Exclusive Interview | Subhra Banerjee, General Manager - Revenue Management, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited
/“My Vision is to make the Hospitality industry more digital to reduce manual work load”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
Well I completed my 3 yrs Hotel Management in 2003 and got 1st job via campus with Taj Vizag in Front Office.
What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?
My Dad was a hardworking Govt employee and it was not easy for him to spend on my management studies for 3 years. I promised him to be a successful son. Never lost in between pressure , kept upgrading my skill & knowledge , all my boss trusted me which helped me to get self motivated.
Share with us 5 skills that you think will be critical for a hospitality career in the future.
Well 5 is a very small number and skill set requirements tend to get changed with time and seniority but I will list 5 and those are time management, product knowledge, Team work, efficiency in solving issues, people management.
The new, young traveler wants experiences and insta-ready content. What do you have in store for them?
Bullet point with USP of resort / Hotel gives better visibility than writing a story , Amenities & facilities should be highlighted tactfully to help travellers making quick decisions. E.g if you have a plunge pool in the room's highlight, it will catch the eye of honeymoon couples and young travellers.
Launching something new is both an exciting opportunity and a responsibility. Share with us a deep dive into your process for these new launches.
A product needs to be launched with clear vision, Identifying Source Market , Targeted Client. Any product launch creates an expectation. It is complete teamwork which needs lots of planning and dedication. A product should be launched with proper campaign and awareness.
What does the future look like? For the industry, you, your project / initiative.
Spending power in the domestic market is at a new high, India is yet to be explored fully. New offbeat destinations are on verge, Infrastructure and connectivity has improved a lot and further improving, road trips increased after Covid, Air & railway connectivity improved 3x, hence no looking back.
New destination need to be explored and executed with property market study.
What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?
Communication Skill, Smart brain, Willing to learn and if experienced, product knowledge, & Skill.
What is your favourite interview question & why?
What is your expected salary? I am bad at that but with experience now I am a good negotiator.
Describe an ideal hospitality professional.
A person with experience, worked in various departments and grew from grassroot level. Smart with 9 people management skills , Punctual and well groomed.
Share some of your secrets in keeping an engaged, safe and happy team.
I work with Fun, I spend time during lunch or evening snacks. Address the issue and build confidence in the team. Appreciate always and never put pressure. I groom them to be responsible and trust them too. My team always knows his boss is behind them.
Share with us some new learnings from this project for you, personally.
Well, I was part of various projects like new website development, new digital b2b platform, new centralized reputation tool to address guest issues , Enhancement of product incoordination with tech team of various platforms. I believe product enhancement need to be based on various case studies. I always keep myself updated with present trend and developments. I was part of the product R&D of various, last was MMT-GO new Platform and recent is cleartrip new extrant.
What does not exist in the world, but you would like it to?
I want to meet an alien.
How do you think AI will impact our industry? Specific jobs, processes etc?
I would only say, AI shouldnt dominate the skill of a person, Shouldn't be misused and surpass human intelligence . Applications need to have restriction fields. Eg. Robot cannot Replace Human.
What is the one app / tech solution you would love to see? (ops, HR, training, customer service, anything hospitality)
An app which can identify guest complaints before the complaint is raised. I hope I am not asking too much, here also AI will work.
