Case Study For Chapter 6 Managing Quality Belaire Casino Hot

Case Study For Chapter 6 Managing Qualitybelaire Casino Hotelthe Bela

Case Study For Chapter 6: Managing Quality Belaire Casino Hotel The Belaire Casino Hotel is a 50-room hotel and casino in the Nyanga highlands of east-central Zimbabwe. Located 2700-kilometers and three hours drive from the capital, Harare, the hotel serves as a conference center and destination resort. Its facilities include two sizeable conference rooms, two restaurants, a billiard room, a swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, riding stables, a sauna, a fishing pond, slot machines, roulette, blackjack, etc. Single rooms with breakfast are provided for 44 Zimbabwe dollars per day. The main restaurant is open all week and serves a set lunch and dinner, while a small a la carte menu of light food is available in the bar, the common rooms and on the patio.

During the weekends the second restaurant is opened with an a la carte menu. Most guests come by car from within Zimbabwe and from South Africa via Harare. The area includes several hotels without casinos, Mt. Inyanga (7,500 feet) and the surrounding national park, lakes stocked with trout, golf courses, and many interesting rock formations and scenic vistas. The area is a popular summer resort with a number of private cottages nearby.

Because of the long history of farming and cattle-raising in the area, there is relatively little evidence of wild game. Because of the elevation, the winters are quite cold. Security at the Belaire is not a problem, despite being only 30 kilometers from the on-and-off fighting in Mozambique. Most of the staff live in the neighboring villages and walk to work. Underemployment in the areas is heavy and jobs at the hotel prized.

However, the staff seems to have frequent difficulty remembering who ordered what at a table, mixes up the laundry on occasion, and occasionally writes down the wrong number for an international phone call. The manager, Mr. Tracy Andrews, 28, who had arrived six months before, posts on the bulletin board in the main hallway next to the front desk, the tabulation of client surveys and the listing of client comments (see Exhibit 1). The Belaire staff is friendly and courteous to all but the most boorish guests. The food is of lesser quality and style than the Troutbeck Inn, the standard of service in the area, which does not have a casino, but does have a golf course.

The typical room contains two single beds side-by-side to serve as a double bed, a desk, two small armchairs, a large storage closet, a coffee table, a telephone, a "radio" in the nightstand playing taped music, and a separate bath which is functional, but spartan. Each guest is asked the hour at which they wished to be awakened and at that hour, a waiter arrives at their room door with their preference of tea or coffee. International telephone calls are usually completed in 15 minutes, while calls to Harare often take several hours to place. Power outages are infrequent. The betting habits of the guests are quite varied, with the players at the roulette table wagering anything from 50¢ to thousand dollar chips.

A sign outside the casino indicates that no jeans are allowed. Mr. Andrews said that the policy is not usually enforced with women, but is with men. His experience at another hotel had been that men who wore jeans to the casino tended to be more "rowdy, heavy-drinking and abusive of the croupiers." The advertising brochure for the hotel showed happy guests in the casino in black tie and evening dresses, but seldom does an actual guest wear such formal dress. A sign over the bar entrance said "smart casual only after 7 p.m." but is not enforced.

A similar sign at the Troutbeck Hotel appears to have the same effect, although most of the diners at the Troutbeck’s restaurant wear coats and ties, something seldom seen at the Belaire Casino’s restaurant. The kitchens at both hotels close at 9 p.m., but the bar closes at 11 p.m. and the casino even later. The small gift shop with postcards, crafts, toiletry essentials, and souvenir clothing is open from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 to 5 p.m. Limited room service is available. The Belaire Casino Hotel is owned by a well-known chain of medium-priced hotels in Zimbabwe licensed to use an international trademark, but it does not usually advertise itself as such.

