In a hotel, the front desk agents are the first people who greet customers at the reception or entrance. Whether they are in a corporate office or in a hospitality setting, they are the face of the company and have a great impact on the customer’s satisfaction. The following interview questions are recommended for HR managers to assess the candidate’s competencies based on the job functions.
Interview Questions
Job Function: Greet and Meet Guests
Competency
Professional and Neat Appearance, Communication, Extroversion
Present a professional appearance according to the requirements. Ability to receive ideas and information and convey them clearly through different media to groups or individuals in a way that engages the listener, helps the listener retain and understand the message, and allows the listener to provide feedback and a response.
Questions
Tell me about yourself.
I am XYZ, YY years old, with 3 years’ experience in the hospitality field. I hold a Diploma in Hotel Management from XYZ University. My experience at XYZ company for 2 years refined my skills in time management, and during the course of my career, I have helped with document flow and effective communication with both external and internal clients and management. I am particularly interested in this opening because it provides me with an opportunity to manage and engage different clients in order to be able to present the best benefits to them and play my role in improving the ratings of hospitality services.
Have you worked as a front desk agent before? Describe your duties.
Before this, I was employed in receptionist jobs at different organizations, which allowed me to gain extensive experience with a range of duties associated with the position. Some of my major tasks in previous companies have been directing calls, answering multiple phone lines, confirming or scheduling bookings, taking messages, welcoming customers, maintaining records in an organized filing system, and communicating with customers about their needs. Further responsibilities included handling emails, data entry, and copying documents.
Job Function: Achieve a 90% Walk-In Conversion Rate
Competency
Negotiating, Decisiveness
The ability to commit oneself or make active decisions by taking a position and speaking one’s mind. Negotiation refers to being able to acquire the most desirable results from meetings where there may be varying interests or conflict between participating members regarding maintaining relationships or content, terms, and conditions.
Questions
Describe a situation where you planned to negotiate, and it was successful. What did you do? What happened? How did the plan work?
In my previous company, the manager assigned an unreasonable deadline to me for a project. I negotiated with him about it, which he had set according to his own deadline for presenting it to the CEO. To negotiate, I provided him with an outline of each step needed for the project and the time required to realistically undertake each step. Then, I discussed ways that could possibly help reduce those time frames. I put together a project proposal for him, suggesting that he allocate more resources. He used my proposal to convince the CEO to extend the deadline, and therefore, we were both able to settle upon an achievable deadline for the project.
Job Function: Register, Check In, Assist Guests with Recommendations
Competency
Attention to Detail, Customer Orientation, Presenting
Being able to use existing or available resources and present plans and ideas clearly according to them. The willingness and ability to understand the customer’s requirements and act accordingly, taking the company’s benefits and costs into consideration. The ability to present an articulate view of the situation.
Questions
Guests often have to be made to wait. How would you ensure that they feel welcome?
Sometimes, a warm greeting and smile are very important. I use this time to make small talk about what event they’ve arrived to attend or where they come from. The interaction leads to a personal touch. I ask them if they would like any recommendations for local activities or restaurants or if they have any special requests. I let them know that they are welcome to ask for anything they need and that my team will be ready to assist them whenever required.
In your position, what would you do in order to avoid making mistakes? What happens if a mistake has been made?
If a mistake has been made, I own up to it and ask for help. If I am asked to make a concession that the organization cannot afford or accept, then I consider it better to lose the sale. I ask the supervisor to assist me in explaining the mistake to a client and offer any complimentary services as a goodwill gesture. I make sure to learn a valuable lesson and note it down in my personal log in order not to commit it in the future (Toffolo, n.d.).
Job Function: Compute Bills, Collect Payments, Keep Records of Room Availability and Accounts
Competency
Problem Analysis, Workmanship
Ability to carry out responsibilities independently in compliance with the professional standards of that profession. Gaining solid knowledge of one’s chosen professional area and developing oneself in it. Problem analysis is being able to detect problems, link different sources of information, recognize or prioritize important information, trace possible causes of the problem, and identify relevant details for that purpose.
Questions
Describe how you were confronted with an unexpected problem. What caused the problem? What kind of a problem was it, and how did you solve it?
I was in a situation where the manager unexpectedly left without warning one day. The workplace became a bit disorganized since no replacement was available, and some processes used by the manager were not known to everyone. My team and I took the initiative, assessed her work, and began to perform some of her daily tasks, asking another employee to handle organizational duties. I figured out how to prioritize her work while also not neglecting my own work. For this purpose, some of my own tasks were delegated to other coworkers and teams, and I regularly followed up with them to make sure they were not overwhelmed by them. I created logs and notes on the processes so that if anyone wanted to fill that role, the notes would help them (Martin, 2016).
What is your way of prioritizing tasks?
To prioritize one task over another, I begin by creating a list and working out which order to place my tasks in according to their level of importance and urgency. I identify tasks that are more important through research before making that decision and add any new tasks to that list to be able to prioritize when to do them. I also sort the work based on my own efficiency and energy level (TargetJobs, n.d.).
Job Function: Answer Inquiries, Transfer and Receive Telephone Messages, Make Reservations for Guests
Competency
Listening, Verbal Expression
Listening skills are one’s capability to understand and absorb vital verbal or nonverbal information and ask questions to make sure it is understood properly. Verbal expression is the ability to communicate clearly in a language, taking the audience’s level into consideration and adjusting one’s tone and use of language to better convey the information.
Questions
How would you explain your ability to comprehend and listen?
Listening is one of my greatest skills. I carefully pay attention to the instructions being given, especially those related to current tasks and projects, details about future tasks, and how well my coworkers are performing their roles. My listening skills allow me to complete my tasks more efficiently, as I do not need to be told anything twice. Listening to others also helps me motivate them effectively and advise them as necessary.
Can you recall a situation where you feel you should have communicated in a better way? How did you react, and what corrective measures did you take?
Once, during a presentation, I was faced with a situation where some of the managers could not attend the full presentation that I was giving and later returned to ask a few questions regarding it. I lightheartedly said, “No more questions,” which did not seem to go well with them. I apologized and invited them to feel free to ask any questions they needed to ask. I realized that the joke had not been well received; therefore, I apologized again and told them about my tendency to become comfortable with people too quickly. The manager reminded me to always remain aware of my audience. Despite being able to resolve that situation well, I now take care to follow the advice I was given (JobJunction, 2013).
References
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From – To.
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name.
TargetJobs. (n.d.). How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks?’ Tricky graduate interview question. Retrieved March 21, 2018, from Target Jobs: https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/interview-questions/320311-how-do-you-manage-your-time-and-prioritise-tasks-tricky-graduate-interview
Toffolo, K. (n.d.). 5 Templates That’ll Make Saying “I’m Sorry” So Much Easier. Retrieved March 21, 2018, from the Muse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-templates-thatll-make-saying-im-sorry-so-much-easier
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