the hospitalitymanager

theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

NNeewwssppaappeerr ppoosstt

SSuummmmeerr IIssssuuee NNoo 11

The Journal of the Institute of Hospitality Malta

An Education and TourismThe Working mothersHR Guidelines

& more

The Hospitality Manager Issue 1 6/17/08 10:25 PM

contentstheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Contents

9 8 20 26

Welcome - Julian Zarb

From the Chairman’s desk - Tony Coleiro

Welcome Address - Dr. Mario DemarcoParliamental Secretary for Tourism office of thePrime Minister

Members’ Page

HR Guidelines Human Resource Development

Guidelines for SMEs - Training Adapted - NicolaBorg Costanzi

The Working Mothers - Rebecca Gatt

Education and Tourism......Are we making the grade?- Julian Zarb

Creating a Great First Impression by Phone- Charles Martin

A quick glimpse to the islands’ Music Culture over thecenturies Part1 – The early years - Joyce Guillaumier

HACCP Explained PRPs, The Foundation of HACCP

The Lighter Side of Hospitality.. - Alfred Formosa

5

7

9

10

13

15

20

23

26

29

30

theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr is published on behalf of:

The Institute of Hospitality Maltac/o The Travel Malta Business CentreSt Helena BuildingTriq Tumas FenechB’Kara BKR03www. Instituteofhospitalitymalta.org

Design and production:Mejoris HospitalityAjiree 5, Triq TestaferrataMsida MSD 1402Email: [email protected]: 79867587

Editorboard: Julian C. Zarb, Tony Coleiro

Contributions: Dr.Mario DeMarco, Nicole Borg Costanzi, Rebecca Gatt, Julian Zarb, Charles Martin, Joyce Guillaumier, Paulino Schembri

Front Cover:

The Institute of HospitalityChairman Mr. Tony Coleiro

SSuummmmeerr IIssssuuee NNoo.. 11

theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr is the only publication that is distributeddirectly to the desk of all Hotel and Restaurants Managers inMalta and Gozo, Members of the Institute of Hospitality, Banksand Government Departments and the Institute Overseas branch-es. It is also found at most Hospitality establishments’ foyers. The publication is distributed as is without warranty of any kind,respecting the contents but without holding any liability to anyparts of this publication as these do not necessarily represent thePublishers views. All views and opinions expressed intheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr are those of the author and do not neces-sarily reflect the views and opinions of the publishers.

The Hospitality Manager Issue 1 6/17/08 10:26 PM Page 3

WelcomeWelcome to a fresh and new publication for the Institute of Hospitality’s

Malta Association. Since 1990, the HCIMA Malta Group has had its own

publication and we have managed to reach out to more and more read-

ers through this important communications tool. I was the editor for

that publication for a number of years and it was certainly an interest-

ing time for me. When I was approached by the present Chairman of

the Institute of Hospitality in Malta, Tony Coleiro to lend a hand in set-

ting up this new journal, I accepted the challenge knowing that this was

an opportunity to carry on where we left off! I hope you will find this

first issue interesting and informative and I invite you to write to me at

my email shown below with any suggestions, comments and contribu-

tions for the journal (we are even considering offering a few initiatives

to encourage more and more contributions).

This first issue includes some interesting news from our association; it

has a welcome address from the new Parliamentary Secretary for

Tourism, Dr. Mario De Marco, Charles Martin gives us a few practical

tips about Customer Care; we will also be giving some space for cultural

news about these islands, since this is a vital element for a sustainable

tourism product. Alfred Formosa keeps us sane with his lighter side of

hospitality page and you will certainly find more and more interesting

contributions on other diverse subjects in this issue.

Take Care

Julian Zarb MBA MA isss FIH MTS Dip. Adult Training and Development

Editor, the Hospitality Manager �

�I hope you will

find this first issue

interesting and

informative �

Julian Zarb

editor’saddress


June 2008


From the Chairman’s deskA year has nearly passed since my election as Chairman of the Institute andvery proud to note that the Institute is once again giving the TourismIndustry another important publication different from the one we used tohave for the last few years. The Hospitality manager is the new name of thepublication and our intention is to involve as much as possible contributionsfrom the various sectors within the Industry. We are trying to get as much aspossible articles with particular interest related to HR forums, trade statistics,and other news about our Members, not withstanding any success storiesfrom the Hospitality, Travel, Tourism and Leisure Industry.

I would like to stress the importance of our Institute and why it is a priorityto form part of this elite body of hospitality professionals. The benefits thatour members are eligible for have increased and several companies offer dis-counts schemes or personalized professional services. Members also benefitfrom free and exclusive access to the Institute’s valuable range of informa-tion sources and services including, the innovative virtual library and otherspecial programmes. However, a key benefit of membership is the access thatmembers have to other like-minded business men and women, workingwithin the hospitality industry. Our members are also offered the opportunityto meet at social and formal events and make use of our network opportuni-ties worldwide. These initiatives serve to maximize our knowledge, skills andperformances and encourage each other to achieve best business practice.

