leadership vs Management
Almost 100 years ago, Mary Parker Follett described
a manager as “one who gets things
done through people”. This description is still
used by management educators and scholars
today, but in my opinion should be changed
to: “one who gets the things done that are
described by the organisation in the manager’s
role or position description, through the
people they have been assigned”. My contention
is that, if you are a manager, then:
• You become a manager when you sign
on for the job
• You only become a leader when your
people say so
So, you get given the title of “manager” from
the organisation and people will do things
for you (either well or not so well depending
on how well you manage them) because of
WHAT you are not WHO you are. Only your
people (your team, the people you manage)
can give you the title of “leader”.
In other words, the organisation gives you
your “corporate” manager’s hat that lets
everyone in the organisation know that you
are officially a manager. Then, your people,
when they believe in you, give you your leadership
badge, your badge of honour!
I am indebted to my colleague Dennis Pratt
(Pratt, D., Aspiring to Greatness – Above and
Beyond Total Quality Management, Business
& Professional Publishing, Sydney 1994) for
enabling the clear distinction between leadership
and management that has assisted
our research in developing The Leadership
Benchmark: . This distinction is described
as:
Leading:
Leadership occurs at all levels of the organisation.
The essence of leadership is concerned
with creating the following conditions
that encourage others to follow:
• A shared understanding of the environment.
• A shared vision of where we are going.
• A shared set of organisational values.
• A shared feeling of power.
Managing:
While the leadership function is “big picture”
the management function on the other hand,
has a narrower focus. Leavitt described
leadership, as “path finding” while management
was “path minding”. Management is
situational and involves:
• Getting things done (task focus)
• Through people (relationship focus).
2. Leadership is contextual and is concerned
with outputs
The Leadership Benchmark focuses purely
on the following four outputs achieved in
any particular organisational context by the
leader:
the organisation gives you your
“corporate” manager’s hat that lets
everyone in the organisation know
that you are officially a manager.
Then, your people, when they believe
in you, give you your leadership
badge, your badge of honour!

While the leadership function is “big picture” the
management function on the other hand, has a
narrower focus. Leavitt described leadership, as “path
finding” while management was “path minding”.
• A shared understanding of the environment.
• A shared vision of where we are going.
• A shared set of organisational values.
• A shared feeling of power.
Whereas many other (quite legitimate) management
360 tools focus on the management
function. Managers who aspire to be leaders
therefore need more than the feedback
they might get from a normal 360 managerial
profile.
3. If you are a manager, what does
this mean for you?
Anyone in the organisation can become a
“leader” irrespective of their formal organisational
position. Just because you have
a formal title of “manager” does not mean
you are a leader. So for example when a fire
breaks out in the building and the brand new
young employee who has just completed induction
training, and who instructs people to
follow the evacuation procedures impeccably,
shows as much leadership as the CEO who
has just announced the new corporate strategy
for everyone to follow.
Here’s a quick test to gain some indication
on your status as a leader. Once you have
been in your current role for say, 9 to 12
months, ask yourself “Would my people do
the things I now ask them to do even if I
were not their manager?” If you can truthfully
answer “Yes”, then you are well on the
path to becoming a leader. I suspect, that
many of you will probably answer this with
a “Maybe” – try not to be concerned at this,
as the road to leadership is a long one, but
a truly rewarding one. If you are concerned
that it seems to be taking you “forever” to
develop as a leader, keep in mind the experience
of one of the greatest leaders of our
time, Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years in
prison waiting to show how he could lead his
country!
4. How to develop yourself as a leader
Our research indicates that leaders become
leaders because they do four things (at least)
for us:
• They help us understand and make
sense of our environment. So for example,
when things aren’t working out
or are unclear for us, they are able to
explain what is happening in practical
terms that we can understand.
• They help give us a sense of direction.
They are able to paint a picture of a
brighter future and help us believe that
we can achieve the things we want to
achieve.
• They give us a belief in the values that
are important to us. In doing so, they
make us feel part of a team of people
that share these values and have the
same aims.
• They are able to make us feel powerful
by allowing us the freedom to make
decisions about our life, work and the
future.
If you are looking to develop yourself as a
leader, then I would suggest working with
your team to put in place some strategies to
achieve the four leadership outputs we have
described here.
Bob Selden is the Managing Director of the National Learning Institute. He has been an HRD consultant for over 30 years, prior to which he was a line manager
in a financial organisation. He is an Australian currently living in Switzerland and is a part time member of faculty at the International Management Development
Institute in Lausanne and the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney . You can contact Bob at http://www.nationallearning.com.au/

The Regent Maldives Scheduled
Opening Date
Greetings from the Regent Maldives Sales
and Marketing team!
The arrival of The Regent Maldives is exciting
news. Located on the pristine white sands of
the Thaa atoll, The Regent Maldives will set
new standards in luxury accommodation.
As we prepare for the launch of this 8-hectare
sanctuary complete with fifty individual villas
over land and water, boasting private plunge
pools and stunning views across the lagoon,
we would like to take this opportunity to
update you on the Regent Maldives opening
date. The Resort is scheduled to open in
summer of 2009, based on our commitment
to excellence in the design and construction
of the luxury property.
While reflecting traditional architecture of the
Maldivian setting, The Regent Maldives will
feature contemporary design elements such
as furnishing and fabrics sourced from around
the world by acclaimed interior designers
Hirsch Bedner Associates, and exotic semiopen
bathrooms with indoor and outdoor
showers, to name a few. This is in keeping
with attention to detail and uncompromising
quality, which the signature Regent luxury
brand is well known for.
We will continue to keep you abreast of The
Regent Maldives development and progress
in the coming months. In the interim, please
do not hesitate to contact us on any new
opportunities, or should you have any further
queries.
Resort images can be downloaded in different
sizes from the following site:
h t t p : / / w w w . l e o n a r d o . c o m / r e g e n t
(registration required at no cost)
Thank you for your continued support of The
Regent Maldives.
Best regards,
Kerstin Poetzsch
Director of Sales
The Regent Maldives

