Off all the staffing issues, staff shortage was mentioned the most. According to the front
office managers, staff shortages at the front office are caused by the difficulty of getting
and retaining employees due to the low pay and long working hours. A four-star hotel
pays as little as RM700 (AUD230) per month for front desk staff. FOM4SPG stated:
“The hotel is recruiting people but many do not take the job because of the low
pay. In the hotel industry the salary is very low. The starting salary for a front
desk staff is between RM750 to RM1000. In the second year, then, their salary
will increase to RM1000 and above.”
Staff shortages make it difficult to deliver excellent customer service. One respondent
(FOM4SPG) stated:
“To give good service it is important to have enough staff. When you have
enough staff, they have enough time to provide good service to the customer.
When you don’t have enough people, you tend to finish everything faster. You
cannot provide excellent service when you’re rushing.”
Two methods of solving the problem of staff shortages were discussed. One manager
(RDM3SKH) resorts to employing part-timers from a nearby university while another
(FOM4SPG) solves staff shortage problem by paying overtime. FOM4SPG (a manager)
stated that paying overtime is his preferred solution because casual or part-time
employment increases the rate of employee turnover and means employees do not have
work experience. Furthermore, part-timers are not as competent as the permanent staff
while paying overtime gives the opportunity for the staff to earn more.