Why do employees use a different entrance?

Undervalued

motorguy wrote: »

Correct. But they dont have to prove they are competent to you.

They will have a manager who will be managing them.



Why on earth would your manager explain every business decision to you? Thats not their job. Its not a democracy nor a popularity contest.



No, they're talking about out in the real world. I dont expect my manager to explain themselves to me at my whim. Never have in 30 odd years of employment - and i've had many great jobs in many great companies.

Indeed!

OK, it is sometimes said that the art of good management is to get people to do what you want them to do and think it is their own idea. To do that well is a great skill, with which not many are blessed. However, even if the manager is less than subtle, you still need to do as they say.

It is a good thing the OP doesn't work on a ship or aircraft where it is a criminal offence not to obey the Captain's lawful command!

ohreally

Take the instruction and crack on.

Sncjw

Even in retail there!!!8217;s often staff entrances. I used to work in one so we can get in before the store opens or if it!!!8217;s open to be able to get in without being harassed by customers. It was also for security so they can do searches before you leave. I wouldn!!!8217;t like to have searches in front of customers.

Also even if you wore a coat over your uniform it was shut customers would still come and asked you questions despite not working or you had finished for the day.

In a hotel I think it!!!8217;s kind of like when we used to have servents. They had their own entrance and the hotel is to be seen like it can run on minimal staff.

System

I liken it to a performance. The 'crew' or 'backstage area' has it's own entrance so the inner workings can be hidden from the customer, which looks better. Also, why would you want to be pounced on by customers on the way into work, rather than waiting until your fully prepared, clocked on and ready? Don't take it as an insult, it's for your protection too.

Undervalued

Sncjw wrote: »

In a hotel I think it's kind of like when we used to have servents. They had their own entrance and the hotel is to be seen like it can run on minimal staff.

Quite, in fact it used to go further as in this supposedly true story about a stately home.....

The Butler pointed out to a newly appointed Nanny that she should not be using the front entrance unless she was on duty and accompanying the family's children. She responded "I am certainly not going to use the servant's entrance at the rear"! To which the Butler replied "Nobody is asking you to Nanny, in your position you should use the staff entrance at the side of the house"!

pjcox2005

I don't think it hurts to want to understand why a decision has been made as that learning can help the employee improve and may be able to relate it to other areas or future ideas for improvement.


Likewise it's the sort of on the job training that allows them to maybe step up in future years.


The point is to know which areas to query and understand the rationale for, and also the timing and manner that you phrase any questions so that you're seen as in support of the manager rather than causing conflict.


I agree that good managers are often able to have these discussions better and get the team working together for common goals.

TBagpuss

I agree with Motorguy.
A manager doesn't have to justify herself or her decisions to her staff, she is responsible to her employers.
It can be very helpful for a manager to be willing to give explanations at least some of the time, and be willing to clarify or explain where appropriate, but there are very few workplaces where it would be appropriate to explain every single decision.

Quite apart from anything else, there will sometimes be decisions made or instructions issued by a manager where it would be entirely wrong for them to explain the reasoning behind them to staff, where doing so might involve disclosing personal information about other staff members, or confidential or sensitive information of other kinds.

There are also situations where going into details of why something is being done a certain way are simply a waste of time or an inefficient use of resources (after all, the managers time, and that of the employees, are both resources!)

I think it is very rarely a good use of a managers time, or good management, to explain and justify very decision. I do think it is good management to explain some of the time, and ideally, that helps build trust so that staff members can feel that the manager is likely to have good reasons for their decisions, even where those reasons are not given.

OP, in your case, it's very common for staff to have, and use, separate entrances.

In your case, you say that

The staff just look like smartly-dressed guests when they come in the front door

- but that may not be true of every member of staff. It may be that a minority of staff, or that staff some of the time, look less smart than you think. It may be that there have been incidents where reception staff, or other guests, have been unsure of someone's status and this has led to poorer service (for instance, a guest waiting for someone they thought was another guest, to finish at the check in desk, or something of that kind). It could be that more people coming in at the front means that things live cleaning in the reception area, keeping doors clean and clear etc are more difficult or have to be done more frequently if there are more people coming in that way. Maybe there have been issues with a minority of staff congregating just outside, or in reception, at certain times of day.

but it is a perfectly reasonable and fairly common rule.

My guess is that the colleague whom you ask doesn't know either, but likes to feel that they are in the loop or know more than you do. It's flattering to them that you assumed they would know, and, particularly if they have been used to having a friendship with a previous manager and having access to comments not shared with others, they may well not want to admit that they don't have any additional or special knowledge.

Ult86

Granted you may not think the hotel is a luxury destination but I can say for certain there IS a reason why your manager wants staff to use a different entrance and if you cannot figure out why then this is why you are not progressing within the business.

The front entrance is for guests. Its not a traffic conduit for shift changes, staff gossip areas etc. I imagine maybe the new GM stopped the staff from smoking outside the front entrance too? (or at least within a guests potential line of sight?) Again, if these ideas are alien to you, imagine your review of the place should you stay there for your holiday...

I used to manage a Villa on an Italian Lake....some guests liked the idea of seeing as much of the staff as possible (they even admit they prefer talking to them over their family/guests) but others really dont like the idea of having a team of staff serving them for 2 weeks.

I love talking to hotel staff, but at the same time hotels can be made or broken based on tripadvisor reviews and when guests complain about their towels being removed from their "resevered" sun loungers at 8am in the morning when there are clear signs saying no reservatons then you realise sadly guest complaints can be about anything (most are morons after all). This includes a social staff congreagation at the front desk. It looks bad, and a guests will certainly pick it up even if they were immediately served and their issues resolved within 2 mins.

Your new GM is trying to make the place more professional and attractive for new guests to ensure you still have a job. Essentially that is the General Managers job....to ensure you still have a job several years down the line.

zagubov

I was on the upper deck of a bus once driving through south London, decades ago.

Stuck in a traffic jam, looking down at a street we were passing through, I saw a van pulled up in front of a funeral parlour.

Two men got out of the van and wrestled a giant sagging human-sized bag across the pavement into the front entrance of the premises.

My immediate thought was, couldn't that have been handled better via a different entrance?

Doshwaster

This is one of the funniest threads ever on MSE. If being told to use a specific door was the worst thing about my job then I would be very happy.