As Mr. Andrews says, "We are part of the chain and we aren’t. So long as our bottom line is all right, they leave us alone." Exhibit 1: Comments/Suggestions January — March, . Does re-furbishment have to start at 7:00 AM? 2. Well done — we will be back. 3. Horses have improved — so has the hotel — thank you. 4. How about a booklet on how to gamble? 5. Putt Putt fun but, carpets need replacing. 6. Reception very helpful. 7. Mackingtoshes should be available for hire. 8. Some waiters very slow. 9. Bread stale on sandwiches — ok at dinner. 10. Your night cleaner talks to himself. 11. Thanks to casino — a free holiday. 12. Staff and management could not have been more helpful. 13. Keep it up Belaire. 14. Cut the grass on the croquet lawn. 15. A clean hotel — well done. 16. See you next year. 17. No water on arrival. 18. Noise from the kitchen disturbing. 19. We enjoyed our stay — thank you. 20. Not sufficient shelves or drawers in cupboard. 21. A separate menu for children. 22. Noise bad due to doors being slammed otherwise everything was good. 23. Nice stay we hope to come back for our next honeymoon. 24. Coats hooks required — noise around 2:30 AM. 25. Look forward to winning another holiday voucher. 26. Excellent facilities for all ages. 27. Crockery could be a bit cleaner. 28. The best — keep it up. 29. Food of a poor standard — unappetizing. 30. No channel 2 — no bedside drawers —lunch unimaginative. 31. Service slow — waiters making mistakes with orders. 32. Rooms have improved however food still poor. 33. We are an elderly couple and everyone made our stay very enjoyable. 34. It would be a good idea to put a rubber mat in the bathroom. 35. Friendly staff — wider selection of video games. 36. We are impressed with the standard of the hotel. 37. Waiters over worked to few to cope with guests. 38. Music too repetitive. 39. Room service is so good please keep it up. 40. In all a super weekend. 41. Being vegetarian more variety please. 42. Teaspoon problem. 43. Too much noise early in the morning. 44. Carpet in ladies room needs attention — music enjoyable. 45. We are happy to be your guests. 46. No bible — bath towels funny smell. 47. Very satisfied in all aspects. 48. A very pleasant stay. 49. Once again a pleasant night at Belaire. 50. Telephone directory is outdated. 51. Service was superb. 52. You get full marks — keep it up. 53. Much preferred previous furnishings to new one. 54. We were driven from the lovely sun porch by the unrequested music. 55. I can’t find any complaints. 56. Generally very good. 57. Compliments to chief on outstanding food. 58. Bathroom towels rather off white. 59. Infuriated by being told no entrance into casino wearing one hundred & twenty dollar jeans. 60. Housekeeping was one of the best. 61. Very good and courteous service — well run hotel. 62. Ladies powder room needs attention — however we congratulate you on a very pleasant stay. 63. Since my last visit — 2 yrs ago — standards have improved. 64. Most quiet efficient unobtrusive service. 65. Hotel amenities are marvelous — staff most helpful. 66. Please provide a variety of music. 67. Was insulted by management in casino — future visits to Nyanga will be at Troutbeck. 68. Taps on basin seem to be leaking — service of a high standard. 69. Did not receive tea. 70. Ladies powder room needs more regular checking — towel very wet. 71. Never any double beds — 1 ply loo paper low standard — noise problem however, cheer up, will be back again. 72. Good, but telephone link with Harare is not so hot. 73. The staff is very well trained and polite. 74. Your fountain is too noisy at two in the morning. 75. Our meal in the topside was excellent. 76. Softer pillows please. 77. One waiter in the residents lounge was hopeless. 78. No Burnetts gin in the pub. 79. Please vary taped music. 80. Your P.R.O. deserves compliments on continual effort and attention. 81. I would like some tea in the morning. 82. The bedrooms are pretty and beds comfortable. 83. Are breakfast cereals compulsory? 84. Wake up call never came. 85. Insufficient light in bedroom. 86. Cupboard had to be dusted. 87. Faster waiter service all round — otherwise pleasant — thank you. 88. Bedspreads and curtains should match, this would avoid the "bitty" look which is much heard. 89. Our sincere gratitude to Mr Madumasuma (front office manager) who was most understanding. 90. We had a wonderful time and will be back. 91. The ducks on the dam are very friendly. 92. Greater emphasis on reserving facilities for residents. 93. Ladies and gents toilets need more attention over week-ends. 94. Keep it up — a great hotel with great people. 95. Kindly change room service menu prices. 96. Reported telephone out of order — no response. 97. The size of the food portions implies that I am gross. 98. Superb hotel — expertly managed — a real pleasure. 99. All staff were exceptionally courteous-many thanks 100. The dinnertime of 6:30 is too late for children. 101. Staff and management could not have been more helpful. 102. Keep it up Belaire. 103. Cut the grass on the croquet lawn. 104. A clean hotel — well done. 105. See you next year. 106. No water on arrival. 107. Noise from the kitchen disturbing. 108. Too many moths at night.

Paper For Above instruction

The Belaire Casino Hotel, situated in the scenic Nyanga highlands of Zimbabwe, provides a unique case for examining service quality management within a hospitality and gaming context. Despite its picturesque location and comprehensive facility offerings—including conference venues, restaurants, recreational amenities, and a casino—the hotel experiences various challenges related to maintaining and enhancing quality standards. This paper analyzes the tools Belaire can implement to address such issues, evaluates the quality data available, and develops strategic recommendations for Mr. Andrews, the hotel manager, to improve overall service quality and guest satisfaction.

