The Sag Harbor Inn
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For my HTM 398 internship course, I decided to work at The Sag Harbor Inn, a small boutique hotel in my hometown. It was the first time I had ever worked at a hotel, and I was nervous to work in a field I was unfamiliar with, but it was a great experience. Working at a small hotel had great perks, because although there are departments such as housekeeping and front office, there is a lot of overlapping compared to a larger scale hotel. I found myself stepping away from the front desk in order to help with other departments such as setting up the breakfast area, helping with the pool area, and bringing special requested items to guest rooms. By having to fill out the binder for the course, I was able to closely work with other departments to understand how the hotel operates, aside from the front desk area.
The most shocking thing I learned from working at a hotel was the amount of people who try to negotiate room rates. I was always aware that group rates and special discounts were available, but I didn't realize that regular guests would try and negotiate prices with a front desk agent. I figured that the set BAR rate was the rate, and that was it. I struggled with many difficult customers who tried to negotiate prices because I was very new to the job, but over time I learned how to deal with this situation and be more firm. I learned that I can be too much of a "pushover," meaning that I was influenced by others. I had been told this by a previous manager at a restaurant, which is why when I realized I was doing the same, I wanted to improve my skills by being more firm. My manager told me to "say no without saying no," because you never want to actually tell a guest "no," and instead find alternative ways to deal with their requests. Instead of saying "no" to a discounted room, ask them, "what would make you happy?"
I also took on many supervisor roles even as an intern. I was the only person working at the hotel during some shifts, and I was a night auditor at least 2 nights a week. My front desk supervisor and manager trusted me from the beginning, allowing me to be confident in myself and take on more responsibilities. Although I had a different perception of what the experience might have looked like, it was much different than expected. I think it is important to keep your mind open to things and not close them off to premeditated assumptions. By doing so, I learned how to deal with difficult customers as well as learning how to sound more confident in your words.
The most shocking thing I learned from working at a hotel was the amount of people who try to negotiate room rates. I was always aware that group rates and special discounts were available, but I didn't realize that regular guests would try and negotiate prices with a front desk agent. I figured that the set BAR rate was the rate, and that was it. I struggled with many difficult customers who tried to negotiate prices because I was very new to the job, but over time I learned how to deal with this situation and be more firm. I learned that I can be too much of a "pushover," meaning that I was influenced by others. I had been told this by a previous manager at a restaurant, which is why when I realized I was doing the same, I wanted to improve my skills by being more firm. My manager told me to "say no without saying no," because you never want to actually tell a guest "no," and instead find alternative ways to deal with their requests. Instead of saying "no" to a discounted room, ask them, "what would make you happy?"
I also took on many supervisor roles even as an intern. I was the only person working at the hotel during some shifts, and I was a night auditor at least 2 nights a week. My front desk supervisor and manager trusted me from the beginning, allowing me to be confident in myself and take on more responsibilities. Although I had a different perception of what the experience might have looked like, it was much different than expected. I think it is important to keep your mind open to things and not close them off to premeditated assumptions. By doing so, I learned how to deal with difficult customers as well as learning how to sound more confident in your words.
Full Resume - Work Experiences:
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