Motel Receptionist Job Analysis

This essay analyzes the challenges, job requirements, salary scales, and career paths of motel receptionists. It explores the hotel and motel industry, the skills needed for success, and provides insights into the industry placement at Parramatta City Motel in Australia.

Running head: MOTEL RECEPTIONIST JOB ANALYSIS 1
Motel receptionist job analysis
Student name
Student ID
Tutor

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Hotel and Motel Industry
The hotel and motel industry refers to all types of business which relate to the provision
of various types of services including provision of food and drinks and accommodation and
lodging. The services provided motels and hotels also include lodging facilities and other various
types of services that are interconnected with serving the public. In addition, motels and hotels
offer a diverse range of services for guests including casinos, sophisticated restaurants, bars,
beauty spas, sport and facilities, conference and fitness, and banqueting services. The sector
consists of more than 15% of individuals working in the hospitality sector. According to research
conducted by Clemes, Gan and Ren (2011) hotels and motels fall into various categories which
include guest houses, leisure, conference, country house, trendy boutiques and international
luxury chains. Therefore, the essay aims at analysing the challenges, job requirements, salary
scales and career paths of receptionists working at Parramatta City Motel, Australia.
Student’s Placement
The industry placement has been conducted at Parramatta City Motel. Located in central
Parramatta, Parramatta City Motel is a five minute walk from the Westfield Shopping Center.
The motel offers customers twenty four hour front desk service to ensure that the needs of guests
are attended to satisfactory levels. Guests can take a ferry to the Circular Quay of Sydney from
Parramatta Wharf located closely. The motel offers guests clean rooms that are air-conditioned
with flat screen televisions. In addition, all rooms have an electric kettle, a refrigerator, ironing
facilities and a private bathroom. Furthermore, some rooms have city views. The facilities have
resulted to the Parramatta City Motel being a great choice for customers who have an interest in
harbors, food and entertainment.

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Job Challenges of Receptionists at Parramatta City Motel
Receptionists at Parramatta City Motel face various challenges including reservation
issues whereby mistakes made during the reservation process becomes the challenge of the
receptionist in trying to correct the mistake. The reservation challenges include having rooms
which have the wrong type of bed, issues in connecting to the other room, a preferred floor, a
preferred suite and other types of preferences.
Loyalty programs are another challenge faced by receptionists at Parramatta City Motel.
According to research conducted by Crick and Spencer (2011) on “Hospitality quality: new
directions and new challenges” in “International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management” hotel receptionists are tasked with the responsibility of making sure that guests
with a loyalty status receive their allocated perk or the provision of more perks for resolving the
problems faced by a guest. The resolutions and perks range from welcome gifts and room
upgrades to added loyalty points.
In addition, hotel and motel receptionists at Parramatta City Motel have to deal with
guest room issues whereby they are to respond to questions asked by guests in regards to room
problems and issues. Basically, the receptionists are the first line of contact of the hotel thus
coordinating the comments and concerns of the guests is a top priority. Some issues that may be
brought by guests include a lamp or TV that is not working, assistance with heating, air
conditioning and in-room technology.
Issues also related to hotel amenities and services are also expected to be addressed by
receptionists at Parramatta City Motel. The receptionists have to deal with issues relating to retail
shops, swimming pools, fitness centres, lounges, in-house restaurants and other types of

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amenities offered by the hotel. In addition, the receptionist is required to address the guests’
issues with perfection or get assistance from management or the related department.
Furthermore, receptionists at Parramatta City Motel face the challenge of addressing
billing issues by handling all the changes to a bill as the guests check out. Since guests will
mostly have questions about the bill so as to ensure that they get value for their money.
Questions which may be posed by guests while checking out of the hotel include technology
charges, bar charges, resort charges, and state and local taxes. In addition, guests may inquire
about verifications regarding the charges and costs and demand an explanation on any aspect that
is unfamiliar to them.
Salary Trends
Research conducted by Huynh (2018) on “Revenue Management for Small an
Independent Hotel: An Action Plan for P Hotel” indicates that the salaries of receptionists will
vary mostly depending on the industry. Basically, entry level positions receive the lowest salaries
since the experience required in this category is low. Hotel receptionists are commonly
compensated in an hourly basis. However, some hotels offer receptionists salaries depending on
the skills, the years of experience and knowledge. The median annual salary of hotel and motel
receptionist is around $28,392 which translates to $13.65 per hour. According to Kong, Jiang,
Chan and Zhou (2018) the top ten annual salaries exceeds $40,872 which is around $19.65 in an
hourly rate. Moreover, the bottom most ten percent of receptionists’ annual salary is less than
@20,072 which translates to $9.65 per hour.
Job Requirements for Hotel Receptionists
To secure a job as a motel receptionist, an individual needs to possess the necessary
required training and experience so as to prosper in their career. The experience required for a

