Case Study: Heidi High Heidi Low and Can You Spell Snafu?
In Heidi High Heidi Low a promotion had been sent out to the entire FOI customer
mailing list offering suites for a special rate of $75 per night. This was fine except the
decimal point was wrong and it read, “$7.50 per night.” The error was discovered when
people began calling, trying to reserve rooms for the promotional rate of seven dollars
and fifty cents. FOI has a problem.
In Can You Spell Snafu, blame for the error was being passed around between Ms.
Eggmeyer, Heidi, and Delphagraphics (the printer), but the hot potato appeared to be
ending up in Heidi’s hands. They sent out a disclaimer but were honoring the $7.50 rate if
guests insisted.
Is there an ethical dilemma in this situation? Are any of the ethical principles violated by
the way they were handling the problem? (Not really.) The way they chose to handle the
situation poses no ethical problems. And yet, someone made a costly mistake. Do we
have any way of knowing who made the mistake? (Maybe) Should we have a way?
(Keep backup copies)
We learn to avoid problems oftentimes through costly mistakes. We may have already
figured out about backing up files when we're writing a paper. Losing one paper is an
incredibly painful, extremely effective lesson for backing up everything, always, and
often! Under what circumstances might we terminate someone for making a mistake?
Why or why not? How do we handle an employee who makes too many mistakes?
We need to hire people carefully. They must be willing to do the job and capable of doing
the job. Then we train them to do the job as we want it done according to standards
established by the facility. As managers, if we demand and reward good work we will be
more likely to get it from our employees. If we overlook carelessness, carelessness will
increase and more mistakes will be made.
Keeping receipts is often learned from the experience of not having a receipt when we
need to return a recently purchased item. Some of us have learned to make copies of
documents or assignments before we turn them in, so in case they are lost or misplaced,
we can just make another copy.
Having copies of the promotional offer would help to place the blame for the error,
however, copies would not make the error go away. Is there an ethical dilemma here?
Are any of the ethical principles violated? (Maybe Commitment to Excellence or
Accountability) This isn't really an ethical problem. But it is a problem. A management
problem.
How could this mistake have been avoided? Should someone be punished for making it?
Under what circumstances and how?
Conclusion
It is our responsibility as managers to help our employees to do their very best work. We
may need to give them additional training. If we manage managers, as John Fallin does in
the case study, we may need to teach our managers how to be more effective, how to
manage their time better, how to reduce errors and avoid problems, and how to be more
professional.
We have a considerable investment in each employee and even more in managers. We
should have hired people who were willing and able to do the job to begin with. It is
generally in our best interest to try to get everyone working to their potentials by
providing guidance, training, and support.
Every problem is not an ethical dilemma. How we handle every problem, however, does
become an ethical issue. As professionals we are to be ethical, that is, abide by all the
Ethical Principles for Hospitality Managers.
Ethical Principles for Hospitality Managers
Honesty: Hospitality managers are honest and truthful. They do not mislead or deceive
others by misrepresentations.
Integrity: Hospitality managers demonstrate the courage of their convictions by doing
what they know is right even when there is pressure to do otherwise.
Trustworthiness: Hospitality managers are trustworthy and candid in supplying
information and in correcting misapprehensions of fact. They do not create
justifications for escaping their promises and commitments.
Loyalty: Hospitality managers demonstrate loyalty to their companies in devotion to
duty and loyalty to colleagues by friendship in adversity. They avoid conflicts of
interest; do not use or disclose confidential information; and should they accept
other employment, they respect the proprietary information of their former
employer.
Fairness: Hospitality managers are fair and equitable in all dealings; they do not abuse
power arbitrarily nor take undue advantage of another’s mistakes or difficulties.
They treat all individuals with equality, with tolerance for and acceptance of
diversity and with an open mind.
Concern and Respect for Others: Hospitality managers are concerned, respectful,
compassionate and kind. They are sensitive to the personal concerns of their
colleagues and live the “Golden Rule.” They respect the rights and interest of all
those who have a stake in their decisions.
Commitment to Excellence: Hospitality managers pursue excellence in performing
their duties and are willing to put more into their job than they can get out of it.
Leadership: Hospitality managers are conscious of the responsibility and opportunities
of their position of leadership. They realize that the best way to instill ethical
principles and ethical awareness in their organizations is by example. They walk
their talk!
Reputation and Morale: Hospitality managers seek to protect and build the company’s
reputation and the morale of its employees by engaging in conduct that builds
respect and by taking whatever actions are necessary to correct or prevent
inappropriate conduct of others.
Accountability: Hospitality managers are personally accountable for the ethical quality
of their decisions as well as those of their subordinates.