The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-23

WASHINGTON, March 1S.--To WASH
ington's collection OF colleges, young
ladies' seminaries and business schools
has just been added unique institu-
tion-the only hotel training school in
/ the United States
The hotel training school does not, as
might carelessly be inferred, teach peo-
pie who expect to live in hotels how to
order a balanced lunch, or when to joke
with the waiter. When we heard of the
school we rather expected to find
would-be belhops learning to hop and
extract tips according to the latest
turned out quite different 1t trains its
| students for executive positions--mana-
! gers, assistants, hostesses, houSekeep-
| ers and head accountants.
| At least 80 per cent of the Industrial
work of the world mot the |, W. W.,
| the business manager of the school tells
| you, Is done by unframed, unskilled
workmen, who belong to the hire and
! fire class OF the remaAning 10 per cent,
| are in what used to be called the APP
prentice class. They have some techni-
! cal knowledge of one particular job. 1t
! Is the other 5 per cent which Is highly
| trained, that the school is interested in
| increasing
For SO years" the manager ex-
| planned, "the hotel fraternity has been
! talking about the need for school to
| train executives. Some mathematical
! shark has figured out that every en-
| ploye taken into hotel costs the man
| agement $3.50. That is the loss to the
| organization before the recruit gets to
be worth anything, Then usually the
ambitious employe has to work about
| Is years before he reaches a position
| % Of thn
| to prepare their employees for advance
ment, some of the large hotels maintain
| their own systems of coaching, such as
the well-known classes at the Waldorf
| Astoria under the leadership of the ia
nous Oscar. But the school, just
opened in Washington, Is the first to be
established as an Independent institu-
ton covering the entire hotel business"
| The only other school of the kind so
far as the manager knows, is in Swift
| erand, and is under state CONTROL as in
that country a prospective hotel mana
| ger must pass an examination before he
Is granted a license. The Swiss insti-
| tuition, however, is quite different from
| the Washington training school,
The school itself is a series of lecture
rooms with blackboards and long rows
of chairs, rest rooms and business Of
fces-rather like any business school.
I'VE teach our pupils" the principal
explained. "all about the ISL positions
| In a modern hotel, starting with the
bellboy and going on UP to the mana
ger. Then, when they enter hotel serv-
ice, they are not merely familiar with
one branch, but they understand the
whole system.
"All the details of a big establish
ment has to be considered. For exam
pie: How is the life Of linen prolonged,
and what is the acid test? How does
| a night clerk assist guests he can not
| fnrp iS a VIM
used to save money for the hotel?
These are random questions, but they
serve to show the territory that has
to be covered in training a hotel eXecu-
tive. Then there is the psychological
side
"One of the most important things
we teach the pupil is how TO smile. II
mustn't be a sarcastic or an indiffer-
ent smile, or the smile. Of the manager
who could beam at guest with one
side of his face and scowl at the clerk
with the other. We try to impress the
idea that the guest must be greeted
| with a genial smile that comes from
within And we don't like the vampish
Gov smirk. 1t must be .guileless:"
The principal paused for breath, anc
unconsciously gave us a sample Of the
successful guileless smile that woulc
be guaranteed to make any hotel guest
feel cheerful, and welcome, and glat
to part with S. day.
We teach the students hoW 10 ge
out of difficulties" he went on, 1--WE
don't dwell on that, though, because
IL is better for them to be able to avoit
unpleasant situations by perfect service
Still, II guest is irritable or wants .
check honored, or some other situation
arises which a subordinate can no
handle. the employee must know how t
refer the matter Without unpleasant
ness to an executive, and the executiv,
must be resourceful enough to satisfy
the demand, or. occasionally, to refuse
II, In such way that the guest vii
not be offended.
as a rule, the request of hotel pa
tron is law. The biggest men in tn
business have set down the motto, TIL
guest is always right and hotel EN-
| ployes soon learn not to argue, and no
to refuse any demand. however un
reasonable. unless 1t is physically I'M
possible to comply,
Better service is the goal Away
ahead OF the hotel employe. He or sh'
has constantly TO study the guests ant
note signs Of satisfaction and annoy
ance One diner may squtrm about II
his chair because he is nervous over tn
stock market or his best girl, But
half a dozen people In the dining room
Hook as IL they feel uncomfortable. thei
1t 3 time to have the chairs tested