During my term of office, I made it a point that my main tasks focused onthe setting and advancement of professional standards of Hospitality man-agement, the initial and continuing professional development of individual,the recognition of individual competence and commitment to professionalgood practice, in line with a code of conduct, supported by a professionaldocument which adds value to membership of the Institute. Jointly with myExecutive Committee we kept our promise and had various meeting withAuthorities, Unions, and other professional bodies in Malta. To this effect wemet Hon. Dr. Mario Demarco LL.D. MP. Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism,were we discuss at length our proposals.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the new EditorialBoard, those companies who will be supporting this magazine by theiradverts, the contributors for their interesting articles and the ExecutiveCommittee for their support and continuous professional commitmenttowards the Institute. We must always keep our main objective to promotethe highest standards in hospitality education, personal, professional andindustry practice, as our goal as this is essential to raise the profile of allthose who are involved in the hospitality industry. This can only be achievedwith your support, by actively participating in the Institute’s educational andsocial events.

Tony Coleiro M.B.A., F.I.H., F.I.S.M.M., F.Inst.T.T, CC

Chairman, Institute of Hospitality – Malta �

�We must always

keep our main objec-

tive to promote the

highest standards

in hospitality

education�

Tony Coleiro

chairman’saddress


June 2008


addresstheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Dear Chairman and Members,

This is going to be my first

address to your organization

since the election of your new

committee. The Institute of

Hospitality has an important

role to play in ensuring that the

tourism industry does have a

strong basis for professionalism

in ensuring that the manage-

ment of the key areas of this

socio-economic activity perform

effectively and efficiently. The

tourism industry, on which our

national economy is certainly

very dependant, cannot function

well if we ignore the standards

and levels of those qualifications

which provide the fundamental

knowledge to create a proactive

industry.

I believe that it is important that

together we must continue to

work on improving the standard

and level of all qualifications for

tourism professionals and I am

certain that the IoH will provide

a strong partnership in this

regard. Tourism trends are

changing rapidly today and we

need to ensure that these islands

remain competitive and provide

that unique sense of hospitality

and service that can make the

destination stand out from the

rest! This Government has prom-

ised “More and Better Jobs” and

the tourism industry has the

right ingredients to provide more

opportunities for a broader spec-

trum of society. The Malta

Tourism Authority together with

the Parliamentary Secretariat for

Tourism is already working on

the implementation of the

National Tourism Plan for 2007

to 2011 and very soon we will be

announcing a strategy to devel-

op local plans for tourism; the

key to a successful industry has

to be the development of a sus-

tainable activity based on the

principles of the Local Agenda

21, those same principles which

create a wider stakeholder own-

ership and community based

tourism.

Tourism today needs to reflect

those authentic elements which

create a specific interest by the

visitor or traveller in deciding on

a destination or place to visit –

some countries rely on one or

several iconic symbols, these

islands have a number of sym-

bols which reflect their history,

culture and characteristic – those

same qualities which have

enthralled visitors to the islands

for hundreds, if not thousands of

years..we need to discover the

real Malta and Gozo but we also

need to enhance the sense of

real hospitality and service that

is so synonmous with the

Maltese islands – with your help,

this is possible if we go forward

together!

Best Regards �

WELCOME ADDRESS:DR. M. DEMARCO

PARLIAMENTARYSECRETARY FOR TOURISM

OFFICE OF THE PRIMEMINISTER


news theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Members’ PageTony Coleiro elected on the MTA Main BoardAs from last January (2008), Tony Coleiro MBA FIH Chairman of

the Institute of Hospitality has been serving on the Main Board of

the Malta Tourism Authority after IOH was elected according to

the Malta Travel & Tourism Services Act of 1999, and specifically

to subsection (2)(e) of section 3 of the act, empowering the

Minister for Tourism and Culture to appoint two members of the

Malta Tourism Authority “ on the recommendation of such other

Associations recognised by the Minister as representing other sec-

tors providing travel and tourism services” The Term of Office of

the members currently serving on the Malta Tourism Authority is

for one year and expires on the 31st . December 2008.

This position now should give the institute in Malta greater credi-

bility, and members are urged to support their Chairman during

this year. �

Institute holds meeting with Dr. Mario DeMarcoA very cordial and fruitful meet-

ing was held recently with the

newly appointed Parliamentary

Secretary for Tourism, Dr. Mario

Demarco at his office in Valletta.

During the meeting the Institute

presented a discussion paper as

has been the procedure whenev-

er it met the authorities. An

interesting discussion ensued on

the views of the Institute's vision

of the Hospitality industry. The

institute presented its ideas relat-

ing to the certification of hotel

management, the classification

process of hotels and restaurants

and the need to have represen-

tation of the Human Resources

on the Main Board of the Malta

Tourism Authority. We also pre-

sented our views on the election

process from the nine recognised

associations and how this could

be improved for the benefit of

the Tourism industry. The repre-

sentation on the Board of

Governors at the Institute of

Tourism Studies was also dis-

cussed especially since the insti-

tute endorses all certification

given by the ITS to its students.

