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Words of Wisdom Alumni Article

Mr. Mukesh Verma stepped into the hotel industry as Chef de Partie at
Mazorda Beach Resort, Goa and after 2 years of service he moved as Jr.
Sous Chef in ITC Rajputana Palace, Jaipur. His extensive career span of
30 years in the hospitality industry is invariably rich with important
portfolios as General Manager (Hotel Donyi Polo Ashok, Itanagar,
Arunachal Pradesh, Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Hotel Lake View Ashok,
Bhopal) and as Board of Director (Hotel Donyi Polo Ashok, Itanagar,
IHM Guwahati, IHM Bhopal along with Madhya Pradesh Ashok Hotel
Corporation ltd). He is also a recipient of National Award by Ministry of
Tourism, Government of India for conceptualizing 'Rail Restaurant'
Project. At present he is Director (Commercial and Marketing), Mughal
Palace Indian Tandoori fine dining Restaurant, Sydney, Australia.

Mukesh Verma (1991)
Director

How Can Hospitality Brands Maintain Brand Stability?

Among the many inspiring folklores of cross-industry inspiration for customer delight lies for ideas to deliver on
exceptional guest experience, didn't hesitate to borrow from the anticipatory customer service model and train
the staff as per the hotel's service standards. Even the prominent Apple Genius bar is inspired by the concierge
station at the hotel that is the first point of communicating brand stability and building consumer trust in your
services. Herein lies the most important lesson – trends will come and go but exceptional service standards will
never go out of style. Though it sounds simple, maintaining a consistency in product, message, and service yet
being relevant in the current environment, is definitely an uphill task for hospitality.

The Role of Millennial

“We millennial have been advertised to our entire lives, and we can tell when somebody is just trying to sell us
something”. The future of hospitality is in the hands of this new age traveller. Being born in a digitally connected
world, he no longer considers free wireless connectivity in a hotel as a luxury. It is a value seeker and searches
for unique experiences instead of a to and fro trip to a destination. With millennial contributing 22% of all
travellers and 200 billion USD annual revenue, the hospitality industry has to be quick to respond to the
opportunities and risks posed by this new consumer segment.

To streamline between standardization and localisation

This standardization, whether in people, products or processes, is no more just desired from luxury hotel chains
like Marriott and InterContinental Hotel Group but also in the budget segment like Airbnb and OYO rooms. This
is where marketing and operations team have to align so that each employee understands his part in the brand
delivery chain. The Hilton's campaign depicting an iron-clad satisfaction guarantee inspiring staff to solve
problems “on the spot” is a good illustration for the same.

However, isolation from the environment to operate is never ideal. Today's travellers expect a hospitality brand
to be a part of the experience he expects from the destination. With expansion in the managed and franchise

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