The hospitality industry and tourism, in particular, are filled with opportunities for motivated individuals to develop their careers. However, successful progression is dependent on the mastery of specific skills. The first is teamwork which refers to the willingness to collaborate with a group of people to accomplish a specific goal. It is also essential to master professionalism which is the consistent determination to achieve high standards in assigned tasks and personal conduct in a work environment. Professional conduct goes hand in hand with effective communication, facilitating the exchange of vital information and the delivery of exemplary consumer experiences. Acting on feedback and responding to team concerns are critical elements of organizational functioning. Finally, it is essential to develop good guest interaction skills because contact with clientele is inevitable in the service industry. Ensuring that the clients’ experiences at an establishment are exemplary is dependent on the staff’s ability to apply professional skills to ensure that services are delivered effectively.
Employability Focus Areas
Teamwork
Learning how to work with others is an essential skill each hotel front desk agent must possess. One scenario that illustrated the relevance of collaboration involved a guest who complained that the shower in their room was dysfunctional. I received the complaint and proceeded to contact the housekeeping department to appraise them on the matter. In addition, I contacted my supervisor and made inquiries as to whether the client could be assigned a different room as the matter was addressed. The housekeeping staff confirmed that the pressure from the room’s shower was indeed low. They facilitated the client’s move to an alternative room and arranged for the maintenance team to fix the water pressure problem. The matter was handled professionally, and the client was quite pleased with the outcome.
Teamwork is important because it ensures efficiency prevails within an organization. It is defined as a set of interdependent actions conducted by people who collaborate to achieve a common goal (Abam, 2019, p. 2). It should be noted that all the participants share responsibility for the final result. Teamwork is essential because the institution is likely to experience better decision making, flexibility among employees and encourage dedication among staff who are focused on achieving set goals and objectives (Alghamdi and Bach, 2018, p.28). It also facilitates the utilization of worker’s skills in organizations that are keen to gain a competitive advantage (Sanyal and Hisam, 2018, p.16). In addition, companies have unfettered access to multiple solutions in view of the fact that team members pool their collective ideas when addressing pertinent issues.
Maintaining an effective team in the workplace requires a specific set of skills. These include problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and interpersonal skills (Abam, 2019, p. 2). In addition, each of the members must be committed and willing to follow the leader’s guidance as they work towards achieving the main objectives. The interaction between different individuals should produce results that neither of the members would accomplish independently.
I learned several important lessons about teamwork and group work in my previous subjects. For instance, teams should be composed of individuals with a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience. This is essential because it boosts productivity and offers a variety of solutions and perspectives for organizational challenges. In my current position, I work with experts who have served in the industry for many years and have gathered experience in a number of fields that constitute the service industry. As a result, I rely on their know-how to deal with a number of front desk issues.
Guest Interaction
Interactions between staff and clients occupy vital aspects of the activities and services offered in the hotel industry. It is therefore critical to assess consumer wants, expectations, and satisfaction. It is critical to always be truthful when dealing with hotel clients. This helps develop trust and ensures that consumers understand the extent of the institution’s services, which helps them manage their expectations. Most clients expect quality services, timely deliveries, and professional conduct. Guest reviews are a vital tool that can be used to evaluate the degree of satisfaction, needs, and wants among the hotel’s clients.
Service delivery is a critical aspect of a hotel’s functioning. It is critical that the institution’s staff is both perceptive and attentive at all times (Yilmaz, 2018, p.18). In addition, they must be civil, polite, and concerned about their clients’ wellbeing. Effective listening skills are essential because the nature of communication between employees and guests determines their interactions’ success. It is worth noting that adaptability, enthusiasm, and attentiveness are qualities that facilitate the provision of quality experiences for clientele. The hotel industry demands that individuals are capable of dealing effectively with the service encounter.
The consumer experience is an important determinant of a client’s satisfaction with an institution. It is a reflection of their journey through the interactions with the organization before, during, and after they received its services (Kandampully, Zhang and Jaakkola, 2018, p. 3). Consumer experience can be improved by creating a clear vision, understanding the customers’ needs, and creating an emotional connection with the clients. It is also critical to respond to client concerns in real-time and act on their feedback promptly.
My previous subjects on campus taught me that guest expectations determine the degree of a hotel’s success. It is critical to address concerns raised and supersede a consumer’s expectations in every aspect of their experience with the organization. This is because individuals whose anticipated needs are met are likely to demonstrate a high degree of satisfaction and may either recommend the institution to others or return in the future.
Communication
Communication in the service industry is necessary for the delivery of quality experiences and the maintenance of organizational functioning. In my current station, emails, telephones, and work applications are the predominant forms of communication. The effectiveness of these methods of communication varies depending on the context. For instance, while emails are convenient, they are not efficacious in scenarios where the information is highly confidential because it can be sent to other people without the sender’s knowledge. However, in instances where one needs to get in touch with a large number of people, the internet is particularly useful. The telephone is effective because it facilitates immediate interaction, is personal and is easy to use. In addition, individuals can quickly get feedback and are able to offer required information immediately. The work application is helpful in the sense that it allows the organization to collect data on client satisfaction while facilitating easy access to the institution’s services.
There are certain aspects of the communication process that can be improved at the hotel. For instance, the messages in the work emails should be short and must convey the right tone. In addition, sending confidential information through direct mail helps ensure its security. The work application can be improved to facilitate seamless access to the institution’s information and services. These changes will enhance sustainable communication, which helps build credibility and reputation (Shen, Qian, and Chen, 2020, p.4). In addition, they will ensure that both the staff and the clients exchange information as needed.
