Choosing the right online training platform for your hospitality business

If you’ve ever stayed at a luxury hotel on vacation, you may have experienced the comfort they offer—such as staff welcoming you with smiles and making you feel valued.

Once you experience this, you innately develop loyalty to that hotel, and it becomes your preferred choice of stay for future visits.

This warm welcome and attentive care is what defines hospitality, and it represents a vast industry dedicated to aligning their services with these principles.

The sectors that offer comfort-driven services to customers are grouped together into the hospitality industry. Their primary focus is on making customers feel at home when they're miles away from theirs.

How well these businesses perform depends on how well they take care of their customers. This makes it important for them to train their staff to deliver excellent service and manage customers efficiently.

Onboarding and training new employees seems like a never-ending task because employee turnover rates are one of the highest in the hospitality industry.

A diverse workforce, geographic disparity, and language barriers are other challenges that make training in the hospitality industry an arduous job.

Some industries, including manufacturing, finance, and software, are adopting online training to boost their overall productivity and reduce cost overheads. The hospitality industry could also benefit from this approach.

This blog post will cover the various sectors of the hospitality industry, explain the advantages of online training, and discuss how to choose the best online training platform for the hospitality industry.

Hospitality industry sectors

The hospitality industry includes a variety of services that can be broadly grouped into five major sectors.

1. Food and beverage

Services like pubs, restaurants, cafes, and fast food establishments are included in this sector. These services also cover the delivery and transit of food and beverages across regions.

2. Lodging

Hotels, resorts, and rental stays come under the lodging sector. It's closely tied to the tourism industry, and thrives in areas with high tourist activities.

3. Leisure industry

The leisure business centers around recreational and entertainment activities, including theaters, art galleries, animal sanctuaries, and more.

4. Travel and tourism

This sector overlaps with other sectors of the hospitality industry. It primarily involves travel via various modes of transport and also includes food, lodging, and recreational activities.

5. Meetings and events

This sector includes venues that host casual and business meetups, expos, and sporting events. Hosting events also benefits surrounding small businesses, contributing to the overall hospitality industry.

Why is employee training needed in the hospitality industry?

The most obvious reason is to train employees to provide top-notch customer service. However, there are several other aspects in which training is needed in the hospitality industry. Here are a few use cases for each of the above sectors.

1. Elevating service excellence in restaurant-bar operations

A popular restaurant-bar chain wants to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. To achieve this, they need to train their staff on:

• Customer service: Waiters receive training to greet customers warmly, take orders precisely, and handle special requests or complaints with patience and professionalism.

• Mixology: The bartenders are trained to serve cocktails, mocktails, and other drinks with the correct proportion and mixture.   

• Health and safety: Kitchen staff are trained on safety regulations to prevent contamination and ensure the groceries are stored safely.

2. Enhancing hotel guest satisfaction through effective training

A five-star hotel aims to provide a comfortable experience for its guests. Here, training is required for:

• Front desk operations: Concierges are taught to handle guest luggage and mail, and receptionists are trained to oversee check-in and check-out procedures and manage guests patiently.

• Housekeeping standards: Employees are trained in the proper methods for folding towels, bed linens, and other linens. They’re also trained to know when to avoid disturbing guests, ensuring that rooms remain spotless and meet the hotel’s high standards.

• Cultural sensitivity: Staff are trained to understand and respect diverse cultural preferences to cater to international guests and enhance their stay.

3. Training for safety and enjoyment in amusement parks

An amusement park wants to ensure visitors have a fun and safe experience. Training is necessary for:

• Ride operation safety: Operators are trained to manage rides, perform regular maintenance checks, and handle emergencies without panic.

• Guest interaction: Staff members are trained to engage visitors patiently and provide guidance and information about park attractions, eateries, and other amenities.

• First aid: First aid training is given to employees to handle minor injuries and respond quickly to medical emergencies.

4. Delivering exceptional travel agency operations

A travel agency focuses on providing exceptional travel experiences. Training helps with:

• Travel planning and booking: Agents are trained to use technologies like booking systems, understand travel regulations such as mandatory documents and requirements, and create tailored itineraries for their clients.

• Destination knowledge: Staff learn about various travel destinations, including local customs, history, and cuisines. This knowledge helps them assist travelers navigate their journeys.

• Crisis management: Employees are trained to handle travel disruptions, such as flight cancellations or lost luggage, ensuring minimal inconvenience for clients.

5. Training for successful event management

A convention center hosts various events, from corporate conferences to weddings. Here, training is essential for:

• Event coordination: Staff learn how to plan and coordinate events, work with both vendors and exhibitors, and manage schedules to ensure smooth operations.

• Technical skills: Employees are trained to operate the latest audio-visual equipment, learn optimal lighting and sound for the stage, and troubleshoot technical issues during events.

• Customer relations: Event staff are trained to interact with clients, understand their needs, and provide exceptional service.

Why online training is essential for upskilling the hospitality workforce

Apart from the usual benefits of saving time and money, online training offers tons of other benefits while training the employees in the hospitality industry.

1. It reduces employee turnover

A lack of career growth is one of the leading causes of high employee turnover. When employees feel their roles are stagnant and see no opportunity for career advancement, they can become demotivated, leading them to consider quitting.

