Monday, October 19, 2015

Atithi Devo Bhava

“Atithi Devo Bhavo”- is the tag line of India's Ministry of Tourism's campaign to improve the treatment of tourists in India. We all Indians consider our Guests as God; this is in our culture, tradition since ages. It is believed when a Guest arrives at your place; he brings prosperity with him, spreads happiness among all and becomes a part of your life. Particularly, our Service & Hospitality sector has abided this mantra to its fullest. The client or customer in hospitality sector is regarded as God. God is always right and he has every right to be pleased whatever the circumstances are. We in hospitality sector are told making the “God” dissatisfied is an intolerable offence with a grave consequence.
Grow Up Friends!     
When everything is getting changed in our thought process and the perception to visualize the World is also changing, we should also reconsider. Ours hospitality is a slavery hospitality.  The Guests are masters and the employee is his slave. Gone are the days of Monarchy rule when people bent on their waist to wish someone.
Anyone can clearly glimpse it in any of the Hotel, Restaurant, Club or any other service related sector how a Guest behaves towards a waiter, room boy, or to a bell boy or anybody from whom they are expecting hospitality as a right. In this business of give and take relationship the service is returned against the amount a guest paid for, which off course, is intangible and cannot be measured properly. To get 100% satisfaction of money spent lies on a customer’s or so called guest’s behavior towards staff (service provider) only. It can be easily noticed in case of a foreigner guest and everyone in this sector would agree in this point, while delivering the services to a foreigner, they give their fullest for not anticipating a good tip but for his friendly approach and appreciation. He (Guest) makes the service provider happy considering him as a fellow human being, respecting him as a friend, appreciating and by showing his gratitude.  Staff feels somehow relieved that he has still his dignity and the work he does, not bad, some people also appreciate his work. So is thy Guest.
The time now has been evolved towards an era of self service where there would be no one to serve you. The man will be replaced by a machine or a Robert will be at your service, neither it will understand you nor your corporate and family background, will not judge your surname you bear and also not afraid of your bank balance and to whom you cannot say “ You know who  am I ? “.

So, never again expect to hear this line- “Extremely sorry sir, it is my fault and sorry for the inconvenience. Please, please give me another chance, it will not reoccur again. Thank you Sir….But in his heart he is saying “Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge”                                                                                                          Author: Deekay