The barriers to effective communication hamper the timely and effective delivery of messages between the sender and the recipient. These include the simultaneous exchange of multiple streams of information, competition for time and attention, and different cultures within the workplace (Yusof and Rahmat, 2020, p.231). The skills needed for effective communication include listening, emotional control, empathy, open-mindedness, and respect. The most important lesson from my previous subjects on campus was that active listening facilitates the efficient transfer of information between parties. This is useful in my role as a front office agent because addressing consumer concerns is critical.
Professionalism
Professionalism refers to the conduct, attitude and individual maintains in a work environment. I have demonstrated this by using my time as a front desk agent productively and maintaining an appropriate image by sticking to the organization’s dress code. I also promote effective work habits and manage my time to ensure the institution’s goals are met. I always demonstrate integrity by being accountable for my actions and making sure that my work exceeds expectations. I also find that being resilient, communicating effectively, and solving work-related problems ensures the organization’s activities run seamlessly and professionally.
Working as a front desk agent requires the mastery of specific skills. For instance, it is important to be an effective communicator because this role requires constant contact with clientele. It is vital to maintain composure and remain calm under pressure by being flexible and performing multiple tasks simultaneously. Maintaining a friendly attitude is essential because I am often the first point of contact for clients seeking the hotel’s services. Organization skills and problem-solving abilities are particularly important for the delivery of a quality customer experience. These skills ensure that clients are satisfied and the organization’s reputation is maintained.
While studying my previous subjects on campus, I learned that professionalism is vital in an organization because it encourages the development of a respectful culture. As a result, conflicts will be handled correctly, and the consumer experience will improve. Therefore, I strive to be professional in all my encounters with employees and clients at my workplace to ensure that my team functions effectively and the hotel’s customers have a remarkable stay.
Reflection
The service industry is a challenging environment given that there is a heightened degree of interaction with clientele. As a result, maintaining a skilled workforce in every aspect of an organization’s functioning is critical. One of the skills an employee requires is the ability to communicate effectively. Proper speech, writing, and body language in team-oriented and customer-facing roles are vital for the delivery of quality consumer experiences. On the one hand, listening to clients generates organic and spontaneous conversations that reassure customers that their needs will be met. On the other hand, actively listening to team members ensures that activities are coordinated and institutional goals are achieved.
Teamwork is a critical component of a hotel’s functioning. The front desk staff must maintain constant contact with other departments such as housekeeping and managers to ensure that clients have the best experience while at the institution. An effective team encourages unity at work because it aids in the creation of a friendly environment. The close relationships that spawn serve to motivate employees to work hard and support each other. The range of talents and strengths encourages a variety of perspectives regarding organizational challenges. The diversity of thought and creativity that results from collective brainstorming means that solutions are identified efficiently and effectively. Teamwork also encourages innovation which gives the organization a competitive edge over its rivals. It is important to encourage employees to work together to ensure that they contribute to the realization of the company’s overall vision.
Professionalism is important in the hotel business because it is inextricably linked to repeat business in tourism. The industry’s employee-intensive and quality-driven nature demands adherence to the highest standards from the client’s initial contact with the establishment to the time they leave. It is critical that the staff adhere to the outlined code of ethics governing operations within the organization. These generalized principles that guide an individual’s evaluation of decisions and instances of conduct are critical to the delivery of an exemplary customer experience. Trained professionals must always apply the skills they learned in the work environment. This ensures that activities are carried out in the required manner with little variation over time. Possessing organizational and problem-solving skills helps individuals deal with organizational challenges effectively. A professional attitude improves the organization’s image and encourages clients to return or recommend the institution to other interested parties.
Guest interaction is an essential skill for front office personnel in the service industry because the front desk is often the customer’s first point of contact. It integrates a variety of talents, such as effective communication and etiquette. For instance, an individual’s facial expression is a form of non-verbal communication that conveys their emotional state. In addition, the overall body language can highlight a person’s general attitude. It is vital to engage clients in conversation while practicing active listening to better address their needs. This is because clients often expect professionalism, friendliness, empathy, flexibility, and responsibility from the institution’s staff.
Reference List
Abam, E. N. (2019) ‘The impact of teamwork in the hospitality establishment – a case study of Chariot Hotel Buea,’ Open Journal of Human Resource Management, 2(2), pp. 1–3. Web.
Alghamdi, A. and Bach, C. (2018) ‘Developing teamwork at workplace,’ International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) ISSN, 7(2), pp. 28–40. Web.
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. and Jaakkola, E. (2018) ‘Customer experience management in hospitality: A literature synthesis, new understanding and research agenda,’ International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(1), pp. 1–14. Web.
Sanyal, S. and Hisam, M. W. (2018) ‘The impact of teamwork on work performance of employees’, IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM), 20(3), pp. 15–22. Web.
Shen, L., Qian, J. and Chen, S. C. (2020) ‘Effective communication strategies of sustainable hospitality: A qualitative exploration,’ Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(17), pp. 1–14. Web.
Yilmaz, O. D. (2018) ‘Revisiting employee – guest interactions in hotels: An analysis of critical incidents,’ Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing, 4(2), pp. 17–23. Web.
Yusof, A. N. A. M. and Rahmat, N. H. (2020) ‘Communication barriers at the workplace: A case study,’ European Journal of Education Studies, 7(10), pp. 229–240. Web.