The Retail Managers - Essay Example

?Part The following exposition evaluates the roles and responsibilities of retail managers in two existing hospitality business environments: Pizza Express and Egerton House Hotel. Both establishments are situation in London. In general, retail managers are employed in business establishments which offer services directly to their clients. Retail businesses include restaurants and bars, accommodations, vehicle service stations, department stores, etc. Retail managers are considered to be responsible for the success of retail stores. The general responsibility of retail managers is to guarantee that their establishment functions smoothly and efficiently through the provision of quality goods and services to their clients. These responsibilities, however, are a function of the size and type of the establishment (Reich & Abraham, 1994).         Following are the common responsibilities of retail managers geared towards harmonizing and directing all aspects of the retail trade: ordering, inspection, pricing, making an inventory of goods, monitoring of sales activities, development of merchandizing plans, promotion of good relations with clients, tracking of profits and losses, and supervising the creation of advertising materials (Reich & Abraham, 1994).         Retail managers normally interact and provide guidance to chefs, cooks, kitchen workers, food and beverage service workers, retail sales workers, cashiers, customer service workers, stock and inventory clerks, and grocery clerks. In terms of responsibilities, retail managers may be engaged in conducting interviews, hiring, and training employees. In addition, retail managers are also responsible for creating work schedules and work assignments (Reich & Abraham, 1994).         To ensure quality service, retail managers are held accountable in maintaining the highest level of customer satisfaction possible. Customer care activities include: addressing customer questions and complaints, and quality assurance checks. Retail managers are tasked to ensure that products and services are provided in a timely manner (Reich & Abraham, 1994).         Depending on the size of the organization and the types of products and services offered, retail managers may need to concentrate on one department. As such, large companies may require several levels of management to effectively manage its operations. Upper level managers may supervise a number of middle level managers, whom in turn have assistant managers under them (Reich & Abraham, 1994). In Pizza Express, retail managers are categorized according to their place in the organizational hierarchy which include: operations managers, restaurant managers, deputy managers, and assistant managers. Operations managers may oversee the operations of more than one restaurant and are expected to share their experience and expertise among other restaurant staff (Pizza Express, 2011). Meanwhile, restaurant managers are tasked to manage one restaurant branch and are expected to oversee its daily operations, in close coordination with the operations manager. Restaurant managers are responsible for the overall financial performance of the restaurant and create opportunities for restaurant staff training and development (Pizza Express, 2011). Deputy managers serve as second-in-command in the restaurant. Serving as the restaurant manager’s assistant, deputy managers are the persons that restaurant staff go to for instructions. Deputy managers are expected to act as the primary conduit of support in the daily operation of the restaurant. Lastly, assistant managers support the restaurant manager in managing the finances of the restaurant, monitoring sales, and training other restaurant staff (Pizza Express, 2011). In the accommodation sector, retail managers assume a very important role in overseeing the daily operations of a hotel, resort store, or gift shop. The retail option of each establishment depends on the products or services being offered. Traditional hotel gift shops sell souvenirs, snacks, toiletries, etc. while beach resorts sell summer clothing, swimwear, and children’s toys. Spas offer beauty products being used by the establishment while hotels and casinos may sell jeweler and other luxury products (Burns 2010). A retail manager’s responsibilities may be classified into four realms: (1) merchandising; (2) store operations; (3) accounting and bookkeeping; and (4) advertising and promotion. The merchandising aspect involves the process of procuring and selling of merchandise to guests. Meanwhile, store operation includes staffing and the receipt of goods to be sold. The accounting and bookkeeping aspect handles tracking of sales figures while the advertising and promotion responsibilities include publicity activities (Burns 2010). Hotel sales constitute a portion of a company’s profits. Thus, retail managers are expected to contribute in the effort to increase overall sales. Stores require sales staff and retail managers are tasked with hiring and training full or part time personnel to satisfy the staffing needs of a particular store. In addition, retail managers are responsible for scheduling of work assignments of store staff (Burns 2010). Drawing from their marketing skills, retail managers supervise merchandise presentation and promotion to attract customers. This also includes making decisions as to which items to put on sale to boost revenues. On the other hand, retail managers also take care of formulating budgets, analyzing sales figures, and developing sales forecasts. Retail managers are also expected to be up-to-date with business trends to maintain competitiveness (Burns 2010).         Additional responsibilities assumed by retail managers include: inventory maintenance, merchandise purchasing, conducting interviews with applicants, ensuring adherence to hotel standards, responding to guest complaints, eliciting customer feedback, observing current trends and market competition, directing sales activities, and attending sales-related trade shows (Burns 2010). In the Egerton House Hotel in London the main function of the retail manager is to ensure that the company meets its financial targets and to enforce company policies. The primary goal of the retain manager is to maximise profits while keeping expenditures at a minimum. In addition, retail managers check the accuracy of promotions and makes sure that it conforms to company standards. The retail manager provides guidance to sales staff by inculcating to them the value of excellent customer service and provides updates on daily targets. In any given day, the retail manager may be involved in the following activities: (1) team guidance and motivation; (2) sales analysis and forecasting; (3) resolving health, safety, legal, and security concerns; (4) responding to customer concerns and complaints; (5) organising promotional events; (6) disseminating important information to colleagues; (7) monitoring market trends, customer issues, and competition; and (8) conducting appraisals and performance reviews (Pitman 2009). Retail managers from both sectors are involved in marketing, logistics, human resources, information technology, customer service, and finance. Though food and beverage and accommodation retail managers both share the same scope of involvement, the main difference is the environment where these retail managers are operating on. For example, food and beverage retail managers are more involved with restaurants and similar establishments which may operate independently or may be part of a larger establishment such as a hotel. In this paper, Pizza Express is an independent company comprised of several branches. Therefore, the functions of retail managers depend on the scope of authority that is granted to them. Therefore, Pizza Express retail managers focus primarily on sales and supervision of restaurant personnel. Since the primary source of revenue is food and beverage sales, retail managers are more concerned on maximising sales, keeping costs to a minimum, and ensuring that all personnel are adhering to policies and standards.         In comparison, retail managers of Egerton House Hotel are focused primarily on sales, promotions, and customer service. Despite not being the primary source of revenue for the hotel, retail shops still contribute to increase sales through the merchandise that it offers. In addition, the promotional activities organized by retail managers also drive up sales by attracting more customers. Compared to Pizza Express, Egerton House Hotel retail managers can specialize or focus on specific functions due to the size of their organization which allows responsibilities to be divided among a greater number of employees. On the other hand, Pizza Express retail managers have broader responsibilities because due to the lesser number of employees to divide the work with. Part 2. This section of the paper analyses Rules, the oldest restaurant in London, as a workplace in relation to its historical and current perspective in a retail environment. Rules opened in the year 1798 by Thomas Rule. The restaurant serves traditional British cuisine and specialises in classic game cookery, oysters, pies and puddings. The choice to dissect this historic restaurant was prompted by the vivid description provided by Lessiter (2011) regarding Rules’ clientele and ambiance as “everyone from Charles Dickens to Charlie Chaplin has dined beneath its ornate stained-glass ceiling or sunk into one of its velvet banquettes with a freshly shaken martini” (para. 3). Additionally, this restaurant is one of very few establishments, in general which publishes both positive and negative reviews provided by its clients. Hence, the perspectives presented in this analysis is not one-sided, but a balanced fusion of management and customer vistas. One could not help imagine how this restaurant had maintained its clientele. Only one thing is certain, however. This restaurant must be doing something right and this analysis hopes to uncover some aspects which propagated its longevity through the centuries. Ambience The first observation focuses on Fullen’s (2003) statement that “a restaurant serves more than food” (p. 8). Ambiance enters into the picture. The English poet and writer, Sir John Betjeman praised Rules not just because it is an excellent restaurant, but because the interior of the establishment, particularly in the ground floor is only one of its kind and inimitable. The interior, according to Betjeman’s own words is, “part of literary and theatrical London [and] ... as at present furnished ... is historic” (Betjeman, 1971, para. 2). Betjeman (1971) went on to add in poetic eloquence that: “Its paintings, prints, busts, bronze figurines, red plush seats, stained glass, as well as the