A Portrait Of
Hussain Fizar
Having spent 18 months training in Shangri-La Dubai, Hussain Fizar,
22 years old, has now returned to his home town in Addu Atoll to
officially join Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives as a
Supervisor in Finance. After 2 months in his new position, Fizar gives
us his impression.
How was your experience in Dubai? Is
this your first time living outside the
Maldives?
The one and a half year’s stay in Dubai was
an eye-opening experience for me. Since this
was my first time travelling out of my country
and working in a five-star hotel as a trainee
in one of the busiest cities in the world, it was
a big adventure for me.
In which department did you undergo
your training?
I was in Finance (Accounts Payable) and
this training taught me a lot of things which
I have not learned before such as the
complexity of the accounting system of a
five-star property.
What did you like most about working
in the hotel in Dubai?
One thing which I like most about working
in Shangri-La Hotel Dubai was the team
work. Working outside the Maldives and with
people of different nationalities whom you
have never met, I thought I would feel out of
place, well, at least this was my expectation
before I left the Maldives. But I was wrong.
The colleagues made me feel welcomed and
although people are always busy and even
though they worked in different sections,
they were ready to help each other. It was an
important lesson for me about team work.
What challenges did you encounter at
work? And personally?
The only challenge I encountered was the
fact that I was away from home and missing
my family and friends. Yes, it was difficult at
first but if you set your mind to concentrate
on work and the fact that you have such an
exciting experience ahead, you will slowly
get over it. The other thing is that you need
to have an open mind and start to establish
friendships with the people around you.

Did you get to work with people from
different parts of the world, and from
where? How was it like to work with so
many different nationalities?
Dubai is like a melting pot, I worked with
colleagues who are Indians, Filipinos,
Lebanese, Moroccans, Indonesians and
locals as well. It was a very good experience
to work with different nationalities; I got to
understand lots of things about their countries
and culture, I even picked up bits and pieces
of their language. I am now more sensitive to
the style of working with different cultures.
What do you do in your new role at
the resort? How do you apply what
you have learnt in Dubai to your new
assignment at your own resort?
As I was trained in Finance (Accounts
Payable), I am currently working in the
same section in Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort
and Spa. It is quite different when you
compare working in a fully operational hotel
and working in a pre-opening resort. The
processes are similar but the work scope
and the work environment differs but I
feel I am adapting quickly. In Dubai almost
all the payments are being done through
cheques, but here most payments are being
done through either telegraphic transfer or
demand drafts. This new experience back in
Addu is giving additional enrichment to what
I have done in Dubai.
Are you happy to be back in Maldives
and be able to work close to your family
in Addu?
Of course. I loved working in Dubai but
working close to my family and in my
hometown is a feeling which I can never get
anywhere else in this world and this is very
important to me.
What are your ambitions for the
future?
Shangri-La is a good organization where
I feel I can achieve my career goals. My
ambition is to one day become Financial
Controller of one of the properties of Shangri-
La so I can contribute with the experience
and knowledge I gained as a result of the
company’s support. The training in Dubai
was the first step to achieve this ambitious
task in my life, thanks to Shangri-La!

Tips on
Employee
Retention
1.
2.
3.
Start at the beginning, examine
your hiring practice. The first thirty
days of employment are critical. Create
a buddy sponsor and pay the buddy
$X ($250) to guide the new employee
the first month. Let the new employee
choose his buddy after two weeks.
Can you imagine the cooperation and
help the new person will get that first
week. Make sure you have a legitimate
documented employee orientation
program.
Identify training needs throughout
the organization. Create a training
matrix. Allocate funds. Develop an intern
program for leadership candidates that
show exceptional promise. Create
mentoring programs. Train your
managers on coaching and mentoring.
Don’t forget education. Reimburse
tuition; create specific educational
curriculums for specific management
level employees. Create a company
university program.
Burn the annual appraisal forms.
They are worthless. Create an obligation
for all managers to spend a minimum
of thirty minutes a month discussing
performance and opportunity with their
direct reports. Record it on a 4 x 6 card.
This will make annual performance
reviews meaningful because you now
have data for the entire year, twelve
mini reviews.
4. Statistics and surveys prove that
the majority of employees that leave
their employers do not leave due to
pay. Employees want to be treated like
people. They want respect and trust.
Employees will not start respecting
their leaders until their leaders start
respecting them. They will not start
trusting their leaders until their leaders
start trusting them. Ask yourself how
you would want your managers to
treat your son or your daughter if they
worked for them? Some of you have
family in the business.
5. Fairness - Employees want fairness in
all their dealings. This starts with fair
pay. Is it your goal as a company to
pay at or above market? This includes
base pay, benefits, recognition and
other non monetary rewards. Fair and
consistent treatment is a must. Award
and recognize with extra paid days off
in conjunction with a weekend. Buy the
book 1001 ways to make it fun to come
to work.
6. Accountability - Employees want to
be held accountable. They want to be
empowered. They want to contribute.
Make sure they understand what
their job really entails. What are their
responsibilities. Job descriptions, if
you have them, are often vague or
incomplete.
7.
Coach and Mentor your
employees.
Do these things and you will be on your
way to becoming - Employer of Choice.
Your recruitment and retention problems
will be minimal. Employees will excel. They
will release that discretionary energy and
apply it to creating competitive advantage.
Training your employees will increase their
drive for success. Fairness creates happy
employees. Happy employees create satisfied
customers.
www.ceostrategist.com - Sign up to receive ‘The Howl’ a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. - Straight talk about today’s issues.
Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s ‘Leadership Strategist’, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain
competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put
more profit into your business.

