Some interview question for receptionist position (Part 2)

Today, we will see more interview questions for receptionist position in hotel:

5.    On a scale from one to ten, How Would You Rate an Importance of a Receptionist in a Hotel, if we talk about overall impression of a guest?

I would say 10. Receptionist is the first, and the last, person guests talk to. If she makes a good first impression, it will be easier for the other staff members to carry on it. On the other hand, if she makes a wrong first impression, everyone else will be in trouble.

I would give her ten. I believe that in a good hotel everything has to be perfect. From start to finish. Receptionists, maids, waitresses, everyone has to do the job well, so the guests have no reason to complain and oppositely, they will come back again. I act in my job according to that. Even if I had a bad day in personal life, I would never let it to influence my performance in work.

6.    Can You Work Night Shifts? Would You Mind Working Twelve Hours a Day?

I can definitely work during the night. I do not have children, so there is no reason for me to be at home at night. I am flexible and count with night shift option.

I would not mind working twelve hours a day. In my previous job it was not uncommon that I worked even for fourteen hours a day sometimes. So I am used to do it and am able to stay focused for a long time.

7.    Client calls you. He wants to book twenty rooms for forty people. But we have only ten rooms available. What will you do?

Twenty rooms is a lot and we should not lose the client. On the other hand, we can not cancel the reservations of other guests, because everyone is important and each guest can share both positive and negative feedback on the hotel. Therefor I would probably say to the client that I have to check the availability for him and that I will call him back in ten minutes. I would go to the manager and discuss with him the options we have.

I would strongly apologize and say that we had only ten rooms available. However, I would recommend the following solution: He takes ten remaining rooms in our hotel, and I take care of the reservation of ten other rooms in a hotel nearby (or in a partnering hotel). I am sure I would find one with ten rooms available and book a place for remaining guests there. Doing this, I do for the client something extraordinary. At the same time, we do not lose a business and complete our capacity. Everything would be great. Of course before doing all of this, I would consult my manager to ensure it corresponds with the hotel policies.

8.    If a guest accused you of bad service, what would you do?

First of all, this is unlikely to happen, as I always do my job in a responsible way and try to exceed the expectations of every guest. But if it happened, I would apologize, ask what I did wrong and try to correct my mistake.

I would apologize and try to correct my mistake. If I was unable to do it, I would offer him help of my manager. Anyway, I would stay calm, listen to his needs and complaints. I would always remember the lesson I learned in that situation, in order to be able to approach another guest in a better way next time, if similar problem occurred.
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Some interview questions for receptionist position (Part 1)

Below are some questions help you to prepare for receptionist position interview better:

1. Why do you want to become a receptionist?

I always wanted to work as a receptionist. This was my childhood dream. I really like the hotel environment and I enjoy talking to different people. This makes me happy in my daily life and that is why I prefer to work as a receptionist.

I believe I can do a really good job as a receptionist. Other people enjoy talking to me, I have good understanding for the needs of the others and on the top of that, I speak two foreign languages. I believe I can deliver a great added value to both employers and clients as a receptionist

2. Why do you want to work as a receptionist here?

Your hotel has great guest reviews on all major travelers’ websites. It has a wonderful location and I believe it is one of the best places to stay when you want to enjoy your trip in the city. I would be very proud to work here as a receptionist.

I really like the variety of activities you offer to guests. Swimming for children, thematic evenings for elderly couples and romantic dinners for everyone. What more, the rooms are really nice and spacious and I like all the staff I’ve met here so far. I would be very happy to work here and recommend this place to everyone.

3. This job is repetitive. What would motivate you to do it well everyday?

To be honest, I prefer routine to creativity. Once I learn to do my stuff, I do the job well and have good feeling from doing it. Jobs where you have to learn new things every day are not really a good choice for me. Once I learn to do my tasks, I enjoy doing it and can do it on a high level day after day, without any serious drop in motivation.

Good relationships on the workplace motivate me. If I enjoy time spent with my colleagues, if I feel like a member of a hard-working team, it makes me happy and motivated to work hard all the time. It does not matter if the job is repetitive.

From my point of view, this job is not repetitive. I know that receptionists do the same things again and again, every single day. But there are problems you need to solve and new guests you talk to every day. Many different things happen on a daily basis. From my point of view, this job is fun to do, not a repetitive one. Some tasks may be repeated every day, but it doesn’t make the time in work boring.

4. Can you work with MS Office? What other programs can you use?

I have been working actively with MS Word and Ms Excel for eight years, at school and at work. I can do pretty much everything in Word and can create good charts and presentations in Excel and PowerPoint. On the top of that, I am an experienced user of various scheduling and booking programs, such as Booking Pro and Best Scheduler. I am sure I will quickly learn to work with all the programs you use here.

