Connection Conversations: Hospitality with Andrew Leonard

The TCC Connection

Connection Conversations: Hospitality with Andrew Leonard Overview: Host Anna Fuhrmeister interviews Andrew "Andy" Leonard over the affects and changes in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19 the past year and for upcoming travel seasons. Running time: 7:02 minutes EDITOR'S NOTE: The following transcript has been edited for clarity. Anna Fuhrmeister: Welcome to the TCC Connection. I'm your host, Anna Fuhrmeister. On this episode, I have a special guest, Andy Leonard, who recently graduated from Lynn University with a bachelor's degree in hospitality. On this episode, we will discuss how hospitality has [been] affected by COVID-19 as well as [the] individuals who work in the industry. So, Andy, welcome. Thank you for having me. So, Andy, how did you get involved in hospitality? Andy Leonard: So, it started when I was a lot younger, I used to watch all the cooking shows House Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and I watched hotel impossible all those shows, it started getting on the track of hospitality, as well as going to hotels experiencing what they offer to the guests and making them feel comfortable. It's how I got started in the field. Nice. Okay, it's pretty cool. And could you just like describe what the industry like was like prior to 2020? So, the industry prior to 2020, we have to look back after 9/11, we have to take back how the travel industry and hospitality industry has changed as focus more on security and tightening up personnel and making sure all the guests feel comfortable while traveling. And having them feel like they have a sense of security, or more hotels or heightened security and security guards, putting more protection in line with them, so that they feel comfortable while arriving. And as much as technology has changed as well, we've been able to use Apple Pay chips and credit cards now so people can pay easier and quicker. So, it's been a more effective system over the coming years. That's pretty interesting. Are you still able to work in the hospitality industry during the pandemic? Yes, I'm still working in the hospitality industry as a guest service agent right now at a hotel in Delaware. Now to the people who are looking to get into the hospitality industry at the moment during this whole pandemic: I say keep reaching out to the hotels, and they're always looking for people to hire, no matter what they're looking for people to work during Christmas break, even though [in] the slow season, they're always looking for people to hire. I think it's a great industry. It's growing. It's one of the brilliant industries in America, it could be used basically anywhere in the world. So, I think it's a great way to build up connections and a great way to build up people meet new people explore how they see the world and how they see the culture of the hotel and get to know the coworkers, get to know your house keepers, get to know your general manager, because those are going to help the foundation of networks to build [and] to get you into a longer career in the field. What are some of the changes made at your workplace in order to adjust? So, I’m at a fairly small hotel, it's about 72 rooms. So, what we have to adjust is how we do our housekeeping pretty much we don't do stay-over cleaning anymore, where they go in and change your bedding and all that we decided to do a refresher which is basically make your bed, redo your bathroom and take out the trash. That's pretty much it. We have cut out our breakfast, but we have done it to be breakfast to go bags. And all employees are required to wear masks throughout the entire time and washing your hands. And we have provided - we're making the coffee behind the front desk as just for cross contamination issues, just to be safe with gloves as always to be protective. We have hand sanitizers throughout the whole property to make sure that everyone keeps their hands nice and clean and sanitized throughout the workspace. Have working h