Tag: hospitality services

Hospitality Staffing Solutions for Your Needs

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As one of the few nationwide suppliers of experienced hospitality staff, The Service Companies understands how difficult it can be to find dedicated and reliable staff. For 16 years, we’ve been providing companies of all sizes with the highest quality staff in the food service, hospitality and related industries. Whether supplemental or temporary & on-going placement staff, we’ve got the hospitality staff you need so you can focus on your business.

We staff the following staffing position:

  • Servers
  • Bartenders
  • Banquet Servers
  • Captains
  • Clerks
  • Concessionaires
  • Concierges
  • COVID Test & Vaccination Screeners
  • Dishwashers
  • Food / Product Demonstrators
  • Housekeepers
  • Lead Retrieval
  • Line Cooks
  • Materials Assembly
  • Microphone Runners
  • Prep Cooks
  • Room Monitors & Ticket Takers
  • Registration
  • Stewards

We’re there where you need us! Our vast network enables us to provide hospitality staffing solutions to hundreds of companies nationwide. With associates throughout the country, we’re able to quickly provide staff to our clients to meet their specific needs. Unlike other staffing companies, we don’t use AI to respond to your queries and concerns. We believe in direct communication to solve your problem as quickly as possible.

Map of our staffing locations

Currently, we serve the following markets:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Austin, TX
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Dallas, TX
  • Houston, TX
  • Kansas City, KS
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • New Jersey
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Raleigh, NC
  • Sacramento, CA
  • San Bernardino, CA
  • San Diego, CA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • San Jose, CA
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Seattle, WA

Don’t see your market listed? We are constantly expanding our footprint so please contact us to inquire about our capabilities in your market.

To learn more about our hospitality staffing solutions and how we can help you, click here.

Preparing for Hurricane Season

With a large number of our properties in the southeast regions of the United States, preparing for hurricane season is something we take very seriously at The Service Companies. As a business partner to resorts, casinos, hotels and various other facilities at risk of hurricanes and tropical storms, we train and make our associates aware of each property’s emergency plan right from the start.

Storms in these regions are inevitable this time of year, but it is hard to be sure when, and where, a hurricane is going to hit. After experiencing some of the most severe tropical storms and hurricanes, our team knows that the key to ensuring safety on property is to be prepared, and with hurricane warnings coming days in advance, there is some time to prepare your building and guests for the storm ahead.

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Here are some important tips to remember when preparing for a hurricane:

Hurricane season calls for extra support, but staffing may be limited due to road conditions and the need for associates to be with their families. To work around this issue, it helps to have a “Storm Team” in place. This team, comprised of associates from different departments, is given living accommodations on property for the duration of the storm to support efforts.

While you have more manpower several days out, get exterior preparations done early. Anything that is not securely mounted must go indoors. Items such as waste receptacles and exterior furniture need to be moved to a safe location within the garage, storage area or lower level of the building. Balcony tower furniture can be stacked inside of the guest rooms. This also comes in handy for people to rest and ride the storm in the lower level of your property.

Many times, your hotel guests are unable to travel during the storm and must stay on property. If this becomes the case, remember to do the following:

  • Keep guests informed through regular communications. This includes items such as storm updates, evacuation plans and stairwell locations, safe areas to be within the building (i.e. away from windows), available food options and services during this period.
  • If your property rooms have outdoor space, be sure guests know to bring any personal items inside. Before heavier winds approach, take walks around the building to verify all is clear.
  • If you have guests in need of extra care or that use assisted equipment, make sure to make this information known to your team in the case that they need immediate assistance during the storm.
  • Pre-pack emergency kits so they can be delivered and/or available to each guest. Kits should include: bottled water, flashlights, extra linens, paper products, amenities, trash bags, and dry snacks.
  • Have battery sources available to charge devices, as this is a common request when electricity goes out.
  • Organize indoor activities and keep an inventory of games, especially for families with children.

The Future of Janitorial Services

According to a survey conducted by the IFMA, “poor janitorial service” and a “lack of cleanliness” are among the top three complaints facing facility operations today. These complaints destroy a property’s reputation when shared online and reflect poorly on guest service scores. To combat this issue, managed has resorted to pulling staff from other departments to fulfill the janitorial services needs of the property. This process is only a short-term fix, as the redistribution of staff creates a lack of productivity in other departments.