Hospitality Bites
Hulhule Island Hotel accounces new
executive appointments
Mr. Dhirendra Pratap Singh,
Manager Front Office
Pratap has joined Hulhule Island Hotel as
Manager Front Office. After completing his
diploma in Hotel Management and Post
Graduation in Business Administration with
specialization in Sales and Marketing, Pratap
started his career with Heritage Village
Resort. He has worked with Trident Hilton
at Agra, Marriott at New Delhi, Oberoi Group
of Hotels and Intercontinental Eros at New
Delhi prior to taking up this assignment.
Mr. Aviram Panda
Executive Housekeeper
Aviram has joined Hulhule Island Hotel as
Executive Housekeeper. Aviram has done his
PG Diploma in Accommodation Management
and B.A (Hons) and has gained experience
in the hospitality industry with Hotel Prachi
in India, Oberoi Group of Hotels in India,
Best Western Elite Hotel at Bahrain, Marriot
Welcome Hotel at New Delhi and Emirates
Palace in Abu Dhabi, UAE prior to joining
Hulhule Island Hotel.
Maldives Wins Best Island Award 2008
Male’, 10 September 2008; The Maldives has
won the Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers Best
Island Award for the year 2008. Maldives
scored well in all 10 scoring criteria including
the top mark for beaches.
The Maldives won this milestone award from
the readers’ poll by successfully competing
against Greek Islands, Mauritius, Barbados
and Hawaii etc. This is the third consecutive
year that Maldives won this award.
In addition, six Maldives resorts were among
the best hotels in Overseas Leisure Hotels
in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian
Ocean category. They are One & Only Reethi
Rah, One & Only Kanuhura, Soneva Gili,
Fourseasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa,
Cocoa Island Resort and Huvafenfushi.
The Conrad Bangkok was recognized
as the best business hotel in Bangkok
by the 2008 Business Traveller Asia-
Pacific Readers’ Poll.
The awards, which recognize the best in
the industry, are based on the results of an
annual Business Traveller subscriber survey,
conducted from May to July this year. Reader
voting ensures that true industry merit is
objectively assessed and recognized.
HES Global Ltd the leading executive
search firm for the hospitality industry
exclusively, introduces Aukse Bright,
the new Executive Director for Asia-
Pacific.
Managing Director, Guy Teerlinck says
“We are delighted to announce that Aukse
Bright joins our team as Executive Director
responsible for the Asia-Pacific region.”
He adds “Aukse works already many years
with a passion for the hospitality industry.
She gained invaluable experience at several
International Hotel chains over the world and
at an International Recruiter competitor.”
Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group,
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, was
named Best Business Hotel Brand in
Asia-Pacific for the eighth consecutive
year and won a total of seven awards
in Business Traveller Asia-Pacific
magazine’s 2008 Readers’ Poll.
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore was voted Best
Business Hotel in the World, Best Business
Hotel in Asia-Pacific and Best Business Hotel
in Singapore. Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong;
Makati Shangri-La, Manila; and Shangri-La’s
Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei each won the
Best Business Hotel awards in their cities. The
poll was conducted among the magazine’s
frequent traveller subscribers based mainly
in the Asia-Pacific region. Results will be
published in the October 2008 issue of
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
Luxury resort group One&Only has
partnered with Technogym to offer
guests a highly personalised fitness
and wellness experience on holiday and
at home.
Regarded worldwide as the best choice for
sporting professionals and luxury home
wellness, Technogym, with its expert
combination of state-of-the-art equipment,
nutritional advice, workout support and
training guidance, has tailored each
programme to respond to the individual
needs of the One&Only guest. All five
One&Only resorts (One&Only Reethi Rah in
the Maldives; One&Only Le Saint Géran in
Mauritius; One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai;
One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas and
One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico)
feature Technogym equipment. Each resort
is linked through an advanced technology key
system ensuring that guests can follow the
same programme at whichever Technogym
they visit.

