Hotel Industry and Public Relations

As the manager of customer service, it is important to have in-depth knowledge of the needs of individuals with various disabilities. There is a growing demand for accessible hotels and accommodation suitable for people with disabilities. The need to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness for both guests and workers is therefore a crucial aspect of hotel management (Kim, Stonesifer, & Han, 2012). As a customer service manager, it is important to support people in different circumstances with special needs. Sally’s Situation
An appropriate approach should be adopted to accommodate Sally’s needs considering that she is profoundly deaf. The challenge pertinent to this case underlies the communication barrier with the client’s taking into account that none of the staff speaks ASL and the fact, that accessing the services of an interpreter will take some time. To accommodate the customer’s need, the primary aspect of focus is the guest-staff interactions. Considering that none of the staff can understand her sign language or speech then pen and paper approach is suitable means of communication before an interpreter arrives (Wharton, 2012). In this situation, a staff member will be assigned to attend the guest’s needs majorly on safety and emergencies. The guest should be notified and oriented on how to use portable mobile alarms, alerts for phones and doors to ensure that the room is accessible (Pohlid, 2017). Also, it is crucial to ensure that all communications features are portable before an interpreter arrives. Teletypewriter should be moved to the guest room for bed shakers and phones to accommodate the guest as needed.

Enrique on Evening Shift

Regarding Enrique’s situation, it is important that upon diagnosis he has reported the matter and as the customer service manager, there is an obligation to accommodate the underlying disability. This requirement is provided under the Employment Equality Acts of 1998 and 2004 which requires taking reasonable accommodation measures (Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2008). In this case, it is important to plan to ensure that all the customer service staff agrees on the reasonable adjustments to ensure that the particular staff disability is accommodated to avoid conflicts in the workplace. The intended changes should suit Enrique’s disability needs to enable him to do his job, and the adjustment is that he will not be affected by the hotel’s night shift rotation policy. The adjustment ensures that others do not perceive the change as an unfair advantage; it is important to sensitize other employees that accommodating a disability is a fundamental foundation of achieving staff equal treatment. The accommodation process should ascribe to the tenets of dignity, individualization, and inclusion (Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2008). The underlying accommodation ensures that all staff has equal opportunity to have similar privileges and benefits as well as same performance levels at workplace irrespective of the disability.

Violet’s Vacation

The issues underlying this case are the following. The guest uses a motorized wheelchair and it does not fit booth table, and the guests at the food service area are complaining about the presence of a service dog. Regarding this case, the suitable approach to address the matter at hand is to make appropriate action to ensure that the wheelchair fits the booth table to make sure that the guest is comfortable. Concerning the presence of service dog, the Department of Justice’s ADA guide allows persons with disabilities to be accompanied by service dogs anywhere they go including hotels (U.S. Department of Justice, 2001). The dog, in this case, has its purpose related to the person with the disability because the dog helps the guest pulling the wheelchair benefiting her as explained under ADA guideline and state laws (U.S. Department of Justice, 2001). Concerning complaints from other guests the appropriate measure is to explain to them that the service dog is not a pet, but it helps the guest with a disability, and, according to the law, the dog should be accommodated.

References

Kim, W. G., Stonesifer, H. W., & Han, J. S. (2012). Accommodating the needs of disabled hotel guests: Implications for guests and management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(4), 1311-1317.

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (2008). 8. Meeting the accommodation needs of employees on the job | Ontario Human Rights Commission. Retrieved on August 16, 2017 from http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/iv-human-rights-issues-all-stages-employment/8-meeting-accommodation-needs-employees-job

Pohlid, K. (2017). New Regulations on Service Animals in the Hotel Industry, by Kathleen Pohlid. Retrieved on August 13, 2017 from http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2489/new-regulations-on-service-animals-in-the-hotel-industry

U.S. Department of Justice. (2001, January). ADA Guide for Places of Lodging: Serving Guests Who Are Blind Or Who Have Low Vision. Retrieved on August 13, 2017 from https://www.ada.gov/lodblind.htm

Wharton, S. (2012, March 16). HNN - Communicating with guests with disabilities. Retrieved on August 13, 2017 from http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/14539/Communicating-with-guests-with-disabilities