AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE REAL SITUATION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING DUY TAN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH GRADUATION PAPER NGUYEN NHAT KIM NGAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE REAL SITUATION AND SOME SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVING THE SERVICE QUALITY OF RECEPTION DEPARTMENT AT PHU THINH BOUTIQUE RESORT AND SPA Code : K22.702 Course : 2016 – 2020 DANANG – MAY, 2020  MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING DUY TAN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH GRADUATION PAPER NGUYEN NHAT KIM NGAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE REAL SITUATION AND SOME SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVING THE SERVICE QUALITY OF RECEPTION DEPARTMENT AT PHU THINH BOUTIQUE RESORT AND SPA Code : 2220316244 Course : 2016 – 2020 SUPERVISOR: DUONG HUU PHUOC, M.A DANANG – MAY, 2020  Graduation Paper i SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A ACKNOWLEDGEMENT In fact, there is no success without support and help In the process of completing this graduation paper, I have received a lot of help, guidance and encouragement from teachers, colleagues, friends and family Firstly, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my guidance supervisor from the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Duy Tan University, Mr Duong Huu Phuoc, for his guidance and encouragement in doing this research I am truly grateful for his advice and suggestions right from the first step Secondly, I would like to express my gratitude to all the teachers who gave me useful knowledge and materials Additionally, they also inspired and facilitated me during my study and practice at Duy Tan University That is the important foundation for me to complete this paper in the best way Last but not least, I would like to thank my friends and family for supporting, helping, giving me the best motivation and the favorable conditions to this case study Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper ii SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I declare that this graduation paper has been composed myself, and described my own work, unless otherwise acknowledged in the text Except where reference is made in the text of the graduation paper, this graduation paper contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in the whole or in part from the graduation paper by which have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the graduation paper This graduation paper has not been submitted for award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution Danang, May 5th, 2020 ABSTRACT This graduation paper investigates the real situation and provides Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper iii SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A solutions to improve the service quality of the Reception Department at Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa This case study is conducted on the basis of theory and practical data In order to get results, I have gathered all the main relevant information about resorts, tourists, etc from primary and secondary sources, such as textbooks, the Internet, as well as receptionist data and customer reviews of the resorts through my surveys, findings and observations Based on this information, I will outline some of the characteristics of the staff, the service, the organizational structure and then propose some suggestions to improve the service quality of Reception Department at Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa ABBREVIATIONS FO : Front Office Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper iv SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Sqm: Square meters Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper v SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A TABLES OF CONTENS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ii ABSTRACT ii 5.Organization of the study 1.1 An overview of the Hospitality Industry 1.1.1 Tourism 1.1.2.1 Domestic tourists .5 1.1.2.2 International tourists 1.1.3 Hotel 1.1.3.1 Definition of hotel 1.1.6 Quality of service in hotel .10 1.1.6.1 Definition 10 1.1.6.2 Criteria for evaluating service quality 10 1.2 General introduction about Front Office department 11 1.2.1 Definition of Front Office department 11 1.2.2 Mission of the Front Office department 11 3.4.2 Evaluation about the Uniform of Receptionist .39 3.4.3.Evaluation about the receptionist’s ability to solve guest’s complaints 41 3.4.4 Evaluation about Service Quality of the Receptionist 42 3.4.6 Evaluation about the Payment procedures for guests 47 Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper vi SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A TABLE OF FINGURES Tables: Table 1: The survey result of Guest’s Arrival at Phu Thinih Boutique Resort and Spa Error: Reference source not found Table 2: The business result of Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa in the year 2019 Error: Reference source not found Table 3: Tourist statistics according to Nationalities of Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa in the period 2017 - 2019 Error: Reference source not found Table 4: Evaluate the Modern Level of Hotel Facilities Error: Reference source not found Table 5: Evaluation of the uniform of the receptionist Error: Reference source not found Table 6: Evaluation about the reception solve guest’s complaints Error: Reference source not found Table : Evaluation about attitude of the receptionist Error: Reference source not found Table : Evaluation about Professional of the receptionist Error: Reference source not found Table : Evaluation about Foreign Language skill of the receptionist Error: Reference source not