Sumantri - Ideation article - Last Connection( 7 )

Ideation article - Starwood Associates Visit Program
by Sumantri

The program is designed to every associate to entitle for familiarization tour to any Starwood properties around the world to see and exchange knowledge within Sheraton/Starwood properties around the world and tide-up a good relationship among associates in different sheraton/starwood.

This program is eligible to associates that are staying or not staying at the Sheraton/starwood properties. It is a great deal with approval to include a tour to the president office in the region or white plan.


Illustration 1
A Sheraton associate Mr. Made from Bali, Indonesia, he and his wife bought a 4 days 3nights tour package to Singapore from a travel agent during low peak season with a very reasonable price includes staying at a 3 star hotel with breakfast and one day tour.

During their stay at Singapore. He knew that there is a program call “Starwood Associate Visit Program” for Sheraton associate “so he would like to visits Sheraton Singapore since he is here.

Then Mr. Made and wife went to Sheraton Singapore. Upon arrival at the reception desk, Mr. Made introduce himself and show his hotel ID card to prove that he is one of Sheraton Associate. After carefully rectify that Mr. made is one of the associates, the front desk welcome Mr. Made & wife to Sheraton Singapore, then the Assistant Manager bring Mr. Made and wife tour around the hotel and completed the tour within 25 minutes. Tour is including front and heart of the house.

The next day Mr. Made and wife went to Temasek Boulevard at Suntec Tower. Mr. Made and wife meet everybody from each & every division offices. Mr. Made and wife have the most fantastic experience ever and they even took this opportunity to take pictures with the president!






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Illustration 2.

Michelle is a Receptionist at Sheraton Frankfurt. She travels to Malaysia as a back packer tourist. She spends 17 days in Malaysia from west to east of Malaysia. While in Malaysia, she made arrangement with different Sheraton hotels that she would like to have the “Starwood Associates Visit Program”.

Michelle has acknowledged of Starwood Associates Visit Program globally within Sheraton/Starwood properties before arriving at Malaysia. When Michelle visited Sheraton Penang, the tour were conducted by Human Resources Department.

Then again, Michelle managed to visit another 4 Sheraton hotels in Malaysia. Michelle has Wonderful experience and exchange different knowledge among the associates and hotels. Michelle really feels that she “to belong” at any Sheraton at anywhere and that is the moment of truth.

Illustration 3

Mr. Phu Ngu Yen is an associate from Sheraton Vietnam. He spent his holiday at Bangkok staying at the Sheraton Shukompit. During his stays, he requested to have the “Associate Starwood Visit program”. After all arrangement done with the from desk, Kun Chairat, the assistant housekeeper bring Mr. Phu around the hotel.

Nevertheless, Mr. Phu is a Housekeeping Supervisor at Sheraton Vietnam, he really feels he is part of Sheraton family the feeling of “to belong” with this program, he feels more very convenience and suitable with arranging of conducting the tour with the right person and position to bring him around as Mr. Phu and kun Chairat both at the same department and they share their experiences and exchange knowledge during the tour.




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This program required terms and conditions / procedure. The idea is for each Sheraton associate allowing them to feel that they are belong to each other properties in order to experience the differences, exchange and gain different knowledge among associates at different properties, discover the beauty of each property and more to learn and observe. Allowing them and their family to explore other Sheraton/Starwood property is a great advantage.



Standard & Procedure to be develop

• To determine who will be in charge on this program. Recommend that on weekday will be under HR and weekend under Assistant Manager or MOD the one who escort the hotel tour. Or shall they request for the same position manager to bring them on tour to exchange experience and tide-up a good relationship among associates at the same department.
• Hotel tour is not to cover all facilities but to include a minimum front of the house and heart of the house. Recommend to cover area such as minimum 1 restaurant, 1 guest room, fitness center, pool side, kitchen, housekeeping / laundry and canteen
• To determine weather require advance information from associate to respective hotel before arrive for hotel tour. Recommendation is good if we inform in advance to the respective hotel but if we don’t the respective hotel also will not avoid it but accept the tour and welcome the associates.
• Regulation still need to be determine during busy situation or high occupancy
• Apply to all property including visit Office President, Area Manager even white plan.
• To determine request system ( on line system, fax or others )
• To determine visit without request / non request system – Ask our reception or front desk agent, do we reject our customer if without advance notice our customer want to see hotel facilities? If the answer is NO it should be the same answer for Sheraton/Starwood associates



About Sumantri


Endang Sumantri Hj Mohd Syarief

Sumantri to his friends and colleague, 38 years of age, Indonesian, married with Malaysian.

Dream to be in the Starwood “Hot Move” announcement list someday.

Degree on Economy Has served as an hotelier in various positions in Rooms Division namely Front Office, Laundry and Housekeeping for over 15 years in some of the world renowned hotel such as The Hyatt Hotels, The Shangri-la and The Sheraton Hotels in South East Asia and 12 years with Sheraton.

Educated, positive and forward thinking. The talents and creativity are reflecting in his personal and professional lives.

His profession skills range from Hotel Brand and compliance standard, Training and Development Concept, Building Maintenance, Renovation & Project Management, Team building and guest relation management, Friendly Media impression, Strong leadership style and of course Rooms Division Management.

Currently the Executive Housekeeper thus assists Front Office as Lobby Ambassador in Sheraton Utama Hotel-Brunei Darussalam.


Books and articles references:

1. Tea the perfect brew : Jane campsite
2. Stock Market knowledge : Susie Vaccaro
3. Connections My Guide : The Sheraton Brand
4. Customer Care :Harold R. McAlindo
5. Department of Urology, Health Sciences Centre, State University of New York at Stony brook – are boxer short Really Better?- article by Robert Munkelwitz M.D & Bruce R. Gilbert, M.D, Ph.D
6. BOMMA, Chicago Report article by Olga Pierce, Concierge Unlimited.
7. Sales relationships: How to build a Long Term, High Quality Relationship article by Don McNamara
8. What does the song mean? Making sense of song -article –by History matters
9. Budgeting by Mr. VG Narayan – Harvad Manage Mentor
10. Customer Relationship Management, Creating Customer Loyalty
By A White paper and Secor Consulting






Acknowledgment

I would like to thanks God the Almighty for continuously giving me a creative mind. My wife Amirah, Sheraton Guests, Datin Hjh Zainah Bujang and Sheraton Utama associates, my family, all the genius people who wrote those books and doing the researches, technology as well as friends, all of them who inspired me and make this 31 pages of ideas possible.