Сareer Reflections Leadership Work

Over the course of the semester, we have learned about numerous working sectors of hotels, and with this knowledge, I have determined that if I were to work in a hotel, I would ideally work as a Front Desk Supervisor as it would be a job I not only would thoroughly enjoy but could also be relatively qualified for. The Front Desk Supervisor serves as the face of the hotel as they are the first and last interaction a guest has with the hotel.

They are also whom guests turn to if they have any questions or concerns, which makes their job very crucial in creating the best experience possible for guests. Aside from the exceptional customer service that they provide, they have other duties as well that are very important to operations of the hotel, such as making or confirming reservations, verifying and collecting payments, issuing room keys, contacting maintenance or housekeeping, and training hotel clerks. Their job plays a key role in the hotel’s operations and success, but more importantly, plays an even bigger role in the experience of the guest.

  As someone who strives to make guests and customers as happy as possible, I would love to have the job. With a job like this, I feel like I could not only make an impact in the hotel but in the guests’ experiences as well which is what hospitality is all about. While the job of a Front Desk Supervisor may seem simple and straight to the point, there are a lot of duties that go along with as it is a bit more complex than a starting Front Desk position.

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These duties include ensuring outstanding customer service, maintaining a friendly and courteous demeanor no matter the situation, courteously and accurately answering inquiries from potential guests and accepting hotel reservations, responding to telephone and in-person inquiries regarding reservations, hotel information and guest concerns, using suggestive selling techniques to sell rooms, increase occupancy and revenue, supervising daily shift processes of all team members, training, directing the work of, resolving issues/problems and coaching and counseling the front desk team members, resolving customer issues, complaints, and problems in an efficient manner, adhering to company credit limit/floor limit policies, allocating rooms to expected arrivals after checking the guest’s preferences and special requests, building strong relationships and liaising with all other departments, operating.

EPBX equipment, cross-checking all billing instructions, controlling cash transactions at the front desk and maintaining complete responsibility for personal bank, supervising the operations of the front desk, performing other duties as assigned, requested or deemed necessary by management, ensuring front office log book and the hotel log book is always updated and actioned upon, ensures safety by following guest check in and security procedures and reporting suspicious activity, participating in hotel committees and task force assignments, assisting all departments in servicing the guests, taking responsibility in the absence of the Duty Manager/Front Office Manager, and lastly, being a role model, sharing your expertise, and continually inspiring the front office team.

As you can tell from all of those tasks and duties listed, the Front Desk Supervisor plays a huge role in the organization of a hotel and is involved throughout nearly all the hotel’s departments. One could even say that the most important area of the organization in a hotel is the Front Office, as this department is often the only one to interact with guests, although all the other departments play a role in the guest’s experience behind the scenes (Henderson). Both the organizational structure and the cross-department relationships of the hotel depend heavily on the size and classification of a hotel. For instance, the Front Office would have to develop relationships with restaurant, event, wedding, and spa teams in larger-scale hotels or resorts, which one not be existent in an average hotel. Obviously, the larger the hotel, the more responsibilities the Front Office has, as the more amenities the hotel has, the more the guests will need assistance with and there will be more guests to help with and more rooms to manage as well.

No matter the scale, the Front Office’s relationship with other departments is very crucial to the operation of the hotel and the experience of the guests. Often when guests have questions or concerns, the Front Office will need to communicate with other departments, especially housekeeping and maintenance, in order to resolve the issue. Sectors that are more beyond the scenes, such as Sales, also rely heavily on the operations of the Front Office as they play a huge role in initiating sales and making guests want to come back. Just like any job, the job of Front Desk Supervisor comes with both pros and cons. I do believe that the pros outweigh the cons though. The first pro would be the constant guest interaction as this position is a lot of customer service, so you get to make guests’ experiences better and make them happier which is very fulfilling, which is something more behind the scenes sectors do not get to experience. Another pro is that you are the face of the hotel in this position, meaning that the hotel’s reputation and the guests’ experiences rely on your work which is very important and can also be very rewarding. The last pro of fixing problems is also very rewarding as you are able to fix any guest issues and watch their experience go from negative to positive.