At the end it was agreed that

further regular working meet-

ings are to be held. �

Institute holds meeting with GWUAs part of the strategy ofpushing the Institute'sagenda to the forefront ofthe national policy, theinstitute held a fruitfulmeeting with the highestofficials of the GeneralWorkers Union. Again,thepoints discussed at this

meeting included the reasons for a need for all Managementin the Hospitality industry to be qualified to perform theirjob. The idea of having a qualified workforce even at frontliners level was also discussed and the institute has offered itsassistance in achieving this goal. The conditions of work andwork practices in the industry were also discussed and bothparties showed their concern on the present policy beingimplemented in some properties and the ripple effect this ishaving on the entire industry. Here it was agreed that unlessthe owners / directors accept the principle of investing in theworkforce the present situation would not improve. It wasagreed that the union would also be invited to the IOH HRNetwork as this would give a great contribution to thisNetwork. �


newstheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

The Winners of the National CompetitionFollowing the assessment of the entries for our first National

Competition,the judging panel stated that all the entries were of a

high level and they had a difficult task to choose the winning proj-

ects. All participants were judged on set criteria of Presentation, Aims

of the project, Benefits to the company, Time frame, Strategy and

Costs.

And the winners were! Bertrand Gatt and Sarah DeMarco.Bertrand who works at the 4 star Preluna Hotel and Towers in Sliema

as F&B Manager presented a project to turn the hotel into a Green

hotel and so be able to become a member of the Green Hotels

Association whilst Sarah who works as a Front Office Manager at the

3 star University Residence presented a project to introduce certain HR

structure which at present are missing from the hotel and which if

introduced would improve the performance of the employees at her

place of work.

The winners were presented with their well earned placement in

Scotland and Ireland.

A full report of their experience will be given in the next issue of the Hospitality Manager. �

An Agreement finalised with The Victoria HotelThe Institute of Hospitality finalised a collab-

oration agreement with the Management of

the Victoria Hotel, granting the use of meet-

ing facilities and other services to our mem-

bers. We thank Ms. Claire Xuereb who on

behalf of the Management and Board

Directors of the Hotel, offered complimentary

space for the hanging of a plaque outside

the hotel’s main entrance, advising Institute

Members and the general public that

Victoria Hotel is the meeting place of the

Institute of Hospitality – Malta. �

This year’s AGM which was held on the 30th May 2008 saw the return of Mr James Muscat FIH to thecommittee . Mr Muscat replaced Mr Karl Grech who could not continue on the committee due to pres-sure of work. We thank Karl for all the work he performed during his term of office.

The elected committee is made up of: Chris Camilleri, Tony Coleiro, Alfred Formosa, Tonio Micallef,James Muscat and Julian Zarb.

STOP PRESSSTOP PRESS


HR GuidlinestheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

An organisation’s employees are itsmajor resource, especially in the hospi-tality industry which is essentially anindustry run by the people for the peo-ple. Therefore, a well trained workforcewho is able to match the needs of theindustry efficiently is of utmost impor-tance.

The Training PlanThere is no standard format for aTraining Plan as each is tailoredaccording to the particular needs of theestablishment preparing the plan.However, when preparing a plan, it isimportant to take certain factors intoconsideration:• The training topics which are identi-

fied from the Training Needs Analysisto determine the type of trainingactivities to be organised

• The objectives to determine what youintend to achieve from each activity

• The trainees who will be trained. It isimportant that staff attend sessionswhich are directly linked to their job• The number of persons attendingeach session which in turn will deter-mine the type of session held

• Determine which methods will beused. Which sessions will be conduct-ed on the job and which off the job

• The facilitators who will run the ses-sions (in house trainers or externalfacilitators)

• The length of time of each session. It

is important that sessions are straightto the point and do not drag on

• Time frame by when each session hasto be completed.

In many cases, the heads of depart-ment or supervisors will do most of thetraining in-house. In this case, it isimportant to be aware of certain tech-niques:• Demonstration (when addressing a

larger group of people)• Coaching (for personalised training-

also on a one-to-one basis)• Discussions-Workshops

Good training need not be expensiveand takes little time to organise. Thebenefits of training far outweigh thecosts. In fact, a well trained workforcecan raise the standards of the organisa-tion turning it from an average opera-tion into an outstanding one and willprovide the kind of service people willwant to come back to. �

�The benefits of

training far

outweigh the costs�

HR GuidelinesHuman Resource Development Guidelines for SMEs- Training Adapted by Nicola Borg Costanzi

This article is part of a series of guidelines on the HRFunction. These guidelines are aimed to assist Smalland Medium Establishments in the running of theirbusiness. Each guideline can be pulled out of themagazine and kept for future references and as theywill form great reference material.

Nicola Borg Costanzi

Further information is available from the followingsources: MTA http://mta.com.mt/index.pl/indus-try_hr_development_unitIOH – www.hcima.org.uk Caterer – http://www.caterer.comBusiness HR –http://hcima.businesshr.net/intro/index.html

For a copy of the ‘Tourism Human Resources

Handbook’ please contact the Industry HR

Development Unit, at the Malta Tourism Authority

on 2291 5124/5 or Email [email protected]


featuretheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Moreover, women have taken a verydemanding role at home and I tend tosay that they carry out this duty pro-fessionally. Therefore, the impressionthat women decided to have a fulltime job outside their home in this lastcentury is not true.

The situation in Malta is differentbecause locally for the last decadesfamilies afforded to have one incomeflow very often being provided by theemployment of the husband-fatherwhile the wife-mother had the chanceto dedicate more than forty hours aweek for the family. But this scenariochanged due to shifting familydemands. Women had to stretchbetween their motherly professioninside the home and a career at work.