Besides, you can see some others such as: How fast you can type-write; What your methodology of work is; If you really can work with MS Office and use its functionality; If you are stressed, or oppositely calm and focused, while completing the tasks.

We will see more interview questions for receptionist position in part 2.
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Flexible working hour in hospitality industry, should or not?

The hospitality industry is known for being fast-paced, and staff turnover in this industry is high. Involves long and unsociable hours in hospitality industry can make it difficult for employees to juggle work with other commitments, particularly family. Employee stress and burnout can lead to staff members leaving, or becoming demotivated.

Employees can benefit in a number of different ways. All they need is a suitable environment with the right management policy and flexible working hour is one of great ways should be applied. 

Which are flexible working hours’ advantages?
They can reduce stress, increase standard of living through the ability to combine work and other commitments, reduce childcare costs, improve family relationships, improve morale,…

Many employees who are looking for work or are hoping to switch roles look for flexible working hours as a key benefit of potential employers. Providing flexible work options means that they can meet their commitments, and enjoy a balanced lifestyle, while still continuing to work.

Besides employees’ benefit, there are a large number of advantages for employers. Some of these are: improved staff retention levels, the ability to attract high quality job candidates and employees, a happier more productive workforce, increased employee loyalty, reduced absenteeism, more likelihood of employees returning after maternity leave,…

Offering flexible working hours can be a good way for smaller organizations to stay competitive, and attract and keep higher performing employees. Many hospitality organizations struggle to find and keep good employees, and the cost of recruitment and training can have a significant impact on their bottom lines.

Flexible working hours can help provide an incentive for employees to stay with organizations in the long-term, and reduce overall staff turnover.

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How to keep hotel staffs in safe?

In fact, the staffs can not control all guests in the hotel and sometimes, they do not have enough skills and experience to keep their own safe.  It's important  for managers to provide solutions to maintain hotel security and their employees in safe.
There are many ways to protect hotel securities, but below are 3 most important things that managers should consider at first.

No 1. Training is at the top of the list.

“All hotel people should be trained in observing and detecting abhorrent or dysfunctional behaviors, spot people acting out, and report it right away,” said Ron Williams, owner of Talon Executive Services, a personal protection company.

Training should ensure a uniform response to protect a victim—whether that’s from a fall or an assault, said Anthony C. Roman, CEO of Roman and Associates, a global investigation and security and risk management program consulting firm.

There should be someone who is trained to take an official statement and knows what it means to “preserve the chain of evidence,” Roman said. “The sooner data is collected, the more valid it is. The better the chain is preserved, the more credible it is and is less likely to be dismissed in court.”

A few personal security tips for your employees:
• Never put your own safety at risk; if you are uncomfortable in any situation, remove yourself right away.
• Never be afraid to tell a guest “no” if you are uncomfortable with their actions; report the behavior right away.
• Work only in well lit areas that you know well; know your means of escape before entering.
• Walk and act with confidence.

No 2. Appropriate technology is next on the list.

“In technology, none is the silver bullet - you have to layer technology like you layer policies. Of course, cameras are a good idea in hallways and at all entrances to each room,” Roman said.

And recent talk about panic buttons is supported by some experts.

“It’s an excellent idea. Tremendous idea that they carry an alert device that they can keep with them and it should alert a central station. … It should have a GPS device to register the location on premises.” Williams said.

No 3. Empowerment is last, but not least foster.

You can never underestimate the importance of empowering employees to take appropriate steps where they feel their personal safety is at risk or they are offended by statement, said Chuck Conine, president of Hospitality HR Solutions.

“A great deal of security and safety involves judgment calls, an employee that is empowered to act, and will be backed by the manager,” he said. “To me that’s a simple prescription for most situations being avoided, but if it happens they know what to do.”

Workplace violence is a justifiable concern.

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How to help bartenders in a great performance?

Not like other manpower in hospitality industry, bartenders especially get a great contribution in successful bar. Not only they meet client's tasting need, but also they create the customer's want. Sometimes they are affected by outside and unworthy elements, so they miss their mission. How do you do to keep they in a stability feeling? How to help bartenders in a great performance?

Michael Neff is one of the founder of Ward III in Tribeca and The Rum House in Times Square. His cocktails have been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Penthouse Magazine and, of course, Serious Eats.

Below are 20 rules of Michael Neff that applying in training his bartenders. Do you have any to add?

