Concord, Intonation,Stress and Tone

Concord

Concord means that certain grammatical items agree with each other. Concord is therefore also called agreement.
• There are two types of concord:
-Concord of number (singular- the pen is…
plural- the pens are …)
- concord of person (first person-I’m…..,
second person-you are ….)

A. Concord of number
I. Subject - verb concord:
a. With all verbs except ‘be’ the question of number concord arises only in the present tense.
b. Be differs from other verbs in having many forms: am, is, are (the present tense) and was, were (the past tense)
c. In the future tense also there’s no concord variation. The model auxiliaries differ from other verbs in having only one form.
(Must, can, will, may etc)
d. In the past tense, there’s no concord variation e.g. Gita danced. People danced.
e. A clause acting as subject counts as singular.

II. Pronoun concord
- A pronoun which refers back to a singular noun phrase is in the singular, and a pronoun which refers back to a plural noun phrase is in the plural.

B. Notional concord
• Some times we find the singular form of certain nouns can be treated as plural. This is called notional concord.
-In the notational concord, the plural verb agrees with the idea of plural in the group noun (family) rather than the actual singular form of the noun.
- But it is also possible to treat a group noun like ‘family’ as singular. At the time it is called grammatical concord (singular subject+ singular Verb, plural subject+ plural verb)
-Plural concord after a group noun is more frequent in informal speech than in formal writing. Also, plural concord is more characteristic of than .

C. Grammatical concord
• It is also possible to treat group noun like ‘family, public’ as singulars because the basics grammatical rules says –sing.sub.+ sig. verb and plu. Sub.+ plu. verb
• Actually when the group is being considered as a signal undivided body the singular tends to be used, but it’s often hard to see such a meaning distinction .
• Other group nouns which allow both singular and plural concord are: association, audience, board, commission, committee, company, council, crew, department, government, jury, party, public, staff
[ Many of these group nouns are decision making bodies…]

There’s also a special case of plural concord with singular proper names which denote sports team:

D. Attraction/ Proximity:
- The basic concord rule [ sing. sub + sig. verb,
And plural sub + Plural verb) is sometimes violated / influenced by attraction / proximity. This means that the verb tends to agree with a noun or pronoun that closely comes before it instead of the headwork of the sub. This is called proximity.
- Attraction clearly works together with notional concord in many cases, in that head noun (number, variety, majority…) conveys the idea of plural.

E. Concord with coordinated subject
When a subject consists of two or more different noun phrases coordinated by ‘and’ the verb is typically in the plural.
• When two noun phrases are joined by ‘or’ or ‘either…or’ the general rule is that the number of the verb is determined by the number of the last noun phrase. This is the factor of attraction or proximity.
- But such sentences are often felt to be awkward. To avoid such concord problems, it is usually possible to use a model aux. verb which has the same form in singular and plural.

F. Concord with indefinite expression of amount:
- Indefinite expression of amount esp., ‘any, no, and none’ often cause concord problems.
- With ‘none of +a plural noun phrase’: both a singular and plural verb occurs.
But with ‘none of + a singular noun phrase’: a singular verb occurs.

- With ‘none of’ grammatical concord insists that ‘none’ is singular but notional concord invites a plural verb. A singular verb is typical of <> style whereas a plural verb is the natural choice in<> English. In conversations, a plural verb is the more natural choice.
The same rule applies to ‘neither’ or ‘either’.

G. Concord of person
• Like concord of number, there is concord of person, too.
• ‘Be’ has three forms in the present tense.
• Main verbs have only two forms in the present tense.
• Model auxiliaries have only one form.
• Notice that ‘you’ behaves like a plural pronoun for number concord. This is because, historically, you were a plural second person form: The old singular form (thou) is almost never used today.

Intonation

• Intonation means rise and fall of tone. Intonation is an important part of spoken language.
• To understand English, we need some knowledge of English intonation patterns. This is because features of intonation are important for signaling grammatical distinctions, such as that between statements and questions.
• They are leaving: statement with falling tone.
• They are leaving: statement with rising tone.

First feature of intonation:
• Stress, symbolized by a stress mark(`)
`under – stress on the first syllable.
dis`cover – stress on the second syllable.
agri`cultural – stress on the third syllable.
admini`stration – stress on the fourth syllable.
Second feature of intonation:
• Tone unit(s), with their boundary/ies marked by a vertical bar (| …… |).
I The attempt seemed futile I
I The parking looked dull I
I This section I needs new waiter I
Third feature of intonation
• Nucleus: The focal point of tone unit, is symbolized by underlining the syllable carrying the nucleus.
- The task seemed difficult
Fourth feature of intonation
• Tones: Tones are falling, rising or combinations of rising and falling.
A falling tone is marked: o`bviously
A rising tone is marked: o’bviously
A fall-rise tone is marked: obviously- ^

Stress

• Stress ,in grammar, is symbolized by a stress mark (`)
• The result of an extra force given while pronouncing a syllable or syllables of a word is stress.
• To consider a syllable as a stressed syllable, there must be at least one vowel.eg `said, `went, `paid
• Syllable: Unit of pronunciation forming whole or part of a word, and usually having one vowel sound often with consonant(s) before or after. e.g. water
• Stress: quantity measuring pressure (tension, emphasis)
• The rhythm of English is based on stress. In connected speech, we feel the rhythm of the language in the sequence of ‘stressed’ syllables.
• E.g. I’ll `call you on the `way to `cinema.

Rules of stress
1. Generally stress occurs on original root of a word.
drink- ‘drunkard (suffix)
speak- ‘speaker (suffix)
Prefix:
side= be’side
see= fore’see
hold= up’hold
2. If there’s ‘ed’ at the end of a word and pronunciation is [Id], stress occurs on the syllable before it. E.g. ‘wicked , ‘crooked, ‘naked, ‘wanted, ’needed
3. Stress occurs on the first syllable if the following suffixes occur at the end of original root:
able=‘bearable, ‘capable, ‘syllable
ible= ‘flexible, ‘horrible
let= ‘booklet, ‘toilet
ture= ‘culture, ‘picture, ‘temperature
ise = ‘advertise
ize = ‘finalize, ‘authorize
yse = ‘analyse
ism= ‘criticism, ‘mechanism, ‘modernism

4. If there’s ‘ify’ at the end and consonant at the beginning of the word , stress occurs in the first syllable.
‘beautify, ‘clarity, ‘certify, ‘simplify
5. If there’s ‘ify’ at the end and vowel at the beginning of the word, stress occurs in the second syllable.
e’lectrify, i’dentify, in’tensify
6. In case of having following suffixes, stress occurs in themselves.
tine= rou’tine
teen = can’teen
toon = car’toon
ar = ba’zaar, ci’gar
7. If there’s ‘a’ and the prounciation is / a / of a two syllables word, stress occurs in the second syllable or after ‘a’.
e.g. a’bove, a’broad, a’gain, a’gainst, a’go, a’lone
8. Generally stress occurs in the second syllable in the verbs having two syllables.
a’bide, a’buse, ac’cept, ab’sorb,ap’ply
9. If the pronunciation is like the given suffix, stress occurs in the first syllable in the following cases:
ow = ‘follow, ‘borrow
er = ‘order, ‘muder
rry = ‘carry, ‘marry
ue = ‘argue, ‘value
en = ‘hasten, ‘happen
10.Stress occurs on the first syllable in the word having two syllables (except verb that has ‘a’ in the beginning and the pronunciation is / a / ) ‘accident, ‘adult, ‘beauty, ‘canvas, ‘often
11. Stress occurs on the first syllable in the word having two syllables that has ‘Y’ at the end and its pronunciation is – / I /
‘easy, ‘dirty, ‘empty, ‘angry, ‘icy, ‘hungry, ‘happy, ‘beauty, ‘lucky, ‘rainy.
12.Stress occurs in first syllable in those words having two syllables (except verbs) that have ‘ar/er/or/our ‘ at the end and sound like / ar /
ar = ‘beggar, ‘lunar, ‘solar
er = ‘barber, ‘border, ‘summer
or = ‘author, ‘tailor
our= ‘neighbour, ‘colour
13.Stress occurs on first syllable in those words having two syllables (except verbs) that have /ect/ at he end and pronunciation in like \Ikt\ , but stress occurs on second syllable if pronunciation is like /ekt/ or the word itself is a verb.
ect (ikt) = ‘subject, ‘object, ‘project, ‘perfect
ect (ekt) = af’fect, ef’fect, se’lect, ob’ject
14.Stress occurs on first syllable if there are two syllables in the word (except verb) having ‘ain’ (pronunciation -In ) at the end.
‘captain, ‘mountain, ‘ foundation
15.Stress occurs on the first syllable in the word having ‘at’ at the end which is changed from abstract noun to common noun.
‘democrat, ‘diplomat, ‘aristocrat,
16.Stress occurs on first syllable if there is ‘ate’ in the last syllable of the word having three syllables.
‘candidate, ‘duplicate, ‘delegate
But stress occurs in second syllable if there is ‘ate’ in the last syllable of the word having more then three syllables.
com’municate, ap’propriate, ac’comodate
17.Generally stress occurs on second syllable in the verb having three syllable.
con’tinue, con’tribute, de’velop, di’minish
18.Stress occurs on first syllable if there’s “less” and “ful” at the end of a word.
‘useless, ‘helpless, ‘harmless, ‘powerless, ‘useful
19.Stress occurs nearly in the suffix itself if the following suffixes are there at the end of the words.
ere = se’vere, sin’cere, inter’fere
eer= car’eer, engi’neer, pio’neer
ier = cash’ier, brigad’ier
ee = absen’tee, deg’ree, car’toon
oon = ba’loon, after’noon, car’toon, mon’soob
o = a’do
oo = bam’boo, sham’poo, kanra’roo
oe = can’noe
20.Stress occurs on first syllable in case there’s ‘and’ at the end of the noun and the pronunciation is (and).
‘husband, ‘thousand, ‘island
21.Generally stress occurs on first syllable if there’s – ‘man’ at the end of a word.
‘human, ‘woman, ‘German
22.Generally stress occurs on first syllable in joint-word.
‘breakfast, ‘football, ‘midday, ‘grandfather
But if there are following suffixes in the joint words , stress occurs in themselves.
self – my ‘self, our’seves, your’self
ever – what’ever, when’ever, how’ever
out – through’out, look’out
23.If there’s ‘live’ at the end of word having more than two syllables, stress occurs in the third syllable while counting from the back.
con’servative , ‘talkative, ‘relative, Inter’rogative
24.If there’re following suffixes and their pronunciations sound as they appear, stress occurs in a syllable before the suffixes.
en = ‘burden, ‘garden, ‘even
on = ‘button, ‘cotton, ‘lesson
in = ‘certain, ‘curtain,
ent = ‘agent, ‘patient, ‘dif’ferent
25.Stress occurs in content or lexical words.
Nouns: book, pen, head
Verbs: eat, dance, sleep
Demonstratives: this, that, those , these
Adjectives: good, long, red
Adverbs : just, quite,
Interrogatives: who, which, whom
26.Generally stress doesn’t occur on function or grammatical words.
Determiners: a, an, the, some
Prepositions: at, to, by, for
Auxilaries : have, do, be
Personal pronouns: I, he, they
Relative pronouns : which, who
Conjunctions: but, and ,or
27.Stress occurs on preposition if it comes as phrasal verb.
put ’on , take ’off
28Stress occurs on auxiliaries if they come as content words (Normally it happens when it comes at the end).
He’s taller than I ‘am.
Go home, ‘will you?
29.Generally stress doesn’t occur in different forms of ‘be’ verb [am, is, are, was, were] even if they come as main verbs.
The girl was sad. He is here.
But stress occurs in these verbs if they come at the end of sentences and if there is no stress in the respective subjects of them.
a. I know where it ‘is.
b. I know where the ‘girl is.
30.Generally, there will be no stress in the various forms of ‘have’ even if they come as main verbs.(has, have, had)
She has a blue sari.
They have pens.
31.Auxiliaries get stressed in the following cases.
a. While giving, emphasis to a verb.
we ‘do dance.
b. With ‘not’ in contracted form.
I ‘haven’t played.
c. While leaving, main verb.
Yes, he ’had.

Tone unit / Intonation unit
-The basic unit of intonation in English is the tone unit.
-A tone unit is stretch of speech which contains one nucleus. It may also contain other stressed syllables, normally preceding the nucleus.
-The boundaries of a tone unit are marked by vertical bars. |……|
| He is from Madi |
| she is bringing | water|
In the first sentence tone unit has the whole sentence length.
- A sentence often contains more than one tone unit . The number of tone units depends on the length of the sentence and the degree of emphasis given to various part of it.
For e.g. |This room| requires new furniture|

The nucleus/ focal point
• A nucleus is a strongly stressed syllable which marks a major change of pitch direction, i.e. where the pitch goes up or down.
Not all stressed syllables are of equal importance. Some stressed syllables have greater prominence than others and form the nucleus or the focal point of an intonation pattern.
The change of pitch on the nucleus is marked by an arrow : upward or downward arrow.
As a nucleus is always stressed, there’s no need to put a stressed mark.
- He is going to the Madi
[ Here in this sentence ‘Madi’ is strongly stressed in comparison to ‘going’ .So it has marked a major change of pitch direction where the pitch goes down and marks the end of the sentence]
Why don’t you visit?
{Here the pitch goes up…….}

Tone

-Tone is the type of pitch change which takes pace on the nucleus.
-There are three different tones in English. They are:
a. falling tone
b. rising tone
c. fall - rise tone

Falling tone:
In falling tone, the tone gradually decreases from high to low and normally tone ends with silence. This tone is very popular in English. It’s symbolized by [ ` ]
E.g. ri`ce, doo`r
Some important uses:
a. In a complete and fixed statement.
I’ve cut my finger.
c. In Wh. question ( who/ which/ when …..).
What’s the name of the town?
d. To express gratitude – Thank you
e. In strong exclamation.
splendid!
f. After a falling tone the rest of the tone unit is at a low pitch

Meaning of falling tone
• Generally it expresses certainty, completeness, independence. Thus, a stateforward statement normally ends with a falling tone, since it asserts/ claims a fact of which the speaker is certain. It has an year of finality.
-I am a teacher.

Rising tone
• In rising tone, tone gradually increases from low to high. This tone is marked by (‘)
Uses:
1. In yes/no questions.
Would you like some coffee?
Are you going to town today?
2. In statement giving consolement .
Don’t worry.
3. In request.
Please sit down.
4. If the sense is of a question (if not question according to the grammar)
In Japan?
5. If the sense is of question when exclamation is used.
Really!, Fast!
6.In greeting, farewell, encouragement, command are generally spoken with rising tone.
Good Morning. Good Bye. Ask me if you wise. Do sit down.
7.In wh. question (when something is missed to listen or failed to understand even if listened)
He went to Pokhara ~ Where did she go?
8. After a rising tone, the rest of tone unit moves in an upward pitch direction.
9. Parenthetical and subsidiary information in a statement is also often spoken with a rising tone. The reason is that this information is incomplete and dependent far its full understanding on the mean assertion.
-|If you like| we can go to my house.
-Ram (the tall and handsome boy) is really helpful.

Meaning of rising tone
Rising tone expresses uncertainty or incompleteness or dependence.
-Are you going?