found Table 10 : Evaluation about Waiting time Error: Reference source not found Table 11 : Evaluation about service of the receptionist Error: Reference source not found Table 11 : Evaluation about service of the receptionist 43 Table 12 : Evaluation about Procedures of registering rooms .46 Table 13 : Evaluation about the Payment procedures for guests 47 Figures: Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper vii SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Figure 1: FO Department Organization Chart .Error: Reference source not found Figure 2: Organization Structure of Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa.Error: Reference source not found Figure 3: Organization Chart of FO Department at Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa Error: Reference source not found Figure 4: Service process at the Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa Error: Reference source not found Charts: Chart 1: An assessment chart of the modern level of facilities .38 Chart 2: Evaluation of the Receptionist's uniform 40 Chart 3: Evaluation about the reception solve guest’s complaints 41 Chart 4: Evaluation about Service Quality of the Receptionist .45 Chart 5: Evaluation about procedures of registering rooms 46 Chart 6: Evaluation about Payment procedures for guests 48 Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale More recently, the speed of development of science and technology together with the developed economy has helped improve people's material life Besides, tourism has made great development steps in Vietnam Tourism is widely promoted, because it offers potential and employment opportunities, creates revenue for the country and becomes a source of revenue for the government This requires all businesses, to give high priority to the provision of high quality services, to meet growing demand The growth of Vietnam's tourism industry in recent years has contributed significantly to the hospitality industry With the increasing number of hotels today, the hotel must take measures to attract and thereby assert its competitive position in the market Vietnam has a stable economy, rich culture, beautiful natural landscapes and world cultural heritages capable of attracting high tourists In addition, Vietnam also has many opportunities to attract investors around the world, creating favorable conditions for hotel business - developing tourism in the future In the hotel business, reception and other services are important factors to create the image of the hotel in the minds of customers Customer care is a difficult and complex task, but it is very important and can affect product quality The reception department provides all information about hotel services and sales of products and services to guests This is the first and last part to interact with guests, making the first and last impression on the quality of the Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper - Total 45 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A 120 - Percent 100 % 78 30 12 65% 25% 10% 31 - Domestic 42 -Foreign 78 38 15 + Asia 36 13 + Europe 17 14 + America 25 11 Table 11 : Evaluation about service of the receptionist Based on the following data table, can draft a chart of service quality of the receptionist : Chart 4: Evaluation about Service Quality of the Receptionist Looking at the table, it can be seen that most guests choose 'excellent' or 'good' for receptionist Guest reviews about attitude, professionalism, and waiting time are quite good, accounting for over 30% 65% of the votes are good for employee service In addition, only about 13% of rated the guest Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 46 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A service badly for the waiting time, perhaps because of the high number of customers during the peak season, so the staff may serve slowly or keep guests waiting for a long time However, but can not say it is too bad, guests are also quite satisfied with the service speed of the staff here In addition, it seems that foreign language proficiency is well and normally evaluated, there is no bad evaluation of foreign languages However, at Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa there is always a good combination of experienced staff and some newly graduated but well-trained employees Everyone is fluent in English, and others are fluent in Chinese and Korean They strive to work quickly and respect their guests Some weaknesses such as still a few employees are not yet agile in handling situations for guests Sluggish service does not meet the needs of customers in time But they still try to fix every day 3.4.5 Evaluate the Procedures of Registering Rooms Target - Total - Percent - Domestic -Foreign + Asia + Europe + America Amount % 120 100% 42 78 36 17 25 Procedures of Registering Rooms Very Satified Normal Bad Satified 41 58 21 34.2% 48.3% 17.5% 21 29 20 19 13 12 7 Table 12 : Evaluation about Procedures of registering rooms Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 47 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Chart 5: Evaluation about procedures of registering rooms Procedures of registering rooms are well-rated and there is no bad reviews Because guests mainly follow the tour and book indirectly through travel agents So the process of booking and checking in is relatively professional and thoughtful Staff at Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa are always enthusiastic and flexible However, at times when tourists are too crowded, it will cause overload The service staff is slow and no response to guests' needs in a timely manner, which will make guests unhappy and possibly angry Because waiting is boring and tiring Staff should try to be more deliberate in this problem 3.4.6 Evaluation about the Payment