Veteran trouble-shooter

By Qiu Yijiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-25 10:05

Stephen C.T. Hsu, 63, calls himself a "problem solver". But when the head of the Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong Macao Center describes his everyday work, it's clear he knows the devil is in the details.

"I am sitting here talking while noticing whether the illumination is proper, whether the temperature is right.

"The work of managing a hotel is always full of stress, but it is also fulfilling. There are problems at every stage but I believe every problem has a solution," he says.

Hsu should know. He has been actively involved in the five star hotel business for the past 22 years and has been associated with every aspect - from drawing board to everyday operations.

Of all his experiences, the one that continues to haunt him is the SARS epidemic of 2003. "In just two months, the whole hospitality industry was wiped out," he says.

There was virtually no income from daily business at his hotel and Hsu was faced with the possibility of having to shut down business.

But he decided that as long as the hotel could maintain regular operations, he would keep it open and retain the salaries of his employees.

"[I felt that] my staff should not bear the brunt of the crisis and I was responsible for them."

It was a difficult time, but Hsu won the support of his staff. Even their families wrote to him saying they were prepared to take salary cuts.

Hsu was also deeply moved that when 16 chefs were required to work in quarantine hospitals, he received 36 applications. The crisis greatly helped cement the bonds among his staff, says Hsu.

The hotel also became the base for press conferences on the lifting of travel advisories on Beijing and on the city's removal from the WHO list of places with SARS transmission.

"The emergency plans put in place in 2003 came in very handy to deal with other crises such as the economic downturn last year and the H1N1 flu," says Hsu.

Speaking of dealing with a crisis situation, Hsu suggests that hotels should keep their business plans flexible.

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