Fall-Rise Tone
- The fall-rise tone consists of a fall in pitch followed by a rise. If nucleus is the last syllable of the tone unit, the fall and rise both take place on one syllable- the nuclear syllable. Otherwise the rise occurs in the remainder of the tone unit.
- The novel is interesting.
- I know his father it was not his guilt.
- He said he was lonely.
- He didn’t mean to do it.

Meaning of fall-rise tone
• A fall rise tone combines falling tone’s meaning of assertion, certainty with rising tone’s meaning of dependence, incompleteness. At the end of a sentence it often conveys a felling of reservation. It asserts something and at the same time suggests that there is something else to be said. There is often an implied contrast.
- That is not my` ‘diary.
- Are you` ‘sick?

Personnel Attributes

Personnel attributes of housekeeping staff in hospitality industry plays an important role. It enhances the images of the property as well as the quality of personalization that only human can give. These attributes are based on the following term.

1. Personal hygiene
The staff must take regular bath. They must have clean hair. Manicure figure nails, clean hands and feet and body or mouth odor should be present. Any transferable diseased must be reported immediately.

2. Personal grooming
Housekeeping staff would be normally uniformed hence each staff member must ensure his/her uniform is crisp, clean and well ironed. Lady staff must ware light make up and restrict their jewelers .a soft cologne is preferred .Hair must be tied in a bun.

3. Honesty
Honesty is the best policy and it is very essential attribute. For housekeeping staff as they have access to all guest bedrooms, sometimes guest belongings, either valuable or invaluable are often found lying around the room which may arouse temptation. Hence only honest personnel can defy the temptation.

4. Eye for detail
This attribute enable housekeeping staffs to take note of the minute details in any given area. This term means that the person has a sharp eye to detect things. It is view of this competency that women are selected as housekeepers and it is presumed that women acquire a greater eye for detail from their role at home. However man also come into housekeeping and have shown this competency.

5. Courtesy
It is a hallmark of hotel profession which is used within the staffs and towards guests. Courtesy is a nature and sign of one’s desires to please to those with whom one comes in contact with. Courtesy must be spontaneous and genuine manner but not a technique. Being courtesy not only makes operation smooth but also enhances relationships.

6. Tact and diplomacy
Often guest may request for facility and service that are outside the management policy. It takes a lot of tact and diplomacy to decline without hurting a guest feeling.

7. Physical fitness
Most work in housekeeping is manual. A house keeping member on duty is on his /her feet on most continuously. It would require sturdy physical built to cope with the demand of housekeeping work.

8. Cooperativeness
Housekeeping staffs need to be cooperative with all employs from different department to achieve efficiency in their work. Very often this attributes help to create a cozy environment.

Sem-I: Housekeeping

Introduction
As the name signifies, house keeping means up keeping of the house. Up keep means keeping a house clean, comfortable, safe. The housekeeping department is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance of the property. To make the hotel pleasing to the guest, it is the task of housekeeping which has to insure the basic human needs of comforts and security. Thus the personnel efforts of the department makes in giving the guest the desirable room which has a direct bearing on the guest experience and expenditure during their stay
The concept of housekeeping is simplistic but when one considers maintaining a house of several room s and numerous public areas the tasks becomes gigantic. It takes a well organized approach and technical understanding to enable housekeeping to cope with the volume of work. This department is also responsible for every aspects of guest room i.e. to provide all the required guest supplies and materials according to the guest request during their stay.

Generally it looks after three major functions
1.Cleaning

2.Maintaining

3.Up keeping


Different sections in house keeping departments:

Executive Housekeeper's office
An Executive housekeeper has to plan, counsel, brief and meets her subordinates. It should preferably be a glass paneled office so as to give her / him a view of what is happening out side the office. The office should be leaded by a cabin for the secretary who would control movement into the house keeper's office.

Desk control room
This room acts as a nerve system center for coordination and communication with the front office and other departments. The desk control room should have a large notice board to pin up staff schedules and day to day instructions. The desk control room is the point where all staff report for duty and check out at the duty end.
Linen room
This is the room where current linens are stored for issue and receipt. The room should be large airy and free form heat and humidity. It should have adequate shelves, easily accessible to stack all linen. It should be secured and offer no possibilities of pilferage. The linen room should have a counter, across which the exchange of linen takes place. The room should preferably be adjoining the laundry so as to supply linen to and form the laundry.
Linen room store
This room stores the stock of new linen & cloth materials for uniform, etc. the stock maintained should be enough to replenish the whole hotel at a time. However, these stocks are only touched when the current linen in circulation falls short due to shortage, damage or loss. The room should be cool and dry with ample shelves, generally 6" above the ground.
Uniform room
This room stocks the uniform in urgent use. It is possible that smaller hotel may choose to combine the uniform room with the linen room . a separate uniform room really depends upon the volume of uniforms in circulation. The only difference will be that the uniform room would have adequate hanging facilities as many uniforms are best maintained when hung.
Tailor's room
This room is kept for house tailors who attend to the stitching and patch-up work of linen and uniforms. Room is avoided if the mending and the stitching jobs are done in contract basis.
Lost and found section
This section should be small and airy with cupboards to store guest articles lost and may be claimed later.
Flower room
This should be air conditioned room to keep flowers fresh. The room should have work table, a sink with water supply and all necessary tools required for flower arrangement.
Laundry
This is an important section under housekeeping which is responsible for cleaning of all fabrics used in hotel. The section should be adjacent to linen room so as to avoid excessive steps. Laundry should ensure the cleanness and drying of all guest clothes, employee uniforms and linen to the best assured standard.

Duties and responsibilities of house-keeping personnel:

Executive Housekeeper
• Ensure conformance to policies and procedure as laid dawn by the management.
• Manage staff scheduling as demanded by room occupancy forecasts and the banquet functions.
• Ensure that the staff is properly groomed and correctly uniformed.
• Check all the public areas and rooms and see that the standard of cleanliness is maintained.
• Prepares duty rosters for the staff.
• Co –ordinates with the purchase manager for purchase of linen.
• Co- ordinates with human resources department regarding the recruitment of staff.
• Supervise the staff working under her.
• Training of new recruitment.
• Set up par stock level and sanctions for uniform.
• Reports to the general manager of the hotel regarding the happenings of her department.
• Checks the working of the equipments.
• Hold meetings of the housekeeping staff.
• Prepares polices concerning housekeeping.

Assistant Executive Housekeeper:
• She acts as an executive house keeper on her absence.
• Assists the executive house keeper on daily functions.
• Supervises the staff working under her.
• Helps the house keeper in preparing duty roaster.
• Physically checks the areas to see that they are cleaned up as per the hotel standards.
• Trains the staff working under her.
• Checks the staff working under her.
• Checks the occupancy report.
• Checks the room attendants report.

Floor supervisor:
• Assigns duties to the room attendants.
• Responsible for the cleanliness and the upkeep of the assigned floors.
• Prepares occupancy report.
• Ensures the supply of guest amenities to the rooms.
• Maintains records of all room linen.
• Reports maintenance to the house keeping control desk.
• Handles guest complaints.

Public area supervisor:
• Assigns duties to the house men.
• Responsible for the cleanliness and the upkeep of the public areas.
• Reports for maintenance to the control desk.
• Prepares job order forms.
• Supervises pest control activities.

Control desk supervisor:
• He listens to the guest complaints.
• Prepares house keeping report; a copy of which is sent to the front office.
• Co-ordinates with the maintenance department.
• Prepares job order form.
• Conveys the messages.
• Controls the movement of keys.
• Enters lost and found items.
• Co-ordinates with all the staff of the department.
• Maintains log books in the desk.

Linen room supervisor:
• Controls and checks up the soiled and fresh linen and uniform to and from the linen room.
• Issues linen and uniform to the staff.
• Controls the linen room.
• Checks the linen stock periodically.

