How to choose a heart of the house hospitality management firm
1.What services does a heart of the house hospitality management firm provide?
The largest firms offer all back of the house services including turnkey housekeeping, stewarding, kitchen cleaning, casino cleaning (EVS cleaning), security, landscaping, laundry management and valet parking services. A one-stop-shop helps coordination and requires less management time.
2. What does the firm say about quality guarantees?
Ask for service benchmarks, and better yet, a guarantee that those benchmarks will be met.
3. Does the firm specialize in hospitality and your market segment?
Specialization can translate into saving and time and money.
4. What cost savings can we anticipate?
Depending on the number of services chosen, savings can be anywhere from several percentage points to up to 20%.
5. Who handles immigration and other governmental regulations and who is liable if there are problems?
You want your company to handle all government and workplace checks including drug testing and background checks for immigration and criminal records. If they do this, they’re liable in the event of any issues, which is what you want.
6. How well does the firm treat its employees in terms of opportunities to participate in retirement plans, health insurance, discount programs and training?
The best heart of the house hospitality management firms have high employee satisfaction and employees with a sense of pride in their work. They need to feel the company is looking out for them in all respects – from benefits to professional training and career development. Companies with training programs should be a must.
7. Other factors to consider:
- Longevity in business. This is usually for the long term, so you want minimum risk with the company you’re doing business with. A fairly new company might make a lower bid, but there’s a risk in business continuity that should be considered.
- Financial stability. Try to find out about the ownership. Is this an organization that is well capitalized, that can invest in its personnel, and will it be around for the long term?
- Ability to handle spikes in demand. Has the firm’s track record indicated they can grow with clients? Ask for case studies and client references and longevity with clients.
- Management credentials. Have senior executives been in the industry? Industry knowledge shortens the learning curve and minimizes stress.
- Will current employees be retained and if so, at what pay rate? Maintaining current employees and using the hospitality management company to “add to” staff in the beginning will make for a smooth transition and help keep any staffing problems to a minimum.