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s
leading hotel group, has announced
it will invest in and manage a new
property in The Maldives, which will be
the first property of Centara Hotels &
Resorts outside of Thailand - but with
many others to come.
Scheduled to open in May 2009, Centara
Grand Island Resort and Spa, located on
South Ari Atoll, will deliver a unique Premium
4 star resort experience.
Inner Maldives Holidays selected as
Host buyer for PATA Travel Mart 2008
Inner Maldives Holidays is pleased to
announce that the Pacific Asia Travel
Association (PATA) has selected Inner
Maldives Holidays as a Host Buyer for PATA
Travel Mart 2008. PATA - a non-profit travel
trade association serving government tourist
offices, airlines, hotels and other travelrelated
companies throughout the Pacific
Asia region, and it is one of the most vital
travel associations in the world.
PATA Travel Mart 2008 is hosted this year in
Hyderabad, India and this event is gearing
up to be a spectacular show. PATA Travel
Mart 2008 has received a total of 374
registered buyer delegates from 329 buyer
organizations, from 57 countries.
Inner Maldives Holidays Pvt Ltd., a company
that was founded in the year 1998 with the
dedicated objective of providing travel and
tourism services to the booming tourism
industry in the Maldives. In the years Inner
Maldives Holidays has grown to become
one of the market leaders in the industry
with annual turnover of over USD$ 6 million
in 2006, and presently represent over 500
global travel brands in the Maldives.
It is said to be the first time a Maldivian travel
company has been selected as a host buyer
at a PATA Travel Mart or any trade fair. This
distinguished endorsement of the Maldivian
tourism industry by PATA is a nation triumph
and achievement.
Inner Maldives Holidays has been nominated
by SriLankan Holidays, therefore, we take this
opportunity to thank SriLankan Airlines and
SriLankan Holidays for this opportunity and
also thank PATA for making this possible.
Virtuoso, America’s leading network of
high-end travel agencies, has named
Amanpuri in Thailand as its 2008 Hotel
of the Year at its Best of the Best Awards
ceremony in Las Vegas recently.
This top award recognizes a hotel that
continually epitomizes excellence in the
categories of design, ambiance, service,
food and beverage, spa, family programs
innovation and social responsibility.
Amanpuri, which means “place of peace” in
Sanskrit, opened in Phuket in 1988 and is
Amanresorts’ first property. Nestled among
coconut palms and overlooking its own
beach, the resort - consisting of 40 Thaistyled
pavilions and 30 private villa homes --
blends Thai architecture, culture and service
with exquisite natural beauty. Expressing
his delight upon hearing about the Virtuoso
award, Adrian Zecha - Founder and Chairman
of Amanresorts - said, “We are delighted that
on the 20th Anniversary of Amanpuri, we
have been recognized in this way. We will
continue to devote our energies to ensuring
a remarkable travel experience for all our
guests - living up to, and exceeding, the
accolades given to us by the Virtuoso group
of experts.”
One of the best-known hotels in the
Egyptian capital, Cairo - the Saudiowned
Grand Hyatt - has reversed a
controversial ban on serving alcohol.
The ban, announced in May on Islamic
religious grounds, had angered the Egyptian
government, which depends heavily on
tourism. Now the hotel has reinstated strong
drink - but only in the restaurant, forty floors
above street level. Source: RTHK
Taj enters China hotel market.
Taj International Hong Kong, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Indian Hotels, signed a
management contract with Cuiting Hotspring
Hotel Management, a subsidiary of Zhong Qi
International Investment Co, to operate the
Chinese company’s Temple of Heaven Park
Hotel property in Beijing as well as its Hainan
Hotel project. The agreement makes Indian
Hotels the first Indian hospitality company
to create a partnership in China. Source:
Shanghai Business Review
Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort, has just
been awarded the 2008 Wine Spectator
Magazine “Award of Excellence” for the
Turtle Bay Estate House Wine List.
This honor represents the property’s
fourth consecutive year in the top spot. In
recognition of this award, Caneel Bay will be
acknowledged in the August 31st “Restaurant
Edition”, of Wine Spectator Magazine; as
well as being noted on the highly viewed
magazine website. “Compiling a great
wine collection is an essential ingredient of
sophisticated dining these days, and we’re
delighted to learn that Wine Spectator has
once again chosen to distinguish the wine list
at Turtle Bay Estate House with its highest
recognition,” said Nikolay Hotze, Managing
Director of Caneel Bay.
Angsana Spa, an award-winning Asian
spa brand founded by the renowned
Banyan Tree Spa, will greet spa
enthusiasts in Portugal for the first
time.
The new Angsana Spa is slated to open on
the 8th August 2008 in the Tivoli Marina
Vilamoura, in the Algarve, a luxurious
hotel which has recently been refurbished.
Overlooking the spectacular Atlantic Ocean,
Tivoli Marina Vilamoura is located on Portugal’s
finest marina and golf resort, attracting both
holidaymakers and conference delegates due
to its Congress Center. Angsana Spa Tivoli
Marina Vilamoura is a 25-minute drive from
the local Faro Airport.
Reprinted with permission by ehotelier.com

