NN GRADUATION THESIS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE REAL SITUATION AND SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE BOOKING PROCESS OF RECEPTION DEPARTMENT AT DAN OASIS HOTEL

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING DUY TAN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH BUI THI PHUONG NGA AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE REAL SITUATION AND SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE BOOKING PROCESS OF RECEPTION DEPARTMENT AT DAN OASIS HOTEL Code : 702 Major : English for Tourism GRADUATION THESIS (A SUMMARY) Supervisor : MAI LAN THI, M.A DA NANG - 2021 The study has been completed at Faculty of English, Duy Tan University Supervisor : MAI LAN THI, M.A Examiner : The thesis will be orally defended to the dissertation board Time: June, 2021 Venue: Duy Tan University The original of the thesis is accessible for purpose of reference at: -The Library of Duy Tan University GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Rationale 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 The reception department provides all information about hotel services and sales of products and services to guests Therefore, improving the service quality of the reception is very necessary Moreover, the hotel and tourism business is becoming increasingly fierce This fact requires businesses to implement measures to improve service quality to turn it into a competitive advantage Recognizing the importance of receiving, as well as improving the quality of service at the reception, with the guidance of dedicated teachers, I decided to choose the topic “ An Investigation into the Real Situation and Some Solutions to Improving the Service Quality of Reception Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel” Aims and objectives 2.1 Aims • Find out the function, duty and importance of the reception in the hotel, give solutions to improve this department Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A • Assessing of hotel business situation, the strengths and weaknesses in the service at the reception of the hotel, thereby offering solutions to improve and improve service quality 2.2 Objectives • Determining the factors affecting the quality of service of the reception department at Danang Trade Union Hotel • Assessing the satisfaction of guests with the quality of the reception department at Danang Trade Union Hotel • Proposing some solutions to improve the service quality of the reception department at Danang Trade Union Hotel The scope of study Focus on competence, work and service related elements In addition, there are issues such as Labor structure, Hotel facilities, Business area, situation arrivals of guests To explore these issues, I will look directly at the Reception Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel In order to have stale data, I will collect information by doing some surveys with the guests of hotel Next, the research data will 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 reception Method of study - Data collected: Directly observe the activities and working processes of receptionist at the hotel to collect data These data are processed and analyzed for inclusion in the thesis - Questionnaires and interviews: I designed a questionnaire to give to tourists in Phu Thinh to get their information and ideas when they are at the hotel - Survey and observe productivity Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A - From the data and information I have collected, analyzed, compared, combined with practical theory to evaluate the quality of service at the reception Organization of the study This study consists of the following three parts: -Chapter is an introduction to the graduation paper covering the rationale, goals and objectives, scope of the study, research methodology and research organization - Chapter is the theoretical basis of the hotel industry, reception department and service quality in the hotel - Chapter is a description of the general of Danang Trade Union, Reception and Organizational Department at this hotel - Chapter is analyzing and evaluating the problem -Chapter talked about diffcults and some solutions to improve the service quality of the Reception Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel - Chapter is the conclusion and suggestion Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1.1 An overview of the Hospitality Industry 1.1.1 Tourism Tourism Law of Vietnam (2005) defines: "Tourism is activities related to human travel outside of their regular residence to meet the needs of sightseeing, study and entertainment, vacation for a certain period of time” 1.1.2 Tourist According to the Law on Tourism (issued on June 14, 2005): “Tourists are people who travel or combine traveling, except when going to school, working or practicing to receive income at the destination” Classification of tourists by nationality includes: domestic tourists and international tourists (Article 4, tourism law, 2005) 1.1.2.1 Domestic tourists 1.1.2.2 International tourists 1.1.3 Hotel 1.1.3.1 Definition of hotel According to Vietnam Standard TCVN 4391: 2009 on tourist hotels: "The hotel is a tourist accommodation with at least 10 rooms, and ensures the quality of facilities, equipment and services needed set for travelers " 1.1.3.2 Classification of hotel 1.1.3.2.1 Location 1.1.3.2.2 Size - Or number of rooms 1.1.3.2.3 Levels of service 1.1.3.3 Definition of Boutique hotel 1.1.3.3.1 Location Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A 1.1.3.3.2 Size – Number of rooms 1.1.4 Hotel business 1.1.5 Hotel business activities 1.1.6 Quality of service in hotel 1.1.6.1 Definition 1.1.6.2 Criteria for evaluating service quality 1.2 General introduction about Front Office department 1.2.1 Definition of FO department 1.2.2 Mission of the FO department 1.2.3 FO department organization chart 1.1.2.1 Domestic tourists 1.1.2.2 International tourists 1.1.3 Hotel 1.1.3.1 Definition of hotel According to Vietnam Standard TCVN 4391: 2009 on tourist hotels: "The hotel is a tourist accommodation with at least 10 rooms, and ensures the quality of facilities, equipment and services needed set for travelers " 1.1.3.2 Classification of hotel 1.1.3.2.1 Location 1.1.3.2.2 Size - Or number of rooms 1.1.3.2.3 Levels of service 1.1.3.3 Definition of Boutique hotel 1.1.3.3.1 Location 1.1.3.3.2 Size – Number of rooms Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A 1.1.4 Hotel business 1.1.5 Hotel business activities 1.1.6 Quality of service in hotel 1.1.6.1 Definition 1.1.6.2 Criteria for evaluating service quality 1.2 General introduction about Front Office department 1.2.1 Definition of FO department 1.2.2 Mission of the FO department 1.2.3 FO department organization chart 1.1.2.1 Domestic tourists 1.1.2.2 International tourists 1.1.3 Hotel 1.1.3.1 Definition of hotel According to Vietnam Standard TCVN 4391: 2009 on tourist hotels: "The hotel is a tourist accommodation with at least 10 rooms, and ensures the quality of facilities, equipment and services needed set for travelers " 1.1.3.2 Classification of hotel 1.1.3.2.1 Location 1.1.3.2.2 Size - Or number of rooms 1.1.3.2.3 Levels of service 1.1.3.3 Definition of Boutique hotel 1.1.3.3.1 Location 1.1.3.3.2 Size – Number of rooms 1.1.4 Hotel business 1.1.5 Hotel business activities 1.1.6 Quality of service in hotel Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A 1.1.6.1 Definition 1.1.6.2 Criteria for evaluating service quality 1.2 General introduction about Front Office department 1.2.1 Definition of FO department 1.2.2 Mission of the FO department 1.2.3 FO department organization chart Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A Front Office Manager Secretary Assistant Front Office Manager Assistant Manager Guest Relations Officer Airport Supervisor Airport Repersentative Reservations Telephone Manager Supervisor Assistant Reception Supervisor Revervations Supervisor Assistant Telephone suoer Senior Reception Revervatios Clerk Telephone Operatoe Chief Concierge Reception Supervisor Assistant Chief concierge Assistant Chief Concierge Comcierge Bellman Valet Parking Figure 1: FO Department Organization Chart Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A CHAPTER 2: CASE DESCRIPTION 2.1 An Overview of Danang Trade Union Hotel 2.1.1 Location Name of company: Danang Trade Union Tourist Operation Center Address: 02 Ong Ich Khiem- Danang City- VietNam Tel: 023633289139 Fax: 02363838444 Email: cdtb@codatours.com.vn Webside: hotel84.com/da-nang/khach-san-cong-doan-thanh-binh.htmt 2.1.3.Guest room and facilities 2.1.4 Organizational Structure of Danang Trade Union Hotel General Director Deputy General Director Front Office Manager Stafffff Housekeeping Manager Staff Food & Beverage Manager Staff Sales and Marketing Manager Staff Chief Accountant Manager Human Resourc e Manage r Staff Staff Figure 2: Organization Structure of Danang Trade Union Hotel 2.2 Introduction about FO department at Danang Trade Union Hotel Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 10 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A 2.2.1.The Organization Structure of FO department at Danang Trade Union Hotel Front Office Manager Recetionn Supervisor Bell Captain Cashier Receptionist Figure 3: Organization Chart of FO Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel 2.2.2 Customer Service Process of Reception Department Each hotel has a specific workflow to serve customers in the best possible way At Danang Trade Uinion Hotel the customer service process is as follows: Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 11 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A Figure 4: Service process at Danang Trade Union Hotel CHAPTER ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION For evaluating he quality of the reception department in Danang Trade Union Hotel and , I used interviews and surveys 120 guests by questions The following are the result Targets Gender: Amount 120 100% -Male 58 48,3 % -Female Customers source: 62 120 51,7% 100% - Domestic 70 58,4% -International 30 25% + Thailand 16 13,4% +American 14 11,6% Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga % Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 12 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A For the purposes of the trip 120 100% - Sightseeing 60 50% -Visting 27 22.5% -Study 16 13,3% -Bussiness 17 14,2% Ages: 120 100% -60 4,2% Table 1: The survey result of Guests’ Arrival at Danang Trade Uinion Hotel 3.1 The business result of Danang Trade Union Hotel in the year 2020 Target Unit Planning Implementation Compare planning with implementation % Total revenue Million Dong Accommodation Million 935.35 531,450 63,88% 553.23 276.4 56,58% 59,15% 52% revenue Rate Dining revenue % Million 270.50 150.05 Rate Supplementary Dong % Miillio 28.87% 28.23% services revenue n Dong Rate % Total expenes Million 111,62 105 11,98% 19.75% 75,08% 96,75% 467.675 265.725 56.82% Dong Table 2: The business result of Danang Trade Union Hotel Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 13 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A 3.2 Analysis the Real Situation of Guests’ Arrival at Danang Trade Union Hotel Target Nationalities Vietnamese 2018 Q 3,280 England Korean American Thailand Chinese Others Totals of customers 147 3,250 265 345 3,402 380 11,069 % 34.8 2019 Q 5,253 % 42.8 2020 Q 1,65 % 32 57% 16.3 12,32 2.5 7.7 