Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Conference Center is the only hotel directly connected to Schiphol international airport, providing ultimate convenience to walk between the hotel, the terminals and other services at the Airport Schiphol

As Duty Management Trainee you support the Duty Manager of the Sheraton and you will be the first contact person for guests. You are always pro-actively walking through the hotel to help the guests and your colleagues where needed. Besides that, you are responsible for all guest complaints and will go the extra mile to provide our guests with a memorable stay at our hotel. You take good care of our regular and VIP guests and you are making sure that everything is well prepared for their stay. Moreover, from time to time the Duty Manager will provide you with a project to conduct within the hotel. There will also be the possibility to conduct a school project within the hotel.

 A day in the Life of a Duty Management Trainee

AM SHIFT

Good morning ! You arrive at work with a positive attitude and energy. First things first, you attend the morning briefing from the front office at 6h45 to hear about what special VIPs are on arrival, and anything else to keep in mind for the front office today. Then you start with a first round of the hotel – going to Commune, Stripes, passing by the kitchen to greet everyone on shift and so they know that you are here if they need anything.

Once you have finished your round, it is time to get started with the shift! Log into your computer at the front, read over your emails, read the handover from the day before and the one for today to check for any follow ups that are needed and special arrangements that need to be arranged. Whilst you do all this, you make sure to keep an eye on the lobby, and ensure that everything is running smoothly, proactively stepping in to help guests that need assistance. Suddenly, the fire alarm comes on. Quick! You run downstairs to pick up the emergency keys and map, ready to welcome the fire brigade, while attentively listening to what is being communicated on the porto phone. Together with security, you ensure that the correct procedures are followed. You get to the front of the hotel and are informed by BHV that it is a false alarm, the site has been inspected. After a quick round of the hotel to ensure all guests are back inside, you can go back to your normal duties. Next up, preparing for VIP arrivals. For all our top members you prepare letters and cards to wish them a warm welcome to the hotel and give them some information. Before you know it, it is 9:25 and time to get ready for the morning vision. You lead the morning meeting with enthusiasm, and share any notable events from the day before giving the floor to the other departments for them to share how their day will look like.

To make sure we are really ready for our VIPs, let’s check some rooms to make sure everything is up to standard. We have a few notable VIPs, let’s double check that everything is top notch for them! You notice a few water marks on the sink and the TV is not working properly. A quick on-off of the electricity and it is working again, and the stains are wipes down. We are ready to welcome them! Second room is for honeymooners – let’s make sure they have 2 bathrobes and 2 slippers, but also some nice decoration in the room. Some rose petals on the bed, and we will also ask for a bottle of prosecco for them to make their stay a memorable one. A little round of the departments again – is everything going well? Any complaints or compliments we got so far this morning? Should we follow up on anything, make sure to write it down. Now that this is done, let’s double check that we don’t have anything coming in by email or through Marriott. There is one complaint there regarding an air conditioning not working well. Time to spend some time writing a nice email back apologizing for the inconvenience and determining the best kind of service recovery we can do in this case. We also make sure to inform the technical department so they can check it straight away and avoid it happening again in the future. The guest replies – she is happy again! 12 o’clock already! Time to print out the amenities for today and share it with room service so that all our VIPs receive their warm welcome to the hotel. Then it is time to check departures – has everyone that needs to check out by 12 done so? Front office shares with you the list, and you take care of making sure it is checked and communicated back for the necessary check-outs to be done. Another check on what is coming through online, and of course you make sure you update all your handovers. You note down any special happenings of this morning in the duty report to share with all departments, and make notes on our own so that your colleagues have all the information they need to do the follow ups if needed. At 14:30, you see a queue forming at front office. You jump in and help out with a few to make sure guests do not have to wait too long for their check-in, and then before you know it, it is time for the end of your shift! 15:00, time to handover to your team member.

PM SHIFT

14:45, you come in, with positive energy to share with the team! First with the front office you attend the handover, go over any specials for the day. At 15:00 you do your handover with your fellow colleague, and at 15:15 attend the F&B handover to share with them any special VIPs or notes, and also hear how they will be organized for that evening. You start up the computer, once again go over anything that has come through and requires your attention. Then you take a look into the online reviews to make sure we collect high satisfaction scores online. Anything that is scored 6 out of 10 and under deserves your special attention and you make sure to reply to the guests, address their concern and report back to the departments. All reviews are also shared on the duty report for all departments to read. As you finish this you receive a call from the front desk – we got a call to accept a stranded flight. Off you go to the back office, indeed, a flight cannot leave due to a technical error and they need 80 rooms. F&B joins the conversation and together you decide yes we will accept those 80 rooms with dinner and breakfast. As soon as that is done, you help out front office with printing the vouchers for the meals, arranging the keys and the check-in sheet. Quickly, you turn the duty desk into a new check-in desk with signage ready to welcome all those people coming in. Before they come, you quickly go downstairs, check that banqueting is setting up for dinner and let them know you will come and give a hand after finishing the check-ins. The first guests arrive – you collect their vouchers and check them into their room. With the help of your colleagues, you make sure the process is smooth, you give people the amenities they need for the night and before you know it, all rooms are in. Next up, checking the buffet. They are almost done with arranging tables for the dinner, you just put the signage to point the guests in the right direction, and within the next hour the food will be ready for the first service of the dinner. A quick stop by housekeeping to inform them, and an email to all departments to inform them of the extra occupancy so they can take it into account for tomorrow’s morning shift. A busy but productive start to the shift! You then take out the brand standards for the bar and go do a check that everything is being done up to the standards, and log them into GXP. At the end of the month you will run a report to share with department heads so they know what to focus on. Most things are going very well – you just notice some stains on the floor and that glasses are sometimes standing too long empty.

Then you go back to your desk, update the handover, and take a look into follow-ups that are needed. You see that the honeymooners have not yet arrived – maybe a good idea to go and swap the ice buckets so they find a fresh bottle of prosecco in the room. On your way up, you meet a guest having issues with their Wi-Fi. You help them connect and assist them back to their room. Once you have changed the bucket, you get phone call for a room move for a guest because the air conditioning is not working. You help the guest up, and arrange a service recovery by bringing up for some drinks and snacks to enjoy in the room and they are happy again.

Time to check on the stranded buffet – everything is running smoothly and the guests are enjoying the food and comfort of the hotel. You can jump in to help at the front desk with the check-ins that arrived all together and before you know it your shift is coming to an end! Just before you close up, you see a non-hotel guest that takes something from the lobby market – you confront him and call security to escort him out of the hotel. Phew! You’ve made it, time to check on all the outlets, and close off the shift. All emails have been answered, the follow ups have been done and it has been a very busy but successful shift. You drop off your porto phone, put the phone on charge and drop off the keys before heading home. You are still buzzing with energy as you head home. What a day!

Competences

• Enthusiastic

• Eager to learn

• Motivated

• Representative

• Flexible

• Stress resistant

• Able to work independently and in a team

• Strong communication skills

• Able to switch fast

• Proactive