Letters
Serious help for a keen student
Regarding the letter from Alan Makinson on the many requests for information he receives from students and tutors (Letters, 4 April), I have developed the following strategy.
All letters or verbal requests are politely acknowledged by a standard letter which includes an invitation to visit and gather data.
I ask for an agenda, with a paper outlining the proposed aims and objectives of the visit, plus a letter from tutors confirming the requirements and that the students may be absent from college. Of 147 requests, three have taken me up on the option.
Many students request information, adding that their paper is due in two or less weeks. This leads me to suspect they have found their first-choice course has proved too daunting and feel that hospitality is an easy option.
I have no problem with investing in students for the future of this industry, but they should stop wasting our time, if they believe anything to do with hospitality is an easy option.
John SCARRY
Hotel Services Manager,
Addenbrooke's NHS Trust, Cambridge.
Some students never thank you…
I can understand why Alan Makinson is so fed up with students requesting information that would take weeks to prepare. But I hope this will not put people off helping them when they put forward a reasonable request.
On average, I receive three letters a week and often they arrive together at certain times of the year. I couldn't possibly answer them all. When the information asked for would take weeks to compile, I send them a standard letter to give to their tutors setting out why the information asked for is unreasonable.
I ration myself to answering two a month on a first-come, first-served basis with an apology to the rest.
What irritates me is that only half even bother to write back and thank me.
Last December, Caterer published a letter from two students attending a college in Somerset who said they were having problems getting information.
I felt sorry for them and phoned twice, following up by sending them a mass of information. I asked them to acknowledge safe receipt but I didn't hear another word.
It will not put me off, but students should learn some social skills and common courtesy otherwise they shouldn't enter this industry.
MELVYN GREENE
New Malden, Surrey.
…but others are more grateful!
We would like to express our thanks to Glyn Earle, general manager of Hoole Hall, Chester.
During our studies for a Higher National Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, the contents of the programme required the group to take over the management and operation of a hotel.
While in theory this appears easy, in reality few hotels wish a group of students to run or part-run their establishment, despite the industry continually demanding experienced, qualified employees.
The management of Hoole Hall gave us an opportunity and trusted us to put into practice the skills and knowledge gained on our course.
Through this experience we gained a great sense of achievement and confidence for our future employment in this industry.
We can only hope that more hotel managers will be prepared to give students the opportunity they need to prove themselves.
JOANNE TIPPER
(On behalf of hospitality students)
Stoke-on-Trent College, Staffordshire.
We all must meet some standards
Mary Ann Gilchrist's letter (28 March) "Grade all hotels to lift standards" is surely an April Fool.
To suggest that anyone can "open the door to business with no requirement to meet any set of criteria", as she puts it, is to ignore the law of the land.
There are fire certificates, health and safety at work regulations, planning permission and environmental health regulations, to say nothing of trading standards and public liability insurance.
To pay a subscription to a commercial member organisation such as the AA or RAC is a considered business decision and a matter of choice. It should be the same with the tourist boards.
Perhaps Ms Gilchrist was referring to bed and breakfast operators, who are not required to meet these legal standards and obligations.
If this is the case, she should know that to those of us who are regulated, collecting VAT, paying for water, refuse collection and business rates, they are the people who "join the fight in the marketplace for customers while meeting no requirements whatsoever".
JEAN URQUHART
Proprietor,
The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool, Wester Ross.
Has anyone been sent to Coventry?
I would like to contact any past Hospitality and Catering students of Henley College Coventry, as we are currently undertaking a study of career progression patterns after completion of various courses.
We are also planning to establish a past students association. Anyone who would like further information, please contact me on 01203 611021.
PATRICIA HARMAN
Programme Manager, Hospitality Management,
Henley College, Coventry.
There is action on signposting
I would like to clarify that regional tourist boards have been formally removed from the tourism sign-posting process following the changes to the signposting regulations by the Department of Transport, effective from 5 January 1996.
It is, therefore, inaccurate to state that the Heart of England Tourist Board has "decided not to accept any applications until May or June".
The content and timetabling of signposting policy now rests with individual Home Traffic Authorities (HTAs), which are usually county councils, as does the responsibility for the vetting and determination of applications.
However in January, the Heart of England Tourist Board took a proactive role in arranging a joint meeting for all regional HTAs to discuss the steps necessary for formulating revised procedure and policy.
This was to ensure that authorities within the region could pursue this work as quickly as possible and that we were best placed to advise our commercial members on progress.
The board issued a fact sheet to all members on 2 January outlining the new arrangements and opportunities and has since mailed a further update.
We are now primarily involved in responding to individual authorities' draft policies and in promoting some consistency of approach.
We believe we are being as constructive and helpful as possible.
KRISTINE GOODMAN
Development Manager,
Heart of England Tourist Board, Worcester.
The reality of 90-day payments
In the light of recent Government statements concerning payment terms imposed by large companies and their effect on small businesses, I am sorry to say that in the hospitality industry the problem appears in some cases to be getting worse rather than better.
In December, Portfolio received a letter from a representative of a major national hotel chain seeking to advise that "agency fees will be settled within 90 days of receipt of invoice".
This represented a deterioration of 33% from existing payment terms, which were already 33% worse than the recommendations the Labour Party are presently putting forward.
While most people may smile wistfully at the idea of 30-day payment terms now being championed by both main political parties, the reality is that some of the bigger fish in the industry try to use their corporate muscle to demand better terms for themselves.
At Portfolio, we declined the deal being put forward in this particular case, but how many small businesses are bullied into acceptance, triggering a cash-flow problem for themselves which they pass on to their suppliers and then create a spiral of ever-increasing debt?
David COUBROUGH
Chief Executive,
Portfolio International, London SW1.
A shame to lose such a chef
I read of the news regarding the decision of chef Richard Neat to quit the restaurant business with sadness.
Mr Neat is the co-owner of that outstanding gastronomic temple, Pied à Terre.
To have achieved his second Michelin star before reaching the age of 30 highlights his meteoric rise to fame and therefore his superb culinary talent.
The other London restaurants with this honour are all household names operating from plush locations, mostly in the London's West End.
The London restaurant scene will find his originality very hard to follow.
JONATHAN SPARKE
London E1.
