WHY TRAINING?
1.  Because, training is an investment.  It's significant difference is it is made on people, your people.   

2. Because, particularly in the hospitality industry, the "Human" factor (The employees) are at least equally as important as the physical and the financial factors.  Thus, no matter how strong your position is visa vi your financial and physical status, you are bound to deteriorate unless your staff is efficiently trained and qualified.

3. Because, training not only develops the employees techically but also plays an important role in building their self respect and morale which in turn reflects upon the establishments productivity and pfofitability.

4. Because, training is the prerequisite for customer satisfaction which happens to be the focus point of Total Quality Management. Satisfied customers will come back and bring others along.

5. Because, training enhances the communication quality between the management and the eployees resulting with better understanding of what is and what may be happening in the working environment thus making more efficient decisions.  

HOW SHOULD YOU DO IT?

1.  Training is a three-stage process: 
a) Assessment of training needs
b) Implementation and
c) Evaluation. 
Unless all these three stages are processed efficiently, training may cause problems let alone being beneficial like taking non-prescribed drugs."

2.  Traing (very similar to human health, nutrition and physical exercise programs) would require very careful planning and consistency.  Otherwise it may be detremental.

3. Particularly for the On The Job Training (OJT) the ideal trainers are the pertinent departments' supervisors providing that they know how to teach.

4.  A budget should be allocated for trainin (Such as 10.- USD /Employee/Month)and efficient use of this budget should always be controlled.

5.  Management's view towards Training is extremely important; it does not stand a chance without management's sincere support.

WHEN IS IT BEST TO DO TRAINING, WHILE THE BUSINESS IS BLOOMING OR SUFFERING?

1.  Training should be done in both conditions.  Neither the excess of business nor the insufficiency of it can be used as a bona fide  excuse not to do training!  Training should particularly be done when the business is not going as desired as;
a) It will build the morale of your staff,
b) There will be more time available for training,
c) Higher quality service can be rendered upon your limited number of guests/customers which would eventually be an investment for the future business opportunities."

2.  There is also no excuse such as "The employee is qualified anyway, he does not training" as everybody needs training regardless of his/her condition anonymous with the professional record-setting athletes.

3.  Turn-over should not be considered as a loss of training funds as your departed employees will better represent you at their new work places and their positive comments about you will attract better employees to your establishment.