“Menjaga Standar di Tengah Tekanan: General Manager dan Mutu Layanan Hotel”
Dalam dunia perhotelan, standar layanan adalah janji yang tidak pernah boleh dilanggar, bahkan saat hotel sedang penuh, staf kurang, atau sistem reservasi tiba-tiba bermasalah. Di sinilah General Manager (GM) berperan sebagai penjaga mutu layanan. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, dan Berry (2018) melalui konsep SERVQUAL menegaskan bahwa kualitas layanan ditentukan oleh kesenjangan antara harapan tamu dan persepsi mereka terhadap layanan yang diterima. GM bertugas memperkecil kesenjangan itu, hari demi hari.
Secara operasional, GM memastikan setiap departemen bekerja sesuai Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) tanpa kehilangan sentuhan personal. Data Hotel Guest Experience Survey – PwC (2022) menunjukkan bahwa 73% tamu hotel bersedia membayar lebih mahal jika mereka merasa mendapatkan layanan yang konsisten dan responsif. Angka ini menempatkan GM pada posisi strategis: keputusan kecil tentang pelatihan staf, alur pelayanan, atau respon komplain dapat berdampak langsung pada pendapatan hotel.
Namun menjaga mutu layanan bukan pekerjaan steril dari drama. GM bisa saja baru selesai rapat tentang standar kebersihan, lalu langsung turun ke lapangan karena tamu mengeluh antrean check-in terlalu lama. Di sinilah sisi humor muncul—GM yang pagi hari berbicara tentang service excellence, sore harinya ikut membantu mengangkat koper. Grönroos (2020) menyebut praktik ini sebagai service leadership, ketika pemimpin menjadi contoh nyata, bukan sekadar pemberi instruksi.
Mutu layanan yang terjaga menciptakan efek berantai: tamu puas, ulasan positif meningkat, dan reputasi hotel menguat di pasar. Peran General Manager menjadi penentu apakah standar hanya berhenti di buku panduan atau benar-benar hidup dalam setiap interaksi. Dari konsistensi inilah hotel membangun kepercayaan, sesuatu yang jauh lebih mahal nilainya dibandingkan sekadar fasilitas fisik.
TIM
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“Maintaining Standards Under Pressure: The General Manager and Service Quality”
In the hospitality industry, service standards represent a promise that must never be broken, even during peak occupancy, staff shortages, or unexpected system failures. This is where the General Manager (GM) acts as the guardian of service quality. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (2018), through the SERVQUAL model, explain that service quality is defined by the gap between guest expectations and their perceived experience. The GM’s role is to continuously minimize this gap.
Operationally, the GM ensures that all departments adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) without losing a personal touch. Data from the PwC Hotel Guest Experience Survey (2022) indicates that 73% of hotel guests are willing to pay a premium for consistent and responsive service. This places the GM in a strategic position, where decisions related to staff training, service flow, or complaint handling directly affect hotel revenue.
Maintaining service quality, however, is rarely free from drama. A GM may conclude a meeting on cleanliness standards only to immediately step in when guests complain about long check-in queues. This is where humor meets leadership—the GM who speaks of service excellence in the morning may end up carrying luggage in the afternoon. Grönroos (2020) refers to this as service leadership, where leaders lead by example rather than instruction alone.
Sustained service quality creates a chain reaction: satisfied guests, positive reviews, and a stronger market reputation. The General Manager ultimately determines whether standards remain confined to manuals or come alive in every guest interaction. Through consistency, trust is built—an asset far more valuable than any physical facility.
THE TEAM
