2000 DECA-Ontario Provincials

2000 DECA-Ontario Provincials

HMDM Event

An Association of Marketing Students®

HOSPITALITY SERVICES MANAGEMENT

TEAM DECISION MAKING PILOT EVENT

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS

The event will be presented to you through your reading of the General Competencies Evaluated, Specific Competencies Evaluated and Case Study Situation. You will have up to 30 minutes to review this information and prepare your presentation. You may make notes to use during your presentation.
You will give an ID label to your adult assistant during the preparation time.
You will have up to 10 minutes to make your presentation to the judge (you may have more than one judge), followed by up to 5 minutes to answer the judge’s questions. All members of the team must participate in the presentation, as well as answer the questions.
Turn in all of your notes and event materials when you have completed the event.

GENERAL COMPETENCIES EVALUATED

Communication skills—the ability to exchange information and ideas with others through writing, speaking, reading or listening
Analytical skills—the ability to derive facts from data, findings from facts, conclusions from findings and recommendations from conclusions
Production skills—the ability to take a concept from an idea and make it real
Teamwork—the ability to be an effective member of a productive group
Priorities/time management—the ability to determine priorities and manage time commitments
Economic competencies

SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES EVALUATED

Explain the nature of business activities.
Explain the concept of management.
Explain the nature of staff communications.
Demonstrate appropriate creativity.
Explain the nature of positive customer/client relations.
Interpret business policies to customers/clients.
Explain key factors in building a clientele.
Explain the nature and scope of operations.
Explain procedures for handling overflow business.
Explain the nature and scope of product/service planning.

2000 DECA-Ontario Provincials

HMDM Event

CASE STUDY SITUATION

You are to assume the role of front desk management team for Edgewood Resort, a venerable old hotel property located in the heart of the business district of your city. You are to approach the hotel manager (judge) with a plan for addressing issues raised by the hotel’s bell captain.

Because of its age and location, the Edgewood Resort faces many of the problems of older distinguished downtown facilities—inadequate parking, smaller sleeping rooms and chronic repair issues.

The bell captain has approached you about the hotel’s parking situation, which during weekdays is a nightmare, particularly for corporate clientele. Although the hotel is a 250-room facility, it only has spaces in its lot for 70 cars. Public parking is located nearby for a fee; however, many of these spaces are leased on a monthly basis to local businesses. One garage in particular, located five blocks walking distance from the Edgewood, provides discounted rates for patrons of the resort or for use by the bell staff for valet purposes. The distance factor, however, does not make it a prime choice. Metered parking is available on the street, but it is often difficult to find and hotel guests cannot be expected to feed parking meters all day.

In addition to parking, the bell captain is also responsible for such other services as airport transfers, luggage handling and, frequently, assisting with concierge requests. Since the Edgewood is an established landmark, it has a high volume of repeat clientele with an equally high level of expectations.

The bell captain reports that last Tuesday, one of your regular guests, Ms. Coleman, was meeting two of her colleagues for lunch in the lobby lounge. Although she was not staying at the property, she frequently uses the Edgewood’s exclusive restaurant, The Armington, for business dinner meetings. In addition, she recommends the property to other business associates and friends.

On this particular rainy day, Ms. Coleman was running late for her luncheon meeting. She attempted to park in the hotel lot but was greeted by a sign stating that the garage was full. She had noticed a number of empty spots at the garage a few blocks from the property, so her next course of action was to ask the valet to park her car. When she arrived at the front of the hotel, however, the valet station was empty and a sign posted there stated that valet parking was now available only to guests staying overnight at the property. Frustrated and rain drenched, Ms. Coleman approached the bell captain to request assistance.

Although the bell captain was inclined to make an exception for Ms. Coleman, he decided that the policy of the property needed to be enforced. If an exception was made for one customer, more customers would ask for special privileges. Actually, the bell captain believed that holding to the policy minimized complaints from customers as well as from bell staff. As a result, an irate Ms. Coleman decided to pick up her two associates and leave the building. The bell captain was concerned about the lost business of a good customer and has asked you to give him guidance on situations like this, which are becoming more frequent.

Because this is not an isolated incident, you have requested a meeting with the hotel’s manager (judge) to suggest a plan of action. Considering such variables as guest service and satisfaction, you have chosen to focus your presentation efforts on

Introduction: a brief background about the facility and the problem
Body: some possible solutions to the problem
Conclusion: soliciting support for your ideas
Questions and answers: rationale for your recommended solutions

You will make your presentation to the hotel manager (judge) in the manager’s office. The manager (judge) will begin by greeting you and asking to hear about your analysis of the problem and its solution. Once you have completed your presentation and have answered the questions, the hotel manager (judge) will conclude the event by thanking you for your ideas.