Our team of experts is dedicated to finding the most technologically advanced solution that solves cleaning issues and improves the guest experience. That is why The Service Companies partners with a best-in-class technology provider to offer smart facility solutions to commercial facilities.

What is our smart facility solution?

Through our partnership with a smart technology provider, we offer a facility solution that uses AI to automate the janitorial process. We install sensors in strategic areas of the restroom and other public areas. These sensors enable management to monitor the needs and cleanliness level of the space. All without pulling employees from other departments or hiring additional labor.

How does it work?

By installing smart sensors in or around garbage cans, soap dispensers, faucets and more, management is notified when restrooms and public areas need attention. From a dispenser in need of more paper towels to an overflowing toilet that needs immediate attention, smart sensors send real-time notifications to any smart device for a quick resolution.

In addition, we track usage patterns and traffic flow to project the restroom’s busiest times during the day. This allows management to staff for the need and create an accurate cleaning schedule. Because supplies get replenished when needed, it also saves costs by reducing waste.

What are the benefits?

Implementing our smart facility solutions on property will allow you to experience the following long-term savings:

Time – Instead of checking on each restroom multiple times per day, you get the what, when and where for each janitorial issue that may arise. This allows employees to spend their time attending to other problem areas on property.

Resources – Smart sensors monitor each trash container, toilet paper, soap and paper towel dispenser, and faucet to ensure employees replenish water and hygiene products only when needed.

Money – The more resources you save, the more money you save! Smart sensors eliminate the need to pay associates overtime for spending unnecessary hours patrolling the restrooms areas. They also eliminate the need to hire additional labor to attend to the restrooms.

Status – Negative guest service scores and bad online reviews can be a thing of the past. Notifications from the smart sensors will allow your team to tend to any janitorial issues right after they occur. This leaves your facility in prime condition throughout the day.

To learn more about our smart facility solution and janitorial services, contact us today!

Leaders In Service: Heather Dailey

At The Service Companies, we understand that our associates are the key to providing Service. Above All. No matter the level, department or service segment, our dedicated associates allow us to perform at the highest level and cultivate a strong corporate culture. That is why we developed Leaders inheadshot of Heather Dailey Service, a series of interviews recognizing the high-performing associates across our company.

Heather Dailey from Acrobat Outsourcing is our most recent addition to our Leaders in Service series. Heather Dailey’s passion for the job, along with her recent promotion to Director of Business Development, proves that she is integral to the success of Acrobat Outsourcing, our hospitality staffing division. Learn more about Heather Dailey and the contributions she has made to our company below!

Congratulations on your recent promotion, Heather! Before becoming Director of Business Development, what other roles have you held at Acrobat Outsourcing? How long have you been with us?

I started with Acrobat Outsourcing in 2011 as our Client Services Manager. I was promoted to Business Development Manager in Northern California in 2012 and quickly took over the Southern California region. It has been a great eight years so far and I’m excited for many more!

What does your job entail?

My job entails managing our sales department, driving new business and maintaining / growing our current customer base. I am always finding new opportunities to grow our division!

What do you love most about your position?

I love getting to know my team and learning more about the diverse markets where we provide services. From my previous position, I know our California markets inside and out, but I have enjoyed expanding my knowledge into new markets and working with our clients nationwide. Our associates and customers are phenomenal people; I am excited to work with everyone on a closer basis.

How do you stay motivated and how do you motivate your team?

My family keeps me motivated, but so does closing a big deal! Nothing is more exciting to me than bringing on a new large customer. I am very competitive, so I am always working towards bettering myself and my abilities. I motivate my team by building trust with them and learning what motivates them on an individual basis. And I help them stick to their goals, both personally and professionally.

Outside of work, how do you spend your time? What are you passionate about and what do you enjoy doing?

My life pretty much revolves around my daughter, Elliott, but I love it! My husband and I enjoy seeing the world through her eyes and we have been having a blast creating memories though traveling, spending time with family, and taking trips to Lake Tahoe.

What has been the most exciting thing you have participated in with Acrobat Outsourcing? What made it successful?

