Quality and Value Defined

Value. Value is what every guest wants, what every customer seeks, and every service transaction should provide. Value is when the quality of the experience, service, or product truly outweighs the costs.  When quality is high and costs are low, greater value is achieved.  When costs are greater than the quality given, value is not achieved in the eyes of the customer.   

Quality is determined when the guest�s expectations are subtracted from what is delivered. If the delivery of a service or product meets the expectations of the customer, quality is achieved. Quality is higher when the delivery exceeds what was expected. When expectations exceed that is delivered, quality becomes low or non-existent.

Value is what every service transaction seeks to achieve.  This applies to food service - a fine dining experience achieves value when the patron receives a high quality meal and experience for the money paid.  Value applies to the lodging industry - hotels provide value in the same way by achieving quality in their standards and balancing them with the costs the guest pays.   

But what value is there in the industry for those who call themselves hospitality professionals?  In a day and age where customers are seeking high value, who is providing value to those who work and lead this industry?  Various associations and organizations around the country and world provide a wide array of services, representation, and assistance.  Are they providing value to those they serve? Many do.  Some don�t. Now, through the creation of a new industry organization, hospitality professionals have an organization designed to provide a new level of value

Providing Value to Hospitality Professionals

�Value� is the trademark of the industry�s newest professional development organization � the Society for Hospitality Management (SHM).  The SHM is designed to create a value-laden relationship for hospitality professionals.  Many associations seek to create value for their members, but in the end, they simply wait for their members to come to them and seek the benefits offered.  The SHM is different.

The SHM is your partner in developing the skills of industry professionals and the organizations in which they lead and serve.  The SHM�s desire is to be big enough to promote to the industry, yet individualized enough to meet the member needs and the needs of the hospitality community.  Value, through the SHM, is achieved in the following ways:

• FREE BIMONTHLY TRAINING BULLETIN:  Every other week, the SHM sends out a �Training Bulletin� for those who subscribe to it. The email includes a specially developed management development article designed for hospitality professionals.  To subscribe, visit the SHM website at www.hospitalitysociety.org.

• WEBSITE RESOURCES:  For those choosing to become members of the SHM, our website is filled with articles, checklists, forms, sample job descriptions, and links to the best information for hospitality professionals.  The website will soon have a discussion board where members can post questions and receive information from other members.

• COST EFFECTIVE TRAINING RESOURCES:  Through the SHM, education and training products are available at the best possible prices.  Products include resources for professionals at all levels and have been developed in written, video, cd, and dvd formats.

• CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS:  The SHM is developing a series of public seminars for hospitality professionals. Visit the website for an up-to-date listing of the programs and locations.

The SHM seeks input from managers and executives at all levels of the industry to make this organization the most value-added resource for education and professional development.  Visit the SHM website at www.hospitalitysociety.org and provide your ideas and suggestions.   The SHM is the �ultimate� advantage in providing training and educational resources for the industry.

Chris Longstreet, CHA, is President & CEO of the Society for Hospitality Management (SHM).   The SHM provides hospitality managers and leaders with the necessary resources for education and professional development.  Members of the organization receive value through programs, products, and resources created and available through the organization�s website. In addition, the SHM provides hospitality professionals with the tools to improve the performance and profitability of the organizations they lead and serve.