Letters

Don't miss this chance to celebrate

With just a few weeks to the Hong Kong hand-over, why has this industry not staged dinners, events, parties and themed menus to mark the big day? It seems we are missing an opportunity to prop up slow business on a Monday. Timing is perfect: the ceremonial will be beamed live into the UK at lunchtime, and again at the end of the afternoon as the flag is lowered and Britannia sails away.

Surely the appeal of a one-off patriotic and world event is a bigger draw than the usual marketing drives we see every year when the bunting comes out for Bastille Day, American Independence Day and St Patrick's Day? Apart from the huge number of families living in the UK with Hong Kong connections of one sort or another, we're a nation which loves both nostalgia and Chinese food.

Let's not shy away from making something of this event. It's not too late for chefs to pull out their Chinese cookbooks.

RICHARD MCINTYRE

Bury St Edmunds,

Suffolk.

Passing of the hotel figurehead

John Pattin's letter bewailing the demise of the chain hotels' general managers - so far only Forte, but more to come, no doubt - flies in the face of reality.

Years ago the general manager ran the business, cosseted the customer, cared for the staff - many of whom spent their working lives at the hotel - and was the overt symbol of the hotel. In recent years these functions have been subsumed by head office managers, departmental managers and personnel officers to the point that the general manager has ceased to be.

In manufacturing industries the same has occurred, and many factories that used to be run by a board of directors are now run by remote head offices with a supervisor being the head person on site. The standard chain "bedroom factories" have to be run in the same way: it is the only way they can compete with the characterful, quality, personality-led hotels such as those that John Pattin - and, hopefully, I - run.

JOHN A JENKINSON

Director,

The Evesham Hotel,

Evesham, Worcestershire.

Colleges overlook free training

We have seen a great deal of correspondence recently regarding the skills shortage within the industry. I, along with many others, worry about the future of the craft section of our business and applaud those organisations that are showing initiative and attempting to raise awareness of food and eating among schoolchildren.

For many years we have been conscious of financial restrictions placed on colleges resulting in a reduction in craft training and, as many of us now realise, NVQs have not proved to be the solution. However, I believe that many colleges are not taking full advantage of the help that businesses with staff shortages would be pleased to offer as on-the-job training.

So why, when I approach colleges, do I get such a negative response? I am more than happy to give students the opportunity to experience "real" catering situations and, of course, pay them for their work.

Can it really be true when I am told by lecturers that students are tired at the end of a long week, or have too many homework assignments to produce, or simply do not want to work at weekends or evenings?

How the tide has turned since I was a student, when I was encouraged by my college lecturers to work at every opportunity offered, and since I subsequently became a lecturer responsible for industry placement and had to plead with establishments to take students.

Have students' attitudes really changed that much, or, heaven forbid, the attitude of some lecturers?

JOHN RETALLICK

Proprietor, Emlyn Arms Hotel,

Bridge Street, Newcastle Emlyn,

Carmarthenshire.

Recompense for bad tap water…

I read with interest the article and opinion regarding contaminated tap water. My advice would be to ask Three Valleys Water to provide customers with details of their Public and Products Liability Insurance Policy and to seek recompense, not on the grounds of "economic loss" but on those of Increased Cost of Working (ICOW).

GA CHILVER

Ealing, London.

… or Condensation compensation

Further to your report on the contamination of water in parts of the area served by Three Valleys Water and the concerns of the White House Hotel, Watford: there is, of course, a serious loss of water through steam as a direct result of having to boil water.

Up to 20% may be claimed back from the water company as water has come in but not gone out.

I am sure the White House and every other business in the Three Valleys Water area know exactly how many kettles were boiled, and all those businesses affected should demand compensation, or take it off the next account. If the latter route is to be taken, an accompanying letter with the cheque should open with: "This type of claim is recognised in law, etc."

A JOHNSTON

Proprietor, Bibury Court Hotel,

Bibury, Cirencester,

Gloucestershire.

Interview wasted everybody's time

Following an advert for a young, enthusiastic assistant manager, I submitted my CV and received back a letter offering me an interview. The general manager was not willing to see me at a weekend, so I made an appointment for a weekday and travelled for four hours to reach the interview at 11am.

After the journey and all the anticipation, I was certainly not expecting to be greeted by the general manager with the words: "Please refresh my memory". Following this, the general manager conducted my interview from the bare bones of information which I wrote on the application form given to me on arrival for the interview. I would have thought it both courtesy and common sense for the manager to have familiarised himself with details beforehand and thought about some questions, as I had already sent a copy of my CV.

Instead, he looked through the application form in the interview, then asked: "Tell me where you have worked." The second question was: "Presumably you are interested in the salary?"

It would have been better to show me around the hotel and explain exactly what the position involved, instead of me having to ask during the interview.

The interview took less than five minutes and a request for some form of contribution towards travel expenses was turned down point-blank.

We all know pay in the hospitality industry can be low, but is £9,500 realistic for a live-out assistant manager position in a busy 120-bedroom town-centre hotel? The advert stated: "The ideal applicant will possess two to four years' experience within a similar environment. This exciting opportunity would suit a junior assistant manager, wishing to advance their career within a quality environment."

Name And Address Withheld

Grading schemes cause confusion

I am writing in response to proposals for a harmonisation scheme for hotel classification. I am a hotel and catering student on placement in a hotel in Scotland and have also worked at a hotel in England, so I have experienced working under both classification schemes.

I have found that the hotel under the Scottish Tourist Board scheme works continuously towards meeting its standards in both service and quality to customer and staff alike and, along with Investors In People, these standards have become integrated effectively within the hotel.

In comparison, the four-star hotel I worked in under the English Tourist Board scheme, although it was charging higher room rates, offered only basic standards of quality.

The lack of harmony between the schemes just creates confusion for the customer. The AA/RAC star system conveys false messages to the inexperienced customer on the scale of service, quality and the price they expect to pay in relation with the rating.

The star rating scheme does not convey the standard of decor, service and quality that matter most to the customer. Many customers would be quite happy to have fewer facilities if their welcome was warm, the service was of high standard and there was a quality environment.

It is all very well a hotel having a star rating to represent the fact it has 100% en suite rooms, but if the en suites are of a poor standard this would not be reflected to the customer.

HELEN BRAND

Rufflets Country House Hotel,

St Andrews, Fife.