1. Do everything you can to make your guests happy within the boundaries you have been given.
2. You are on stage and people are watching you. Act accordingly. If you are not comfortable with this, find another job.
3. It's not your party. It's not your booze. It's not your bar.
4. Know what you serve and why. If you work at a beer bar, make sure you know about beer. If you're new and uneducated, pick a few that you can get to know well, and start from there.
5. Sleeping with your customers is a great way to lose money.
6. Learn how to make cocktails. Practice the details.
7. Tips aren't everything. It's a long-term game, so don't sweat the random crappy gratuity from time to time.
8. Cash-handling is king. Neat money shows your customers and owners that you are paying attention to their cash.
9. Insist on proper behavior in your bar, whatever that happens to be. If you let the clientele run your establishment, you will never regain control.
10. Look the part.
11. Learn how to comp and why.
12. Control your environment. Is the A/C too high? Is the music too loud? Your clienteles' comfort is directly proportional to the number of stars they will give you on Yelp when they walk out the door.
13. Know a joke. Get good at banter. People pay for booze, but they tip for your service.
14. Open your mouth. Talk to people. Say hello when they walk up and goodbye when they leave. Chat with your clientele, ask how they're doing, even if it's just passing time. Often, that is exactly what people want from you.
15. Branch out. Make sure you have the skill-sets necessary to deliver what people can reasonably expect in your bar, and work to gain the skills you'll need to succeed at your next job. Because you will have a next job, and it will require more of you.
16. Keep a clean bar. Turn bottles to face forward. Wipe the bar-top. Straighten the stools. If people think you don't care, they won't either.
17. Keep your mouth shut. Don't offer advice. Don't dominate conversations. Keep yourself to yourself.
18. Mise en place. It's a fancy French phrase for how you arrange your tools and ingredients. Set your mise, and do the same thing every time. You can't be fast if you're constantly searching for what you need.
19. Don't touch your face, hair, or any other part of your body. Cough in to the crook of your arm. Sneeze down. Always be seen washing your hands. Don't be disgusting.
20. Behind the bar, you are an illusion, a fantasy, a servant, and an actual person all rolled in to one. Choose wisely which side you choose to present at any given moment.

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How to hire the right receptionist?

Selecting the receptionist is probably one of the most crucial because they create the first impression to the clients. So it is important to choose the right receptionist for your company’s image.
Then this might be just the image you are looking for: business ambassadors (business’s image); personality counts (help customer).
By hiring the right receptionist, you are on your way to having a successful, smooth running company.

How to hire the right receptionist?

No1. Determine Necessary Skills
Think carefully about the type of your business and how your receptionist can best personify the image you wish to project. Screen for those who are truly interested in a receptionist role, as opposed to those who simply want to get a foot in your company's door the easiest way possible. That said, when it comes time to conduct interviews, ask each candidate what they know about your company and listen carefully to how they respond. You want someone who has a solid understanding of the business, which helps them to present a confident and capable first impression to outsiders.

No2. Assess Your Gut Feelings
Be exacting in interviews. Too often employers focus solely on credentials when considering candidates, but conduct is often just as important, especially when it comes to the receptionist role. A nervous, timid manner can be incredibly off-putting to those having their first dealings with a business. If your receptionist embodies such traits, it doesn't matter how highly trained your staff is; you could potentially lose business on the basis of the receptionist alone.
It may seem illogical to form an opinion of a prospective receptionist

Your receptionist is often the first contact customers and partners have with your business, be it over the phone or in person, so it is very important to have the right person handling the job. And to hire the right person, it's necessary to first identify what kind of employee you are looking for.
It may seem illogical to form an opinion of a prospective receptionist based on gut feelings, but if you're turned off by his or her demeanor, consider how your clients will feel. In turn, if you get an extremely positive feeling from interacting with a prospect, take that as a good sign.

Interviewing receptionists isn't the same as hiring for other positions. Receptionists are required to react on the fly, think on their feet, and tackle whatever situation comes their way. Angry caller on the phone? The receptionist will be the first one in your office with the opportunity to talk them down. Have a glut of visitors all clamoring for attention at once? It’s the receptionist's job to ensure that everyone gets where they're going. These scenarios and more are why it's crucial to hire a receptionist with a warm, affable manner.

No3. Allow for an Adjustment Period
While it's helpful to evaluate receptionist candidates based on their abilities, be sure to give your new hire a chance to settle in before deciding how you think they're doing. Obvious as this may seem, every business is governed by its own processes and filled with its own distinctive combination of personalities. Even the best, most adaptable receptionists will need some time to adjust to his or her new situation. Six weeks is usually a reasonable amount of time to assess how a receptionist is faring. You may wish to consider bringing someone in on a temporary basis at first, and then when you feel confident they make a good fit, bring them on permanently.
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