Smooth handling of client pays off

Winter Kiragu. PHOTO | CHARLES KAMAU

What you need to know:

  • Winter Kiragu is a front desk manager at a five-star hotel on the Maldive Islands

Winter Kiragu is a front desk manager at a five-star hotel on the Maldive Islands

I tend to be most energised at night but my job demands that I am up early. At 5am this morning, I was getting myself ready for the day. After a quick breakfast I set off to work.

I deal with people of different nationalities every day and each day unfolds differently. I deal with high-end clientele and I oversee all check-ins and check-outs. For that my strong administrative and people skills come in handy. I am also expected to look for potential problems and deal with them before they actually happen. My best days are when a guest appreciates this.

My morning was uneventful, but around midday, a really harsh gentleman who I assumed was a guest walked in. He began making unreasonable demands, giving evasive answers and raising his voice at me. He seemed to be almost deliberately trying to annoy me. I was getting worked up but keeping in mind that I am the first impression of the hotel to the guests, I kept my calm.

TESTED PATIENCE

It turns out that my difficult customer was a spy from the Leading Hotels of the World, a hospitality consortium with a collection of luxurious hotels around the world. His came to test our services and my patience. I passed his test and as a reward I am getting promoted to a larger hotel on another island.

To be efficient in this job, you need to keep adjusting to the customer needs. A customer will come in and talk to you in their mother tongue and expect you to understand them. This has meant having to learn French, German and a bit of Russian. After a light lunch, I went to the spa for a massage. Working here enables me to enjoy such luxuries every so often.

My shift ended at 5 o’clock when I retreated back to my quarters within the hotel. There is not much to do in the house as housekeeping takes care of the laundry and dish washing. After freshening up, I made a call home. My work is involving and sometimes I lose track of time and it might be easy for someone on the outside to think that you have forgotten about them.

I spent early evening in front of the television with a scary movie then read a few pages of The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian in bed, before turning in at midnight.