A glimpse behind the hotel bookings
STAFF REPORTER
Q What jobs did you do before this one?
I worked for Fonterra as the Regional Planning and Scheduling Manager — Lower North Island.
Q Why did you choose this job?
My partner is from Oamaru and was looking at moving home. I love Oamaru and the wider Waitaki area. This role matches my skills; I love working directly with customers, and believe I can make a positive difference to the Oamaru Licensing Trust.
Q How did you get into it and when?
I saw the role advertised online. I have only been here for two months.
Q What qualifications and training did you need?
Most people applying for a senior role in hospitality, require formal training. This is a mix of study and work experience. Training can be taken at most technical schools. Just get out there and start with the simple things, like customer service, barrista skills, table service and grow from there.
Q What personal skills do you need?
You need to be able to work with a wide group of staff and customers. You need high expectations in customer service, food standards and have the skill of always looking for improvements.
Q Any physical requirements?
You do need to be physically fit as you never know when you may need to assist a customer with their luggage. However, being mentally fit is just as important.
Q What do you do on a daily basis?
Daily, I need to check reports, sales, cash flow, customer bookings, walk the hotel ensuring we are ready at all times for the next customer, looking at marketing and promotional opportunities, meeting with and developing my team.
Q
What is the most challenging aspect?
In hospitality, the most challenging thing is to manage staff and their expectations. As trade varies day to day, staff hours also need to change to match the work load. Balancing giving your team enough hours for them to have a good standard of living and keeping cost under control can be difficult as we do have a social conscience and want to keep good people employed.
Q Are there any particular health and safety issues?
Food safety and personal safety is always number one. Keeping staff safe from the hazards in the kitchen and when cleaning the hotel pose the most challenges — and at times customers. This is always something that we look at
improving though training, systems and processes.
Q What is the most interesting assignment you’ve had?
Too new here. However, travelling the world sourcing products over many years will always be a highlight for me.
Q How has the job changed since you started?
I’ve only been here two months but can already see changes in customers, processes and team engagement. Q What’s something people generally don’t know about the job? The need for flexibility.
You never know when a road will be closed; deliveries can be late and you have 50 unexpected guests or a late booking for a function.
This is one industry where the team is mostly part time, on call or casual.
Q What are the highs of the job?
Seeing happy customers and staff.
Q What are the lows of the job?
Not being able to offer more hours to staff all year round.
Q What’s the strangest thing you’ve had to do?
There has not been any strange thing here so far, but I do have some great stories from other roles and life experiences.
Q Where will you be 10 years from now?
In 10 years’ time I hope to be retired and travelling the South Island having picnics by lakes, rivers, mountains and coastal spots.