2000 DECA-Ontario Provincials

HMDM Event

JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS

You are to assume the role of hotel manager of Edgewood Resort, a venerable old hotel property located in the heart of the business district of your city. Your front desk management team (participant team) is to approach you with a plan for addressing issues raised by the hotel’s bell captain.

Because of its age and location, the Edgewood Resort faces many of the problems of older distinguished downtown facilities—inadequate parking, smaller sleeping rooms and chronic repair issues.

The bell captain has approached two of your front desk managers (participant team) about the hotel’s parking situation, which during weekdays is a nightmare, particularly for corporate clientele. Although the hotel is a 250-room facility, it only has spaces in its lot for 70 cars. Public parking is located nearby for a fee; however, many of these spaces are leased on a monthly basis to local businesses. One garage in particular, located five blocks walking distance from the Edgewood, provides discounted rates for patrons of the resort or for use by the bell staff for valet purposes. The distance factor, however, does not make it a prime choice. Metered parking is available on the street, but it is often difficult to find and hotel guests cannot be expected to feed parking meters all day.

Because this is not an isolated incident, your front desk management team (participant team) has asked to meet with you to suggest a plan of action. Considering such variables as guest service and satisfaction, they have chosen to focus their presentation efforts on

Introduction: a brief background about the facility and the problem
Body: some possible solutions to the problem
Conclusion: soliciting support for their ideas
Questions and answers: rationale for the suggested recommended solutions

The presentation will take place in your office and will begin with you welcoming the team to the room. After the inital presentation, you are to ask the following questions of each participant team.

Why do you feel such a high level of guest service is integral to the success of this particular property?

At what point is it necessary to disregard policies and procedures?

What costs are associated with your recommended solutions?

How will you communicate your ideas to the hotel staff?

Once the team has completed its presentation and has answered your questions, you may conclude

the event by thanking the participants for their suggestions.

You are not to make any comments to the team once the event is over except to thank the

participants.

2000 DECA-Ontario Provincials

HMDM Event

JUDGING THE PRESENTATION

The Management Team Decision Making events were created by DECA in response to the career opportunities available for participants in these occupational areas.

The participant team will first take a comprehensive exam based on knowledge of general marketing competencies. Participant teams with a career interest in one of the occupational areas will analyze a case situation related to a business in the chosen occupational area. The participant team will make decisions regarding the situation, then make an oral presentation.

The participant team will assume the role of a management team for the business represented in the case situation. The role of the judge(s) is that of an executive (if one judge) or executive team (if more than one judge) for the business.

Participants will be evaluated according to the Evaluation Form and will be scheduled for presentations at fifteen (15) minute intervals. Please place the participant team’s name and identification number in the upper right-hand corner of the Evaluation Form.

During the first 10 minutes of the interview (after introductions), the participant team will present their analysis, decisions/recommendations, and the rationale behind them. Allow the participants to complete this portion without interruption, unless you are asked to respond.

During the next 5 minutes you are to ask questions of the participant team to determine their understanding of the situation presented. All members of each team should respond to at least one question. To insure fairness, you may ask each participant team the same questions (questions are provided in the Judges Instructions). After asking the standard questions you may ask other questions for clarification specific to the current participant team.

After the questioning period please thank the participant team and state that a decision will be made soon and the participant will be notified of the decision. Then complete the Evaluation Form, making sure to record a score for all categories. The maximum score for the evaluation is one hundred (100) points.

A score of “Exceptionally Well Done” in any category means that, in your opinion, the information is presented in a very effective way; in effect, nothing more could be expected of an employee.

A score of “Well Done” in any category means that, in your opinion, the information is presented well. Though there may be a few minor problems or omissions, they are not significant.

An “Adequately Done” score means that the information is presented adequately. It meets minimum standards of acceptability.

A score of “Little Value” in any category means that some major flaw has been noted that damages the effectiveness of the presentation. This may be a major omission, a serious misstatement or any other major flaw.

A “No Value” score means that the information presented is of no value. It is presented in such a way that it does not help the presentation at all.

We hope you are impressed by the quality of the work of these potential managers. If you have any suggestions for improving the event, please mention them to your event director.