Accor Hotels - employer

The client

Accor Hotels is an international hotel chain with 29 hotels across New Zealand.  Novotel & Ibis Auckland Ellerslie, Mercure Auckland and Mercure Windsor Auckland are four of its Auckland hotels with 200 employees.  A number of the hotels' staff have immigrated to New Zealand and speak English as a second language.  Accor prides itself in providing professional, high quality and friendly service. 

The challenge

The hospitality industry is highly competitive and the interaction between staff and guests is critical to positive guest experiences.  Staff need to communicate successfully not only with customers but also with other departments.  Accor aims to develop literacy within the workplace and assist employees in improving their ability to communicate and understand the expectations of their role and guests' needs.  A number of the hotels' staff speak English as a second language which limits their ability to communicate and understand instructions.Department managers saw instances of employees:

• failing to fully complete induction documents
• having difficulty with written communication
• having difficulty  with verbal communication with guests
• lacking in confidence to approach guests 

Practical solutions

Workbase developed a business skills communication programme based on what was most beneficial for Accor Hotels.  Priorities included:

• Communicating effectively with customers including dealing with complaints
• Communicating effectively with colleagues and supervisors
• Accurate documentation (particularly emergency procedures, menus and the hotel's induction book)

Twenty-nine staff attended an hour of training a week over a 14-month period.  The training was tailored to each employee and took place during work hours, which supported attendance and demonstrated the company's commitment to employee development. 

Great results

Following the training hotel managers noticed a range of developments among participants, including:

• improved customer service, including staff handling customer complaints
• improved understanding of instructions from supervisors
• greater confidence to approach guests and initiate conversations
• better understanding of other departments
• improved email and report writing
• more accurate completion of duty logs and order placement.
• improved moral and a more positive attitude towards their work in the hotel