Another Day in
Paradise
with Compliments from
Island Chief Didi at
Anantara Dhigu Resort
& Spa, Maldives
When guests at Anantara Maldives gather
around the soft glow of candlelight for an
evening of mystic storytelling, it is the Island
Chief himself who takes them on a unique
journey through the region’s rich tapestry of
history and folklore. In a solemn tone Chief
Didi recounts intriguing tales of legends and
heroes. When the sun rises the next morning,
he’s also the first one up, ensuring the beach
is spotless for another day in paradise!
Born in the far south on Addu Atoll near Gan,
where the British military base was located
and Didi worked as a young man, he set sail
for the capital Male in 1976 to seek new opportunities.
The journey took three days,
with the passengers surviving on ‘garudhiya’
(Maldivian fish soup), rice, fish and coconuts.
This was during the time when tourism started
to develop in the region and Didi worked a
number of different jobs, mostly laboring.
News broke of a new resort being built at the
lagoon with its four islands where Anantara is
now located, and in no time Didi was part of
the building crew – and never left. That was
22 years ago…
“Once the resort was completed, I worked
my way through the ranks. First as a waiter,
then as a room attendant, and all the way
to Island Chief. Here in the Maldives, every
island or small lagoon of islands has a chief.
It’s his job to oversee daily life; to make sure
everyone is happy and to solve problems. I
look after the island as if it’s my own home,
and do whatever it takes to ensure the welfare
of its people and visitors. That’s a job I
will never get bored of!
I get up at dawn, and right away do a tour of
the island to check that everything is okay. I
enjoy working with the staff to ensure they’re
also proud of their island. Chatting to guests
is such a pleasure too – especially when they
return, because that means they had a really
meaningful experience here the first time
around.
But the highlight for me is the storytelling
nights we host for guests. I share with
them stories that are passed on here from
one generation to the next, the way we preserve
our heritage. Stories about the history
of the Maldives, our seafaring ancestors, the
local people… They enjoy hearing about the
legends and ghosts that are such a big part
of our traditions and culture. We sit under
the stars in a coconut grove, enjoy snacks inspired
by our indigenous food and drink fresh
tropical juices.
Our heritage and the Maldivian people are
what make this such a special place. By
taking this journey back into time with us,
guests can find out who we are, and where
we come from. And that’s a place deep within
our hearts…”
For all media enquiry please contact: Marion Walsh, Brand Director of Public Relations, Tel: +66 (0) 89 811 3829, Email: mwalsh@anantara.com

Customer
Service:
A Fading Memory?
Virtually every business and their employees
know the importance of delivering great customer
service. So, why is it so difficult to get
good service from companies today? I think
there are several reasons:
• People are overworked. Shareholders
of most organizations demand a higher
return on their investment each year.
This leads to cutbacks which creates a
heavier workload for the remaining employees.
• Entry level employees are not properly
taught how to deal with customers. My
daughter worked for several retailers
and she seldom received any formal
training on dealing with customers.
• We forget the importance of delivering
great service. In today’s fast-paced society
many people think that customer
service is something of the past. Yet,
consumers are hungry for great service
and many of them will pay extra for it.
• It is someone else’s problem. Because of
cutbacks and reductions in head count,
many people think customer service is
somebody else’s responsibility. But the
reality is that service is everyone’s duty.
Service is important for both internal
and external customers.
• We think it is the customer’s fault. When
I was a frequent flyer I called to arrange
for an upgrade on a flight. When I arrived
at the airport, the agent could not
find any record of it and “suggested”
that I had not actually made the call.

• Systems and processes make it difficult
to resolve the situation. Computers are
great most of the time. Unfortunately,
in some situations, computers restrict
an employee’s ability to resolve a customer’s
concern.
• Company policies. This is pretty straightforward
but it is one of most critical
reasons customer service is so poor.
Policies are put into place to protect the
company. The larger the company, the
more policies are evident. And for good
reason. However, these policies often
restrict employees from making good
business decisions.
Some sales people and business owners
seem to think that pleasing customers is an
impossible task. Case in point: A good friend
of mine recently moved and when the owner
of the moving company dropped by to pick up
his payment he asked for feedback. My friend
gave his honest opinion and not all of it was
positive. The owner of the moving company
began to immediately justify the behavior of
his personnel even though my friend had a
legitimate concern.
This caused me to reflect on similar situations
I have encountered over the years. As
I thought about it, I realized that most of the
complaints I voiced to a company were a direct
result of the way I had been treated by
an individual in the organization. This made
me think of an article I once read that stated
that 68% of customers stop doing business
with a particular company due to the attitude
of an employee and/or manager.
Great customer service is not something that
happens naturally within in a business. It
has to be developed and nurtured. It must
be integrated into the business philosophy.
For example, one of my policies is to respond
to all voice mail and e-mail messages within
twenty-four hours. It may be minor but I’ve
learned that people expect a quick response
to their question or concern.
How can you ensure your customers receive
great service all the time? I’m not sure there
is one answer. I do, however, have a few suggestions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Create policies that put the customer
first instead of the business. Make it
easy to do business with you. Trust
them. Will you get taken advantage of?
Occasionally. But the majority of people
are honest which means you should run
your business on the majority, rather
than the minority.
Lead by example. Don’t be like the
owner of the moving company my
friend used. Treat your customers with
respect. Keep your ego in check. Give
people the benefit of the doubt.
Recognize that every complaint is an
opportunity to improve your business.
Keep your ego in check and seek ways
to resolve the issue instead of defending
the mistake.
Train your staff. If you don’t know what
good customer service is, ask your current
customers. They will tell you. Then
teach your team the basics. If necessary,
hire a professional to help you.
The investment usually outweighs the
cost.
Finally, treat your employees with respect
and allow them to make decisions.
The more difficult you make it for
your team to deliver great service, the
less likely they will.
Customer service is not something you do; it
is the way you view and operate your business
on a daily basis.
Great customer service is not something
that happens naturally within in a
business. It has to be developed and
nurtured. It must be integrated into the
business philosophy.
Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also
the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com and receive a
FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.