I am not a feminist but one thing Iought to say is that the ‘symmetricalfamily’ in Malta nowadays is still rareto find. In reality women have to pro-vide the biggest share of the familycare. Men do help but the Maltese cul-ture has its own restrictions whichcause mothers to work two shifts a

day, at home and outside the home.Very often it is the wife-mother whocooks, washes the clothes, hang them,wrap them and iron them, helps withthe homework, takes the children toextra-curricula activities, take days offwork when the children are sick orhave to attend parents’ day. Besides,women find themselves in uncomfort-able situations because for instancethey are required to work eight hoursor more overtime a week which moreoften than not is not possible for work-ing mothers. There are even timeswhen they have to work night shiftsand here again they have to leavetheir children behind. It is not easy forthe working mother to get promotedsince her restricted timetable does notspare her time for full career develop-ment and for further up-skilling.

At this point I am not trying to statethe fact that the Maltese woman’s lifeis insupportable but certainly theylead a stressful one. This reality is notpleasant to mention but rest assuredthat it is worse living it. Of coursethere are men and children that give

The Working Mothers

�At this point I am

not trying to state

the fact that the

Maltese woman’s life

is insupportable but

certainly they lead a

stressful one. �

Rebecca GattM.A. Ind. Rel. & HRM KeeleUni. UK, B.A. Sociology (Hons)

[email protected]

Women have been active participants in the labourmarket since ancient times, performing activitiesvarying from cooking to hunting. In medieval timeswomen worked in the fields and in farms. At the timeof the Industrial Revolution women were assignedtasks in the coal mines. At present, women are in theprocess of fully integrating themselves within theworld of work, but this is not the case for women inThird World Countries where they are still consideredas performing cheap labour.


the workingmothers


June 2008

a helping hand at home but sub-stantial others do not. I do tend toblame the latter but at the sametime our traditional cultural andeducational system which early inlife channels girls and boys in dif-ferent roles according to ‘masculini-ty’ and ‘feminism’ has to be fac-tored in the overall assessment.

In such a situation one need to lookfor solutions. The National ActionPlan for Employment – 2005 stipu-lates that the Maltese WomenWorking Population needs to dou-ble in the labour market, but whatare authorities doing to encouragethis? During the last years therehave been a lot of chatting andmumbling about the need to set-upmore nursery services and childcare centers. A few did pop up butvery often the service they offer isexpensive, government should sub-sidize such service to encourageworking women to make use ofthem. Certainly there is also moreto be done especially in the fieldregarding tax breaks and credits to

contributory pension. On paper alot is said but action follows at avery slow pace. Furthermore,employers need to understand moretrade unions insistence on the intro-duction of family-friendly practicessuch as the improvement of mater-nity and parental leave. Unions arealso emphasizing on the imple-mentation of reduced hours, flexi-hours and part-time work.Unfortunately, for the latter benefit,it is becoming the habit of employ-ing women for less than twentyhours which means that they looseany pro-rata benefits. The educational system plays avital role in preparing a more openminded workforce. Moreover, eitherall parties to the equation endeavorin one direction or else workingmothers will find it hard to make it.

MALTESE WOMENNEED TO DOUBLE IN THE LABOURMARKET

Rebecca Gatt M.A. (IndustrialRelations & HRM) KeeleUniversity UK, B.A. (SociologyHons) University of Malta.Rebecca has graduated fromthe University of Malta in2003. In the year 2006, shehas successfully completed aMaster degree specializing inIndustrial Relations andHuman ResourcesManagement. Her main areasof interest are in the humanresources development sector,the relationship between theemployer and the employee atthe place of work, collectivebargaining and [email protected] �


feature theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Everyone who is involved in someway with tourism marketingknows that the concept of creat-ing niches is an important policy,especially, when it concerns theestablishment of the market sharethat is forever getting more andmore depleted through the open-ing up of new and more exoticdestinations! The Maltese islandshave had a long and chequeredhistory of tourism developmentthat goes back more than eightyyears, since 1923 and the idea ofeducation and tourism goes fur-ther back to the days of the GrandTourist in the seventeenth century.A number of these “students”have left a legacy of writings thatdescribe the social as well as thecultural and historical life on theislands in those days. Our closerelationship with Britain between1800 and 1979 has meant that weare, possibly, the most Anglophilenation in Europe and today ourmembership within the EuropeanUnion, including definite candi-dates for the Eurozone, gives usplenty of advantages as the idealtourism destination in theMediterranean. But we alwaysseem to have a problem with find-ing our best market niche andspecialization – we try hard tooffer a plethora of services fromsun and sea, music and culture,

history, conferences and incentiveand sports. All these nichesshould attract a fair amount ofour sustainable quota of tourismarrivals every year but the ques-tion is: are we offering the rightenvironment and services for eachof these niches or are we trying tocreate a stereotyped package ofservices and products in anattempt to present a “one size fitsall” policy?

