Hammons Hotels begins training via Web page

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In an effort to better train and educate employees, John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. will use the Internet. For top-level executives all the way down to housekeeping staff, this new method will soon be used at all 53 hotels in 21 states. |ret||ret||tab|

The new way of learning is a result of a recently announced partnership with learnsystem.com, a Kansas City-based provider of Internet hospitality training programs. |ret||ret||tab|

The training will begin with the top 500 managers within the hotel organization and will eventually expand to serve the entire employee base of approximately 10,000, said Lonnie Funk, senior vice president of operations for John Q. Hammons Hotels. Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

Funk said the reason for the evolution in training methods was two-fold. "For us to retain our position as a market leader, as well as retain our hospitality management team, we need to attract the best people," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our goal is to have the best-trained management team in every market we serve. Learnsystem.com's online university provides our managers with the tools they need to maximize the performance of our hotel portfolio," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

The agreement with learnsystems.com was a logical step and the second reason, Funk added. Learnsystems.com President Phill Burgess is a former executive with John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc., who worked in the organization from 1982 to 1996.|ret||ret||tab|

"Because of our previous relationship with Phill and his continued experience in training for the hospitality industry, he was a natural," Funk said.|ret||ret||tab|

Instead of sending employees to training seminars, thus taking them away from their job and incurring added expense, they will now have to go no further than the nearest empty room at their own workplace. All rooms in John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. are already equipped with Internet connectivity and soon more will be set up for WebTV, an Internet connection managed through a television set.|ret||ret||tab|

"This will enable (employees) looking for continued education and career growth to do it on their own schedule," Funk said.|ret||ret||tab|

Training through learnsystem.com will cover all aspects of the hospitality industry as well as basic working skills like problem-solving and interpersonal communication, Burgess said. Benefits of e-based education will be immediate in cost-savings and employee satisfaction.|ret||ret||tab|

"The savings versus seminar-based training is approximately 80 percent," Burgess said. "And the employee will be able to learn and grow, thus reducing turnover. In turn, the customer will also benefit by getting a higher level of service."|ret||ret||tab|

When Burgess left the local hotel organization, he started a hospitality industry training and consulting business. |ret||ret||tab|

He said that while he started with the seminar-based method, it didn't take long to realize the value of using the Internet.|ret||ret||tab|

"As things moved along, I discovered the Internet is a powerful tool for continued training."|ret||ret||tab|

The curriculum is geared towards the individual clients, based around propriety software developed in conjunction with St. Louis-based software developer Librix. Burgess and members of his own staff create most of the curriculum.|ret||ret||tab|

Besides benefiting those in training, using the Internet can save a company time and trouble. "The real power here is that a manager can literally see' all of their people in real-time and assure they are in compliance," Burgess said. |ret||ret||tab|

Who takes what training course and how they score is compiled into a database for management's use.|ret||ret||tab|

"Managers can also use the online system to poll employees throughout the organization, to better make strategic decisions," Burgess said.|ret||ret||tab|

Learnsystem.com and companies like John Q. Hammons Hotels are joining a growing trend in using the Internet as a tool for business. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our strategy is this: everyone is getting into e-learning but we have a clear focus," Burgess said. "We want to own the lion's share of the hospitality industry. The next bowling pin to knock down will be other industries like banking or health care."[[In-content Ad]]