Create and Commit to
a Brand
World View
Marketing has a central and powerful role to
play in guiding a business to success. Beyond
the creation and execution of brand communication,
it holds the responsibility to be a
brand evangelist, offering a brand world view
that serves as context to all that a company
does. In looking at the way the great companies
hold their brand, I suggest embracing
these principles to help you on your journey
to preeminence.
• Determine a single brand personality
and ‘blow it out’ across all channels and
audiences
• Move from a discount based to an experience
based brand
The crux of ‘Be Who You Are’, this principle
states that whatever your brand personality
is, you must ensure it appears or informs
everything you do, from advertising to operations
to how you pay your bills. No detail
is too small to be filtered through the brand
prism. Consumers today are both inured to
and overwhelmed by marketing messages.
The only way to penetrate that wall, and that
assumes you have crafted a brand personality
with your guest’s help, is to communicate
with ‘20-20’ precision. Every element that
falls outside the brand circle, every feature
that runs counter to who you really are,
makes that vision fuzzier and fuzzier. And no
guest will ever ‘get it’ if you aren’t in focus.
Move from a discount based to an experience
based brand
Many brands are lured into the addiction
of discounting because of a lack of brand
oxygen. Smart people succumb because of
short term necessities. I know I have. Nonetheless,
and make no mistake, a discounted
brand is a brand on its deathbed. CREST data
supports the sorry fate of the discount committed
brand; less perceived value than others
in the category and brand degradation,
to boot.
• Commit to a marketing world view focused
on developing personal relationships
to achieve company goals, rather
than anonymous transactions
There are others, of course, but these three
are the foundation of remarkable branding-
Determine a single brand personality and
‘blow it out’ across all channels and audiences
Commit to creating an experience for the
guest that is infused with the spirit and
vitality of your brand. Elevate each block
of the guest visit to ‘5’ sensory heaven.

What do you do? Commit to creating an experience
for the guest that is infused with
the spirit and vitality of your brand. Elevate
each block of the guest visit to ‘5’ sensory
heaven. Do a Wall to Wall walk through and
evaluate exactly what you are ‘telling and
selling’ the guest in every square foot of
your property. Does it jive with your brand
personality? Every detail counts. It includes
the back of the house, as well, because it’s
backstage your staff of actors get most of the
blood and guts of your brand. Your operating
values rule here, and the walk you really walk
is revealed.
Commit to a marketing world view focused
on developing personal relationships to
achieve company goals, rather than anonymous
transactions
Farming as a business model tries the soul
of many operators because it requires patience.
Our culture, particularly the Boomer
Generation, has been infected with a hunger
for immediate gratification that runs counter
to nature and any pursuit of excellence. That
appetite for ‘results now’ is exemplified by
the hunting model which rewards a blunderbuss
shot with a meal for the night. Farming
takes longer but it’s sustainable and can feed
a family for a year.
Personalized relationships with all the audiences
with whom you interact does not
suppose ‘deep friendship’ or inappropriate
intimacy. It merely recognizes most guests
crave personal attention, acknowledgement
and a sense that they belong. The best of us
understand that we are in the bread breaking,
‘roof over your head’, hospitality business
that celebrates communion and community.
Seek ways to encourage communication
from your guest and your associates. Make
it easy to talk to you. Become ‘Champions of
Feedback’. Never let any conversation stop
after the first ‘back and forth’. Look for opportunities
to continue to engage the guest.
Most don’t do it because it’s hard and doesn’t
necessarily offer immediate rewards. But
when you surprise and delight your guest
with unexpected hospitality, I guarantee you
they will tell others.
When you create a brand world view, you
have the ability to always check any action,
any thought against an enduring foundation.
It will steer you in the right direction and you
will reach brand nirvana.
Rick Hendrie is President & Chief Experience Officer of Remarkable Branding, Inc. a Cambridge MA based consultancy which helps clients create and market
memorable brand experiences. For a complimentary newsletter go to www.remarkablebranding.com.