While businesses might think they can easily replace employees, doing so can cost nearly six to nine months of an employee's average salary.

Proper upskilling and cross-skilling opportunities are crucial to keep employees satisfied.

This ensures that employees receive the recognition they deserve, and also helps prevent demotivation—ultimately boosting overall productivity within the organization.

2. Better information retention

Because the training materials are readily available, employees can refer to them whenever they want. This accessibility helps improve their retention rates compared to traditional learning methods.

Additionally, online learning typically takes 40% to 60% less time for employees to grasp the material compared to traditional learning.

3. It creates an adaptable business

For any business, including those in the hospitality sector, the skills required by employees will continue to evolve. Sustaining in the market for the long term hinges on having a workforce that is well-versed in market-demanded skills.

Identifying skill gaps and analyzing the skills needed for the business to thrive over the next 8 to 10 years, along with upskilling employees in those areas, will definitely benefit organizations.

4. Helps in internal mobility

Transfer of employees to new careers within an organization is called internal mobility. This includes job promotions, transitioning to new projects, and acquiring new skills to take on additional responsibilities through upskilling, reskilling, and cross-training your existing employees.

Creating a learning path by specifying the skills needed for employees to switch to different positions or attain promotions, along with the relevant courses designed to help them acquire those skills, will enable employees to learn the necessary skills more effectively and efficiently.

5. Track progress effectively

It’s always beneficial to measure the quality and effectiveness of your training programs. With online training, employers can easily track employees’ learning progress. Many online training platforms provide analytical tools to assist with this.

Additionally, businesses can receive instant feedback, allowing them to refine their training methods effectively.

How do you choose an online training software for your hospitality business?

To train your workforce in the hospitality sector online, there are numerous online training software options or LMS available. It's best to choose a platform that fits your business needs, such as the number of employees and pricing.

However, there are a few factors that will help you select the best training software for your hospitality business, including:

• User-friendly website creation: The ability to build a comprehensive training website without any coding knowledge.

• Freemium options: Availability of a freemium plan that allows you to explore the platform before committing financially.

• Diverse course material formats: The capability to add employee training materials in various formats to keep learners engaged and enhance the learning experience.

• Integrated engagement tools: Built-in features such as virtual classrooms, quizzes, and interactive elements to eliminate the need for third-party applications.

• Custom mobile app: A personalized mobile app to provide easy access to learning materials for employees.

• Progress tracking: The ability to monitor learner progress through a single dashboard.

• Compliance tools: Features like drip content and mandatory training modules to ensure adherence to industry regulations and standards.

• Multilingual support: The capability to support multiple languages, allowing employees from various backgrounds to learn effectively.

• Seamless integration: Easy integration with other business tools such as HR management systems, payroll, and shift tracking to streamline operations.

Related topic: A guide to setting up your business's online training software.

Why TrainerCentral is the ideal online training solution for your hospitality business

TrainerCentral is an online training software designed to create engaging online training programs to upskill the workforce in any industry, including the hospitality business.

The platform has several features that make it a robust and preferred choice for an ideal online training solution:

• TrainerCentral offers a no-code website builder that allows you to create professional-looking training websites with just a drag-and-drop interface. This means you can easily set up your online training platform without any technical expertise.

• TrainerCentral provides a freemium pricing plan, allowing you to explore the platform and its features before making a financial commitment. This enables you to assess its suitability for your hospitality business risk-free.

• With TrainerCentral’s AI-powered course builder, you can create a structured course curriculum that supports various formats. This capability helps keep learners engaged and enhances the overall learning experience.

• TrainerCentral includes multiple engagement tools, such as a built-in virtual classroom, assessment builder, and assignment features to evaluate learners, as well as discussion forums that promote collaborative learning. These integrated tools eliminate the need for third-party applications and enhance the training process.

• TrainerCentral offers a customized mobile app that allows you to create a mobile platform in your brand's name for both Android and iOS. This ensures that your employees can easily access learning materials on the go.

• TrainerCentral provides detailed analytics, so you can easily monitor learner progress through a single dashboard. This feature helps you identify areas where additional support may be needed.

• The platform includes compliance features such as drip scheduling and course mandates, which regulate the pace of learning to ensure adherence to industry regulations and standards.

• TrainerCentral is available in multiple global and regional languages, allowing employees from diverse backgrounds to learn effectively and comfortably in their preferred language.

• Being a brand of Zoho, TrainerCentral can easily integrate with other Zoho business applications like Zoho WorkDrive, Zoho Bookings, and Zoho Shifts. This integration ensures a seamless business operation, making it an ideal choice for hospitality businesses looking to streamline their training and other business processes.

 Wrapping up 

Training your employees in the hospitality industry is crucial for boosting productivity, reducing employee turnover, and future-proofing your business. Choosing an online training platform for your business might be tedious; however, with the factors mentioned above, you can get an outline of what to look for in a platform before subscribing.

If you’re interested in TrainerCentral, we can help you get a detailed demo of the product and how it can benefit your business. You can also sign up for the product and get a 15-day free trial.