Assisting with the development of our STAMP program! By listening and understanding our clients’ needs, we have been able to create a spectacular lasting program that has opened many doors for us and will continue to help us to grow. I believe we have been successful because we take the time to understand our customer, their issues and how we can solve them in a unique and creative way. I am very lucky to work with such an intelligent and innovative team.

Do you have what it takes to be a Leader in Service? We have hundreds of positions open across the nation. Apply today!

Case Study: Luxury Hotel Casino in Shreveport, LA

With price, guest reviews and star ratings having more influence in the consumer’s decision making process than brand attributes (according to PwC’s 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey), guest service scores are more important than ever. They can make the difference between a sold out hotel, casino or resort, and one struggling to sell rooms. Read below how The Service Companies utilized its turn-key housekeeping services to shift guest service scores and improve the productivity of the housekeeping team at a luxury casino hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana.

 

Situation Overview

The Property is a hotel casino with over 600 guest rooms and suites located in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Property has an average room size of 413 square feet per room and is managed by a large American gaming corporation. With low guest satisfaction scores in the housekeeping category, the Property reached out to our team, which was successfully operating the environmental service departments of the public areas and casino, to take on and fully manage the housekeeping department.

Challenges

With a limited pool of hospitality professionals in Shreveport, the Property struggled to find quality labor to fill its housekeeping team. As a result, the Property was ranked last in housekeeping of the 40 properties in the parent corporation’s ranking scores.

The average time to clean each guest room was 35.6 minutes and the Property’s customer ranking score for housekeeping room cleanliness was 64.3% ‘A’. Due to the high levels of housekeeping complaints, guests chose to patronize other casinos, resulting in a loss of gaming revenue and an unsupportable situation.

Opening Process

Through the Property’s onsite management team, our leadership team worked with the Property’s General Manager to transition the in-house housekeeping department into a department fully managed by The Service Companies. We brought in a corporate lead to oversee the department transition and hired four housekeeping trainers, each handling a different aspect of the department. 59 Property employees transitioned to our team, leaving 28 open positions to fill within a 30-day period.

We inventoried and assumed equipment and uniforms. Standards and processes for the department were established and productivity was aligned with industry standards. Training was implemented to ensure productivity and quality standards would be maintained.

Results and Current State

Within one quarter of the transition, the leadership and staffing stabilized and the Property’s Room Cleanliness scores increased to 67.8% from 64.3%.

At the close of the 1st Quarter of 2019, the Property received a Room Cleanliness score of 77.2% “A”, which is 12.9 higher than the score prior to transition and 7.2 points higher than the brand benchmark. The current productivity average for a guest room attendant to turn a room is 25.2 minutes (a 29.2% reduction in cleaning time).

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What to Look for in a Staffing Agency for Corporate Cafés

One of the best ways to get qualified staff members for your corporate cafeteria or corporate café is to turn to a hospitality staffing agency. Staffing agencies do not necessarily offer the same services or benefits to their clients, and it can be difficult to distinguish the good companies from the bad. Consider the impact a poor organizer or a sub-par chef could have on your company’s reputation. Hiring top talent is imperative and we have put together some things to consider when selecting a hospitality staffing agency for your business:

waitress picking up glasses

  1.  Experience working with your type of business– Every kitchen and front-of-the-house is unique (that’s the best part of the industry!), and not all staffing agencies are familiar with the needs of every setup. For example, a company that routinely places candidates in traditional restaurants or hotels may have little experience finding the right person for the job with a university food service contractor. Kitchen environments are diverse; choose a hospitality staffing agency that has experience working with your type of corporate cafeteria operation.
  1.  Broad pool of candidate backgrounds and skill sets– This should seem obvious, but it’s something that cannot be emphasized enough. Just because a company claims to find candidates for hospitality jobs does not mean it has a large pool of them available. Many generic staffing agencies will bill themselves as offering corporate cafeteria staff members, but that does not mean they’ve courted many people with the right experience. There are many diverse skill sets needed to run or work in a hospitality setting. Focus on industry-specific agencies that have a diverse array of hospitality candidates with the exact backgrounds you need.
  1.  Assistance with screening and interviewing– The best hospitality staffing agencies not only connect you with candidates, but can pre-screen them using your criteria and even conduct a first round of interviews for you. This saves you time and money on your search.
  1.  Timely & Accurate Invoicing– Different staffing agencies use many varying fee structures but, in general, we believe you should only pay for results. You’ll want to know that your staffing agency is working for you and that they are incentivized to provide only the best candidates possible, all of whom meet and exceed your standards. Always be sure that payroll, taxes, workman’s compensation and fully-bonded insurance are included with your all-inclusive fee. This helps you keep peace of mind and ensures a healthy bottom line.

