BEVERAGE -- 2 ::

VALUE ADDITION WITH TEA

(ARTICLE IN CONTEMPORARY TEA TIME JAN-MAR 2015)

BY P S SUNDAR

HAPPENING -- 2 ::

TAJ SCHOLAR AWARDS PRESENTED

BY P S SUNDAR

Among the welfare measures the Taj group adopts is the 'Learn At Taj' facility for the wards of associates.   It is a twin project -- honouring the children with their parents on the stage during the Annual Day marking the Year of Associates as also providing free education to the meritorious kids.   

Three bands are identified to entitle children benefit on level-playing ground :: 

1. Senior Taj Scholar (Std VII - X) 

2. Middle School Taj Scholar (Std V and VI)

3. Junior Taj Scholar (Std 1 - IV).

There are well-defined rules to select the topper among the eligible contestants in each category. 

This year, The Gateway Hotel Coonoor had the pleasant task of bestowing an additional honour on a girl student. K Nivetha, daughter of N Kumar of Material Department, had done the Nilgiris district, her school (St Mary's Girls' Higher Secondary School, Coonoor) and the hotel proud by bagging Third Place in Tenth standard Public Exam in the Nilgiris district in the year just gone-by.  Scoring 491 marks out of 500 (yes, just 9 marks short of the total!!), she has scripted a new history for the Taj Scholar Award at Gateway Coonoor.   And, the hotel responded by honouring her at the Annual Get-together of the families of employees on Feb 24, 2015.

Prakash Nair, General Manager (Learning and Development), Taj Group, Kochi, presented ‘Taj Scholar 2014-15’ awards to her.  

"Besides this, we also crowned her,  ‘Taj Senior Scholar’ ”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.

“R Dharshan and R Harini, both from Stanes Anglo-Indian HS School, Coonoor, and children of Chef Ramalingam, became ‘Taj Middle’ and ‘Taj Junior’ Merit Scholars”, Muralidharan said.

“Their education is practically free as Taj will pay for their school fee, uniforms and books”, Antony Gerald, Human Resource Manager of Taj group of Hotels, Nilgiris, announced. 

HOTEL - 4::

GATEWAY ASSOCIATES' GREAT WAY FOR FAMILY GET-TOGETHER

BY P S SUNDAR

A striking feature of the annual family get-together marking the ‘Year of Associates’ at The Gateway Hotel Coonoor is that the senior-most staff in the roll is made the ‘Chief Guest’.   Of course, such previous Chief Guests are not counted to decide on the staff enjoying the honour in the year.   I understand that this practice introduced by the then General Manager R Pashupathy (now retired) is working well with the employees, professionally called, Associates.   Other important dignitaries are called ‘Guests of Honour’.

“We arrange to pick up our Chief Guest and his/her family members, give them a warm reception with garland and welcome drink of ‘Coonoor delight’ , check them into a room and explain to the family members the facilities and amenities available to the room guests.  We also encourage them to make room orders with in-house catering department.   This gives the entire family members a feel to appreciate the services rendered by the ‘chief guest’ in the hotel every day”, D Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager, Taj group of hotels, Nilgiris, told me.

CHIEF GUEST D RAVI

Soon after the lady associates lit the traditional lamp to mark the opening of the annual meet followed by a welcome dance, I noticed D Ravi of Engineering department, who was the Chief Guest at the 24^th Gateway Family Get-together on Feb 24, 2015, enjoying the limelight with his family members.  On the stage where he was honoured, he expressed his gratitude to the management for this privilege.

CHIEF GUEST D RAVI

PRAKASH K NAIR

P VIBHAKAR

As in the past few years, I was the only non-Taj ‘Guest of Honour’ as the other four were General Managers – Prakash K Nair (Learning and Development – Kerala, based in Cochin), P Vibhakar (Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty), B C Kumar (Vivanta by Taj – Surya, Coimbatore) and R Muralidharan (The Gateway Hotel Coonoor).   All of them felicitated the employees and families on the occasion.

B C KUMAR

R MURALIDHARAN

In my key-note address, I used the occasion to drive home the message that the entire family has to support the employee concerned for growing together.  “Just as Mumbiakars regard Taj Mahal hotel there as an icon of the city, so do Coonoor residents regard Gateway – they enjoy telling their guests that there is Taj Gateway Hotel in their town although many would not get an opportunity to enter the campus.   If others are so proud of Gateway, the employees should be doubly proud.  And, what makes Gateway a special hotel for the guests is not just the expanse campus, parking lot, lawn, heritage building or, wellness centre but more importantly, the service rendered by the smiling staff members”, I said.

“This hotel has been posting consistent growth in almost all parameters – business, profit, guest and employee satisfaction etc.  That is because of the  service rendered by the staff at all levels.   In reciprocation of this, the employees get salary, status in society as Taj employee and welfare measures.  And, when they sacrifice their domestic chores to fulfil their professional commitments, the family steps in to shoulder their personal responsibility.   So, collectively, there is ‘Group Action for Tourism, Environment, Welfare, Active Food and Yeomen service’ which abbreviates into GATEWAY”,  I explained, much to the appreciation of the family members.  

General Managers, Prakash K Nair, Vibhakar and Kumar besides me presented prizes to winners in various competitions that had been held for the staff.

The associates and their family members staged a variety of programmes which entertained the audience.  Mementos were given to them.  

 

“We thoroughly enjoyed this evening.   It helped us get an idea on the local culture”, Hans Cizik and his wife Edith from Vienna told me.  Besides cheering, clapping hands and applauding loudly, this couple took many photos.  “We are impressed with this commitment. We will help to bring more European tourists”, they told me.

Muralidharan, who gave details of revenue to show the progress Gateway Coonoor has made, honoured five associates who had put in over 300 days of work last year -- Sathish (320 days), Martin (312), Logesh (310), Vijay (304) and Peter (302).   “This meant that out of 365 days, these men remained in the hotel for over 300 days.  We are very proud of them because they are the pillars and backbone helping this hotel achieve whatever I hailed now”, Murali said.

Murali also presented ‘long service award’ to N Kumar (15 years), Pandurangan (15 years) and R Nagaraj (20 years).

N KUMAR

R PANDURANGAN

R NAGARAJ

The overall championship for women was awarded to Malathi and men to Paulraj.

The family members were treated to a sumptuous dinner after National Anthem was sung but before that, Antony Gerald honoured the team and Master of Ceremonies that worked to put this show in order – Logesh, Martin, Suresh, Sathish Kumar, Sathish, Paul Raj, Prasad and Dharmaraj.  

SOME MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE