Reflective Analysis of Work-Based Learning Experience

This document is a reflective analysis of the work-based learning experience of a front office manager in the tourism and hospitality industry. It discusses the skills and knowledge required for the role, evaluates the progress made, and outlines a plan for future career development. The analysis highlights the importance of communication, problem-solving, interpersonal, and technical skills in delivering quality services to customers. The document also emphasizes the need for continuous learning and improvement in order to succeed in the industry.

Reflective analysis of
the work-based learning
experience

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ASSESSTMENT TASKS................................................................................................................1
1. Skills audits and Personal development plan...........................................................................1
2. Reflection on progress in planning for and undertaking work role.........................................3
3. Skills and knowledge require for specific job role..................................................................4
4. Evaluation of learning and progress with reflective logs and journals....................................5
5. Planning for future career role.................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Tourism and hospitality is one of the growing industry in United Kingdom that has
contributed in generating lot of employment opportunities for people living in society.
Reflective analysis helps in examination of my existing experience, skills and knowledge thereby
help in planning better strategies that could be used in order to improve the same for bright
future ahead. Savoy hotel is luxury hotel in UK that is strand in city of Westminster, England
which has been opened on 8 August 1889 that focused on delivery better quality services to
customers. This report is reflective analysis of myself as a job role of front office manager in
Savoy hotel in order to plan method that I could used to improve my existing skills and
capabilities.
ASSESSTMENT TASKS
1. Skills audits and Personal development plan
Skill audits is systematic assessment of existing skill and knowledge prevailing in the
particular individual and the way they can be developed for better future ahead. It is important
for individuals to conduct skills audit in order to enhance its present skill and capabilities so that
they can effectively complete the task in respective organization (Goh, 2019).
Skills Very skilled Moderate Needs to be
enhanced
Communication/
Interpersonal skill: It is the
skills that required to front
office manager in order to
effectively welcome the guest
and resolve their respective
queries.
✓
Phone Etiquette: There are
number of client that call hotel
to know about information so
front officer manager needs to
have knowledge pertaining to
the way they need to be handle
✓
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on call.
Customers services : In recent
scenario, customers demand
more quick and personalize
services so it need to be present
in front office manager (Scott,
2019).
✓
Technical skills: The front
office also must have better
command on technology to
connect with customers in terms
of quick book, check out
process etc.
✓
Therefore, it can be interpreted that, I have good communication skills that helps me in
maintaining and building relationship with customers. Phone Etiquette is moderate while,
technical and customers services need to be enhanced to pursue my career in similar field.
Skills Strategies Evaluation Time frame
Customers
services
I have decide to improve
customers services by
taking feedback from
people to know about
their existing needs and
preferences.
Make use of internet or
search knowledge
pertaining to the way
customers can be
managed effectively.
When I am able to
delivered better
services to customers
that lead in enhancing
overall profitability of
company (Costley,
2019)
Around 4-5 month will
be required for
development of
customers services.
Technical skills I will join classes to train
myself related to the way
The development of
technical skills will be
3-4 month is estimated
time frame for
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innovative technology
can be used to delivered
services to customers.
Moreover make use of
more and more
technology to have better
command.
evaluated by
understand the way I
can easily make use of
technology to perform
my relative task
(Priore, 2020).
development of technical
skills.
2. Reflection on progress in planning for and undertaking work role
As per my perspective, I have planned to take a job role of front office manager in Savoy
hotel that is responsible for welcoming guest, booking room etc so that they can easily stay at
place away from their home. Moreover, it ensure that the guest has pleasant experienced while
checking in the hotel thus it ensure timely room booking, resolve of any issue faced by it and
many more. In planning I have decided to work on my technical skills, as in recent scenario,
good command on technology is required by individuals to effective complete their respective
task. I have gain progress in my career as front office manager in terms of development of
several skills like decision making, communication or the way several customers need to be
handle for fulfillment of their respective role (Simon, 2019). Such as while as role of front office
manager I have to communicate with range of people or customers that come to Savoy hotel to
spend their leisure time. These has helped in improving my existing communication and
interpersonal skills that I used to understand customers and plan strategies to satisfied them.
Furthermore, I have made some progress pertaining to the way customers services need to be
delivered by taking their relative feedback. By encouraging them to share their perspective, view
and ideas I am able to identified their wants, grievances and decide right course of action that
could be taken in order to meet their respective wants and preferences. While planning my skills
that need to be developed, I have make use of skills audit to identify key areas that need to be
improved thereby planning procedure or method to developed the same to get employment in
reputable organization. There are some of the progress that I have made in technology skills, as i
have developed better command on digital technology that helped me in storing, collecting and
using information of customers in better manner.
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In my perspective, I has also decided to improve my time management skills with an
motivate to effectively schedule particular task that need to be completed within limited time
frame. I have also made the progress on similar terms, as I am able to complete my various task
on set time thereby delivered services to customers as per their respective wants and preferences
(Primawati, 2018).
3. Skills and knowledge require for specific job role
Front office manager refers to front desk at which guest first arrive in order to book their
room or get knowledge about services provided by the hotel to its customers. It is the first
individual that impress the guest by understanding its wants, need and preferences thereby
delivering several services fir growth and success of organization. The skills and knowledge
required by front office manager can be illustrated as follow:
Skills and knowledge
Active listening or understanding customers needs: The first and foremost skills that need to
be present in front office manner is it must be active or pay full attention to listen to the guest in
order to know type of service it wants. Thereby, finding alternative method that could be used to
satisfied the same for better outcome.
