Appendices A One example from the survey with the administrator of “Grand Samarkand Superior” Hotel.
1. Why were you interested in this job role?
Since leaving school, I've been interested in working in a hotel so I was really interested when I saw this vacancy. As you've seen from my CV, I've held other types of front-of-house and I believe I have the experience and skills to put myself forward for this job.
2. What do you think the roles and responsibilities of this job are?
As a hotel receptionist, I expect the job responsibilities to include: helping guests check in and out, I will be answering the phones and helping guests with any queries or problems they have. As it's a front-of-house position, the receptionist is the first-point-of-contact for anyone visiting the hotel so they need to be at their best at all times.
3. Do you have any experience working in a hotel?
I have never worked in a hotel before but I worked as a waiter for two years at a restaurant in the city center. It was very busy and because it was popular, we had to be dressed smartly and provide a high quality service at all times. From this experience, I believe I am accustomed to working front-of-house and working with customers. As I am used to dealing with unhappy customers, I know how to stay professional and help fix a customer's problem.
4. What is a concierge?
A concierge is responsible for helping guests book tours and trips, they can give advice on the best places to visit. But unfortunately there is no concierge in our hotel.
5. Why do you want to work at this hotel?
In our city, one of the best boutique hotel is our hotel. At the time when I got a job, our hotel was very popular to this day as well, because our director knows how to work with a team and also choose them, our employees are responsible and I like working with them.
6. Describe a time you had to deal with an unhappy customer.
When I used to work in a restaurant, there was a time where a customer was unhappy with the steak he had ordered. He was unhappy with how it had been cooked and when he called me over, he acted like it was my fault. I remained calm and listened to what he had to say, then I offered him some solutions, I could take it back to the kitchen or give him an alternative meal. He asked for me to take it back and I did, I asked the chef to cook another steak to the customer's specifications and brought it out. The customer said he was happy with the changes and appreciated I had gone to the extra effort.
7. Is your schedule flexible?
Unfortunately, no, my shift starts at 6 p.m. and continues until 9 a.m., many of my plans have to be postponed due to work
8. How would you feel about working night shifts?
Yes I'm available to work night shifts. Hotel is working 24/7, I have to be ready for any challenges during my night shift, it’s a bit difficult, because nights go through sometimes calmly, and sometimes problematic
9. What does excellent guest service mean to you?
To me, excellent guest service means showing guests that you're always available to help with any problems and you greet people with a smile. It's all about going the extra mile for guests.
10. What did you dislike about the hotel?
In our hotel, everything is excellent, apart from the staff. They are not qualified and we do not have a professionals who could teach our staff, especially me too, I did not take any courses.