playbills and theatrical relics some of which often go back to earlier than 1873, make it a restaurant very much as it was when it was first newly furnished in 1973” (Betjeman 1971 para. 3). From modern concept, the rule of thumb is to reconceptualise restaurant design about every seven years (Manask & Schechter 2002). This was not the case with Rules, which was described by Betjeman (1971) as a continuing accrual of preserved relics of the past three centuries. Fullen (2003) explained the necessity of exactly addressing the needs of prospective restaurant clients by providing a physical environment readily acceptable and pleasing to patrons. Rules ventured to preserve a classic atmosphere – pleasant and welcoming, and such atmosphere is worthy of being “treasured and protected so that posterity may enjoy it too” (Betjeman 1971 para. 6). Healthy specialty cuisine Customarily, the butchery function is sub-contracted to external butchers who provide pre-cut portions as per specifications of the ordering establishment (Andrews, 2008). At Rules who specialises in game cookery, highest quality game birds, roe deer and Belted Galloway beef are sourced from their (Rules’) own Lartington Estate in the High Pennines, famous for being England’s Last Wilderness. In this way, Rules has also earned wide renown for its game dishes. Fast food goodies, such as hamburgers contain from 51% to 95% fat, 30% to 90% calories and 28 to 53% cholesterol. As such, a single fast food meal provides an adult’s daily nutritional allowance of fats, calories and cholesterol, but with very few nutritional benefits (Jones & Trujillo 2005). In contrast, Rules’ game menu is a much better alternative since game animals have 5 to 7% fat, but high in fibre and protein (‘The Guide to Game’ not dated). In this regard, Rules’ practice is congruent to the modern theory of responsive restaurants which offer menu selections designed to meet nutritious and healthy eating styles (Gordon-Davis & Van Rensburg 2002). While many restaurants are altering their menus and food preparation styles just recently to suit health-conscious clients, it has been Rules’ selling point since it was established in 1798. No wonder Rules enjoys wide patronage through the centuries. Commendations and Criticisms Based on the accounts of British Gertrude Lawrence in 1918, Rules’ has distinguished itself in the theatrical history of London. The walls which featured photographs of celebrities, politicians and sports personalities served as a receptacle of poignant memories that Lawrence looked for this restaurant, first and foremost when she reached London in 1944. This implies that one of the strengths of this restaurant is their excellent ability to preserve history through photographs and memorabilia functioning as wall decor (The Guardian, not dated). Meanwhile, British fiction writer Penelope Lively praises Rules as a traditional English kitchen and a time warp. The time warp suggests that food is sumptuously old-fashioned British. Lively also observed that that the classiness of Rules has upgraded through the years (The Guardian, not dated). On the other hand, Jay Rayner gathered some complaints aired about Rules. The laminated menus are generally not well-liked even by some members of the staff. Another issue which surfaced against Rules was its announcement pertaining to the planned ban of smoking in the general dining room. The establishment was flooded with complaint letters that management decided not to push through with the proposed smoking ban (The Guardian, not dated). References Andrews, S (2008) Textbook of hotel housekeeping management and operations, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing, New Delhi, IND. Betjeman, J (1971) Sir John Betjeman: Greater London Council, Public Inquiry 3 August 1971, viewed 9 April 2011, http://www.rules.co.uk/ sirjohnbetjeman/ Burns, J (2010) Career opportunities in travel and hospitality, Infobase Publishing, New York. Fullen, SL (2003) Food service professional guide to restaurant design – designing, constructing and renovating a food service establishment: 365 secrets revealed, Atlantic Publishing, Ocala, FL. Gordon-Davis, L & L Van Rensburg (2002) Hospitality industry handbook on nutrition and menu planning, Juta, Landsowne, ZAF. Jones, C & EB Trujillo (2005). Eating for lower cholesterol: A balanced approach to heart health with recipes everyone will love. Marlowe & Company / Avalon Publishing, New York, NY. Lessiter, F (2011) London’s historic restaurants, viewed 9 April 2011, http://www.tenlifestyle.com/article/4795/london%E2%80%99s-historic-restaurants Manask, AM & M Schechter (2002) The complete guide to food service in cultural institutions: Keys to success in restaurants, catering and special events, Wiley & Sons, New York, NY. Pizza Express (2011) Manager roles – Pizza Express career and jobs, viewed 9 April 2011, http://www.pizzaexpressyourself.com/manager-roles-2/. Pitman, L (2009) Retail manager, viewed 9 April 2011, http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/print/retail_manager.jsp Reich, RB & Abraham, KG (1994) Occupation outlook handbook, 1994-1995 edn, Diane Publishing, Darby, PA. The Guardian (not dated) Rules, Covent Garden, viewed 10 April 2011, http://www.rules.co.uk/johnprescotttheguardian/ The Guide to Game (not dated) England’s Last Wilderness, viewed 10 April 2011, http://www.rules.co.uk/gameguide/ Read More