Crisis management and the most important factors in the hospitality industry

The 9/11 terror attacks resulted to a crisis. In order to manage such as crisis, there is need for an individual to have techniques and skills that will ensure that he or she can assess, properly understand, and cope with the crisis (Barton, 2007). Different opinions have been given about managing a crisis. Crisis management should involve eliminating technological failure and developing a formal communication system that helps avoid or manage a crisis when it comes up.

Crisis management according to another opinion is that in most cases, it comprises of different methods of responding to the perception and reality of a crisis. For instance, developing and implementing a crisis management plan is one way through which people can manage a crisis. It is also important that crisis management involves the establishment of metrics that focus on defining the kind of scenarios that may constitute a crisis. This becomes very vital in triggering the necessary mechanisms of responding to a crisis.

Activities that are undertaken in pro-active crisis management include planning on how one should deal with the crisis if it were to arise. In addition, forecasting the potential crisis helps one to be well prepared if the crisis occurred in future. It is important that the real nature of the crisis is identified so that intervention methods are developed to minimize the damage caused by the crisis. The methods will also assist people to recover from the crisis.

Most importantly, crisis management in the hospitality industry should focus on public relations so that the public image or damage is recovered. Crisis management needs to reassure the stakeholders that the recovery of the hospitality industry is underway. In the hospitality industry, certain factors are very important. One of the most important factors in the hospitality industry is the security of the visitors or customers because insecurity puts away potential customers from seeking services from a hospitality institution or organization.

Since customers only pay for services they are convinced will guarantee their security and that of their families and friends, security becomes an important factor to them. Another important factor in the industry is the quality of services that are offered to the customers. The hospitality industry has an obligation to provide customers with high quality services. Hotels, restaurants and travel agencies can only enjoy great benefits if the customers appreciate the quality of services offered to them.

This promotes customer loyalty, which is very important for the growth of the industry because it leads to increased revenue. The diversity of services offered by major players in the industry is another important factor. The greater the diversity of services that the hospitality industry or institutions (hotels, lodging, restaurants, travel agencies) offer, the greater the probability of getting a large number of customers. This is because; the diverse services offered are able to cater for the different needs of the customers.

Introducing many and different range of services assists the industry’s major players to address the changing needs of the consumers. The cost of services that are offered in the industry is important to the customers. Because different customers have varying economic abilities, individuals tend to seek services that meet the value of their money and only those they can afford. Services that do not meet the value of the customers’ money or are too expensive may fail to attract a high number of customers seeking hospitality services in hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies.