school report

My Work Experience at Quality and Hilton Garden Inn Hotels

During my first week I was sharing my work with another intern so the days were long and slow. I came in at 8:30 and got to work on the guest repeats and entering business card data in the hotel interface. The interface is different from the IQware software I learnt in class. This interface leaves no space for mistakes if you make a mistake you can't go back and fix it. This made me nervous because I was worried I would make a mistake and not be able to fix it luckily I have not made any errors using the interface. I leave at 4 though on some days while the other intern was here I left at 3:30 as there was no work left to do. Breaks were taken while waiting for more tasks to be given lunch was taken at 12 and I was given an hour for it though some days I would only take 20 minutes since I knew I would be leaving at 3:30 that day.

Other than repeats I filled out what areas needed to be inspected for that week. I would also help stuff envelopes or address them; I continued doing the repeats, business cards and envelopes the second week as well as going over cancellation invoices and long term guests. I would highlight all the clients’ names and enter the information into the records on file. During my second week I was helping the admin and accounting departments as I was going through invoices and receipts and updating the records of the guests, making photocopies of everything. During this week we lost our internet as you had told us in class things get a little hectic when all your work must be done on the internet I got to use the business center to do my repeats that day but once I was finished that I went on to non computer related tasks. I started working on long term guest folders any guests staying five days or more get a folder with the Hilton. The folder contains a personalized welcome letter, information on the hotel, information on things they can do during their stay along with five sheets of personalize stationary and three envelopes. I also helped Gen with some of her work when I ran out of things to do when there was nothing left we would get sent home at 3:30.

The Third week I did most of what I had been doing the previous 2 weeks. I started entering Information on guests in the records noting how many waters or milks were bought, entered the amount of welcome plates, new customers, roses. Roses are given to female guests in a vase waiting for them and plates with chocolate are left as a welcome at the Hilton. The third week I worked more from the Hilton than the Quality but in both hotels I do work for both. Gen and I worked on the Christmas party gifts making gift boxes, putting the gifts together, noting what was in each gift, numbering them, wrapping them, sticking their respective numbers on them and then marking the numbers for the guests. I entered evaluations scores for the restaurant guests who rated the services of the restaurant; I was not surprised that most people had so much good things to say. I then started to print and file Helens joke of the day, every day Helen makes this new letter of sorts for the guests for the following day this little pamphlet contains a short story of no more than 2 pages motivational quotes with a brain teaser, with the answer and a joke. The folders had not been up dated so the work continued into week four. I had the chance to go on a room inspection with Lisa it was interesting I picked up on things Lisa had missed and it made me feel good that I could be of help, even the condition of the wallpaper and ceilings are important in a guests room.
 

Week four I worked on my normal tasks entering the repeats and business cards I also laminated cards for luggage tags which I previously forgot to mention I did in week 2 and 3 when I was stuffing envelopes. I printed letters and envelopes for the luggage tags being sent out next week when I will no longer be here. I helped deliver the long terms robes to their rooms, at the Hilton and Quality Hotels you get a personalize house robe that is white with your first name in blue letters and a pair of white slippers. I made more long term folders for the weekend and printed out and delivered the joke of the day filing a copy in the binders for records. I entered maintenance and housekeeping reports in the records stating all the repairs or things needing to be cleaned for the week I had also done some the previous week that I forgot to mention.

I felt very comfortable and well suited to the jobs I was doing, my past experiences working in an office had me used to the setting as well as always working at the computer in class. I felt very much at ease using their interface thanks to working with the IQware program in class, I also did not feel any discomfort talking to Guests who would casually ask me if the hotel had a shuttle, where the bathrooms were or how to get to a certain company thanks to practicing in class I knew how to answer them confidently. I learnt enough about the hotel I was in to tell the clients that there is a 24 hour shuttle, that the washrooms were straight ahead down the flight of stairs just around the left corner and that there were information pamphlets right next to the front desk that would give all the directions needed and that if they needed more help from there that the front desk agent would be more than glad to assist them further.

I have learnt it takes a lot of patience and hard work to succeed in the business and in keeping the business going. The hotel staffs really is like a family and although there are some that do not get along great with each other there is a certain level of respect and professionalism.

My experience has also made me realize I would like to work in a place that has good management; the owner in the hotel is admirable for wanting to be so hands on however his management skills can use some improvement from all I have observed. There are many great things about the hotels they work very hard to put the customer’s needs and contentment above all else. They have evaluations they give their clients for the hotel as a whole and for their restaurants and when there is a complaint in the evaluation they call the client and talk with them to find out how to improve things.

I was definitely shocked with the language used in the office at times but I could not deny how comfortable and welcoming the atmosphere of the staff that works in the hotels even when they do not know you they will greet you and have a conversation with you, I want to work in a hotel even more now thanks to this experience.
I worked very well I find since I completed my work quickly without error and at times was asked to slow down so I would have something to occupy my time while Helen tried to find other work I could complete.

I made some mini errors while working but none that I couldn't fix, I just needed to relax and focus on the screen. It can be intimidating when the big boss is so near to you but I learnt to just view him as another part of the staff and not as a threat.  

I got yelled at by a GSA the previous day there was a man who was impatient to wait for the owner so her left some papers on the desk I was working at asking me to give them to him when he was done. At the time he left the papers I was cleaning up so I could leave as it was almost four o'clock and the desk was rather untidy since I had been making folders and working on the joke of the day. The woman who shares the desk with Helen the woman I was working with decided to help me tidy up and I was sure she took the papers as she had heard what had been said to me. The next day when I got in there were a bunch of people at my desk and Helen asked me about the papers I told her and the others that the gentleman had left the papers right at the corner of the desk and that Sia the woman whom the desk normally was occupied with had taken the papers and the GSA snapped at me talking harshly as well as rudely to me. Helen stood up for me as the GSA snapped at me telling her to treat me better and not be mean to me as I am working for free and other such things she then when into the bosses office and came out with some papers from on his desk they were the ones that were left the day before, Sia had put them on his desk and the boss was looking everywhere else for them.

Before I would have snapped back at the GSA when being spoken to in a rude and harsh manner but that day I had completely kept my composure I believe my patience has improved greatly.

Good things about me would be I stay focused on the task at hand, when working with the computer I am quick and get the job done in as little time as possible, I am also very quick at putting together the folders.

If there was something I had to improve on I would say my relationships with other staff the first week I only spoke to the people I knew in the office and one or two other staff who spoke to me. I am still mildly reluctant to converse with many of the staff but as I start to feel more and more comfortable here I open up and speak to more people.

I need to adapt quicker to new people making new relationships is somewhat difficult to me since I tend to be a bit of a loner.