How Front Desk Employees Shape a Guest’s Experience By Colleen Anderson, General Manager, Omni San Diego Hotel THere Are sO mANy DIFFereNT reasons to travel. some of us travel for fun with family and friends. some of us travel for work. Travel can be challenging—most of us are relieved when we finally get to sleep in our own beds. if you’re one of those travelers who spends more days on the road than at home, more often than not you seek a hotel experience that makes you feel welcome and comfortable, one that offers a seamless guest experience from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart. When we are on the road, our hotel room becomes our home away from home. at Omni hotels & resorts, our goal is to create an atmosphere where guests feel genuinely welcomed, and appreciated. This experience begins the moment our guests arrive and are greeted by our front desk associates. This first impression sets the tone for the entire experience, and is the best opportunity to express our appreciation for the guest choosing the Omni san diego hotel. Guest service agents and concierge staff play critical roles in shaping the guest experience while visiting the hotel and our beautiful city. They are on the front line to ensure guests are satisfied and have what they need during their stay. They assist with celebrations and are more than eager to help with extra special requests. Making a positive first impression that will impact the rest of a guest’s stay. friendliness, resourcefulness, sincerity and authenticity are important qualities that should come naturally to any guest service agent. aside from the service element, there are many technical components of the front desk staff that are crucial to the operation on the hotel. at Omni, daily tasks include blocking arrival reservations according to guest requests, preparing guest folios free of billing errors and restocking collateral behind the reception counter. Associates are well-versed on revenue maximization and know when to shuffle room types or offer upgrades. They have a sense of personal responsibility for each guest and collaborate daily with other departments to provide the best possible guest experience. hiring the right talent and consistent training and recognition are all important to the success of any hotel front desk operation. Most positions are entry level, and candidates are typically hired as recent graduates of hospitality programs with minimal experience in the field. Unique to Omni hotels & resorts, is the leader in Development (LID) program. Specifically aimed at recruiting recent graduates to the hotel industry, this program provides associates with real-time trainings and experiences. Associates who complete the program are guaranteed a managerial position within the Omni family. Our talented front desk managers have an extensive training program in place that quickly 16 California Hotel & Lodging Association summer 2015 educates these new associates on their roles and responsibilities. The program includes training on the Property Management system, cross training in other operational departments to better understand the flow of business and even experiencing the property themselves so they can better sell our hotel to guests. This discovery program also includes an overnight stay to become better acquainted with the property layout, dinner in the hotel restaurant to experience gourmet dining and the delicious dishes the culinary team has prepared, and a full-service breakfast the next morning. To be a successful front desk agent requires a unique set of skills. successful associates enjoy working in fast-paced environments, multitasking, consistently thinking on their feet and being problem solvers. Omni hotels & resorts takes pride in identifying internal candidates who possess these qualities and offering them promotion and growth opportunities within the company. Ultimately, guest satisfaction is our driving force, our motivator and our key to success. The passion we hold for our guests’ experiences is what lights the fire in our eyes. This passion is easy to recognize and hard to define. The “wow” feeling guests get when interacting with Omni associates is what creates return guests.
CHLA Lodging News Summer 2015
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