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马立褀：上海扬子江万丽大酒店品牌大使 Rauf Malik: Ambassador for the Ren
(2007-05-30 12:29:23)| 分类： 酒店老总成功路 |
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Rauf Malik: Ambassador for
the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel
文/Story：Cherry Li
拍摄/Photo：朱孝慈
Those who have witnessed our
growth cannot be unfamiliar with Rauf Malik, general manager of the
Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel who was featured in GRAND HOTELS
Cover Story last June shortly after he had assumed office. Even now
the interview is still fresh in our memory, which revealed a jovial
character with witty remarks and great care for his associates.
Having been in the trade for nearly thirty years, of which some
sixteen are spent with hotels under the flag of Marriott
International, Inc., Rauf is an international hotelier in its
truest sense. In Asia alone, he has commanded, in succession, the
New World Renaissance Hotel Hong Kong, Marriott China Hotel
Guangzhou and now Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel, with which he
has stayed for more than a year.
Which commitments has Rauf
Malik honoured over the past year? And what accomplished? Why not
pay another visit to the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel with us
and look for the answers for yourself?
To start with, let’s make a
roundup of his “dazzling” achievements. The Marriott China Hotel
Guangzhou had been helmed by Rauf Malik for 26 months, during which
period the hotel was awarded the “Best Employer in China” in
2005, customer satisfaction rate amounting to an incredible 92%.
The Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel is to reach the summit did
by China Hotel, declared Rauf after he had been appointed General
Manager of the former, and the commitment was materialized a year
later when Rauf Malik received the “Best General Manager of the
Year 2006” award by Jin Jiang International and the “Spirit to
Serve Our Communities 2007” and “Mustang 2007” awards at
Marriott’s International General Managers Conference, both
acknowledging his extensive experience and outstanding performance.
Customer satisfaction rate has maintained as high as over 90% in
the recent two years, and is going up apparently.
While Marriott properties
worldwide observed the “Associate Appreciation Week” during 14
and 18 May, an annual celebration showing thanks to all associates
and their hard work throughout the year, Rauf shared his views on
how to achieve success: “To be in the associate’s shoes”, as
suggested by J. W. Marriott, Jr. Chairman of Marriott
International, Inc.
“The face of Asia is changing
and the hospitality industry in Shanghai is developing at a
dizzying pace. And throughout the years, I’ve learned many a
lesson, and found the absolute key to success is putting your
people first, making them your top priority. Now not surprisingly,
I understand some people would argue this point. Naturally our
guests should also be our top focus, but you truly can’t have one
without the other so it’s imperative to consider both as equally
important.”
Developing and maintaining
strong relationships with your employees is the key to a confident
and hardworking workforce, according to Rauf Malik, so is staying
visible and approachable. A general manager can never be too busy.
Make the time! Also, be sure to include all associates in the
hotel’s daily issues. Involve them with the day-to-day happenings
and upcoming changes. Listen to what they have to say, ask for
their input and use it. This not only leads to increased trust and
communication, but has been known to reap financial benefits as
well.
The hotel often arranges for
associates (again at all levels) to ‘trade places’ and cross-
train with their fellow colleagues. It provides an important supply
of empathy, allowing them to literally ‘walk in another’s shoes’
for a day, or even better, for a matter of weeks, to see what their
daily routine entails.
As if to elaborate, first-hand
information was proffered by Jane Wang (Director of Human
Resources) and Robert Xiong (Executive Houskeeper) as evidence, who
gladly shared what they had experienced in the Renaissance Yangtze
Shanghai Hotel.
Jane joined the hotel during
its soft opening; nineteen years elapsed, during which she had
served as the Assistant Manager, Director of Sales and presently
Director of Human Resources. To the third post she exhibited the
greatest content with, “I was really worried at first, when Mr.
Malik transferred me to the Human Resources Department. I’d been
doing sales for ten years before that transfer, you know. Mr. Malik
helped me a lot and restored my confidence. It’s been less than a
year now, but I’d say I’ve done a great job!”
Jane Wang: “If he doesn’t
have any lunch appointments, Mr. Malik can always been seen at “My
Restaurant”, the associate canteen, giving the associates once
again an opportunity to communicate with him face-to-face. Mr.
Malik is always concerned about the associates’ happiness and we
all know that a well-fed associate always performs
better.”
