Read and Discuss about my job

Very shortly after graduating from college, I stopped by a hotel and applied for a front desk agent position. I figured I could work some hours in a stress-free environment while I looked for a "real job." Who would've guessed that a front desk position could be the start of a life-long passion? I quickly learned that the front desk is the heart of the operation in a limited-service hotel. And I loved every minute of it.

What started as a part-time job suddenly turned into a full-time career. With my college years behind me, I decided that I was enjoying the hotel business. Because I was working at the "the heart of the hotel," I soon became a master of fielding complaints ("opportunities" is how the corporate people referred to them). I found myself actually enjoying the art of turning the situation around in favor of my organization. To go from the beginning of the conversation, where you might be apologizing to the guest for whatever might have happened, to the end, where the guest is actu­ally thanking you for your help in resolving it, I had found my dream job. I knew I wanted to grow and get promoted to higher levels of responsibility, so I planted a couple of seeds in the mind of my manager. Low and behold, three months later I was promoted to front office manager at the same location.

I was now responsible for finding the perfect front desk can­didates. Interviewing; hiring, training, supervising; I never thought 1 could make a whole week's work of this. During my time as front office manager, I interviewed what seemed like a thousand people claiming to be my perfect candidate. I had to figure out what I wanted at the front desk; who I wanted representing our hotel. I was determined to have the best front desk staff in the city. This delight­ed my general manager immensely.

The year quickly passed, and I received yet another career opportunity, which of course meant another geographical move. My experience had finally paid off — I was becoming a general manager. I am now ultimately responsible for all goings-on in my hotel. Immediately after beginning my new position, I had to go through the tedious yearly budget process, I am responsible for controlling expenses while driving revenues to increase our gross operating profit and average daily rate. I have to make a conscious effort to take a few moments out of each day to stroll around the hotel and talk to the guests and employees. After getting acclimated into my new position, I came to a conclusion. In order to eliminate the "juggling of hats" that many of us are still doing, I must, with the help of my key staff, reduce the turnover of employees at our hotel. So, my time as a general manager for the most part has been consumed with creating and implementing the best incentive plan any of my employees has ever experienced, an incentive plan that rewards and motivates, one that makes our employees want to come to work each day. Our corporate executives believe that the guest should be number one. But I think differently. At our hotel, the guest is number two. In many opinions, the employee is number one.

I truly believe that we need to take good care of our employees. Train them to deliver great service, motivate them to feel that this is more than just a job, recognize them for their great deeds, compen­sate them for a job well done, and retain them to create a consistent staff. If we take care of our employees, they will in turn take good care of our guests. They will stay with us again, and we will constantly build new clientele thanks to word of mouth. Our employees are happy, our guests are happy; our revenues are increasing — so the executives at our corpo­rate office are happy — and all this makes me extremely happy. This is something they don't talk about in college. This is something you can learn about only through experiences. This is what is known as job security.

Notes

apply for – подавать заявление о приеме на работу

environment – атмосфера, обстановка

limited-service hotel – гостиница, предоставляющая ограниченное количество услуг

part-time job – работа неполный рабочий день

in favour of – в пользу

field complaints – анализировать жалобы

low and behold – будучи замеченным

hire – нанимать

supervise – контролировать

determined – решительно настроенный

ultimately – в конечном счете

goings-on – дела, действия

tedious – утомительный, длительный

gross operating profit – валовой операционный доход

average daily rate – среднесуточный дебит

stroll around – бродить

juggling of hats – жонглирование шляпами

turnover – текучесть рабочей силы

incentive plan – система поощрительных вознаграждений

reward – поощрять

retain – сохранять

consistent staff – постоянный штат работников

word of mouth – изустная реклама (приемами повседневного общения)

job security – гарантия занятости, обеспеченность работой

Task 1. Answer the following questions

1. Was it a serious decision of a narrator when he applied for a front desk agent position?

2. What is the heart of the operation in a hotel?

3. Did he enjoy the hotel business? Why?

4. Why was he promoted?

5. As a general manager what he is responsible for?

6. What is an incentive plan?

7. What has he learned during the years of working in the hotel ?

Task 2. Think and express your opinion:

“Our corporate executives believe that the guest should be number one. But I think differently. At our hotel, the guest is number two, the employee is number one”. Points to consider:

• Communication management;

• turnover of employees;

• rewards and incentives;

• experience;

• commitment to work;

• corporate etiquette;

• consciousness.