The niche market for EnglishLanguage Students has been gain-ing momentum over the past fewyears, not particularly because ofits primary benefit for creatingopportunities in hospitalityamong a broader sector of societybut, rather, as an alternative tosolving the dwindling occupancylevels in our hotels. I think thisidea of filling the vacant bedswith students in our hotels is justone other way in which thetourism market looks for the easyapproach to its strategic develop-ment without looking for innova-tive and new ways of seekingmarkets! I suppose if this were aquestion of looking for alterna-tives during the shoulder period itmay be acceptable but to acceptbookings from a market whichhas different needs and percep-tions than the traditional tourism

Education and Tourism..........Are we making the grade?

�The niche

market for English

Language Students

has been gaining

momentum over

the past few

years �

Julian Zarb takes a brief look at the language school

market in Malta. How sustainable is it for these

islands and how important is it that we insist on

ensuring ethical behaviour


educationand tourism


market during the peak seasonfor travel and holidays isanother way of accepting com-plete defeat in one’s mar-ketability strategies.On the other hand if we devel-op a sound policy and strategyfor the English languageStudents to Malta and Gozo,there is great potential whichcan pay off for the future. Firstof all, the students can be adirect source of marketing forus with their friends and fami-lies back home; if they havehad a good experience duringtheir stay on the islands thenthey may return again andthere is the potential for creat-ing new accommodation in nontraditional tourism areas, thuseasing the pressure on conges-tion that leads to unsustain-ability.

Some of the stories that we hearabout the behaviour of some ofthese students in areas such asSliema and St. Julian’s (bothresidential areas) does remindone of the lager louts and foot-ball hooligans who plaguedEurope during the last decades!If we are to host tourists of adifferent age group and mind-set in the same hotels as thesestudents that is really askingfor trouble and we must expectthe negative feedback wereceive.

Many of these students do nothave a clue what responsibletourism is all about and myfirst suggestion to the agencieswho promote these islands forthis market is that we insistthat a clear code of ethics basedon the principles of responsibletourism and Community based

Tourism (CBT) are spelt out tothe letter and that any devia-tion or transgression of theseethics should be severely treatedwith possible “black listing” ofthe culprits. The importance ofensuring these students inte-grate with the local communitywithout disrupting both ourlifestyle and culture needs to bea priority.

Following the policy whichUEFA adopted after severalclashes with hooligans inEurope over the past yearswhen it also held the footballclubs responsible for the “fans”actions, perhaps we also needto hold the agencies responsiblefor the actions of their clients inthis regard.

Itineraries and approved guidesor assistants for the studentsmust be screened to ensure thatthey do have the competencies

necessary for providing theessential support services whichwill reduce the risk of unethicalor rowdy behaviour by the stu-dents.

If we do not take this situationseriously, then we will run therisk of losing our market sharefrom other niche markets orfrom the mainstream tourismmarket. Hosts as well as touristshave responsibilities, rights andobligations just like all otherconsumers and these obliga-tions certainly include a respectfor the culture and lifestyle ofthe destination one is visiting.

Mr. Zarb is the Vice Chairmanof the Institute of Hospitality –Malta, Tourism Journalist andMedia Presenter, President ofthe Malta Tourism Society andVice President of EUTO. �

June 2008


featuretheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

In most situations the first contactpoint of potential customers withour property is the Phone. Peoplecan make a very quick decision onthe company even by the way theoperator replies to the caller. Asnappy reply can transmit an indis-position on the part of the companyto dedicate enough time to eachcustomer whilst on the other hand arelaxed and slow talking employeecould put customers of your compa-ny. So the need to choose the rightpersons to take care of your proper-ty’s phone calls is of prime impor-tance as these are the people thatcan create either a great or disas-trous First Impression.

Phone etiquette helps encourageclear lines of communication, buildrapport, and avoid misunderstand-ing. It is an integral part of yourcustomer service as this influencesyour customers’ impression of yourproperty.

Train your employees on the follow-ing points as this will let callersknow that they are dealing with aprofessional company:Pre-essentials required before the

phone starts ringing. Make surethat you:

Ensure that the operator has anorganized desk with all the require-ments needed to perform his/hertask. The operator should know thenames, title, and responsibilities ofeveryone in your hotel and who ison duty on the day. Have a list ofwho to refer calls to (general topicand person responsible) If the opera-tor is not comfortable greetingcallers, make him/her practice withinternal customers first. Later recordtheir calls to use in training ses-sions.

Familiarize yourself with theanswers to most Frequent AskedQuestions regarding your company.Have a list compiled to get allfamiliar with the replies.

Do not disclose confidential infor-mation

The following are some tips on answer-ing the phone: • The best time to answer the phone

is just after the second ring. Youdon’t want to catch the caller off-

Creating a Great FirstImpression by Phone

�People can make

a very quick deci-

sion on the compa-

ny even by the way

the operator replies

to the caller.�

How many times did you phone a hotel and felt thatyou seem to be intruding on the company or havefelt that you are a welcomed guest? and all this justby ringing in to the operator. Many properties do notrealise the great importance that the TelephoneOperator plays in our industry.


creating a greatfirst impression


June 2008

guard by answering too quickly,nor do you want them to waittoo long.

• Greet the customer; thank thecustomer for calling your compa-ny; identify yourself; ask how youcan assist as per company’s SOPs• Answer in a warm, enthusias-tic, friendly, and positive toneof voice. This makes callersunderstand that you are happyto assist.