“His always putting associates
first sets a good example for me,” remarked Jane with deep
emotion. “Mr. Malik walks around in the hotel everyday, and
communicates with the associates. When we replaced the old uniforms
with something new, he wasted no time talking to the associates for
their ideas, enquiring if the new uniforms fitted well, whether the
shoes were comfortable or not. He even ordered that staff menu
should be changed everyday so that the associates could have a
taste of foods prepared by different restaurants. During the annual
‘Associate Appreciation Week’, Mr. Malik and department heads
would ‘change the role’ with average associates, taking up the
latter’s job at the front to experience their pains and laughter.
I’ve seen him in a bellboy’s uniform delivering luggage for the
guests.”
To show more of Rauf’s care
for the associates, she dug into her memory bank and added: “Once
when a member of the engineering department happened to break a
vase while in duty, his first reaction was if this associate had
been injured instead of what a loss the hotel would entail. We were
so touched! When we heard that our general manager was to attend
YOU ARE THE CHEF shooting, some expressed their wishes to taste the
T-bone steak he was going to cook in the program. Mr. Malik agreed
without hesitation. He bought around 300 pieces of T-bone steaks
and spared a whole day for the cooking.”
Placing a heavy emphasis on
training, Renaissance Yangtze often sends department management
overseas to attend training courses, through which they can not
only improve the quality of service and lift the level of
management, but also have their vision broadened. The hotel is
quite successful in spotting the good points and potential of each
associate, and putting the right people in the right place so that
this person can play his or her talent and potential to the full.
Such are the information we get from Jane Wang, who impressed us
enormously with her happy nature and self-assuredness deep rooted
in her heart.
Having attracted by Marriott’s
rich cultural heritage, Robert Xiong decided to join the
Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel－serving as an Executive
Housekeeper－with the belief that the hotel would offer more
opportunities for him to craft his career path. And the strong
belief comes from Rauf Malik’s charisma―his enthusiasm and active
attitude―as well as from the general manager’s commitment to
taking care of the associates. In response to the challenges from
relative newcomers, Robert provided a ready answer: “We’re fully
prepared.”
To cater for business travelers
who value sound sleeps as irreplaceable, the hotel had a complete
change of beddings at the end of 2005, using all-natural fabrics to
ensure the highest degree of comfort. Limousine service is upgraded
as well, with posh BMW 7 series for picking up and sending off
guests. This year, all the guest rooms are refurbished with brand
new LCD TVs ranging from 32 to 42 inches and wireless internet
access, with which in-hotel guests can surf the net practically in
any place, at any time, and the new IRJP system allows them to
connect their laptops to the in-room LCD TVs. Renaissance Yangtze
offers a full range of products-for-daily-use, such as the oversize
pillow, fluffy quilt and bath products, which are extremely popular
among travelers. To their great delight, these hotel products are
now available at the gift gallery attached to the
hotel.
Robert Xiong: “Regardless of his
hectic schedule, if he’s in the hotel, Mr. Malik always makes an
effort to attend our Housekeeping briefing every morning at 7:30
am.”
“He always gives associates his
time by asking for their concerns, enquiring about their health and
family. They really appreciate his personal nature. Most general
managers would never give them that much
attention.”
“I’ve seen a host of
qualities prerequisite for an outstanding manager in Mr. Malik and
learnt a lot from him. He plays a good role model, constantly
encouraging us to attain to higher aims,” concluded
Robert.
Rauf Malik was in evident high
spirit for the photographic expedition at a real studio, being the
first of the hotel commanders poising there for the cover shooting.
“It makes me feel like a super model. I’m sure GRAND HOTELS
magazine would be better and better.”
Through the camera
lens we observed a confident Rauf Malik, composed and steady. The
general manager enjoys work immensely; he is always ready to make
other people happy, and succeed. Even his dress code is
significant. “My mother GIGI used to tell me when I was a little
boy that I should pay more attention to the art of dressing, taking
the smallest details into consideration, from my shirt, tie and
shoes to color matching. Wearing the right clothes on different
occasions. Never stepping out of your house before looking into the
mirror and making sure that you are neatly dressed. Looking decent
is a kind of respect for other people as
well.”
We’re more inclined to regard
a general manager as the ambassador for his or her hotel, a view
shared by Rauf Malik: “It is their trust on the Renaissance brand
that lead customers to us. Now that we have established a good
reputation among consumers, I would like to preserve the good image
together with all of my associates.”
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