More Web Site Hints,
Tips, and Tricks –
Unwrapped
When it comes to boosting web site sales,
search engine optimization (SEO) has become
the first and last choice by many web
marketing companies. It seems that SEO
has become the current Rx prescription for
non-producing web sites. In itself, SEO can
be very beneficial, but it is certainly not the
cure-all that some web marketers claim.
The ironic thing about search engine optimization
is that it actually needs to begin with
the structure of the site itself. Applying SEO
to an improperly designed hotel web site is
like adding high-test gas to a car that doesn’t
have an engine or transmission. It’s still going
nowhere.
Designing a functional web site is not rocket
science, but there are some fundamental design
necessities to produce a marketable web
site. Don’t get caught up by web designers
who want to create a work of art instead of
a hotel web site that sells rooms. Don’t think
that a hotel site only needs to look good.
Flash elements are still a bad idea and entire
flash web sites, a new trend, may be great
for museums and art galleries, but terrible
for hotel web sites.
There are still many web designers who don’t
understand the purpose of a hotel web site.
In their eagerness to make an attractive site,
many completely ignore the interaction between
search engines and web site content;
how they must compliment one another. Text
content sells rooms, yet many designers treat
it like an after-thought. Text is what search
engines see in order to rank a web site.
There are just a few key components of a
well designed site; thoroughly researched
and well-thought-out Meta Tags; a simple
site navigation theme; well written sales
text; a good link strategy; a good booking
engine; use of low density photography; and
knowledge of how consumers choose hotels.
It’s amazing how many sites violate one or
more of these essentials.
Many hotel web sites today are producing
upwards of 30% to 50% or more of their hotel’s
total room business. Some hotels claim
even higher production numbers and yet, on
the other hand, there are still many hoteliers
who are facing dismal production but love
the ‘look’ of their sites, so they do nothing.
Many hoteliers have allowed themselves to
get hung up in the technical subterfuge of
measuring the effectiveness of their site by
‘hits’, ‘unique user visits’, and other technical
jargon used by web designers who know
little about selling rooms online. I can’t count
the number of web sites, I’ve reviewed, that
are completely dysfunctional from a search
and/or sales stand-point, but get a descent
number of ‘unique users’. The problem is
they don’t book many reservations.
The average hotel web site converts less than
four reservations from every one hundred
visitors; many even fewer. A well designed
site can increase conversions by two or three
times. The true measure of a well designed
web site is the number of reservations it generates.
A good booking engine will give you
the ‘look-to-book’ ratio of your site. If it’s only
average, you can do something about it.
I hear from many hoteliers, who have spent
hundreds or even thousands of dollars for
the development of their web sites that are
now very unhappy with their site’s production.
They have web sites that are attractive
brochures instead of sales productive web

sites. As a result, many of these hoteliers
are frustrated with and disappointed in their
site’s ability to generate business.
The fix doesn’t have to cost a fortune and the
return can be very cost effective.
Take a lesson from the bright people managing
franchise web sites. During the past
few years, several franchises have invested
time and energy to improve the ability of
their sites to capture reservations. They have
made their sites more user, search, and navigation
friendly; reduced the number of clicks
to make a reservation; improved their booking
engines; and enhanced their sales message
through well-written text.
As a result of their efforts to improve the
market ability of their web sites, many franchises
have significantly increased overall
production. Making your site sales worthy is
the first step in marketing your web site.
Ok, you’ve improved your web site, it’s now
optimized to ‘sell’ reservations; and your new
booking engine is integrated into your site
and ready to capture and track new reservations.
Now, it’s time to apply search engine
optimization, right? Well, not exactly.
A very effective way to prepare your site for
SEO is to create a good ‘link strategy’. Search
engines like Google and Yahoo place a strong
emphasis on links within, to, and from your
site when it is ranked. When choosing a designer,
check-out their knowledge of links
and how strategic links can be effectively
used on your site.
Populating your web site is similar to populating
your hotel. Greater popularity of your
site generates even more popularity. Sometimes,
a temporary boost from pay-per-click
sites like Google and Yahoo can give your
site that added popularity needed to improve
your rankings by search engines. They will
work with your budget, so it doesn’t have
to be open-ended. They can place your site
among the first four search results.
It may sound too simple, but I am surprised
at the number of people who haven’t yet
learned to utilize the ‘signature’ on their
emails. A link to your web site along with a
brief message is simple to create and can be
beneficial.
Marketing your web site includes marketing
on-your-web-site. If your current booking
engine doesn’t accommodate the booking of
packages, it’s time to change engines. People
love packages; especially simple packages
with popular elements. At the very least, they
provide an additional choice for visitors.
If your hotel accommodates group business,
include a ‘request for proposal’ page on your
site. If planners visit your site, give them an
opportunity complete an electronic RFP to get
a quick response; it’s only common-sense.
Use your site to develop a data base of the
users who visit. One way to accommodate
this is a simple email newsletter link to which
users can register. A simple award of some
kind can enhance the popularity of this link.
A good site designer can easily build this for
your site. Use your new data base to further
market your hotel.
Location is still the number one criterion for
choosing a hotel. Simply listing your address
is not enough. What are the room night generators
in your area? Descriptions of and
links to these generators can multiply your
chances for getting bookings.
Meet with your sales and/or front office team
to review the text details on your site. They
know the ‘hot buttons’ which your guests
share. It amazes me that so many sales and
front office people have no clue as to what
is on their hotel’s web site, yet they are the
most guest-knowledgeable people in the hotel.
Pay keen attention to what rates are offered
on your site. Are they current, are they at
parity with rates offered at the front desk
and other channels, and are they competitive
with your neighbors? Rates should never
be developed in a vacuum. If your deserved
position is to be number one in your market,
let your rates reflect that position. This is
especially important for independent hotels;
your rates will define your hotel. People don’t
shop rates, they shop value.
Download and print your web site, give it to
peers, friends, and family and get their viewpoint.
You will gain a completely different
viewpoint when you see it in print. Is the text
in priority order; does the text sell; is it upto-date;
is it accurate? The devil is in the details;
your web site deserves your attention.
Designing a
functional web
site is not rocket
science, but
there are some
fundamental
design necessities
to produce a
marketable web
site. Don’t get
caught up by web
designers who
want to create a
work of art instead
of a hotel web site
that sells rooms.
Don’t think that
a hotel site only
needs to look
good.
Contact: Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA, Hotel Marketing Coach, www.hotelmarketingcoach.com, NeilS@hotelmarketingcoach.com

