Evaluation

I had truly enjoyed my internship and learned a lot of hospitality and services. I am excited to extend my experience at the same hotel. I am not sure that I should continue to work at the hotel because I do not feel the hotel gave me good evaluation and its compansation. However, I made sure that I like to work at a hotel, and I continue to serach my secure job at the hospitality industry.

Complaint

We had a complaint from rearaurant users today. they expected a lot because the restaurant got one star of the Miochelin Guide, but the restaurat service could not meet their expectation. The guests said taste was good, but chef and server could not provide enough services. A lady said she bring her important friend to the restaurant to have good time together, but she feel sorry to her friend. Moreover, she should complain because she want the restaraunt to improve and chage better. I was watching that situation. I thought it was a good opinion for the hotel. We should appreciate the lady and improve our services.

The Golden Week

Most people have a long holiday in the begging of May every year. This is called the Golden Week. It consists of Saturday, Sunday, and three concecutive national holidays this year. Many people get away from home, and travel around the country or go to foreign countires. The hotel experienced almost full room occupancy rates and fully booked seats at restaurants. It was a very busy week. I was happy to complete my task without big mistakes during the goden week.

Media Relations

As I interviewed my colleagues, the hotel wants more return guests and better reputation. To achieve these goals, we often promote the hotel through media. There were shootings for fashion magazine, travel magazine, a motive, and more. It is good to strengthen a brand image of the hotel in particularly in Japan. I have learned some marketing tools to promote a hotel.

Learn from Colleagues

I have great colleagues. Most of colleagues have high motivations to provide good services. I can learn from them about hospitality and services in a hotel. I particularly observe Ms. Takai, Ms. Meya, and Ms. Handa. I always watch and study how they treat and communicate with customers and get their tasks well done. I have been learning that I should anticipate guest’s next movement and quickly move for it. I believe when we can exceed customers’ expectations, the customers will like the hotel and come back again. I try to provide the best services and exceed customers’ expectations, but I still do not know if my action or service was the best or not yet. Therefore, I always review my action, consider better actions for the next time by myself, and then ask my supervisor or colleagues particularly Ms. Takai, Ms. Meya, and Ms. Handa to improve my action.

Recognition

Recognition is very important to provide good services. I try to memorize more guests' name and face. It is good to know because it becomes easy to take orders from guests, successfully implement the orders, and welcome them at the next time. The most important reason is that guests can feel they are special and treated well, and eventually they want to come back to the hotel again. When I welcome guests and escort them to reception, I have some casual conversations and try to find some unique points to remember them. I also ask my colleagues to recognize who the guest is or how the guest looks like. It is fun for me to increase a number of guests who I can recognize.

NOMInication

MOMInication is a funny creation of words combined Japanese and English. It is combined NOMI and communication. NOMI means drinking in English, so Mominication means "drink and make communication with colleagues. It is one of ways to make good relationships within staff.

I like NOMInication because it is good to know colleagues and a company and also have fun to carry away my stress from work. Although I can't afford to go to drink often, I would like to attend as much as possible.

Elegant

I am advised by my supervisor to improve my some gestures to be a better hotel person. She particularly advised me to make my vow and walking more elegant or slower. I try to improve my attitude. Before I go to work, I always make sure to focus on those assignments.

Learned from Duty Manager

When a guest just arrived at hotel by taxi, his credit card could not be accepted to pay for taxi fare for some reason. We suggested that we paid for it instead and taxi fare was charged additionally to his room charge. It was kindly accepted by a guest, and a guest requested to have a receipt of taxi fare. I asked a front clerk to give the receipt to a guest after checking in, but a front clerk unfortunately said we only could give a copy of receipt because we have to hand in original receipt to the financial department since we actually paid for his taxi fare. A guest still requested the original, and it was a uncomfortable situation for a front clerk.

Duty manager kindly and quickly advised a front clerk to give the original receipt to a guest and make a copy for our internal procedure as long as a guest requested. I learned form duty manager that we should be flexible for customers.

Sense of Place

I have been learning how to wear Kimono. I go to a Kimono school once a week and learn a basic way of wearing Kimono and different ways of tying the kimono belt. It is not directly related to my internship, but I'm sure it is going to be usuful in the future because the hotel thinks a great deal of an unique history and a cultural place in Japan. The hotel is located on a historical place in Tokyo and deeply related to Kimono culture. I am also interested in protecting and showing a local culture. I am excited to get much knowledge about Kimono!

Mistakes...

I sometimes make mistakes for my tasks when I take care of something at the first time. However, they fortunately did not affect to guests so far due to my colleague's follow-up. For example, the restaurant user requested me to make a taxi reservation in advance. I got his name and time for departure, but my colleague told me it was not enough information and I was advised to find the customer in order to complete this task. Since there were five restaurants at the hotel, I visited all restaurants and finally found the customer. I got further information about his phone number and confirmation for extra fees of taxi reservations in addition to the restaurant name he used. Although my task was eventually completed without problems, I made sure if it is the first time for me to take care of something I have to ask my colleagues before I accept any orders from customers.

Traditional Wedding

Our hotel have wedding ceremonies and receptions every weekend. One day, the couple had a Japanese traditional wedding at a temple and came to the hotel for their reception. They wore formal and special Kimono for wedding. When the couple arrived at the hotel lobby, people who are from Russia were at the lobby to get ready for going out. It was a rare opportunity for Russian people to see Japanese traditional wedding style. Russian people were excited and happy to experience Japanese culture. I was also glad to see intercultural experiences at the hotel. It is one of my goals to provide understandings of Japanese culture to foreigners through hotel visits.

Tiredness

I had been so exhaused after work for the first two weeks. After I got home, I went to bed and fell asleep right away. I always have to wear high heels and keep standing and moving for all day long, which makes me get tired easily. Although I had to memorize a lot of things about the hotel and services, I couldn't do it at home because I was too tired. Therefore, I had some mistakes or felt lack of knowledge to assist guests. After two weeks my body gets used to it for the work. So I have some time to learn about the hotel. I had a hard time during the first two weeks, but after that I have been comfortable to work and enjoyed to get new knowledge.

Introduction

I have started my internship since January 5th, 2009 at the luxury hotel in Tokyo It is one of the top luxury hotel groups in the world. This hotel is still growing. New hotels will be opened in global markets. The hotel received the six star award from American Academy Hospitality. I appreciate this internship opportunity because most colleagues have high motivations to provide best services to all guests. I can learn a lot of important things from them. I am exhausted everyday after work, but I always enjoy working here. I hope my internship will be well done and I could exceed my career after that.