• Smile! Believe it or not, it showsthrough the phone!

• LISTEN carefully to what thecaller is saying or requesting

• Be patient. Stay cool, calm andcollected.

• Ask callers for their names,even if it is not necessary, anduse their names during theremainder the call.

• Speak clearly, slowly and in alow tone of voice (you don’t

want to seem like you’rescreaming)

• Never talk with anything inyour mouth.

Taking Phone Messages: Be sure torecord the following information…• Caller’s name and company (if

applicable). • Repeat the message to ensure

accuracy • Time and date of the call • Ask if callers want their calls

retuned. If the answer is yes,get their phone number andask what time would be con-venient for them

Creating a Great Last Impression: • Ask if you have answered all of

the callers’ questions • Thank them for calling • Always end with a pleasantry,

such as: “It was nice speaking

with you!” “Have a great day!” • Let the caller hang up first; this

shows you are not in a hurry toget off the phone.

Have a pleasant call!! �

SSoommee DDOO’’SS aanndd DDOONN’’TTssDDOO make the caller feel special.

DDOO develop a consistent greet-

ing (ensure that brand stan-

dards are met at all times) that

is to be used by all staff.

DDOO put the phone down in a

gentle manner if this is neces-

sary during the call; it will be

easier on the caller’s ear.

DDOO speak directly into the

receiver,

DDOO avoid background noise as

much as possible.

DDOO put a small mirror next to

the phone. Smile. Research

shows that smiling can be “felt”

over the phone.

DDOO maintain a professional

manner at all times!

DDOONN’’TT type or shuffle papers

(unless taking a message). It

suggests that you’re not listen-

ing to the caller.

DDOONN’’TT bury the receiver in your

shoulder or neck.

DDOONN’’TT eat or have anything in

your mouth while talking on the

phone.

DDOONN’’TT sound rushed, as if you

have more important things to

be doing.

DDOONN’’TT keep a caller on hold

for more than 30 seconds.

Speed sells!


culture theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

As time went by this device was intro-duced to accompany the singing ofthe workers as they went about theirtasks. Soon it also formed part of theritualistic dances intended to appeasethe gods who were thus enticed toascertain abundant harvests.

There is nothing to suggest that thisprocess did not evolve also in Malta,probably even from an earlier date,seeing that our Temples are at least athousand years older than thePyramids in Egypt and that the pre-vailing society was already very devel-oped. Of course there is no tangibleevidence to support all this, howeverwe can assume that what was hap-pening in other areas round theMediterranean Sea and further afieldto the East was also happening inMalta, seeing that here too,man’s greatest preoccupationscentered round the need tofind food and appeasingNature, which, being anunknown quantity, was con-sidered as mystical and myste-rious. So originally, magicand labour were united in rit-ualistic music accompanyingthe hunting of food and agri-

cultural activity.

We have no documentation as to thetype of music that was played ordanced to at that time nor during thePhoenician, Carthaginian and Romandominations – Malta had in themeantime converted to Christianity in60AD when St Paul was shipwreckedhere on his way to Rome. However, itseems that when in 598 Traianus wascreated Bishop of Malta by Gregorythe Great, he brought with him agroup of monks from Sicily who wereused to including music in their litur-gical services.(1) Less than 200 yearslater, when even the Byzantines whohad followed the Romans had relin-quished Malta, the Island was occu-pied by the Arabs till 1090. It can besafely surmised that during their long

A quick glimpse to the islands’Music Culture over the centuriesPart1 – The early years

�Folkloristic music

is transmitted orally

from one generation

to another, so it was

never recorded�

By JOYCE GUILLAUMIER

When man first made his entrance in this environ-ment, he could not help but be impressed by thesounds that surrounded him. Soon he began imitat-ing them and eventually using them to his ownadvantage. For example Egyptian friezes and hiero-glyphs illustrate farmers striking twigs together toscare birds away from their fields and crops.


culturetheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

domination, Moslem culture includ-ing music was prevalent on ourIslands. GHANA, the popular folk-loristic music still very much alivenowadays, stems from the Arabinfluence on our culture. Even thelanguage spoken by the locals wasgreatly influenced by their occu-piers, and in fact the MalteseLanguage is recognized as belong-ing to the Semitic family ofLanguages. Of course, folkloristicmusic is transmitted orally fromone generation to another, so it wasnever recorded, but we can be cer-tain that the music that accompa-nied the contemporary Maltese intheir everyday life was Moslem instyle and spirit.