MOTEL RECEPTIONIST JOB ANALYSIS 5
hotel receptionist is in-depth knowledge of computer software and programs related to the
handling and execution of motel activities. Most of the tasks at motels are usually expedited by
use of software and programs which motel receptionists need to have good knowledge and
experience. In addition, training is done on the job and tailored to what the company requires.
Furthermore, education requirements for hotel receptionists are basically a high school diploma
or its equivalent.
Hotels in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Parramatta Area
The hotels which are in the hospitality industry in Parramatta are many, with the
industries having a projected growth of 9% from 2016 through 2026. The hotels include Holiday
Inn Parramatta, Novotel Sydney Parramatta, Mantra Parramatta and Parkroyal Parramatta.
However, most hotels in the Parramatta hospitality industry have adopted new technology
including computer software and programs which require hotel receptionists to have the
appropriate skills so as to keep up with the technological advancement.
Required Motel Receptionists Skills
Required skills for motel receptionists include interpersonal skills since motel
receptionists work closely with guests. Therefore, motel receptionists have to be impressive to
the guests and the employer. Communication skills are also critical for motel receptionists since
their primary responsibility is to greet people. Research by Masoumpanah and Tahririan (2013)
shows that receptionists are tasked with the responsibility of finding out what clients need, what
they prefer, and ensure that their queries regarding service and room charges are responded to
effectively. In their career, motel receptionists should act with professionalism by handing
guests formally. Organization skills are also important for motel receptionists since they have to

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keep themselves organized so that they can easily handle client’s requirements and keep
everyone else organized and updated. Having the capability in multitasking is also important
since motel receptionists will have to pick calls politely and professionally, while at the same
time several people may be waiting for them.
Typical Career Path for Motel Receptionists
Motel receptionists may rise to higher administrative positions including Hotel Office
Managers, Personal Assistants or Secretaries. In addition, motel receptionists may move
sideways to a position which is junior inside the business within the company’s operation. The
positions may include motel market research executives, motel recruitment officers or motel
sales representatives. Moreover, motel receptionists who have perfected their numeracy skills
may move to the accounts department depending on their abilities and interests. While motel
receptionists do a lot of work in their area and capacity, it is vital for them to cultivate the skills
that will directly assist them in the journey to achieving career growth.
Ethical Standards and Dilemma
According to Lee and Tsang (2013) motel receptionists should live and behave according
to the rules and regulations of the company in which they work in. Therefore, dressing for the
job should be upheld and relate to the standards, the line of work and local community standards.
Motel receptionists should uphold effective phone etiquette techniques by speaking politely to
guests and responding to their queries with etiquette. Furthermore, dealing with the
problematic customer is also an ethical dilemma expected by hotel receptionists. Handling a
disgruntled guest who wants a return or who is nervous or just angry may be challenging.
Therefore, motel receptionists should be well-trained so as to be able to listen to customers’

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complaint, express sympathy, and solve the issue. The receptionist may ask “so you are not
satisfied with the cost of our services?” The question will make the guest feel that they are
valuable to the organization. When the problem at hand requires upper management address, the
receptionist should pass the customer smoothly to someone else who is in a position of solving
the issue effectively.

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References
Clemes, M. D., Gan, C., & Ren, M. (2011). Synthesizing the effects of service quality, value, and
customer satisfaction on behavioral intentions in the motel industry: An empirical
analysis. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 35(4), 530-568.
Crick, A., & Spencer, A. (2011). Hospitality quality: new directions and new challenges.
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(4), 463-478.
Huynh, N. (2018). Revenue Management for Small an Independent Hotel: An Action Plan for P
Hotel. Journal of teaching in travel & tourism, 13(3), 211-228.
Kong, H., Jiang, X., Chan, W., & Zhou, X. (2018). Job satisfaction research in the field of
hospitality and tourism. International journal of contemporary hospitality management,
30(5), 2178-2194.
Lee, L. Y. S., & Tsang, N. K. (2013). Perceptions of tourism and hotel management students on
ethics in the workplace. Journal of teaching in travel & tourism, 13(3), 228-250.
Masoumpanah, Z., & Tahririan, M. H. (2013). Target situation needs analysis of hotel
receptionists. English for Specific Purposes World, 40(14), 1-19.