12.6 100 2.8 13.4 4.8 2.3 36.1 5.8 100 343 1,570 265 263 6,370 500 14,56 2.3 10.4 5.1 2.8 42.3 5.0 100 53 100 78 130 289 210 2,61 % % Table 3: Tourist statistics according to Nationalities of Danang Trade Union Hotel In the period 2018-2020(from Accounting department) 3.3 Analysis the real situation of the service quality of Reception Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel The lobby area is beautifully designed and aesthetic, outside is trees and flowers creating a cool and comfortable feeling as soon as guests arrive at the hotel The inside is arranged tables and chairs for guests to sit and wait for check-in All are decorated in a simple and luxurious style close to the customers The front desk on the left is fully equipped with everything to support the reception 3.3.2 Reception staff All employees of the ceremony division have a university or higher degree, mainly majoring in hospitality or some majors related to tourism and foreign languages Before getting a full-time job, an employee has a probationary period of months Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 14 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A The staff here are all fluent in English, proficient in Microsoft office and hotel management software In addition, some staff is fluent in Chinese and Japan It is an advantage because the number of customers is increasing but not everyone uses English 3.3.3 Service style of staff All staff at reception is well trained so they are very professional at work They must arrive 15 minutes before working time to prepare well and hand over the shift One of the most important requirements of the receptionist is smile and an affable attitude Their uniform and hair were always neat before they got their shift 3.4 Evaluation of Reception Service Quality at Danang Trade Union Hotel Currently most hotels use a method of evaluating service quality based on hotel satisfaction This method is inexpensive, and brings high efficiency close to reality The hotel also use the assessment method based on customer satisfaction by distributing questionnaires and quick customer interviews 3.4.1 Evaluation about facilities In addition to services, facilities are very important Customers have high expectations for the hotel's facilities that are worth the money they spend Therefore facilities must always be upgraded and guaranteed to maintain and meet the needs of customers 3.4.2 Evaluation about the Uniform of Receptionist Uniform is an important factor and it will make the first impression when coming to the hotel and interacting with the staff Therefore, choosing the uniform for employees is an essential and thorough job Danang Trade Union hotel, uniforms are designed in an elegant color to match the space and design of the hotel Receptionists wear black dresses that are very polite and elegant but still retain traditional values 3.4.3 Evaluation about the reception guests’ complaints soving Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 15 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A The behavior and attitude of the receptionists show that they are very responsible Most of the guest complaints are solved by the reception and guest’s satisfaction However, most employees not keep track of issues that customers often complain and remind other departments 3.4.4 Evaluation Service Quality of the Receptionist Customers reviews about attitude, professionalism, waiting time good, accounting for over 62%, 58% of the votes are good for employee service Futhermore, 2.5% of rated guest service badly for the professional, because of the low number of customers during epidemic season, so the number of staff deseased sharly 3.4.5 Evaluate the Procedures of Registering Rooms Room registration procedures are well appreciated Because guests mainly go on tours and book indirectly through travel agents So the booking and checkin process is relatively professional and thoughtful Staff at the union hotel are always enthusiastic and flexible 3.4.6 Evaluation about the 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 CHAPTER 5: DIFFCULTS AND SOLUTIONS 5.1 Some difficulties to face - Covid-19 epidemic causes the number of visitors to the hotel less and the revenue to decrease - Poor facilities such as elevators, slow fax machines, old air conditioners that are not cool enough Therefore, it is not able to meet the needs of customers - The number of employees is currently small, leading to a shortage of staff in the peak season Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 16 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A - Because the epidemic is complicated and sudden, it leads to many difficulties For example, the hotel revenue has decreased sharply, so it is difficult to ensure the income for employees of the department as well as the hotel - With the salary cut, the job becomes busier because the lack of staff leads to the state of employees being discouraged, reducing the productivity of the job and resignation occurs - The competition in the market is getting fiercer For instance, more and more tourist accommodation establishments, hotels with new and modern equipment offer many incentives to attract customers Promotions, discounts, tour combo, are applied more and more 5.2 Some solutions to improving the service quality of Reception Department - The front desk should have some fresh flowers to look better when guests first walk in, they can see something new and full of life in the hotel reception area - At the waiting table, there should be bookshelves and magazine shelves at the waiting table for guests to read while waiting for check-in - Put up a few posters about tourist attractions and cultural knowledge of