The Arab domination came to anend in 1090 when the NormanRoger I conquered Sicily, Malta andGozo from the Arabs but left themto govern in his name. It wasRoger II who finally annexed theIslands to his Sicilian Realm in1127. By this time European culturewas re-introduced and according toProf Joseph Brincat, Peire Vidal, thewell-known French troubadour, wasin Malta in 1204 when the conteadi Malta was under EnricoPescatore.(2) Prof Brincat refers to anumber of quotes from canzone-

serventese written byVidal which mentionMalta and which werecomposed and per-formed during his stayat the castrum maris orSt Angelo’s as we knowit today. “Now I haveconquered leisure andpleasure in Malta”wrote and sang PeireVidal, a statement thatclearly indicates theflorid economic state ofthe Island at that timeas it is a well-knownfact that music and the arts flourishwhen economic preoccupations areresolved and overcome.Troubadours, and eventuallyJongleurs, in fact did participate inthe social life of the islands, espe-cially on special occasions like com-munity festivities or personal cele-brations such as marriages. Thelanguage used was Maltese as theabsolute majority of the populationcould speak only this language.(3)But, by this time, European culturewas returning slowly to the Islandand the inhabitants had becomeChristians again. The oldest manu-scripts to be found in the Archivesat the Cathedral Museum of Maltaare two antiphoners in late

Aquitanian notation of the 12th -13th century: the puncta(lozenge-shaped in the earliercodex, square and larger in thelater) written on a staff of one inkline and three dry-point lines.(4)With other illuminated parch-ment choral books and works ofMaltese composers, the one hun-dred fifty-nine musical prints pre-served at the Cathedral Museumform the most important collec-tion that exists south of Naples.Besides the afore-mentionedAntiphonaries, the collectionincludes amongst others, scoresby Italian composers, 17th-19thcentury, scores by Maltese com-posers including works by

IS-SERPENTUNAN OLD MUSICAL

INSTRUMENT

Angelo Nani


culture theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

Giuseppe and Domenico Balzano, Benigno Zerafa,Francesco Azopardi and about fifty scores by othercomposers.(5) Zerafa and Azopardi form the apex ofthe Maltese Classical Period.

With the arrival of the Order of St John in 1530,not only did a second cappella come into exis-tence, a cappella that gave its service at theConventual Church of the Order, but the Knights,particularly the Italian Knights, introduced the lat-est dramatic and musical innovations that werehappening in mainland Europe. Many such repre-sentations were held at the Italian Auberge. Theknights were usually younger sons of the mostnoble and finest European families. In theirhomes and countries they were used to the bestavailable, so it should come as no surprise to usthat they insisted on keeping abreast with the lat-est trends and works even here in Malta. When theTeatro Pubblico, now known as Teatru Manoel,was built in 1732 during the reign of Grand MasterAntonio Manoel de Vilhena, their aspirationscould be fulfilled. The newest operas were per-formed there by acclaimed singers and musicians,

often even before appearing in other Europeantheatres. However, in spite of the fact that theManoel was built ‘for the honest recreation of thepeople’ (as can be seen from the inscription abovethe main door of the theatre) opera was not for themasses and the people waited for carnival andother festivities to be entertained. DuringCarnival’s three-day rule, decorated floats carryingmusicians went round the streets bringing merri-ment and fun to the populace. Other special occa-sions when music was played were the Installationof a new Grand Master and at the Calendimaggiofestivities, the 1st May celebrations when a treeladen with goods was placed in St George’s Squarewith people vying with one another to reach asmany gifts as possible. It was also the practice toperform a cantata in the open-air and one com-poser who wrote several Cantata per Maggio wasMichelang Vella who was born in Senglea on the7th November, 1710.(6) Vella studied abroad andreturned to Malta in 1738. Two years later he wasgranted the necessary licence by the Bishop ofMalta to operate a school where he introduced thesame teaching methods that were prevalent in

Naples when he was a student there. Vella intro-duced many important reforms in music educa-tion, and students flocked to his school.Amongst his students, one finds Azopardi,already referred to in this article, who was acomposer and maestro di cappella in Mdina andNicolo` Isouard, maestro di cappella at theConventual Church of the Order of St John inValletta. Isouard was an excellent composer ofsacred, secular and instrumental music and alsoof operas, composing more than forty works(Cendrillon was his most notable success beingplayed constantly in European theatres) Nicolo`,as he was known in France, carved a name forhimself in Paris where he lived after leaving theIsland in 1800 when the French capitulated andthe British rule began. In two short years,between 1798 and 1800, Malta passed fromunder the Order of St John to French dominationthat was in turn replaced by the British when theFrench Capitulation was signed by Vaubois.

Joyce Guillaumier is a free lance author and

Cultural critic. She has also produces and

presents several cultural programmes both on

radio and television stations �


advertorialtheHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

HACCP (Hazards Analysis CriticalControl Point) is proactive andforms part of any Food safety sys-tem, be it BRC, ISO22000 or as partof Codex Alimentarius. The maingoal of HACCP is to stop, controland prevent food safety problemsusing prerequisites programs andthe seven HACCP principles.

Prerequisite programs are the foun-dation of a sound and feasible foodsafety system. PRPs, as they areknown, must be in place prior toemploying any food safety system.

Most of the sectors of the food chainseem to take PRPs very lightly, end-ing up having short falls in theirfood safety systems. PRPs shouldinclude GAP, GMP, GVP, GHP, GPP,GDP and GTP. * (ISO 22000).Depending on the segment of thefood chain, the required PRPsshould be in place and fully func-tional to render the next step in theprocess operational.

One needs to specify the differencebetween food safety and sanitation.Food safety involves keeping foodsafe at every stage from production,purchasing, receiving, storing,preparing, cooking, holding, cool-ing, reheating and finally serving.Sanitation on the other hand ismaking sure that anything thatcomes into contact with food doesnot contaminate the food.Therefore sanitation is a prerequi-site to food safety. However onecannot have one without the other,having said that, keeping thingsclean does not necessarily lead tofood safety.

