Reflective Journal: Assistant Manager Role at Great Southern Hotel

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Reflective Journals
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Journal Entry
I started working at the Great Southern hotel, which is a very big name in the hospitality sector
and a three star hotel in Australia. The hotel is preferred by most of the customers as it is a
budget hotel that provides ultimate services to its customers. It was a golden opportunity for me
as it helped me to learn various things about the management in the hospitality industry. I
worked as an assistant manager in the hotel and the senior manager and supervisor guided me
with all the job responsibilities that IU had to carry out. On the first day when I joined the hotel
as an assistant manager, that day was very good for me as the manager and the supervisor
conducted an induction program for me. This program helped me to understand the various
services provided by the hotel. I was also made aware about the various segments of hotel that
are important for the business. I also met all the other key people of the hotel. That whole week, I
was given attention as I was new and the manager provided me insights about all the relevant
aspects of the hotel and the type of services that they provide to their customers. The manager
and supervisor also helped me to gel with the other staff members so that we can work in
collaboration and a healthy working environment is created in the hotel. I also learned that being
nice to others is the main responsibility when one is working in the hospitality sector as we have
to always deal with different people having different behaviors. The very first week was full of
learning for me as I also got to know about the different types of behaviors that people have in
different situations and conditions. I was prepared for the next week of learning as an assistant
manager.
Journal entry 2
In the next week of my working at the hotel, the manager told me about all the safety and
security compliances that are followed in the hotel. It is very important that the safety of all the
customers and the staff members is maintained in the hotel. So it is the obligation of the
managers and the other important people of the hotel to make sure that there are robust
arrangements for the safety and security of all the stakeholders in the hotel. The manager makes
me aware of the emergency exits, fire extinguishers and their use in case of emergencies. I was
also told about the health aspects of the customers. There can be some cases when there is an
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emergency and there are some health issues with the customers or the others staff members when
there is no help available, it is the responsibility of the manager and the assistant manager to take
care of the people. This is the time when it is necessary that the manager and the assistant
manager have some knowledge about the first aid so that elementary treatment can be provided
to unhealthy people. The supervisor made me aquatinted with the equipment that needs to be
used with great care so that there is no chance of injury to anybody in the hotel. I was very
excited about the new things that I was learning in the hotel and they also helped me to gain
insights about some new skills and competencies that can help me in my future.
Journal entry 3
As the hotel industry is associated with various customers and their fast-changing needs, it is
important to make sure that the queries and complaints are handled successfully by the manager
and the assistant manager. In the third week of my job in the hotel, the supervisor trained me
about handling the customer complaints and queries. There are numerous customers that visit the
hotel every day and they have various queries regarding the services provided by the hotel. In
some situations, the customers are very difficult to handle and the managers can be impatient
while handling the customer queries. This is not good for the goodwill of the hotel and its
profitability as customers do not like to visit the hotels that do not respect or handle the
customers effectively. Through my learning, I understood that as an assistant manager, it is my
responsibility to give satisfactory answers to the customers and provide them high-class services.
I also understood that in any situation, the manager needs to be calm and quiet and handle the
queries with great patience. When the managers handle the customers with patience and a smile,
it leaves a great impression on the minds of the customers and they love to revisit the hotel for
availing the services. In this week of learning as an assistant manager, I was also able to gain
insights about the planning and maintenance work that is also very important for providing
effective services to the customers. In this week, the manager also engaged me in the recruitment
and selection procedure of the staff members for the hotel. It was because they wanted me to
understand the level of services that are provided by the hotel and that it is very important that
the quality is maintained by employing competent staff in the hotel. This week was very helpful
for me to have information about the important roles of a manager in a hotel or in any company.
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Journal Entry 4
In the fourth week of my job as an assistant manager, the senior manager and supervisor thought
that it was the right time that they make me aware about the budget maintenance and financial
records of the hotel. As per my learning, it is the responsibility of the manager and the assistant
manager to take care of the budgets of the hotel. Budgets are important to be maintained so that
there is optimum utilization of resources and the profits of the hotel are also maintained. It is thus
important to strike a balance between the anticipated budgets and the actual expenses and
incomes. The manager and supervisor also taught me to keep financial records in an effective
way. I understood that only providing quality services is not the aim of a manager, his
responsibilities are beyond than that. It is the obligation of the manager and assistant manager to
make sure that there is control over the expense and the quality of the services is also not
degraded. I learned that managing other people like the staff members is also the key
responsibility of the manager. It is important to guide and train the staff members so that there is
a continuous flow of high-class services to the customers. My learning did not end here, the
manager and supervisor also taught me about the importance of promotion and marketing of the
hotel so that more and more customers visit the hotel. As per my idea by the learning, the
managers and the assistant manager has to formulate effective strategies so that the hotel can be
promoted and have a larger market share in the hospitality industry. I think this experience will
help me a lot in my future and will assist me getting the preferred job position.
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