Room attendants:
• Cleans all the guest room
• Cleans the assigned floors.
• Changes guest linen.
• Fills up day to day guest compliments and supplies.
• In charge of service trolley.
• Helps in preparing occupancy report and room attendant report.
• Replenishes service trolley with guest supplies, delegate linen, etc.
• Reports for maintenance if any

Public area attendants:
• Responsible for cleaning all public areas, outlets & executive office.
• Responsible for all heavy works in housekeeping department.
• Involve in post control activities.

Gardener:
Gardeners are responsible for maintaining all gardens in the hotel.

The department of a hotel charged with cleaning and maintaining rooms and public spaces.

From the time a guest checks-in in a hotel till he checks out, it is the housekeeping department which takes care of the guest by making his / her stay pleasant and comfortable. In general, the housekeeping crew is responsible for the daily cleaning of public area (lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms), private bedrooms and public washrooms. In addition, it handles the laundering of linens and in some instances, guest laundry. Housekeeping also performs a minor security function by providing a “first alert” to potential guest problems while undertaking daily cleaning.

Importance of Housekeeping:

1. Comfort:
Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the guests and in providing support services for the smooth running of the hotel. Every hotel spends a lot of effort in ensuring the quality of beds, mattresses, channel music, TV, air conditioner if applicable, attached bar etc. The comforts must be regularly maintained and should be properly functioning. It is the duty of the housekeeping department to ensure comfort and a welcoming atmosphere to the guests as well as strive to extend courteous, reliable and satisfactory service from staffs of all departments.

2. Cleanliness and Hygiene:
Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas. Clean and well maintained areas and equipments create a favorable impression on the guest. Hygiene is maintained especially in the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health club, etc.

3. Privacy:
The prime concern of any guest, irrespective of whether rich or poor, common man or celebrity, is privacy. Room windows are provided with curtains. Windows could normally overlook good scenic view, away from the prying eyes of others in the hotel or outside public. Housekeeping staffs ensure the privacy of the guests and they should be trained with proper procedures to enter the room.

4. Safety and Security:
Security is one of the prime concerns of a hotel guest. The housekeeping department staffs should ensure the safety and security of the guests with the help of security services. They should also make sure that fire fighting equipments and emergency alarms are functional at all times. They should also ensure peace, quiet and noise free atmosphere in the area.

5. Décor:
Creating a pleasant and classy ambience is also one of the major concerns for a guest. This is not easy and requires a satisfaction and can increase guest’s use of services and frequent visits.


Functions of Housekeeping:

Housekeeping department holds the responsibility of cleaning, maintenance and admirable upkeep of the hotel. The main functions of housekeeping are overall cleanliness, bed making, ensuring maintenance of the building and its infrastructure, laundry, linen management, key control, pest control, safety and security of the guests as well as the infrastructure and interior decoration. All this ensure the ambience and promotes a congenial environment.

The basic function of the housekeeping is explained briefly:

1. Cleaning Rooms and Public Areas
Housekeeping department cleans the rooms and toilets and wash basins in the room. Apart from cleaning the guest rooms, housekeeping department is also responsible for cleaning floor, terraces, elevators, elevator lobbies, corridors of guest floors, floor linen closets, mop and janitor’s closets, service lobbies and service stairways, function rooms, shopping arcade, cabanas, bars, dining rooms, offices, uniform rooms, tailor rooms, upholstery, shops, store rooms and swimming pools. To be concise, the housekeeping department is responsible for the total cleanliness of a hotel.

2. Bed Making
A guest requires a comfortable bed to take rest, relax and enjoy. A bed that is well- made will provide the required comfort. Bed making is a skill that requires to be developed by the housekeeper, as it not only provides comfort to the guest, but also adds to the pleasant ambience of a guest’s room. Guests should not be able to tell if anyone has slept in the room, so a clean environment and perfect bed making is major consideration of this department.

3. Linen Management
One of the important jobs of the Housekeeping Department is clothes and linen management. This involves all functions from purchase of linen to laundering, storage, supplies and to condemnation. In a hotel different types of clothes and linen are used such as the bed sheets, pillow covers, napkins, towels, hand towels, table covers, curtains, cushion covers etc. All of these require regular maintenance.

4. Laundry Services
It is the job of the Housekeeping Department to ensure clean and hygienic washing of all the linen items, and then distributing them to different areas of the hotel. The relationship between the housekeeping and laundry is significant for the smooth functioning of housekeeping services. One of the supporting roles of the laundry is to provide valet services to house guests.

5. Pest Control
Pest Control is another major job of the Housekeeping Department. No matter how clean one keeps the surroundings, one cannot avoid the “uninvited guests” – the pests. It is not only embarrassing but also speaks badly of a hotel where one sees rats, cockroaches, and lizards running around. Therefore, pest control is one of the primary responsibilities of the housekeeping department.

6. Key Control
Key control is one of the major jobs of the housekeeping department. The room keys have to be handled efficiently and safely before and after letting the room.

7. Safety and Security
The Housekeeping Department is responsible for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the hotel. If the guests and staff always fear for their safety and the safety of their belongings, the atmosphere will be very tense. Hence the housekeeping department staff should be aware of ways to protect himself and others, especially the guests around him and the property of the hotel from accidents and theft. Several accidents could occur at the place of work. These include fire accidents, falls, wounds, injuries, negligence in handling electrical equipment e t c . It is important for all housekeeping personnel to know about first aid as they could be the first ones on the spot to give immediate attention to a guest and also an employee in trouble.

8. Interior Decoration
Interior decoration is the art of creating a pleasant atmosphere in the living room with the addition of a complex of furnishings, art, and crafts, appropriately combined to achieve a planned result or design. These arts and crafts have to be well maintained by the housekeeping department. Decorating flowers is a creative and stimulating art which often carries a message or theme. Flowers and indoor plants add color and beauty to a room.

9. Room Maintenance
Good housekeeping department is just as responsible for the hotel's maintenance as an engineering department. In an ideal environment, the housekeeping staff and managers should act as the eyes and ears of the engineering department. If damaged or broken items are not reported, they can't be fixed. Proper maintenance will make the perception of cleanliness easier to maintain and reduce guest complaints

Sem-I: English

Why Go To University

1.Discuss your views about going to university. Do you agree or disagree with the writer? Why? Is he overselling, underselling, or providing a balanced view of higher education?

Most undergraduate degrees are three years long but it could take 4 if you do a placement year; so why would you want to be in education for 3 or 4 more years? The answer may be as follows.
Study something you love
While you are at school, you will study many different subjects, some that you will enjoy some that you might not, but at university you will get to choose what to study. And of course the qualification you receive could lead to your dream job.
Independence
Although you can stay at home and study at an institution near you, a lot of students chose to move away from home which is a huge challenge and a fantastic experience. It is a good start to living independently. You can go home for holidays and weekends and you can always move back home after-wards.
Experience
Many people come to university to experience 'university life'. You get to meet a huge range of people from a wide variety of places. You get a chance to learn different culture and different lifestyles of different people. Get chance to experience a different aspect of life in university.
Choices
There are many universities and hundreds of courses to choose from and hopefully you have a course in mind that you may like to study. If you enjoy the subject and find it interesting, university allows you to explore and expand your knowledge for three/four years, normally with the use of fantastic facilities and experts in that subject who teach you. The range of subjects is amazing; with over 50,000 courses available to study at higher education and over 350 places you can study.
Social Life
The social side of being a student is a very important part of the experience. You get to socialize and take advantage of some fantastic facilities right on your doorstep. You will meet people from all around the world. Many universities have a high proportion of international students, so learning about other ways of life and cultures could be part of everyday life for you.
If you speak to anyone who has been to university, you will find that most will have made some of their best friends while being a student. Your time at university will be hard work, but it will also be fun and full of life changing experiences.
Jobs
Graduates are much more likely to get a job, particularly at a 'professional' level and traditionally earn more than those who have not gone onto higher education and therefore have a greater choice of jobs to apply for. When they are working, graduates earn about a third more money than non-graduates. If you want to work in certain areas like medicine, teaching or law, you'll need a degree in the subject before you start.
It is not just your academic skills that employers look for
By going to university, you will gain more independence and confidence. At university you won't have teachers chasing you up for work, making sure you have done your homework or that you are turning up to class. You will be treated as an adult and you must be independent and disciplined enough to do things on your own. It is this determination, self-discipline and confidence that will make you stand out from everyone else - and hopefully land you that amazing job.