The most significant con would be having upset or angry guests as they may still not be happy, even if you do whatever you can to fix their problem. You also may not be able to fix their problems as it may be out of your hands. Another con would be the work hours since hotels need to staff the front desk 24/7, you work hours that are not typical to the rest of the world. Working nights, overnights, weekends, and holidays are mandatory at times, so it can be very difficult to have a normal schedule otherwise, but this goes with working in most other sectors of the hotel as well. The last con is confidentiality due to the nature of the hotel industry, you will sometimes see things that you do not personally or morally agree with. People who are obviously cheating on their spouse or engaging in reckless activity are something you often see. It may be hard not to judge them, but it is your duty to remain professional and confidential in these instances which is not always easy. One of the reasons I would want to be a Front Desk Supervisor is because it is not a job that would take me years and years in order to get position. A typical Front Desk position can often be entry-level if the applicant has a decent resume, and especially if they have somewhat relevant experience.

It would not be uncommon to have an exemplary Front Desk employee be offered to rise and train for the role of Front Desk Supervisor. Those with impressive resumes, relevant experience, and degrees in Hospitality could also easily get the job as Front Desk Supervisor as they would be well qualified for it. Any applicant must have a positive attitude, excellent communication skills, and an ability to remain calm while under pressure as they would be the face of the hotel and often will have to deal with difficult guests. To be more specific, one must be friendly, outgoing, comfortable with customer service, organized, and have time management skills. All of these interpersonal skills are necessary when making sure that guests are enjoying their stay at the hotel. It’s also important to be organized and time-oriented so that you can get all of your work done on time so that guests can enjoy their stay without having to wait around. I chose the role of Front Desk Supervisor because I believe it would be a great fit for me personally, as it would not only be something I enjoy, but also a job I could do well in, and my Myers-Briggs outcomes could validate this. INFPs fit into your personal value system so they really care about people’s problems and will do whatever they can to fix them. They are focused on making the world a better place for people so they want to make guests as happy as possible.

They are driven to help people and make the world a better place which is crucial and perfect as a Front Desk Supervisor. As they are generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease which is essential in helping with issues. INFPs have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people and this sincerity is sensed by others which is also essential in helping upset guests. They also make very good mediators and are typically good at solving other people’s conflicts, because they intuitively understand people’s perspectives and feelings, and genuinely want to help them. INFPs are flexible and laid-back, which is perfect when dealing with very aggravated guests, as one cannot take things personally. INFPs are also usually hard on themselves and don’t give themselves enough credit so they will allow angered guests to express their feelings and issues even if they are accusing them rather than being extremely defensive. Lastly, INFPs have very high standards and are perfectionists so they strive to do their job well and are at their best in situations where they’re working towards the public good.

Unfortunately, there are some weaknesses that come with being an INFP in this position as well that would need to be improved on. For instance, INFPS may be reserved in expressing emotion so many guests may not think they truly care even though they do. INFPs also do not like conflict and will go to great lengths to avoid it but that is when it is personally involving themselves, so it is not as big of an issue while dealing with guests. Going with this, they tend to focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don’t really care whether or not they’re right. They don’t want to feel bad. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations which may come off the wrong way to guests. Lastly and most significantly, INFPs may be awkward and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they’re feeling on paper. This may be an issue in on-the-spot conflicts but can usually be overcome by their passion for helping others.

In retrospect, I think I could be a great fit for the position of Front Desk Supervisor, and all the responsibilities and duties that it entails. I find that the job plays one of the most important roles in the success of a hotel and the experience of guests which is a huge aspect of Hospitality and something that I would be passionate about and would find very rewarding. I would strive to work to the best of my ability in this position at it is something that would be extremely important to me. I look forward to delving deeper into this career reflection and actually speaking with Front Desk Supervisors within the industry.