The best and worst day in my working career thus far!
So yesterday was one of the longest days I worked ever and it was one of the hardest and most stressful days too. Yet as bad as it was it was also one of the best days, up until about 11pm.
It started with my attending an 8am Branding Road Show, to let everyone at Kimpton understand what the Kimpton Group is about. And it was really informative and as usual I was really excited about the company, in a nutshell, because of the 3 national community outreach programs that are in place. The first is “Trust for Public Land” which is the one I want to get involved with. Basically it’s about buying backspace in cities and making them into parks. The second is “Dress for Success” getting women into suits and then giving them support and professional development to get them into the work place. The third is with AID’s, which has been the one the company has always done.
I then called MSU OISS to find out about my VISA and what I needed to do. I kinda freaked out cause I need to get on that to stay here. So I bolted to the hotel so I could talk to Angela in HR. In the end as she wasn’t there I reorganized the office postings and put some red boas up around a notice board!
So I began my 12 hour shift basically from 12 to 12. We were oversold by 11 rooms so I knew it was going to be a shitty day. But I felt really supported throughout my shift and I kept a positive frame of mind and was always pleasant to guests and never got upset. Even though it was the most difficult shift to manage to date I kept cool and made a huge effort to keep the right frame of mind. Tina in reservations helped me move some reservations to other hotels before they arrived so the number of guests I didn’t have rooms for crept down. Then some people in a group who were meant to check out didn’t and the number went back up. This group has been a pain since they came in. anyway basically the group contact was yelling at me and was rude and condescending. I was okay. Abe in sales was helpful in anyway possible. Then we had the CEO, COO, and Dir. Sales and Marketing in the hotel for the afternoon to hold some meetings. So extra pressure was on to make sure everything went smoothly during that time and no one was upset.
At 10pm, I had a pile of completed papers next to me about an inch and a half deep and I knew that I had been very busy but managed to hold it down. Then 2 people came down to check out early. 2 more rooms, yes. But then 2 people walked in behind them who I didn’t have rooms for. So I ran upstairs with Mr. Choung the houseman and we turned the rooms. And sold them again.
By 11pm I had removed the pre blocking on the people who we didn’t want to walk to other hotels and thus it was a first come first serve from then on. At this time my overnight staff were late, again. I knew I had to say something to them, but I was okay cause it was discipline it was a warning to make sure they wouldn’t get in trouble. At 11:10 some dude upstairs called to say he locked himself out his bathroom and I had no idea how to get him in. then Takieta the front desk agent grab a wire hanger and managed to jimmy the door open.
So basically up to this point all the issues and concerns I had to deal with I did but with the support of almost everyone in very department. I felt as though we worked as a team and got everything under control. I felt supported and accomplished. Then I spoke to my overnight staff.
These two girls have been difficult for a while. Anyway I just wanted to warn them to watch out and if they are late call to let us know and that 5 or 10 mins is not okay but if it becomes 30 mins then I may have to take action. It was a warning to help them out. Well they didn’t take it that way and one started going on about how she would be fine it I wrote her up and fired her cause she has another job lined up anyway.
I can deal with any guest issue and let it roll off my back. But I love my staff and I do so much to make their lives easier. Everyone in my front desk knows this. And they all appreciate that hard work except these 2 overnight staff. And it hurts me when I try to warn them to be careful and they turn around and throw it in my face. And that’s when the night was ruined. For over 16 hours I had a hold and maintained. And it was shatter on the 11th hour by not so angry guest but by unthankful and inconsiderate staff.
I knew that my position is a thankless one and that the Front Office Manager one is even more thankless. But I now know some other pressures of management that I hadn’t even considered before. I am still holding strong but am a little wiser. I hope I can do something with my overnight staff they are a cog in the machine at the moment and it s slowing down the process. I am trying my hardest to create a culture of understanding and Donte, my boss, is doing it on the head of department level and I am doing it internally. We must be tolerant and understanding of everyone all the time!! And that’s what’s I am about, the front desk at the Rouge is about, and Kimpton as a company is about.