Problem solving skills: It can be stated that the Front office manager should have problem
solving and decision making abilities to resolve conflict arising between various individuals. The
manager should effectively understand the problem thereby find alternative solution that can
resolve grievance and lead in better satisfaction of customer desire (Shamim, Cang and Yu,
2017).
Strong interpersonal skills: It is the skills which specific the way individuals interact with each
other that contribute in building social relationship. Front office manager had strong
interpersonal skills as it is mainly responsible to interact with wide range of individuals or
customers. Interaction helps in maintaining strong relationship thereby motivating people to be
part of specific company for longer time frame.
Customers and personal service: The Front office manager also must have knowledge
pertaining to customers and personal services or the existing wants, trends in market. Likewise it
recent trends customer does not wants to spend more time in waiting for booking of room so
front office manner needs to ensure quick delivery of services (Wen and et.al., 2020).
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Technical knowledge: Furthermore the front office manager should have skills and knowledge
related to technology that can be used to delivered services to range of customers in limited time
frame and cost. It should have better command on computer and other devices to maintained data
related to customers, speedy booking and delivered various services for better outcome.
4. Evaluation of learning and progress with reflective logs and journals
Reflective log and journals is an document or personal diary that contained detailed
pertaining to personal records of students learning experience. Thereby it contained necessary
detailed of regular entries pertaining to their emotion, experienced and learning process. So, in
order to evaluate my learning and progress pertaining to different skills for front office manner
Gibbs reflective model has been used which can be stated as follow:
Description: I have worked as a front office manager in Savoy hotel in which I was mainly
responsible for supervising all activities performed by front office personnel to ensure that they
have complete their respective task and duties. Furthermore, was responsible for guest services,
attending calls and making reservation or booking of room so that guest can quickly get space to
take rest.
Feeling: While working as front office manager in hotel I have feel happy and satisfied as
healthy and supportive environment has been given that has helped me in completing my task in
best possible manner. I am interested in attending customers or communicating with range of
people so while performing job I have good experienced and feeling as learn lot many thing like
culture and language of people (Genc and Genc, 2018).
Evaluation: From the previous experience, it can be evaluated that the good experience was that
I have good communication skills that has help me in interacting and building relationship with
range of people. While due to lack of technology skills or command I am unable to maintain
better records of customers, quick room delivery services and many more.
Analysis: So the overall sense that can be made from above experienced is that I have ability to
pursue my career in one of the growing hospitality and tourism industry. I have good
interpersonal, communication and phone etiquette that helps me in handling queries of range of
people that have come to hotel for leisure.
Action Plan
Thereby I have decided to improve my time management, customers services and
technical skills to perform various task pertaining to front office manager in best possible
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manner. I have decided to take action to enhance my existing skills through taking guidance
from superior manager and reading book or making use of internet to gathered relevant
information pertaining to the way skill can be developed.
5. Planning for future career role
So, on the basis of understanding of various skills that needs to be present in front office
manager to complete it task and respective duties I have planned key strategies such as I will
enhance my knowledge pertaining to technical so that i can make better use of innovative
technology to delivered qualitative services to customers. Moreover, for future career role as
front office manager I must have good listening and understanding skills, in order to interpretate
things that guest wants. I have planned to improve listening skill through paying more attention
on individual guest about what they are saying to delivery exactly what they want. At the same
time, I have planned to improve my decision making capabilities so that I can handle and
manage all decision pertaining to reception of Savory hotel (Sumaneeva, Eluwole and Turgay,
2019). The decision making skills will be improved by understanding the situation or
circumstances thereby finding alternative method that could be used to resolve the problem.
Thus, on the basis of evaluation of various alternative options available I would select right
strategies that could be fruitful in growth and expansion of business. There are many more
skills, knowledge and capabilities that I have planned to work on to pursue my career as front
office manager in any reputable company of United Kingdom in order to get higher success in
future professional career. Likewise, I have plan to improve my creative thinking skills so that I
can think of new and innovative method to delivered services to end customers in best possible
manner. So that they are influenced to be part of organization for longer time frame with an
motivate to fulfill their desired in effective manner.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from above analysis, that effective planning helps in developing
existing skills and capabilities among individuals. Front office manager plays an crucial role in
hotel as it welcome the guest with smile, an positive attitude thereby book room as per their
needs and preferences. So, at last it can be summarized that pursuing career in future
circumstance will be great opportunities.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Costley, C., 2019. Higher Education Work-based Learning in a Changing World.
Genc, V. and Genc, S. G., 2018. Can hotel managers with social intelligence affect the emotions
of employees?. Cogent Business & Management, 5(1). p.1432157.
Goh, A. Y. S., 2019. Rethinking reflective practice in professional lifelong learning using
learning metaphors. Studies in Continuing Education, 41(1). pp.1-16.
Primawati, S., 2018. The role of artificially intelligent robot in the hotel industry as a service
innovation. In Proceedings of ENTER2018 PhD Workshop (Vol. 42).
Priore, A., 2020. The emotional component of teaching. A reflective training experience with
teachers. Education Sciences & Society-Open Access, 11(2).
Scott, D. S., 2019. The impact of work based learning: A creative exploration of learners’
experience.
Shamim, S., Cang, S. and Yu, H., 2017. Supervisory orientation, employee goal orientation, and
knowledge management among front line hotel employees. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 62. pp.21-32.
Simon, C. A., 2019. Work-based learning. A Student's Guide to Education Studies: A Student's
Guide, p.58.
Sumaneeva, K. A., Eluwole, K. K. and Turgay, A .V. C. I ., 2019. Cross-functional training of
front-line hotel employees, in-role and extra-role job performance, customer satisfaction,
and customer loyalty: a conceptual model proposal. Journal of Environmental
Management and Tourism, 9(6). pp.1183-1189.
Wen, B and et.al., 2020. Role stress and turnover intention of front-line hotel employees: The
roles of burnout and service climate. Frontiers in psychology, 11. p.36.
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