Occidental services on the Romanian tourist market

Interview with Dana Decea - Bucharest CFR Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group General Manager

Rail Journal: Madam Director, before talking about the activity of the CFR Bucharest Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group could you tell us whether this branch is known to its new management team?
Dana Decea: They are well prepared. I suppose this was the reason the management of the company chose us. Both the Deputy Manager Mirela Maierean and me worked for tourism and supply and we also own licences in this field. As it is well known, the activity of our group is different in its profile from the one of CFR SA.
RJ: Why is it no longer called Astoria Complex?
DD: We wanted to change its name because within this exterior unit of CFR SA a very complex activity that included far more than just the Astoria Hotel. When you said Astoria you thought about the hotel and perhaps about the restaurant. Astoria Complex designates now only the hotel and the restaurant. It is a sub-unit of the group. Besides that our group also stands for: supply activities, R&R at the Snagov Complex, at the 14 Line Home and at the CFR Cantina and also a commercial activity - sales through the North Railway station stores. With the risk of repeating myself I will say that the Bucharest CFR Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group means: sale point at the North Railway station; lodging at the Astoria Hotel, Snagov Complex and the 14 Line Home, supply - restaurant, bar, cafeteria, buffet in the CFR palace and at the Rapid Club; terrace and restaurant at the Snagov Complex. Practically, the new name includes three types of well-defined activities.
Geographically, the units are scattered and the activities are complex and varied. The distance between the central units and the sub-units slows a bit the course of a good development of our activity. Communication would be more flexible and efficient if we had our own informational system but we make do with what we have.
RJ: What is the link between Bucharest CFR Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group and the National Railway Company CFR SA?
DD: As I have already told you, the Bucharest CFR Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group is an external unit of CNCF CFR SA - our patrons.
RJ: Did you manage to analyse what was done so far and decide what should be continued and what should be changed?
DD: We do not mean to judge those that were here before us. What I can tell you though is that we felt the need for reorganisation of the commercial activity, regarding our caterers. Because the Romanian marked became flexible we decided to talk to some of the caterers. The goal was to acquire the merchandise at the smallest possible price in order to avoid big prices to which the VAT was also added. You realise that we risked having large prices that would forbid us access to the market. As a matter of fact, big prices mean self-elimination from the commercial market. We decided right from the start that this is a situation we had to avoid or to say the truth - to eliminate. As well we decided that a program would have to be started to form field specialists at the Astoria Complex. Mirela Mairean, Deputy Manager of the complex is better informed and can tell you more about that.
Mirela Mairean: We are trying to improve the service quality both for the hotel and the supply. This we try to accomplish by hiring specialists that will share their experience with our personnel. The possibility offered to Romanians to frequent various restaurants and hotels abroad where they had the opportunity to be served differently than in Romania made them wish they had the same Occidental service in Romania.
This is what our clients will meet at the Astoria Hotel and not only there. We must not forget the foreign delegations that frequent us every year that expect to find at least the same conditions they would benefit from in their countries. A good point was the general state of the hotel that did not need major repairs, a thing that allowed us the go straight to the improvement program for services. One of the main objectives of the new team was implementing quality according to ISO 9002 standards. I must also confess that our goal is that in the near future we will offer services just like in the Occident, specific for the two-star category - our classification. This can be accomplished with a team that includes experienced personnel and young people with new ideas.
RJ: Did you make any changes in the personnel?
DD: we have very few employees, a thing that does not allow us restructuring. We want to make more efficient what we found here in a professional way. People will eliminate themselves if they will not comply with the demands but you must give them a chance. Therefore we are not talking about problems as long as they are receptive to our methods. I am convinced that the employees' work would be easier if we had a modern information system that will make the existing equipment more efficient and real-time decisions.
This modernising project can be made only with the support of the National Railway Company CFR SA and we hope that we will not have to wait to long.
RJ: Tell me which of the group's services is more solicited?
DD: The commercial service is the place where a real offer avalanche is registered. When you say supply you think about what sector should receive it: the restaurant, the terrace, the bar or the stores; or it is simply about general supply. It is a vast activity that implies a lot of work and analysing a large number of materials. The personnel number involved in this activity - they have to be familiar with the client's wishes and the offers of our main caterers - is very small. The time remaining until the end of this year will be used trying to find viable solutions for all problems. Our personnel will be able to work in a less stressing milieu.
RJ: Is this the main objective that you will try to accomplish by the end of the year?
DD: Besides many others. I could also mention the Snagov complex that offers many services to every visitor - whether he is a railway man or not. Although much work was put into the image of this complex, it seems that it still isn't quite as known yet. We will try to improve the image of the complex. The Romanians must know that we are the perfect hosts and the Snagov Complex is the ideal destination for weekends and vacations alike.
A good opportunity to make this fact known is the nearing Tourism Fair where the Bucharest CFR Accommodations and Supply Commercial Group will participate with its own stand.

Reporting Oana Bran.