Yes I do agree with the writer. Whatever reasons the writer discussed in the essay “Why go to university”, are very much true. Today’s world is very competitive and to compete in this world we all need to be well educated and must possess knowledge of everything, which is only possible by going to university. Going to university provides higher social standings; our societies value those who are learned. The ways of judging an educated and uneducated person are different in our society. Learning something also inspire us to learn more about that thing. Especially university education inspires us to know more and it helps to broaden our mind and social horizons. Educated people are respected in the society. The word university itself explains that universe + city, it means university education is not limited with some particular part of universe; it gives the education information about the universe.
He is not overselling or underselling the view. He is providing a balanced view of higher education. The writer explains about the facts that we really gain through university education. Without university education there are a lot of things that are not possible to perform and by which it will be a barrier to our success.



2.Do you agree with Nissani’s idea that education is supremely valuable? Give reasons for your answer.

Yes, I agree with Nissani’s idea that education is supremely valuable. As we all know the importance of education in this 21st century. Only educated people are getting good jobs and lots of opportunities. Educated people are counted in respected people’s list. Educated people can distinguish between the right and wrong. Educated people look to the positive aspects of many things whereas an uneducated person only thinks of negative. Education is the means through which the sense of equity born from. Education helps in the development of the country and also yourself. Education also lays a foundation for sustained economic growth. Education sharpens your mind and skill and make ready to go out in this competitive universe.

At last, whatever people say it is very useful to go to the university not only for the purpose of getting knowledge but also for the stamp in our resume, and the competencies we develop. The knowledge we gain in high school is not complete and is not enough, so we have to make sure we get it all from the university.

Keeping Errors at Bay

According to Bertrand Russell, to avoid the various foolish opinions to which mankind’s are prone, no superhuman genius is required. A few simple rules will keep us, if not from all errors, but from silly errors. To avoid the errors he suggests to:

Make careful observation:
-If the matter is one that can be settled by observations, one shouldn’t hesitate to make observation himself. In this case, one shouldn’t think that he/she doesn’t need that observation because he/ she think he has known it beforehand when he/she actually is not. Thinking that we know when in fact we don’t is a fatal mistake, to which we are all used to.

Ride away from dogmatism:
How to ride away from dogmatism?
-A good way of ridding ourselves from certain kind of dogmatism is to become aware of opinions held in social circles different from our own. TO do this one can live outside his/her country for few years. One can go for travel time and again. If one cannot travel or seek out people with whom he/she disagrees, he/she can read for e.g. a newspaper belonging to a party that’s not his/her. These steps are very profitable in diminishing the intensity of insular prejudice. However becoming aware of foreign customs, doesn’t always have a beneficial effect]
-For those who have enough psychological imagination can imagine an argument with a person having different bias to overcome own prejudice.

Be cautious of opinions that flatter our self -esteem.

Admit our own fears to ourselves, and guard ourselves by a difficult effort of will against their myth.

Modern F&B Outlets

1. Salad bars

2. Sushi bars:
A counter serving varieties of Sushi. Sushi is a Japanese dish prepared with Rice mixed with varieties of other ingredients.

3. Smorgasbord :
An outlet serving a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads etc. It is originated from Sweden

4. Pub

5. Beer & juice parlor:
These are the outlets where no solid foods are found. They serve either varieties of fresh and canned juice or the ranges of beers.

6. Coffee bars

7. Snack bars

8. Sandwich parlor and takeaway counters

Room Service Work Flow

Mis-en-place

In Room Service also, mis-en-place is the first necessary thing to perform which includes:
• Requisition of Fresh Linen from Housekeeping.
• Inventory Taking of all service wares of Room Service.
• Requisition of Supplies from the stores.
• Maintaining Sanitation and Hygiene, Cleaning of whole department.
• Polishing of all crockery, cutleries and glassware.
• Requisition for Mini Bars.
• Trays and Trolley Setup.

Guest Order Flow

After completing the mis-en-place, the work flow then goes with the guest orders
Some Important points for smooth Work Flow
• Order Taker has to answer phone in two rings.
• Politeness and soft sweet voice is needed.
• Waiter has to be quick and smart.
• KOT/ BOT have to be clearly written and communicated.
• Service should happen on time.
• Clearance on time.
• Knowledge of more than one language is appreciable.
• No spillages on tray or trolley.
• No breakages.

Room Service Menu

• Menu has to be profitable.
Room Service Menu has to be profitable. It does not mean that it has to earn more profit, but should be rewarding as per the effort.
• Dishes should be fewer than the restaurant.
It is done as the items can be ordered at any time of the day or night. All chefs are not available at any time. Service has to be quick, so items are lesser than that of restaurant menu.
• The dishes should be easy and quick to prepare.
Deadline of service is crucial, so quick foods are preferred to be placed in the menu.
• Menu should be properly planned.
As menu reflects the standard of the establishment, it has to be perfectly planned.

Breakfast Menus
These are generally valid from 6:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. And offer the varieties depending upon the standard of the establishment. In Business Hotels, they may offer a relatively extensive range.

All Day Menus
These Menus are usually offered after breakfast, including lunch and dinner. It is served from 11:00 a.m. till 11:00 p.m.
Menu items range from light snacks to more elaborate and substantial meals. Some Hotels may also offer the dishes from specialty restaurants but the service is done on specific time only, the time when these specialty restaurants are open.

Supper Menu
These menus are available for late night dining and are usually only valid from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. These menus usually have a small selection of popular menu items from the All Day Menu

Beverage and Wine List
Non alcoholic beverages are available 24 hours. The services of alcoholic beverage always depend on the liquor license law of the country.
The range of beverage offered in room service usually limits to the small range of beers, wine and spirits.
Mini Bar contains this small range of liquors but if guest want a large bottle that is provided in his / her room by the room service.

Tray & Trolley Setup

Tray Setup
Tray Setup is done for those orders, which require only the use of a tray to deliver, for example an order of fresh fruit, toast and coffee or some other light meals. A trolley may also be used to deliver a batch of several tray orders for a particular floor or floors. This is done to increase productivity and to speed up the delivery of tray orders.

Trolley Setup
Room service trolleys are actually collapsible tables fitted on wheels. Large food orders often require the use of a food warmer and trolley to serve. For example an order of a salad, fried rice, a steak, a piece of apple pie, a fresh fruit platter would be impossible to serve using a tray. Trolley orders are difficult to process in large batches and also require more manpower and time to process.

Unit-III: Room Service

Introduction
Within a five star international hotel, room service must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Without this essential guest service, a property cannot obtain or maintain a five star rating. With all areas of hotel operations, considerations of efficiency and profitability rest along side notions of service. Much is the same for room service; however out of all the departments delivering a product room service has a mandate to provide the service above considerations of profitability. Staff needs to be able to provide the highest level of service throughout hundreds rooms within the hotel.

There are three types of Room Service:
Centralized room service: Here all the food orders are processed from the main kitchen and sent to the rooms by a common team of waiters.

Decentralized room service: Each floor or a set of floor may have separate pantries to service them. Orders are taken at a central point by order-takers who in turn convey the order to the respective pantry.
Mobile Room Service: This is the most interesting type of room service where one elevator is dedicated to the Room Service. This elevator works as a pantry. Guests call in the same mobile pantry and place the orders. As this is moving up and down, less time is consumed for service.

