Skills Needed for the Hospitality Industry

CSSOS Officers Club & Resort with its profitable Joint venture Lease and Franchise Opportunities in hospitality and innovative ideas coming through the legacy of CSSOS (CENTRAL SECRETARIAT SERVICE OFFICERS SOCIETY) which is a symbol of service unity and the epitome of solidarity. CSSOS Officers Clubs are promoted & facilitated by Aditia Realty Pvt Ltd investment and facilitation agency of CSSOS for retired government officers from central/state, PSU's, forces, banking institutions, and selected professionals across India.

Customer service skills

The one thing that can make or break you in hospitality is your ability to meet customer expectations. Whether you are simply serving drinks or running an entire hotel, it’s your job to ensure that your customers are having a great time and that they have nothing to worry about.

Essentially, customer service is about being both positive and proactive. Even when you are dealing with a difficult customer, it’s important to smile, be polite and remain professional; alternatively, on certain occasions, it can also be about going that extra mile for a guest or a patron.

Cultural Awareness

In hospitality, a large percentage of the customers you face (and, indeed, people you work alongside) will be from abroad; this means working with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. As a result, your ability to be culturally aware and adapt to attitudes and norms that are different from your own is crucial to building a successful career.

Your customers will not always share the same values, belief systems, and perceptions, so it’s important to take this into account when trying to help them feel more comfortable. As with all customers, the goal is to make them so happy that they’ll want to come back, so ensure that you’ve taken all measures required, whatever they may be.

Communication Skills

Strong communication skills are highly valued in every industry, but especially so in hospitality and tourism. Each day, you will be dealing with people from a variety of backgrounds, ages, nationalities, and temperaments, so it is important that you can communicate in a way that is both clear and understandable, as well as representative of your employer’s brand. As already mentioned, you want your customers to come back, so the ability to build and cultivate relationships can make a big difference.

It is also important to be able to communicate clearly with your fellow staff members, especially in busy, high-pressure environments like kitchens or nightclubs, where effective teamwork is crucial.

Multitasking Skills

One of the reasons why hospitality can be so difficult to work in is because it’s almost always hectic. In most cases, there’s no such thing as a quiet day in the office and, therefore, the ability to multitask and handle several tasks at once will serve you well.

This means learning how to prioritize and manage your time effectively, while you’ll also need to be able to handle pressure and remain calm when things get chaotic. Even if it’s just a part-time role while you’re studying, these are key soft skills that are highly sought-after in any workplace.

Work Ethic

If you’re going to work in hospitality, then regardless of your role, you’re going to have to work hard. It’s likely that you will be on your feet for most of the time, working long shifts for little reward – all while maintaining a cheerful and friendly façade in front of customers.

Therefore, if you have a tendency to skive, or you’re not willing to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in, it’s likely that you will get found out – and dismissed – rather quickly.

Language Skills

Although not necessarily a requisite, language skills are a huge bonus in this field because they allow you to communicate with a wider range of clients. They are particularly useful if you want to work in the tourism sector, where your knowledge of languages is useful on an in-person, day-to-day basis.

Professionalism

Most employers in the hospitality industry rely on their customer-facing staff to uphold the reputation of their brand; therefore, it’s important that, at all times, you remain highly professional.

Usually, this means ensuring that you look tidy and well-groomed, are on time for your shifts, and are not caught doing anything you shouldn’t be, such as smoking outside the main entrance or not washing your hands before handling food. It also means keeping your cool and not reacting negatively when dealing with an angry or irate customer, especially at the end of a long and tiring shift.

Teamwork Skills

In hospitality, regardless of your role, you will always only ever be one cog in a much larger machine. Whether it’s within a particular hotel department, in a busy kitchen, or as part of the bar staff, you need to be able to work well with others, especially during busy periods.

Problem-solving Skills

Again, this is a skill that is highly valued in any industry; in hospitality, though, the ability to think on your feet and solve problems quickly can save you a lot of potential hassle.

For instance, if a guest complains about their room, you could offer them complimentary drinks in the bar while you wait for another guest to check out. This keeps the customer happy, leaves a good impression of the hotel, and saves you the trouble of a potential conflict. Alternatively, if a customer has very specific dietary requirements, you could consult with the chef on their behalf to offer a tailored alternative solution.

Attention to Detail

Although your attention to detail skills won’t make or break your hospitality career, there are times when they can come in handy. Whether it’s spotting billing or administrative errors at reception or noticing that a particular ingredient is past its best in the kitchen, it’s the little things that can make a big difference.

It can also help you to develop relationships with customers and provide a more positive experience overall. For instance, suggesting a particular wine to accompany a dish, remembering how a certain customer prefers their drink to be made, or even noticing that somebody is struggling to carry their luggage and offering to help are all small details that can leave a big impression on customers.