College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management

Quality Service Management

Chapter Analysis No. 1 – Serving with a Smile
Submitted by: Angelica D Enrico

1. If you have ever been employed, what if anything did you want from your job other than a
paycheck?

Hands-on trainings and maybe some incentives of course base on my performance and
acknowledgement for my works. I don’t yearn so fast for a promotion at work because I know that
there is more for me to learn. During the time when I worked as a caregiver and store staff, I know
that I needed to demand for benefits but I didn’t because I have a good employer and they treat me
well other than paying me enough wage.

A. If you are employed now, have your job expectations changed from those of the past?
Yes, unlike before, I would now expect for work benefits because there are things that I
need to consider for my safety and for my family. Before I do not have the knowledge with
regards to my rights at work and what learnings or trainings that a company or job could
give me but now my perspective has changed.
B. What are your job expectations from the position you hope to hold in ten years?
I do not expect to be a manager in just ten years, but I expect myself to hold a position in
the industry where I am well knowledgeable, I grow as an individual and professionally and
skilled enough deserving of that position utilizing my learnings and skills to provide quality
services to the people.

2. If you have been employed, can you recall times when you were upset due to the boss
ignoring your good work because the boss was giving complete attention to another
employee who was complaining or doing a bad job? If so, what managerial lesson did this
teach you? How would you use that lesson to determine or change your own managerial
style?
I had been employed before but I never feel upset for being unrecognized for my work. If I
analyze the situation given, my boss is just completely doing his job and this shows how
much trust and how confident I am that I could do good work without being supervised. It
doesn't mean that I can do it all on my own, it just that as a manager or the boss you need
to focus on those who are lacking to mitigate future errors and failure in the service. If I am
also in his/her position I would do the same because you need to put effort for those
deficiencies to produce a more efficient work in the future, you are the manager or the boss
for the reason to also teach and put attention to those part of the operations that are
having issues and trouble. You are to put on a solution not to just let things be just because
half of the operations works “okay” or doing fine. Supervising the overall operation of the
 business as a whole and guiding the people under you are one of the task that a manager or
owner should do.

3. What does it mean to be empowered? Give some situations in which you were empowered.

Being empowered means you are confident and courageous enough to do things at your own will in
achieving your goals. The situation that I could share is when I joined the Junior Life Coach
organization, they have equipped us to be more confident and trust ourselves as we get to know
ourselves, limitations and abilities. Their trainings make me empowered by knowing that I am
enough, I am unique, and I could do great things in my own way. They also taught us how we could
help ourselves as we help others. One thing that pushes me to move further is when they elect me
as the president of the organization, I do not know what makes me qualified for it but the
encouragement from our advisers gives me strength to stand up. And one significant thing that
really amazes me is to be given an opportunity to become one of the speakers for the new trainees.
Its just amazing that I was once just a trainee and now I become now one of the speakers. Maybe
that is what empowering really means, it changes you to become the great person that you never
expected to be and you’ll never realize sometimes that it already helps you to achieve something
that also benefits not just yourself but also others.

A. How did you handle empowerment? How did you feel?

You cannot really get the grasp of it but being empowered gives you a new perspective in
life making a new version of you stepping out of the box gradually and it just make you more
confident, encourage and wonderful. Empowerment must not be used to commit over the
boundary's actions like too much confidence that leads to arrogance rather it must be a
motivation to attract others to do good, be positive and provide smiles to other people.

B. Compare those situations to a few in which you were not empowered. How did you
handle the latter, and how did you feel?
Of course, some situations may be awful and some situations may be hurtful but maybe that
may be true. You will not be affected by criticism if you are not guilty about it. Being
criticized really is not an empowerment in a way but for me it empowers me because it
helps to identify what am I doing wrong and where should I improve, of course it would
sadden me but I take it to my mind that things go wrong for a reason for me to learn and be
ready to future struggles that I may face.
C. If you were a hotel or restaurant manager, can you think of some job functions that you
would hesitate to empower your employees to perform? Why?
Just like what is at the standard rules it is to have further relationship with the guests,
though you could build a relationship with the guest through by having their loyalty and
treat them with a little extra effort because they are loyal to us but going beyond that just
because the favored is being returned like giving gifts or other stuff for providing a great
service is a big no. Be empowered to do your best going one step ahead of the guest
expectations providing guest a quality and comfortable stay but not to the extent where you
 endanger you self in the end that’s why awareness and presence of mind is also important
on the job because you may not know if the guests have other intentions despite that they
are loyal guests, you should still know your boundaries.

D. Why is it particularly important to empower the frontline people who interact with
hospitality guests? Or is it?
Because they are the first hand or they are the first that the guests encountered upon arrival. As
a guest I would not like to see upon my arrival that the reception is frowning or sad. The guests
choose to stay so they could relax, unwind, feel comfort and experience to be out of the
comfort of their homes. If you are the frontline and you can’t even provide them a kind and
reassuring smile that you would take care of them during your whole stay then just quit the job.
The management also will be held liable is the guests doesn’t feel good or comfortable during
their stay so as managers, frontline people must be reminded, empowered in a way where they
would be valued by the management so they would also know and feel how to value those
guests that they would encounter. This helps them to provide a quality service from their heart.
Being always said, you cannot give what you do not have so if they are not empowered, they
wouldn’t be motivated enough to welcome guests.

References