Assistant Front Office Manager - Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Johannesburg Melrose Arch

JOB SUMMARY

Assists the Front Office Manager in administering front office functions and supervising staff on a daily basis. Front office areas include Bell/Door Staff, Switchboard and Guest Services/Front Desk.  Position directs and works with managers and employees to carry out procedures ensuring an efficient check in and check out process. Ensures guest and employee satisfaction and maximizes the financial performance of the department.

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the guest services, front desk, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Hospitality, Business Administration, or related major; no work experience required.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Supporting Management of Front Desk Team 

• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Supervises and manages employees. Managing all day-to-day operations. Understanding employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence.
• Ensures employee recognition is taking place on all shifts.
• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees.

Monitoring and Supporting Progress Toward Guest Services and Front Desk Goals

• Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring the quality, standards and meeting the expectations of the customers on a daily basis.
• Develops specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Handles complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Strives to improve service performance.
• Collaborates with the Front Office Manager on ways to continually improve departmental service.
• Communicates a clear and consistent message regarding the Front Office goals to produce desired results.
• Participates in the development and implementation of corrective action plans based on review of comment cards and guest satisfaction results.
• Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service 

• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
• Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
• Sets a positive example for guest relations.
• Displays outstanding hospitality skills.
• Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Interacts with customers on a regular basis to obtain feedback on quality of product, service levels and overall satisfaction.
• Provides feedback to employees based on observation of service behaviors.
• Handles guest problems and complaints effectively.
• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.

Managing Projects and Policies

• Implements the customer recognition/service program, communicating and ensuring the process.
• Ensures compliance with all Front Office policies, standards and procedures.
• Monitors adherence to all credit policies and procedures to reduce bad debts and rebates.

Additional Responsibilities 

• Provides information to supervisors and co-workers by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzes information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Informs and/or updates the executives, the peers and the subordinates on relevant information in a timely manner.
• Functions in place of the Front Office Manager in his/her absence.
• Communicates critical information from pre- and post-convention meetings to the Front Office staff.
• Participates in department meetings.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Leadership

• Adaptability - Maintains performance level under pressure or when experiencing changes or challenges in the workplace.   
• Communication - Conveys information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner through a variety of methods.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; obtains and compares information from different sources to draw conclusions, develop and evaluate alternatives and solutions, solve problems, and choose a course of action.
• Professional Demeanor - Exhibits behavioral styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

Managing Execution

• Building and Contributing to Teams - Actively participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.
• Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.
• Planning and Organizing - Gathers information and resources required to set a plan of action for self and/or others; prioritizes and arranges work requirements to accomplish goals and ensure work is completed.

Building Relationships

• Coworker Relationships - Interacts with others in a way that builds openness, trust, and confidence in the pursuit of organizational goals and lasting relationships. 
• Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards.
• Global Mindset - Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability 

• Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of own assignments and suggests improvements to work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.
• Talent Management - Provides support and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

• Applied Learning - Seeks and makes the most of learning opportunities to improve performance of self and/or others.
• Business Acumen - Understands and utilizes business information to manage everyday operations.
• Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct.
  • Computer Skills - The ability to use computer systems and software packages to input, access, modify, store, or output information or to execute programs or analyses.  This includes the ability to enter and retrieve data from computer systems using a keyboard, mouse, or trackball. Basic trouble shooting skills, for computers, printers and in room guest technologies. Ability to adapt to changing technologies. 
  • Problem Resolution- Ability to record, track and resolve guest problems via property software (i.e. Guestware, FOSSE, etc.) handle emergencies, and effectively deal with customer issues and complaints.
• Basic Competencies - Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities.
  • Basic Computer Skills - Uses basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).
  • Mathematical Reasoning - Demonstrates ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.
  • Oral Comprehension - Demonstrates ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Reading Comprehension - Demonstrates understanding of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Writing - Communicates effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.