In room service department, the task of order taking is most important as:
• The guest is talking to the order taker through phone, not in person.
• This task reflects/improve the image of the hotel.
• This task can increase the revenue sale of food & beverage service dept. by a great margin.
• This task can make the guest a satisfied and delighted guest and thus can convert him in a repeat clientele.

Guidelines for a professional and effective room-service:
Many times guests look forward to room service as one of the pleasures and privileges of their stay in the hotel. Hence you must:
• Know your menu very thoroughly.
• Try to create a mental picture with the help of your recommendations.
• Suggestive Selling is important.
• Put enthusiasm in your voice.
• While taking the order or suggesting, consider time, number, type of the facilities available for service in the room etc.
• Room service is the right food at the right time in the right room.
• There are no chances of any correction later, therefore be particular and check every detail in advance.
• While in the room, be alert and sensitive to the mood of the guest.
• Knock with your hand and say “Room Service”. Enter only after permitted, greet guest, serve or leave the food as per guests wish. After service do not linger, but present the check, take signature, ask when you can come for clearance, say “enjoy your food”. “Thank you” and depart.
• Come out and close the door silently.
• Do the clearance on time.
• Show team spirit and clear any tray lying in the rooms or corridor, but inform the R.S.O.T. otherwise guest will be disturbed again.


Room Service Manager

Duties and Responsibilities of Room Service Manager
• Prepare a room service plan and budget for the approval of the management.
• Help in the recruitment of room service staff.
• schedule staff on a daily basis ensuring that the objectives of the departments and receive standards set.
• Direct the movement of staff to floors especially during peak hours to ensure that orders are served to guests on time.
• Coordinates with the kitchen chef for the supply of food.
• Ensure staff does the proper mis-en-place at the beginning of each shift so that the service are smooth.
• Control the inventory of the services ware and equipment allotted to room service.
• Manage staff complaints and take corrective action.
• Recommends room service menus and changes to the superior
• Coordinate the replenishment of the minim-bars on time.
• Ensure that all room service food and beverage service are accounted for.
• May discipline room service staff.
• Evaluates room service food & beverage service


Room Service Captain

Duties & Responsibilities
• Take over issues from the previous shift such as:
Pending Checks
Guest Complaints
Outstanding replenishment of mini-bars
Special instructions for VIP and CIP guests
Instructions regarding complimentary items such as fruit baskets, cakes, special bars etc
• Conduct briefings for the shift, interact with subordinates and ensure the overall development of every member of the department.
• Check that mis-en-scene and mis-en-place are done properly and the duties regarding these are handed over in shifts.
• Take daily attendance of staffs of the shift and allocate duties ensuring equality of workload.
• Control the execution of room service food & beverage orders with attention to speed and correctness of orders being served.
• Organise the clearance of dishes from the room.
• Control door knob orders and ensure that they are executed on time.
• Ensure that the order takers in the shift are prompt in attending to telephone calls and are polite to the guests.
• Ensure that the VIP and CIP board is up to date.
• Ensure that the Room Rack or Computerized Guest details are up to date with latest guest arrivals.
• Control costs by controlling pilferage and breakage.

• Account for all checks issued for guest orders.
• Control staff movements to optimize rush hours.
• Check the cleanliness and maintenance of entire room service area.
• Maintain high level of hygiene and sanitation in room service area.
• Train staffs as per the standard of the establishment.
• Handle guest complaints diplomatically.
• Motivate and lead staffs properly
• Maintain par stock of room service equipments, linen and utensils


Room Service Waiter

Duties and Responsibilities
• Complete the mis-en-place before the shift commences.
• Set up trolleys and trays as per the standard of the organization.
• Attend briefing before the shift commences.
• Equip oneself for the out of menu items like “special of the day”.
• Clean and polish allotted silverware, cutlery, glassware and chinaware.
• Fold napkins into prescribed attractive styles.
• Replenish soiled linen with fresh ones from housekeeping.
• Place orders with the kitchen and follow-up the pick-up.
• Execute orders in guest rooms ensuring speed, quality and personalization.
• Clear trays and trolleys from guest rooms and corridors.
• Deposit soiled dishes with the kitchen stewarding.
• Prepare and place complimentary items in guest rooms.
• Replenish mini-bars.
• Help train the trainees.

Bus Boy

Duties & Responsibilities
• Report for duty on time in good tidy look.
• Deposit soiled linen and collect fresh linen from housekeeping.
• Collect supplies from the concerned stores.
• Collect fresh cutlery, glassware, crockery and service-ware from kitchen stewarding, wipe, polish them and stack them in allocated space.
• Assist waiters in trolley and tray setup.
• Fill water jugs, sugar pots, butter dishes, cruet sets etc.
• Attend briefings and follow instructions.
• Assist in food pickup from the kitchen.
• Keep the room service area clean and in order.


Room Service Equipments

Introduction
Room service food and beverage principles of service are just like others in a restaurant. Because the service is external to the immediate environment (not done in the area where everything is there itself needed for service), the food and beverage is provided in trays and trolleys.

Key equipment for room service operations:

Trays
Trays of various sizes to serve single portion tea to single sinner tray. The teapots and milk pots are covered by tea cozies, while plates have plate covers to keep the food warm.

Trolleys
Trolleys are important to serve more than one meal in the room. The trolleys have hot cases beneath to keep food warm in transit.

Racks
Racks are important to stack trays, crockery, cutlery, and glassware and service ware. Racks are important to store ready-to-use trays.

The order-takers cabin will have telephones, room-racks with guests name on them or computers linked to the front-office.

Dispense Bar
Dispense bar is that bar from where mini bars are supplied as well as beverages are served in restaurants and coffee shop.

Unit-II: Types of Service

Service is categorized into two groups:
1. Table Service
2. Other Auxiliary Service

1. Table Service
In this category, the guest enters in the area and is seated. Menu lists are given or displayed for orders. The orders are taken by waiter/waitress. Then the service is done on the table. Following are the type of service under this category:

a. English Service
Often referred to as the "Host Service", the host plays an active role in this kind of service. Food is brought on platters by the waiter and is shown to the host for approval. The waiter then places the platters on the tables. The host either portions the food into the guest plates directly or portions the food and allows the waiter to serve. For replenishment of guest food, the waiter may then take the dishes around for guests to help themselves or served by the waiter.

b. French Service
It is a very personalized service. Food is brought from the kitchen in dishes and salvers, which are placed directly on the table. The plates are kept near the dish and the guests help themselves.

c. Silver Service
The table is set for hors d'oeuvres, soup, main courses and sweet dish in sterling silverware. The food is portioned into silver platters at the kitchen itself, which are placed at the sideboard with burners or hot plates to keep the food warm in the restaurant. Plates are placed before the guest. The waiter then picks the platter from the hot plate and presents the dish to the host for approval. He serves each guest using a service spoon and fork. All food is presented in silver dishes with elaborate dressing.

d. American/Pre Plated Service
The American service is a pre-plated service, which means that the food is served into the guest's plate in the kitchen itself and brought to the guest. The kitchen predetermines the portion and the accompaniments served with the dish balance the entire presentation in terms of nutrition and color. This type of service is commonly used in a coffee shop where service is required to be fast.

e. Russian Service
An elaborate silver service much on the lines of French service except that the food is portioned and carved by the waiter at the gueridon trolley in the restaurant in full view of the guests. Display and presentation are a major part of this service. The principle involved is to have whole joints, poultry, game and fish elaborately dressed and garnished, presented to guests and carved and portioned by the waiter.

f. Gueridon Service
This is a service where a dish comes partially prepared from the kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by the waiter or, a complete meal is cooked at the table-side in the restaurant. The cooking is done on a gueridon trolley, which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder and burners. The waiter plays a prominent part, as he is required to fillet, carve, flambé and prepare the food with showmanship. The waiter has to have considerable dexterity and skill.

g. Snack-bar Service
Tall stools are placed along a counter so that the guest may eat the food at the counter itself. In better establishments, the covers are laid out on the counter itself. Food is either displayed behind the counter for the guests to choose from, or is listed on a menu card or common black board.

