TMHM 004 d.

Adequate and not excessive concerning the

Understanding Data Security purposes for which they are collected and
I Data Security: Primary Concern of Most Industries processed;
Personal information of the guests is being given to the front e. Retained only for as long as necessary for the
desk officer up to the extent of giving their debit or credit fulfillment of the purpose for which the data was
cards for the transaction (ex. Reservation relation transit, obtained or for the establishment, exercise or
booking, reservation relation to a hotel, restaurant) defense of legal claims, or for legitimate business
Data Security purposes, or as provided by law; and
• Hotels and similar industry are prone to hackers and f. Kept in a form which permits identification of data
cyber criminals considering the bulk of information subjects for no longer than is necessary for the
that they have been getting from the guests before purposes of which the data were collected and
the accommodation per se to assure the payment processed: Provided, That personal information
for damages and sometimes a means to introduce collected for other purposes may lie processed for
their own rewards programs. (for marketing strategy) historical, statistical, or scientific purposes, and in
• Single breach by the hotel management on the data cases laid down in law may be stored for longer
protection could compromise the information’s periods: Provided, further, That adequate
personal to the guests (addresses, the government safeguards and guaranteed by said laws authorizing
issued id’s account details, others) Hence, hotel their processing.
management is duty bound to safeguard the privacy II Guest Behavior
of the guests. Guests may be considered as the lifeblood of the hotel
Data Privacy Act of 2012 industry. Without the happy and contented guests who have
• Sec. 2 Declaration of Policy- It is the policy of the been patronizing the services of the hotel, survival of the
State to protect the fundamental human right of industry would be up to the lowest extent.
privacy, of communication while ensuring the There are however some instances wherein the guests are
free flow of information to promote innovation becoming the source of threat to the profitability of the hotel,
and growth. The State recognizes the vital role of instead of them being the source of profit.
information and communications technology in 5 Ways to Handle Customer Complaints
nation-building and its inherent obligation to ensure 1. Be a good listener. Always be calm and patient
that personal information in information and towards all guest raining their concern. (apply
communications systems in the government and in empathy)
the private sector are secured and protected. 2. Identify the problem. It is very important to be
• Sec. 4. Scope- This Act applies to the processing of mindful of their concern (we need to be specific)
all types of information and to any natural and 3. Rectify the problem. Take accountability and resolve
juridical person involved in personal information the concern as swiftly as you can (offer alternatives)
processing including those personal information 4. Follow up on the problem. Engage with our guests
controllers and processors who, although not found 5. Learn from the problem. Improve and acknowledge
or established in the Philippines, use equipment the problem (high tolerance & understanding)
that are located in the Philippines, or those who Best Practice: Hotel Customer Service Recovery
maintain an office, branch, agency in the Philippines 1. Deal with guest complaints the very moment they
subject to the immediately succeeding paragraph: arise;
provided, That the requirements of Section 5 are 2. Ensure the complaints can reach the right person;
complied with. 3. Build a full picture on guest preferences
Personal Information must be: 4. Keep tabs on recovery service costs;
a. Collected for specified and legitimate purposes 5. In-depth analysis of service recovery efficiency
determined and declared before, or as soon as The guests in a hotel must be treated with utmost hospitality
reasonably practicable after collection, and later to the extent that they would feel that they are at home. Guest
processed in a way compatible with such declared, complaints must be attended with the soonest possible to
specified and legitimate purposes only; ensure that their total customer satisfaction. There should be
b. Processed fairly and lawfully; no waiting time.
c. Accurate, relevant and, where necessary for Management Dashboard
purposes for which it is to be used the processing of - Is a collection of critical hotel data in a usable
personal information, kept up to date; inaccurate or format, needed by the hotel to analyze the past and
incomplete data must be rectified, supplemented, current hotel performance, predict future, and
destroyed or their further processing restricted; formulate strategies. This means that the key
 performance indicators of a hotel can now be traced the management to market their industry. Clientele
from a single dashboard without having to collect would opt to choose five-star hotels over an
reports from multiple sources and compiling them. economy, although monetary consideration would
The use of friendly dashboards could be beneficial for the also be a factor.
hotel staff to access the details of the information that needs - “ a product enriched with a unique identity to create
urgent attention. The hotel management can save time, a meaningful point of differentiation from competing
analyze current hotel performance, and can make data- for products that are designed to satisfy the same
driven decisions. need. It mirrors the company’s values, mission, and
III Staff vision, and use verbal and graphics tools for
• Staffing is another risk that the hospitality industry representation and facilitation of identification.”
usually faces with as the quality services that the Pertinent to branding is the buying decision of the customers
clientele desire may only be given to them through that may consider as risk:
the proper dealings of staff at any given situation, 1. Functional risk: Product performance does not fulfill
place, and time. customer expectations
• The hospitality industry should look for a reliable, 2. Physical risk: Product affections of the physical well-
skilled, and friendly people (housekeepers; front being of the user or others
desk officer; banquet servers; cooks, and kitchen 3. Financial risk: Poor price/quality ratio
personnel, maintenance among others) who can be 4. Social risk: Others do not accept the product
relied on by the guests and potential guests. 5. Psychological risk: Product affections of the user’s
Liability of Hotel: Personal Injury Claim mental well-being
The hotel may be held liable in a lawsuit due the negligence 6. Time risk: The opportunity cost of alternative seeking
or carelessness of hotel employees. The liability may arise due to product failure
if it can be proved that the hotel management acted
negligently. The negligence must be in the form of hotel
breach of they owed to the guest who was injured on the
premises.
Duties of the Hotel to the Guests
1. Inspect the hotel grounds and maintain the property
in a reasonably safe condition. It includes the
preparation of dangerous conditions and taking
affirmative steps to protect guests from known or
reasonably discoverable conditions.
2. Maintain adequate lighting, a duty to keep steps dry
and unobstructed, and a duty to repair hotel defects
3. Control insect infestation (“bed bugs”)
4. Maintain proper security (security guards and
cameras) to avoid theft and assaults on guests;
5. Exercise reasonable care in hiring hotel staff
6. Train hotel pool staff to prevent injuries to guests
7. Maintain stairs and elevators
8. Maintain locks on hotel rooms
9. There is also a duty to reasonably construct hotel
steps or warn guests of unusual staircase locations.
Hotel guests have won lawsuits in which a hotel has
been found liable for negligence design and
construction where the staircase was located in a
long hallway, there was no warning, no caution sign,
and the guests’ inability to exit the hotel resulted in
injuries.
Branding
- Is essential to the decision of the prospective guests
to avail of the services of a hotel. It is safe to say that
hotels with the perfect image could capture the
market notwithstanding the degree of the effort of