Front Office Manager

Job Number
Job Category Rooms & Guest Services Operations
Location Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray, Liesbeek Avenue off Liesbeek Parkway, Cape Town, South Africa, South Africa VIEW ON MAP
Schedule Full-Time
Located Remotely? N
Relocation? N
Position Type Management

JOB SUMMAR

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 

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; 2 years working experience.

Maintaining 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. Supervises staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met. Ensures that regular on-going communication is happening with employees to create awareness of business objectives and communicate expectations, recognizes performance, and produces desired results. Understands the impact of department’s operations on the overall property financial goals and objectives and manages to achieve or exceed goals.

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 building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. Serving as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors. Supervises and manages employees. Manages all day-to-day operations. Understands employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence. Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team. Supervises all areas of the Front Office in the absence of the Front Office or Assistant Front Office Manager.

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. Responds to and handles guest problems and complaints. Sets a positive example for guest relations. Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service. Observes service behaviors of employees and provides feedback to individuals. Interacts with customers to obtain feedback on quality of product, service levels and overall satisfaction. Ensures employees understand customer service expectations and parameters. Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels. Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.

Managing Projects and Policies

Implements the customer recognition/service program, communicating and ensuring the process. Trains staff and monitors adherence to all credit policies and procedures to reduce bad debts and rebates. Supervises same day selling procedures to maximize room revenue and control property occupancy. Supervises daily Front Desk shift operations and ensures compliance with all policies, standards and procedures. Ensures property policies are administered fairly and consistently, disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and support the Peer Review Process.

Supporting Human Resource Activities

Supports the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an “open door” policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns. Brings issues concerning employee satisfaction to the attention of the department manager and Human Resources. Assists as needed in the interviewing and hiring of employee team members with the appropriate skills. Supports a departmental orientation program for employees to receive the appropriate new hire training to successfully perform their job. Participates in employee progressive discipline procedures.

Additional Responsibilities 

Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates 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. Performs all duties at the Front Desk as necessary. Runs Front Desk shifts whenever necessary. Participates in departmental meetings and continually communicates a clear and consistent message regarding the Front Desk goals to produce desired results.

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. Guest Services - Knowledge of procedures for wake-up services, safe deposit boxes, room and property amenities, property-specific programs kids programs), guest rewards programs, and local attractions. Front Desk - Knowledge of procedures and policies for check-in/check-out; pre-arrival planning; Marriott Rewards Program; Corporate-sponsored programs; Property based systems MGS, MARSHA, PMS, Fidelio Opera, FOSSE, Call Accounting, Voicemail, Movies, Key); vendors, products, services, and merchandise; front desk supply management; room inventory management. Problem Resolution- Ability to record, track and resolve guest problems via property software 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 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.

Protea Hotels by Marriott® is the leading hospitality brand in Africa and one of the most widely recognized hospitality brands on the continent, with over hotels across South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda. If you have a passion for delivering every guest a personalized service experience and desire to be part of the ‘Coolest Hotel Brand in South Africa’, join the Protea Hotels by Marriott® team today In joining Protea Hotels, you join a portfolio of brands with Marriott International. Be where you can do your best work,​ begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global​team, and become the best version of you.

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