2. Other Auxiliary Services
Here, guest is not served on the table. The service system is different than that of table service.

a. Assisted Service
In this type of category, the guest enters in the dining area and assisted himself for getting the food, either from buffet counter or he may get served partly at table by waiter/ess and the extra need to be collected from counter by himself. Consumption may be done on either at table, standing or in lounge area/ banquet hall.
Buffet Service: A self-service, where food is displayed on tables. The guest takes his plate from a stack at the end of each table or requests the waiter behind the buffet table to serve him. For sit-down buffet service, tables are laid with crockery and cutlery as in a restaurant. The guest may serve himself at the buffet table and return to eat at the guest table laid out. The waiter may serve a few courses like the appetizer and soup at the table.

b. Self Service
In this type of service, the guest enters in the dinning area, selects his own tray or from the food counter and carries food by himself to his seating place.
Cafeteria Service: This service exists normally in industrial canteens, colleges, hospitals or hotel cafeterias. To facilitate quick service, the menu is fixed and is displayed on large boards. The guest may have to buy coupons in advance, present them to the counter waiter who then serves the desired item. Sometimes food is displayed behind the counter and the guests may indicate their choice to the counter attendant. The food is served pre-plated and the cutlery is handed directly to the guest. Guests may then sit at tables and chairs provided by the establishment. Sometimes high tables are provided where guests can stand and eat.

c. Single Point Service
In this category, the guest orders, pay for his orders and get served at single point. There may be may not be any dinning area or seat-outs. The different types are:
Take Away
Customer orders and is served from single point, at counter, hatch or snack stand; customer consumes off the premises.
Vending
Provision of food and beverage service by means of automatic retailing machine is vending service.
Kiosks
Outstation to provide service for peak demand or in specific location (may be open for customers to order or used for dispensing only)
Food Court
Series of autonomous counters where customers may either order and eat or buy from a number of counters and eat in separate eating area, or take-away is food court.

d. Specialized Service
In this category the guest is served at the place, which is not a restaurant or which is not meant or designated for food & beverage service (i.e. guest rooms or any special area).
Tray service
Method of service of whole or part of meal on tray to customer is tray service. For example: aircraft or railway catering.
Trolley service
Method of service of food and beverages from trolley, away from dining areas, For example: for office workers, in aircraft or on trains.
Home- Delivery
Food delivered to customer’s home or place of work. For example: Pizza home delivery or Meal on wheels etc.
Lounge Service
Service of variety of foods and beverages in lounge/ lobby area of a Hotel or any other organization is lounge service.
Room Service
It implies serving of food and beverage in guest rooms of hotels. Small orders are served in trays. Major meals are taken to the room on trolleys. The guest places his order with the room service order taker. The waiter receives the order and transmits the same to the kitchen. In the meanwhile he prepares his tray or trolley. He then goes to the cashier to have a Cheque prepared to take along with the food order for the guests’ signature or payment. Usually clearance of soiled dishes from the room is done after half an hour or an hour. However, the guest can telephone Room Service for the clearance as and when he has finished with the meal.

How do people choose a Restaurant?

Restaurants liberate you from the task of preparing your own food, but it is better to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at home than bad food at a restaurant. Nothing makes you sicker than paying good money for bad food.

1. Cleanliness
If the restaurant does not look clean, the kitchen is probably worse. So, people forget about it and try another place. So, clean and hygienic environment is a must for better looking and healthy restaurant.

2. Location
People generally don’t visit restaurants too far from their vicinity until and unless the restaurant is too popular for certain dishes which are no where else available.

3. Type of Cuisine
Everyone has different taste so as the choice of food. People visit restaurants to enjoy the food they love.

4. Price Range
Good food should not break the bank. People should enjoy the food without having to regret the expense.

5. Variety
People generally go to restaurants to have something different than that of home. Also, people usually don’t visit restaurants alone. The menu should offer a variety of dishes to satisfy the taste of all the guests.

6. Parking
Before people can eat, they have to get there. Make sure that there is parking space for your customers’ vehicles close by.

7. Fulfillment of Special Requests
Is the restaurant staff responsive to special requests? Guests may order low-salt dishes, no MSG, vegetarian, etc. Or they may have allergies or special dietary needs which should be fulfilled.

8. Brand Name
Some restaurants’ good will create people to visit the place.
Chain restaurants’ fame also does the same thing; people automatically get attracted to such kind of restaurants.

9. Promotion
Attractive advertisements and different schemes provided by the restaurant also make people visit the place.

10. Ambience & Comfort-ability
If someone feels good in the ambience of a particular restaurant, the person may regularly visit the place.
If someone feels relaxed and comfortable in the environment, that person may visit the place again.

11. Good Food Good Service
After all, people visit restaurant to eat, so good food is a must. Good service makes people visit the restaurant again.

Choose a Restaurant Wisely
Cater your Customers Perfectly

Why Do People Dine Out?

One thing to do that is very popular these days is dining out. More and more meals are being eaten outside the home than ever before. Just why is this? Why do people like to eat out so much? Well, there are a number of reasons for this.
First of all, these days a lot of people are really pressed for time, and dining out at a fast food type restaurant can save a lot of time. You get the food very quickly, and it doesn't take that long to eat it. You don't have to spend time shopping, coming up with an idea of what to eat, or cooking the food. Dining in sit down restaurants takes a bit more time, but it is still less time consuming than making the meal yourself
A lot of people also like the fact that dining out is just plain easier. There is no need to learn how to cook your favorite dishes, or spend a lot of time in the kitchen if you dine out. You don't have to worry about which people in your family won't eat which foods and try to come up with something that will not be a lot of work for you but that will please everyone. All you need to do is go to the restaurant and choose something on the menu, and all the work is done for you.
Eating out is also a bit of an indulgence. It can make you feel special. This is great if you are celebrating something, or even if you have just had a bad day. You get waited on by someone, and your every wish is their command. Isn't that always a nice feeling? You can also get food that you wouldn't get at home. You can choose restaurants that make your favorite foods even better than you can, or you can go to restaurants that serve ethnic food so you can try new dishes.
Dining out has all sorts of benefits, and not all that many drawbacks. The main drawback is the fact that it usually costs more to eat out than it would to eat in, but many times people consider the convenience to be worth the added cost. The other drawback is the fact that if you have special dietary requirements sometimes it is a bit harder to eat out and know that your food will meet your requirements. But this can be solved by finding restaurants that can prepare food the way you need it done.

Reasons for Dining Out
1. Someone else cooks for you, serves you, and does the dish washing too.
2. Saves your time
3. Experience tastes you can't get at home
4. Opportunity to use varieties of equipments and utensils
5. Good excuse dressing up
6. Great way to experience different cultures
7. Great way to say "thank you," "congratulations," "I love you“etc.
8. Finally- Because you are hungry

Understanding Customer Needs and Wants

Sigmund Freud is often quoted as saying, "What do women want?" He never figured it out, but you may do better in figuring out what customers want.
You probably may think about the want of your customers -- what kind of food, what kind of atmosphere, what kind of lighting-- all sorts of things that would please your customers.
So, what do your customers want? Good food? Sure! The lowest price? Maybe
But remember one thing; your customers want more - lots more. When you focus solely on cost, you will be missing the chance to address other concerns of your customers.