Three
Steps to
Welcome
What a conversation! A British gentleman
working in global logistics, his American entertainer
wife who recently became a mother,
an Australian event coordinator and me. Four
different cultures – and different points of
view.
We talked about the service we received at
retail stores, banks, restaurants, hotels and
airlines around the world. We each had very
different opinions about what constitutes
‘good service’.
The logistics guy likes fast and efficient; pleasantries
are incidental. The entertainer wants
time to browse before she is approached,
and feels ‘hurried’ if someone comes too
close, too soon. The Australian feels just the
opposite. She wants attention right away or
she walks right out the door. And me? I like
the ‘human touch’: a smile, friendly tone of
voice, a twinkle in the eye.
Our differences are not surprising given our
backgrounds. But what a challenge for committed
service providers!
Should your service be reserved and polite,
or outgoing and friendly? Should you be
fast and efficient, or personal and attentive?
Should you initiate contact and offer immediate
help, or wait discreetly until you are
asked?
What pleases one customer may easily disturb
another. But you’ve got to do something.
So what should you do?
Beneath the preferences of one person and
another, I found ‘Three Steps to Welcome’
that always apply:
1. Acknowledge the person
2. Make a positive gesture
3. Extend an offer to help
Acknowledge the person means letting them
know that you know they are there. This can
be done with simple eye contact, a tip of your
head or a momentary opening of your hand.
Have you ever been in a store with sales
staff who completely ignored you? Did you
feel awkward as they talked on the phone, or
invisible as they chatted with each other?
Have you ever been happy to wait several
minutes while a clerk helped someone else,
because she acknowledged you first with a
tiny gesture, raised eyebrows or a smile?
It doesn’t take much to acknowledge another
person. But it does require something. One
small gesture makes the difference.
Make a positive gesture doesn’t mean waving
your hands and shouting ‘C’mon in!’ That
might be good for a carnival or a bustling
street on a busy night. But theatrics can be
out of place at government offices, hospitals
or jewelry stores where couples search
slowly for rings.
At the government service counter, a positive
gesture could be simply, ‘Next, please’.
In a museum or fine restaurant, a slight tilt
from the waist is enough. In a retail store,
the wide sweep of your hand invites shoppers
to browse freely.
Extend an offer to help is easy when spoken:
‘How may I help you?’ ‘Your passport,
please’, ‘Good morning. My name is Ron’. In
silence, two open hands mean ‘I am here to
help you’. One guiding palm says ‘Come this
way’, or ‘Have a seat’.
Your ‘Three Steps to Welcome’ will depend
on where you work, whom you serve and
what reputation you wish to create. This may
take fine-tuning before you get it right.
When Giordano clothing stores first opened,
the staff were too excited, cheering new customers
and scaring timid ones right out of
the store! Today, Giordano’s has refined the
welcoming process to an elegant dance of
body language, gestures, facial expressions
and spoken words. They watch customers
carefully and observe how they react. Staff
know when to go slow and let new shoppers
browse, and when to step forward with personal
attention.

American Express went too far with their initial
Platinum Card telephone service. Caller
ID allowed Amex to know who was calling
and answer the phone using the customer’s
name. But customers were shocked to be addressed
by name before they had introduced
themselves. (Now Amex only uses your name
after you’ve said it once yourself.)
Raffles Hotel understands that too much service
can become unpleasant service. A personal
welcome by the chef, the manager, the
hostess, every waiter and busboy will scuttle
the best hospitality intentions at dinner. Raffles’
Chief Executive Officer likens their style
of service to ‘a gentle breeze’, soothing you
when you want it, but never blowing too hard
in your face.
Key Learning Point
Everyone entering your place of work should
receive acknowledgment, positive gestures
and an appropriate offer of assistance.
Action Steps
Survey customers of all types: old and young,
male and female, hurried and relaxed, on a
budget or on a spree. Ask them how they
like to be greeted. What would be ‘too much’,
what would be ‘too little’?
Discuss the results with your colleagues and
ask their opinions, too.
Decide which ‘Three Steps to Welcome’
match your company’s image and your customer
base. Then set standards, practice with
role-plays, train and supervise new staff. Use
these three steps to make your customers
feel recognized, appreciated and welcome.
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed educator and motivator for partnerships and quality customer service. He is author of the bestselling “UP Your
Service!” and founder of “UP Your Service College”. Visit http://www.UpYourService.com for more such Customer Service articles, subscribe to his Newsletter, or
to buy his bestselling Books, Videos, Audio CDs on Customer Service from his secure Online Store.
You can also watch Ron live or listen to him athttp://www.RonKaufman.com

“Just a word of thanks for the great scope in your latest hospitality
magazine. Am sure that over time you have received many praises in the
name of the art of work – however it is awesome to have the material
each time as a point of refresh references that all can relate too some
how or another.”
Shaun Dunhofen,
Rooms Division Manager, Huvafen Fushi
“Your Hospitality Magazine is amazing.”
Mohamed Naeem,
Deputy General Manager, Banyan Tree Maldives
LASTWORDS

“Just a word of thanks for the great scope in your latest hospitality
magazine. Am sure that over time you have received many praises in the
name of the art of work – however it is awesome to have the material
each time as a point of refresh references that all can relate too some
how or another.”
Shaun Dunhofen,
Rooms Division Manager, Huvafen Fushi
“Your Hospitality Magazine is amazing.”
Mohamed Naeem,
Deputy General Manager, Banyan Tree Maldives
LASTWORDS