Vietnam I think foreign guests will love to learn about these - computers and equipment need to be upgraded or replaced Because of their long use, they are old Can take a long time to process information 5.2.2 Improve the service process of the reception and improve the quality of staff -Employees need to be trained and coached every day, especially in foreign languages and customer service skills and improve knowledge not only specialized knowledge but also knowledge about the culture, customs and habits of other countries to behave politely and show respect to foreign guests Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 17 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A -The management department needs to collect opinions of employees, let employees express their opinions and express their wishes, in order to create a comfortable spirit when working with higher efficiency -Excellent members need praise and rewards to make them work better, and to motivate other employees to try to their job well -Urging staff to work and update the health status of guests regularly Departments work together to try and coordinate better to make the working process more efficient and professional Shorten customer waiting time 5.2.3 Improve and enhance the quality of management at the reception deparment -The Management should take note of all customer reviews and complaints in order to improve service quality to satisfy customers -The management must grasp the achievements that have been achieved in the business of the hotel What has been done well must be done better, what has not been done needs to find the cause and then develop a clear plan to handle it wel 5.2.4 Strengthening the coordination of work between reception and other parts of the hotel - Housekeeping department: The front desk staff provide quick room information so that they can prepare the room for the customer thoughtfully and accurately -Sales-marketing department: The front desk will inform the business situation to have a basis for build business strategies and policies for the hotel's products hotel's products - Restaurant department: This is the department that serves food to customers during their stay When customers use services and products This department will issue an invoice to the front desk for clear and quick payment, avoiding long waits for customers Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 18 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A -Technical department: when there is a problem with the equipment in the room, the reception will contact the technical department to quickly fix it and repair it right away so as not to affect customer satisfaction Handle with care to avoid confusing 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 front desk deal with serious problems Avoid dangerous situations for customers and hotel staff Ensure absolute safety for customers while staying at the hotel CHAPTER6: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 6.1 Conclusion Therefore, more and more hotels are born to serve everyone's needs Because many businesses race to open hotels, the competition is very fierce To attract customers, hotels must always improve service quality and enhance professionalism in each department and especially the reception department I have objectively assessed the reality of the reception staff in the hotel through this thesis In order to provide the best solutions to improve the service quality of this department 6.2 Suggestions 6.2.1 Suggestions for Duy Tan University -Duy Tan University is the first and largest private university in Central Vietnam with multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary training Some campuses of the school are old and deteriorated, making it difficult for the students and lecturers to learn and teach Schools should upgrade the equipment and facilities at the school, or change to other newer and more modern facilities - The issue of tuition fees is always the most controversial issue because the school has continuously increased tuition fees in the past or years, making many students frustrated 6.2.2 Suggestions for Faculty of English Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 GRADUATION THESIS 19 Supervisor: Mai Lan Thi, M.A -The first is about curriculum, the curriculum should be paid more attention in giving students practice than teaching theory, students should be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, practical and creating opportunities for student's English for Tourism students practice their skills and language -The second is about the internship time, six weeks of the internship is less so that students can practice, understand more deeply about work skills as well as improve their own experience The internship time should be from eight weeks to twelve weeks 6.2.3 Suggestions for Student The university environment requires more active learning, but many students are too passive Different psychological obstacles prevent students from exploiting their own talents, but only passive acquiring knowledge Student: Bui Thi Phuong Nga Code:2320312424 ... decided to choose the topic “ An Investigation into the Real Situation and Some Solutions to Improving the Service Quality of Reception Department at Danang Trade Union Hotel? ?? Aims and objectives... Determining the factors affecting the quality of service of the reception department at Danang Trade Union Hotel • Assessing the satisfaction of guests with the quality of the reception department at Danang... important requirements of the receptionist is smile and an affable attitude Their uniform and hair were always neat before they got their shift 3.4 Evaluation of Reception Service Quality at Danang