Introduction

Quality management in the hospitality industry is crucial due to the direct impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the hotel's reputation. Belaire's diverse guest feedback, coupled with operational challenges, underscores the necessity of employing systematic tools for quality enhancement. Effective tools enable the hotel to identify areas for improvement, assess performance consistently, and implement corrective measures that align with guest expectations and operational capacities.

Tools for Addressing Quality Issues

Several quality management tools are applicable to Belaire's context. The primary tools include the Pareto Analysis, Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram), Service Quality Gap Model, and Customer Feedback Analysis.

• Pareto Analysis: This tool helps identify the most frequent issues causing dissatisfaction. Reviewing guest comments reveals recurring problems—such as food quality, slow service, noise disturbances, and maintenance issues—allowing Belaire to prioritize corrective actions that address the most significant sources of dissatisfaction.
• Fishbone Diagram: This facilitates root cause analysis for problems like staff forgetfulness, inconsistent service, and infrastructure issues. By identifying causes such as insufficient staff training, communication lapses, or maintenance deficits, Belaire can develop targeted solutions.
• Service Quality Gap Model: This model assesses discrepancies between guest expectations and perceptions. Application involves surveying guests for expectations, measuring actual service delivery, and identifying gaps—such as in reliability, responsiveness, or assurance—to be closed through specific interventions.
• Customer Feedback Analysis: Systematic collection and analysis of guest comments, like those in Exhibit 1, provide valuable insights. Regular review and categorization enable the hotel to track trends over time and measure the impact of implemented improvements.

Analysis of Data and Guest Feedback

The guest comments reflect a broad spectrum of positive and negative experiences. Positive mentions include friendly staff, good facilities, and improvements in some areas. Conversely, frequent complaints involve noise disturbances, slow service, food quality issues, maintenance lapses, and inadequate amenities like shelves or bathroom hygiene. This data indicates that reliability and responsiveness are areas requiring urgent attention.

Applying Pareto Analysis, Belaire should focus on the most common complaints—such as food standard, service speed, and noise issues—as they significantly affect overall guest satisfaction. Fishbone analysis suggests causes like insufficient staff training, operational inefficiencies, and infrastructure inadequacies, which contribute to negative perceptions and service failures.

Guest survey ratings also show inconsistent enforcement of policies (e.g., dress code) and operational inconsistencies (e.g., water outages or outdated directories), which harm perceived service quality. Addressing these issues systematically can enhance the hotel’s overall service delivery.

Recommendations to Mr. Andrews

Based on the data analysis and quality tools, the following strategic recommendations are proposed:

1. Enhance Staff Training and Development: Implement regular training programs focused on customer service, communication, and operational procedures to reduce errors such as order mix-ups and improve responsiveness.
2. Implement a Quality Monitoring System: Establish routine inspections and feedback loops utilizing Guest Satisfaction Surveys and service audits. Use the data to track improvements and identify persistent issues.
3. Upgrade Infrastructure and Amenities: Address maintenance issues like leaking taps and insufficient storage, and modernize amenities such as linens, towels, and room furniture to meet guest expectations.
4. Standardize Policy Enforcement: Develop clear guidelines for dress codes, noise control, and restaurant policies, ensuring consistent enforcement to align guests’ perceptions with promotional materials.
5. Focus on Food & Beverage Quality: Improve kitchen operations, ingredient sourcing, and presentation standards to elevate the dining experience, which is a significant determinant of overall guest satisfaction.
6. Enhance Guest Communication and Personalization: Use guest preference data proactively, such as wake-up calls and room preferences, to create a personalized experience that exceeds expectations.
7. Optimize Service Processes: Streamline service delivery, reduce wait times, and minimize mistakes by empowering staff with better tools and clearer procedures.
8. Improve Facilities Maintenance: Regularly inspect and maintain key infrastructure, including plumbing, lighting, and security features, to prevent service disruptions and enhance guest comfort.
9. Build a Service Culture Focused on Excellence: Foster a hotel-wide culture that emphasizes quality, accountability, and guest-centricity through leadership and continuous training.
10. Utilize Guest Feedback for Continuous Improvement: Incorporate comments and suggestions into operational reviews, and publicly acknowledge guest concerns to build trust and engagement.

In conclusion, the systematic application of quality tools—coupled with strategic management actions—can significantly enhance the Belaire Casino Hotel’s service quality. Addressing foundational issues, maintaining consistent service standards, and fostering an organizational culture committed to guest satisfaction will ensure the hotel remains competitive and retains its reputation as a premier hospitality destination in Zimbabwe.

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