1. Customers want genuine greeting
Your customers want to hear, "How are you today?" or "Welcome to...“ Don't forget the importance of eye contact. If you or your hostess is studying the seating chart to determine where to seat the guests who have just arrived, you will make your guests feel more like a commodity to be handled than guests in your restaurant.
It's not difficult to make every person who enters your restaurant feel welcome -- to feel as if you are glad they are there, that they've been missed if some time has passed since their last visit and that their visit is going to be an enjoyable one. Providing your guests with a sincere greeting is the best way to set the tone for the dining experience to follow.

2. Customers want a smiling face
Personnel experts say that you have only eight seconds to make a good first impression. The person who greets customers as they enter the restaurant sets the pace for the entire experience. Select your hosts and hostesses as if they are representing the attitude of every person on your team -- in fact, they are.

3. Customers want available staff members
Few guests want servers who hover at the table, but a server should be available within a minute or two of a customer needing something. Experienced servers continually make the rounds of each table in their station to make sure that all is well.
When you listen to complaints of people about restaurants, one that is often voiced is that the staff congregated in a clump, chatting away, while the customer did everything but stand on his chair to get their attention. Being available doesn't have to mean instantaneous service -- in fact, all but the most demanding customer will be reasonable and voice their request in "When you have time, could you...?" or "We just need one more fork..."

4. Customers want choices
Show the customer that you are flexible and you can work around their diets and tastes. Don't get so tied into "efficiency" that you can't provide substitutions or other choices. Whether it's including a no- or low-fat salad dressing in your selection or allowing a customer to have the sauce on the side, its good business sense to let your customers customize their order, if possible. While meal customization and flexibility can add to the expense of your service, if you need a stronger business rationalization to encourage your servers and kitchen staff to cater to specific tastes and dietary needs, take a longer view. Your efforts will be rewarded in repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising.

5. Customers want a smooth relationship
Cultivating a good relationship with your customers can be a process that develops over years. When a customer has a pleasant experience at your restaurant the first time, your relationship is not over. It has just begun. You've set the customer's expectations at a certain point, and that customer will expect as good -- or better -- experience the next time they come to your place. You accomplish this by providing high-quality service and food product while continuing to communicate and listen to your customers.

6. Customers want knowledgeable staff members
How big is the chef salad? How much is the lobster special? Are the pork chops fried or baked? Are the green beans fresh? If I order "medium rare," what will my steak look like? What vodkas do you carry?
Your servers can be bombarded with questions -- all of which seem reasonable to your customers. To them your server is an "expert" who is expected to have all the answers to their questions at their fingertips. Make sure your servers understand the components of your various dishes and how they are prepared. Always post and review "frequently asked questions" at your lineups so that customers' questions can be easily answered. Make sure your servers know it's OK to say, "I don't know." When a customer asks, "Is there cilantro in the sauce?" rather than guessing, train them to admit they don't know and go find the answer.

7. Customers want a clean restaurant
When it comes to a restaurant, good housekeeping may not be good enough. You need superior housekeeping to build and maintain your restaurant's image. Customers want to eat in a place that is well-kept and where linens are fresh and surfaces are dust-free. Just one mistake, such as water spots on a glass or food crumbs on the floor, can throw into question the cleanliness of your entire operation. The easiest way to keep your standards high is to establish routines and procedures for how every maintenance task within your restaurant is performed. Staff must be trained in how each task is to be completed.

8. Customers want useful suggestions
When a customer asks one of your servers, "What's good here?" the customer doesn't want to hear, "Oh, everything's good here." That might be a great endorsement of the chef's skills, but it doesn't help the customer decide what to order. How much more credible for the server to say, "Our chef is known for his spinach ravioli," or "If you like fish, you've got to try the sea bass." Your customers depend on you to help them make decisions about what's on the menu. This doesn't mean that your server hovers over the table as the customers discuss the menu, but a server should be nearby to help customers understand and confirm their needs and choices.

9. Customers want a visible restaurant manager
Customers like to know that somebody in authority is nearby to answer questions or settle a dispute. People feel better when they know that there is a next level of help available to them. Even if the customer doesn't call on you, he wants to see that a manager is available and on site. The presence of a manager making the rounds is reassuring to the customers that someone is "on call" if they need it.
Well-known restaurant chains feel so strongly about the importance of a visible manager that the manager's office has no chairs. That's right -- no sitting in the back room when there's a dining room full of guests. Customers want a pleasant experience. Isn't that what it's all about?

Customers want to come to an attractive setting and enjoy a good meal. They arrive at your restaurant wanting to have a good time. When you bear in mind the expectations that customers have, you will be able to do a better job at meeting -- or exceeding -- them.

Semester II- Food & Beverage Service

Unit-I: Understanding Guest Service

Introduction
Great food, high-traffic location, super décor- all are important to F&B business. If you take a close look at what separates the most successful restaurants from the less successful, you'll find that all excel on these parameters. The most profitable ones have also discovered “The Key To The Restaurant Business”:Great Customer Service.

Difference between Products and Services
The major difference between a product and a service is the tangibility.
Products are tangible. You can buy pork as a tangible product. You buy it and sell it. In the same way as you buy stamps, pens or cars.
Services are intangible. It cannot be taken in hand or you can not see its physical appearance. Service can just be felt.
You can own a product but you can not own service. You can own a cake by purchasing from a pastry shop but the service they provide while serving you the cake cannot be owned by you. You can count products in the same way as you can count your money. A service is not countable, but is "leveled;" better than the best service is not possible. There is a limit in what a service can offer.
A product is produced by a manufacturing process. A service is offered by the utility element of companies; you subscribe to a service in the same way that you subscribe to your gas and electricity supplier.

You might not be able to define service, but you know it when you find it.
“Service is an elusive (indefinable) concept which is extremely difficult to measure and evaluate.” Service is elusive and intangible but it is the life’s blood of the restaurant industry so we must ask ourselves, “What is customer service?” In today’s competitive marketplace service is the most important thing a company has to sell. It truly makes the difference when two businesses have the same product. If service was just smiling or getting food onto the table on time it would not have been difficult enough, but we know it is much more complex than that.
Customer service is difficult to explain, and difficult to understand. The people who know best what customer service is, are customers, because they are the ones who know what they want. And because they are the ones who know what they want, it is the customers we should be listening to. Simply by accommodating the requests of your customers you create a demanding customer. And a demanding customer is not a bad customer. When you accommodate requests and your demanding customers go to another property, they’ll be disappointed if they don’t get the service equal to what you have created. Hence, demanding customers’ equal profits.

We all know that successful service is not a one-time event; you have to work hard at it. It is a production and it goes on stage every day at the same time, and it’s live.

Ambience at your restaurant can be overwhelmingly beautiful and your food delicious, but when service suffers, the dining experience will be mediocre. The importance of customer service is forever clear: even the most delicious lobster isn’t good when service is poor, because poor service leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

A good server can save a bad meal, but a great entrée can’t bail out a bad server.
Executives around the world recognize service as the most important tool a company can use to differentiate itself from the competition. Therefore, they also realize that the most important people in any company are those who provide service. J.W. Marriott Jr. said, “Service people are the most important ones in the organization. Without them there is no product, no sale, and no profit. Indeed, they are the product. Service is and should be a high calling.”

It is important for us to remember that guests are at our property to spend money, and we should not deprive them of that opportunity. This is an industry where we have to constantly train, and when we’re done training, train again, and then train again. It is human nature to under-learn and over-forget. Hospitality employees will tell you, “I already know that one.” That’s great, but it doesn’t matter if they know what to do, it matters if they do what they know.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” The first thirty seconds sets the tone for the entire experience. The most important first step for anyone in our industry is creating a bond of trust and credibility with our guests. This is what we call rapport. The essence of rapport is commonality. People like people who are like themselves.

Being hospitable is the act or practice of receiving strangers or guests in a friendly and generous way.

In this industry, profits are not made by focusing on the larger details; profits result from focusing on small details and caring about the guests. You need to forget the macro, and focus on the micro. After all, when you really think about it,
“It’s the small things in life that are big.”