Anyway it was dollar millers at the bar so Warren and I am Takeita and Leah went out and got wasted. We had Jell-O shots and beer and kamikazes and all sorts of stuff. It was what I needed.
It started with my attending an 8am Branding Road Show, to let everyone at Kimpton understand what the Kimpton Group is about. And it was really informative and as usual I was really excited about the company, in a nutshell, because of the 3 national community outreach programs that are in place. The first is “Trust for Public Land” which is the one I want to get involved with. Basically it’s about buying backspace in cities and making them into parks. The second is “Dress for Success” getting women into suits and then giving them support and professional development to get them into the work place. The third is with AID’s, which has been the one the company has always done.
I then called MSU OISS to find out about my VISA and what I needed to do. I kinda freaked out cause I need to get on that to stay here. So I bolted to the hotel so I could talk to Angela in HR. In the end as she wasn’t there I reorganized the office postings and put some red boas up around a notice board!
So I began my 12 hour shift basically from 12 to 12. We were oversold by 11 rooms so I knew it was going to be a shitty day. But I felt really supported throughout my shift and I kept a positive frame of mind and was always pleasant to guests and never got upset. Even though it was the most difficult shift to manage to date I kept cool and made a huge effort to keep the right frame of mind. Tina in reservations helped me move some reservations to other hotels before they arrived so the number of guests I didn’t have rooms for crept down. Then some people in a group who were meant to check out didn’t and the number went back up. This group has been a pain since they came in. anyway basically the group contact was yelling at me and was rude and condescending. I was okay. Abe in sales was helpful in anyway possible. Then we had the CEO, COO, and Dir. Sales and Marketing in the hotel for the afternoon to hold some meetings. So extra pressure was on to make sure everything went smoothly during that time and no one was upset.
At 10pm, I had a pile of completed papers next to me about an inch and a half deep and I knew that I had been very busy but managed to hold it down. Then 2 people came down to check out early. 2 more rooms, yes. But then 2 people walked in behind them who I didn’t have rooms for. So I ran upstairs with Mr. Choung the houseman and we turned the rooms. And sold them again.
By 11pm I had removed the pre blocking on the people who we didn’t want to walk to other hotels and thus it was a first come first serve from then on. At this time my overnight staff were late, again. I knew I had to say something to them, but I was okay cause it was discipline it was a warning to make sure they wouldn’t get in trouble. At 11:10 some dude upstairs called to say he locked himself out his bathroom and I had no idea how to get him in. then Takieta the front desk agent grab a wire hanger and managed to jimmy the door open.
So basically up to this point all the issues and concerns I had to deal with I did but with the support of almost everyone in very department. I felt as though we worked as a team and got everything under control. I felt supported and accomplished. Then I spoke to my overnight staff.
These two girls have been difficult for a while. Anyway I just wanted to warn them to watch out and if they are late call to let us know and that 5 or 10 mins is not okay but if it becomes 30 mins then I may have to take action. It was a warning to help them out. Well they didn’t take it that way and one started going on about how she would be fine it I wrote her up and fired her cause she has another job lined up anyway.
I can deal with any guest issue and let it roll off my back. But I love my staff and I do so much to make their lives easier. Everyone in my front desk knows this. And they all appreciate that hard work except these 2 overnight staff. And it hurts me when I try to warn them to be careful and they turn around and throw it in my face. And that’s when the night was ruined. For over 16 hours I had a hold and maintained. And it was shatter on the 11th hour by not so angry guest but by unthankful and inconsiderate staff.
I knew that my position is a thankless one and that the Front Office Manager one is even more thankless. But I now know some other pressures of management that I hadn’t even considered before. I am still holding strong but am a little wiser. I hope I can do something with my overnight staff they are a cog in the machine at the moment and it s slowing down the process. I am trying my hardest to create a culture of understanding and Donte, my boss, is doing it on the head of department level and I am doing it internally. We must be tolerant and understanding of everyone all the time!! And that’s what’s I am about, the front desk at the Rouge is about, and Kimpton as a company is about.
Anyway it was dollar millers at the bar so Warren and I am Takeita and Leah went out and got wasted. We had Jell-O shots and beer and kamikazes and all sorts of stuff. It was what I needed.