I first met PRS Oberoi (‘Biki’) in 1976, once I was heading HR for the lodge division of the Worldwide Commerce Heart in New Delhi. ITC’s diversification into lodges has proceeded quickly, and workforce necessities quickly outpaced our coaching capability. There was no approach out however to rent expertise from established gamers – Taj, Oberoi and ITDC. So it was no shock when Becky bumped into me at an trade occasion and mentioned accusingly: “So you are the man who’s been poaching our folks!” Then he smiled. “However it does not damage us,” he continued, “I hope you may see our coaching faculty someday.” Becky jogged my memory of this incident once I joined his firm as Chairman of the Oberoi Group nearly twenty years later. “I’ve come to the darkish aspect, however I can guarantee you it should be an thrilling journey,” he joked. By no means had a more true phrase been spoken.
Bheki predicted what Manmohan Singh’s financial reforms would imply for the Indian lodge trade. Not solely will there be a rise within the variety of overseas enterprise and leisure vacationers to India, however worldwide lodge teams will observe swimsuit, setting new requirements for services and products. Indian lodge chains must pull up their socks. Throughout a number of a long time of residing on the planet’s finest lodges, Becky formulated his imaginative and prescient of the best lodge: one that may reconcile the science, know-how and precision of the West, with the generosity, hospitality and sensitivity of Asian cultures. Thus, whereas India will present the color, taste and human contact of the unique East, the protection, safety and privateness of the company should meet the very best up to date world requirements. Above all, he wished his lodges to be an oasis of consolation, peace and tranquility for company – primarily enterprise vacationers and discerning vacationers – who traveled there for a function. These concepts had been utterly new on the time.
To show these ideas into follow, Becky launched a “Transformation Program” to the lodges within the group. In addition to, there was additionally the chance to create some new tasks to embody these concepts – high-end boutique properties in Rajvilas (Jaipur), Udaivilas (Udaipur), Amar Vilas (Agra) and Vananivilas (Ranthampur). No effort has been spared to create these luxurious, aesthetic, inexperienced and serene lodges. However the challenge prices had been mind-boggling! Many within the trade (and a few throughout the firm) had been skeptical whether or not these tasks would ever see the sunshine of day, not to mention turn into worthwhile. However Becky by no means misplaced his confidence. “All the time give the perfect, and income will come robotically,” he quoted his father – Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi, founding father of the Oberoi Group.
However what’s “finest”? For Becky, it was about two issues: impeccable high quality and unparalleled service. To him, these weren’t simply administrative buzzwords. He walked the speak by directing that each one buyer complaints – each single one – be despatched on to him in a sealed envelope. Each morning, he learn all of the messages and responded to every one, establishing his personal follow-up technique to make sure that particular person lodge managers had carried out the required corrective actions. This took him about two to 3 hours a day. After I requested him about this, he checked out me for a second and mentioned, “That is the perfect use of my time as president.”
He additionally realized {that a} mere command and management system wouldn’t be sufficient. High quality and “service orientation” needed to be constructed into the product and imbibed by the individuals who offered the service. The primary was the simpler job. Becky had a ardour for lodge design and liked spending time with architects. Not the slightest element of their drawings escaped his consideration. In a uncommon second when he thought of what he would do after he “retired” (an idea utterly overseas to his nature), he instructed me: “I am actually not going to plant roses or play golf all day, however I’d like to be that approach.” Lodge designer.
Instilling a love of service and a spotlight to element in lodge workers was harder. Becky determined that he would moderately rent folks with “the precise attitudes to service” moderately than rely solely on {qualifications} or expertise (“Expertise could be a set of unhealthy habits”!). An in depth recruitment technique has been devised to display candidates for these two traits. Most significantly is the reconfiguration of The Oberoi Lodge Faculty (the flagship challenge initiated by MS Oberoi) into a whole academy for preliminary coaching and lifelong coaching in lodge operations and administration, with particular consideration to service and high quality orientation. It’s a testimony to this coaching that it has at all times been in excessive demand from Oberoi managers and staff within the hospitality trade in India and overseas.
Dwelling as much as these requirements was not straightforward. “It is like a seesaw, scary however completely thrilling,” one government instructed me. A few of them moved to simpler pastures. Becky realized that this was the value a conqueror needed to pay. “That is my contribution to the trade,” he would say. Till the top, Becky remained passionate, inquisitive and creative. The one factor he might complain about being in Heaven now was that there have been no complaints for him to look at. Alternatively, this can be the true paradise of a talented innkeeper….
After an extended stint at ITC Ltd and BAT plc, Ravi Bhootalingam was the Chairman of The Oberoi Resorts Group from 1995 to 2001.
These are the author’s private opinions. They don’t essentially mirror an opinion
(Tags for translation)BA Opinion