Sanitation traditionally, relies on

removing dirt. Food safety goesbeyond what one can see e.g.(Purchasing from unsafe suppliers,chemical residues in vegetables,growth hormones in animals).

Persons carrying out any food busi-ness being production, transporta-tion wholesaling, retail, preparationand serving have a legal, commer-cial and moral obligation to pro-vide safe food. The cost of food poi-soning can be very high, e.g. loss ofworking days due to consumingcontaminated food, closure of foodpremises by local authorities, loss ofbusiness and reputation, fines andcost of legal actions. These are justa few of the results of primarily nothaving in place good PRPs whichare considered to be the first line ofdefense and the most importantfactors in a food safety system.

Sanitation, traceability, building &equipment, personal hygiene &training, control of raw food, rep-utable suppliers and operationalcontrol are a few of the prerequi-sites programs that need to beimplemented in order to have aneffective food safety managementsystem.

Malta, like the rest of all the otherEU countries are governed by ECFood Hygiene regulation(852/2004) that lies down rules for

food business operators on theHygiene of food stuff. PRPs arementioned in this regulation inArticle 1. Article 5 states that foodbusiness operators must implementa food safety management systembased on the HACCP principles.That leaves very little space foroptions, one must now implementserious Prerequisite Programs andthan move forward to have a foodsafety system that incorporatesHACCP.

*GAP, Good Agricultural Practice, GMP, Good Manufacturing Practice,GVP, Good Veterinarian Practice, GHP, Good Hygiene Practice, GPP, Good Production Practice, GDP, Good Distribution Practice, GTP, Good Trading Practice.Key points• Prerequisite programs are the

basic standards for all food pro-cessing facilities.

• All business operators mustapply HACCP principles to theiroperations and persons responsi-ble for the implementation ofthe HACCP system must haveappropriate training in doing so.

• EC No.852/2004 was introducedin all EU countries on the 1stJanuary 2006.

• Food safety involves keepingfood safe at every stage of theoperation.

• Sanitation is making sure thatanything that comes into con-tact with food does not contami-nate the food.

HACCP ExplainedPRPs, The Foundation of HACCP

“Paulino Schembri graduatedwith the Federal Polytechnic ofLausanne in Switzerland underthe direct tutorship of worldrenowned professors in the fieldof HACCP, specializing in CodexAlimenarius and ISO 22000 aspart of a Food Safety System.Paulino provides HACCP consul-tancy to the local food industry.�


the lighter side theHospitalitymmaannaaggeerr

June 2008

The Lighter Side ofHospitality.....

Alfred Formosa

A rabbi who was walking through a small town saw a blackboard outside the side door of a school. It had justbeen washed and put out to dry in the open air. There was a piece of chalk in the tray of the board, so the rabbitook it and wrote in large letters: “I’m a rabbi and I pray for you.”Now a lawyer happened to pass by and when he saw the rabbi’s note, he added under it: “I’m a lawyer and Idefend you all”.Then a doctor came by, took the piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard: “I’m a doctor and I cure you all”.Finally, an ordinary citizen stopped to read the growing list, thought for a few seconds and then added: “I’m justthe average guy, and I pay for you all.” �

A door-to-door salesman knocked at the door of a house.“Good morning, madam,” he said politely. “Would you be interested inbuying a copy of this book? It is called Five Hundred Excuses to GiveYour Wife for Staying Late?”“Why on earth would I want a book like that?” replied the lady.“Because,” replied the salesman, “I just sold a copy to your husband athis office barely five minutes ago!”

The Tourists Prayer.

Heavenly Father look down on us your humble, obedient tourists, who are doomed to travel this earth taking pho-tographs, mailing postcards, buying souvenirs, and walking around in drip-free underwear.We beseech you Lord to see that our planes are not delayed, our luggage is not lost & overweight baggage goesunnoticed.Give us this day your divine guidance in our selection of bed 'n' breakfast.We pray that the toilets work and the telephone operators speak our tongue, that there are no emails from ourchildren which would cause us to cancel the rest of our trip.Lead us to good inexpensive restaurants where the wine is included in the price of the meal and local taxes arenot added on later.Give us the wisdom to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand. Make the natives appreciate us for the lov-ing people we are, and not for what they can extract from our purses.Grant us the strength to visit museums, the cathedrals, the palaces, and if we skip an important monument totake a nap after lunch, please have mercy on us as our flesh is weak.Dear God please protect our wives from "bargains" they don't need, can't afford, and can't fit into their suitcasesanyway. Lead them not into temptation, for they know not what they do.Almighty Father, keep our husbands from looking at foreign women and comparing them to the vintage domesticmodel. Save them from making complete fools of themselves in nightclubs. Above all, do NOT forgive them theirtrepasses for they know exactly what they do. And worse, enjoy it. When our journey is over. grant us the persistence to find someone who will watch our home movies and listen toour stories, so our lives as tourists will not have been in vain. This we ask you in the name of Conrad Hilton,Thomas Cook American Express, Visa, & Mastercard.AMEN


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