procedures for guests Target - Total Amount % 120 - Percent 100% Payment procedures for guests Very Satified Normal Bad Satified 29 68 23 24.1% 56.7% 19.2% - Domestic 42 12 34 -Foreign 78 27 34 17 + Asia 36 15 + Europe 17 16 + America 25 10 Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 48 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Table 13 : Evaluation about the Payment procedures for guests Chart 6: Evaluation about Payment procedures for guests Most customers are satisfied with the bill payment of employees A few normal reviews In order for the payment to occur quickly, there is a need to coordinate information between Housekeeping and reception But sometimes there are some incidents so the check out of the guest room takes a long time for people to process the information This situation is infrequent, but the receptionist and the rest of the department need to coordinate information faster to serve customers better and make a good impression on guests At Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa, the staffs are always trained to be better every day Customer reviews are really necessary and important, they contribute to improving service quality and motivate employees to work more effectively in the future Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 49 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A PART C CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 4.1 Conclusion I took the time to find out through the actual situation and found the organization of the reception department very important, so I researched and gathered information to complete this topic Besides the strengths that I have analyzed above, I have seen the drawbacks of the reception The equipment and facilities are outdated and information processing is slow Sometimes it takes a long time for incidents Some new employees are not skillful in handling the situation Sometimes being careless when updating customer information their pronunciation is not really good The management at the front desk is still ineffective and is not strict in dealing with employees who make mistakes The coordination of receptionists and other departments is limited, the staff is not yet agile in processing information to provide receptionists Currently, more and more hotels are being established to serve the needs of everyone Because many businesses are racing to open hotels, the competition is fierce To attract customers, hotels must always improve the quality of service and improve their professionalism in each department and especially the reception department I have objectively assessed the situation of the receptionist in the hotel through this thesis To provide the best solution to improve the service quality of this department Not only that, during the implementation of this thesis, I also have a specific and practical view of the tourism industry in general and the hotel industry in particular In addition to the knowledge I have learned at Duy Tan Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 50 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A University, I have added many new and useful things I am very grateful, it will help me a lot in the future Because experience and understanding are still limited, perhaps this thesis will have many shortcomings I hope to receive suggestions and sympathy from the teachers, so it can be more complete Thank you sincerely 4.2 Some solutions to improving the service quality of Reception Department 4.2.1 Upgrading Facilities - Computers and equipment need to be upgraded and replaced, because they have been used for a long time so they are old and can take a long time to process information - The reception area should be neatly organized Properly divided documents and papers to easily find when needed The reception desk should have some fresh flowers to look better - At the waiting table, there should be a bookshelf and magazine shelf for guests to read while waiting for check-in In addition to books and magazines, add a few posters about tourist destinations and cultural knowledge of Vietnam I think foreign guests will love learning about these things 4.2.2 Improve the service process of the reception and improve the quality of staff Employees need to be trained every day, especially foreign languages and customer service skills Staff can learn and help each other know how to capture the psychology and needs of customers to serve thoughtfully and make a good impression on customers The management department needs to collect the opinions of employees, Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 51 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A so that employees can raise their opinions and express their wishes, in order to create a sense of comfort when working to be more efficient In addition, it can also help organize and develop a more perfect strategy to attract customers in the future Compliments and rewards are required for excellent members For them to work better, and to motivate other employees to try to perform their duties well Urge employees to work and update guests' status regularly The departments work together to try and coordinate better to make the workflow more efficient and professional Shorten waiting time of guests 4.2.3 Improve and enhance the quality of management at the reception deparment Besides giving solutions and working criteria for receptionists Also need supervision and strict management for the best hotel development Management has a very important role in the department's activities Their responsibility is great, if they neglect or not concentrate will greatly affect all parts and staff of the hotel From there will adversely affect the hotel They need to motivate employees to work harder and more efficiently, quickly achieving their goals At Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa, the management at reception is still limited, so I would like to offer some solutions to improve the quality and enhanc Management should monitor employees closely and more closely Remind and help employees if they make mistakes Use measures and discipline to avoid repetition Because it may affect the image of the hotel Management should take note of all customer reviews and complaints in order to improve service quality to please customers Management must grasp the achievements achieved in the business Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 52 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A operations of the hotel What has been done well must be done better, and what has not been done needs to find the reason then develop a clear plan to handle it well Since then the quality of the reception department will be improved 4.2.4 Strengthening the coordination of work between reception and other parts of the hotel The reception desk is the bridge between guests and other parts of the hotel: - Housekeeping department: receptionists provide information of their rooms quickly so that they prepare rooms for customers accurately When guests check out, they will check the rooms and notify the reception when customers use any services while staying here In addition, they report the current situation to the receptionist so that the receptionist will best arrange for customers to check-in - Sales-marketing department: The receptionist will inform the business situation to have a basis to build business strategies and policies for hotel products - Restaurant department: this is the catering division for customers during their stay When customers use services and products This department will bill the reception desk for clear and quick payment, avoiding the situation for long waiting customers - Technical department: when there is a problem in equipment in the room, the receptionist will contact the technical department to fix and repair immediately so as not to affect the satisfaction of the customers - Security Department: If there is any problem in the working process related to the safety of customers They will ensure security and help the receptionist solve serious problems Avoid dangerous situations for hotel customers and staff Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 53 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A The work and quality of the hotel is effective or not because of the coordination between the departments: Because in the process of customer service, the reception department needs the support of other departments Therefore, employees need to be trained and trained more skills to be agile at work The workflow will be faster and more efficient Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 54 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Customer Feedback Form Dear our valuable Customer First of all, thank you for choosing Phu Thinh Boutique Resort and Spa for your vacation Serving you is our pleasure During the process of staying here if there are shortcomings we are very sorry you We hope to receive your honest feedback Your comments in completing the assessment form below will be a valuable contribution to help us improve the quality of hotel services better and look forward to the opportunity to serve you next time Customer Name: Male/Female: Date of birth: Check-in Date: Purpose of the trip: Nationality: Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 55 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A How would you assess the Hotel Facilities? How you feel about the Very Satisfied Satisfied Normal Bad uniform?? Do you have to wait long during check-in?? Are you satisfied with the accuracy of the bill payment?? How you feel about the quality of service you received here?? How you feel about the quality of service you received here? Attitude: Excellent Good Normal Bad Professional: Excellent Good Normal Bad Foreign Language: Excellent Good Normal Bad Waiting time: Excellent Good Normal Bad Service: Excellent Good Normal Bad Your comment: Thank you so much - Have a nice day! REFERENCES ENGLISH BOOK: Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 56 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Roy A, Tourism: The Business of travel Trist Stott & Rod Revell: Highly Recommended: English for the hotel and catering industry Jatashanka R Tewari, Hotel Front Office Operations and Management VIETNAM BOOK: 1.PGS,TS Hồng Văn Thành, Giáo trình Marketing Du Lịch 2.Trần Thúy Anh, Giáo trình Du Lịch Văn Hóa 3.PGS.TS Trần Văn Mạnh, Giáo trình quản trị kinh doanh khách sạn WEBSITES: https://hotel.oxu.vn/phan-loai-khach-san/ https://phuthinhboutiqueresort.com/ https://www.hoteljob.vn/tin-tuc/4-giai-doan-phuc-vu-khach Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 57 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A SUPERVISOR’S COMMENT  - Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 58 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A EXEMINER’S COMMENT  - Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 Graduation Paper 59 SUPERVISOR: Duong Huu Phuoc, M.A Student: Nguyen Nhat Kim Ngan Code:2220316244 ... assess the quality of hotel services and analyze the actual situation of the hotel through the data I gathered Finally, provide practical solutions to improve and advance the service quality of the. .. M.A the hotel business, the physical scale of the hotel, and the hotel management policy There is an appropriate personnel structure to ensure the best service for the guests The following is an. .. because the time of the festivals and events is expected They want to relax, travel and relieve stress They always feel happy and satisfied with the quality service at the hotel Asians make up the