As the leading National Hospitality Staffing Firm, we look forward to providing your corporate cafeteria or café the top talent you need to be successful. For more information about our front and back-of-house and recruiting solutions, contact us at https://theservicecompanies.com/contact/consultation/.

Common Issues We See In Casinos

With over 1.1 million sq. ft. of gaming area under contract and over 15 years of experience providing services to the industry, we understand the unique challenges that commercial and Native American casinos and casino hotels face in their day to day cleaning operations:

  • The struggle to find legal labor due to low unemployment rates, rising wages, and the ongoing “War on Talent”
  • High workers’ compensation and general liability rates/expenditures/exposure
  • Valuable resources are spent managing relationships in union environments
  • Inefficiencies and lack of productivity in non-core departments
  • Maintaining a consistently high quality of service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • High energy usage

These challenges create a large cost burden for casinos, and one option to alleviate these issues is to partner with a well-capitalized service provider (see our previous article on what to take into consideration when selecting a vendor). Our team of seasoned industry experts established a diverse list of services that cater to the common needs of every casino resort.

The Service Companies is the premier provider to the casino industry. We offer managed services, staffing services, specialty services, and engineering services to casino properties across the nation. Backed by a large investment fund, we have the capital to support a casino’s stringent requirements and massive needs and have the years of experience driving productivity and providing solutions that reduce costs and energy.

As part of our commitment to service, our team takes full accountability of recruiting needs, compliance checks, and training to ensure success. To learn more, click on the links to our services above, or contact one of our industry experts at https://www.theservicecompanies.com/contact/.

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Tips For Giving Thanks to Your Associates

We would not be able to provide quality service without the help of our dedicated associates. That is why we have created a work culture that is built on the foundation of associate recognition, celebrations, and engagement. This Thanksgiving, we are sharing some expert tips on how you can give thanks to the associates who work hard to make your business thrive. Want to know the best part about the following tips? They can be used each day throughout the year to recognize a job well done!

  1. A day does not go by without employees giving their all. It is all about leaders giving back and recognizing that hard work as often as possible.
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  1. When guests share positive feedback, or a great service rating, spend time researching who made that possible.
  1. Always post and share customer compliments with your team. Take it a step further by including the associates’ photo and highlight details about the recognition.
  1. Write a personalized note of appreciation.  A simple “thank you” is great, though, be specific in how they made a positive impact.  We expect employees to be detailed with their work, so we should be detailed with their feedback.
  1. We all love a surprise treat now and then. Keep some goodie bags handy for that perfect moment to make someone’s day. You can always drop in your personalized note to make it extra special.  Screen Shot 2018-09-17 at 9.32.26 AM (1)
  1. Some accomplishments happen without a manager noticing.  Encourage associates to share and acknowledge other team members whenever possible by creating a post-it board for their notes.
  1. Recognize their special dates outside of work such as work anniversaries or birthdays. More importantly, if they’re working that day, go out of your way to make the day extra special.
  1. Utilize every outlet to share recognition and congratulate team members. At The Service Companies, our leaders have several opportunities to share successes and engage in employee recognition by participating in the following:
  • Mandatory pre-shift meetings each day
  • Weekly recognition in SHINE on You through our company wide SHINE on Shift email
  • #TeamMemberTuesday across our Social Media platforms
  • Monthly recognition of our Top Performers through inspection and incentive programs
  • Quarterly In-brief newsletter
  • Annually through our company wide President’s Awards
  1. With all recognition, be consistent!  Morale can easily decline the moment you forget someone’s special day or don’t recognize a team member’s achievements. Robert Knowles- 70th. Birthday(2) (1)

For more information about how we focus on associate engagement to create a positive work culture at each property, visit https://www.theservicecompanies.com/contact/.