Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Singapore is more than Megalopolis country with gleaming skyscrapers and flickering city lights. More than what eyes can see, it represents the beauty of cultural melting pot. Inhabited by several ethnic groups living harmoniously side by side, the island nation offers a blend of culinary taste, customs, and traditions that one cannot experience elsewhere.
Year 2016 sees strong tourism sector performance, as Singapore Tourism Board notes 16.4 million visitors arriving in Singapore over the year. Seeing positive trend of international tourists’ high interests to visit the country, it seems natural that hospitality becomes one among the fastest growing industry in Singapore.
From hosting, cooking, to escorting, hospitality industry offers a wide range of career options. Unfortunately, not everyone is born to work in hospitality. It might be easy to put on smiles on our face and greet the guests in friendly manner for particular period of time, as part of job requirements.
However, it takes more than superficial acts to succeed in the industry. To come on top in hospitality, it is crucial for employees to be cordial and amiable. As the face of the business, the willingness to go the extra mile to ensure guests’ satisfaction should be one of their nature.
Not only should hospitality employees possess good communication skill, they should demonstrate impressive decision-making skill as well. Since they will be in continuous and direct contact with customers alike, they should be able to represent the best of your business even with demanding and meticulous clients.
Needless to say, you will need to possess certain qualities and master certain skills to get ahead in the field. Check out the following 7 must-have qualities of successful employee to see if you have what it takes to shine in the industry, and how you can join the bandwagon:
Commitment
First thing first, it is imperative for you to be committed in your job. To successfully carry out the responsibilities, you should devote yourself to ensure the guests’ satisfaction and happiness. Only when you have strong commitment, you will be willing to do whatever it takes to please the guests and engage them with your business.
Interpersonal skills
As the old adage says, customer is king. It goes without saying that interpersonal skill is crucial in fostering smooth communication with the guests and providing spectacular customer service. It means that you should be customer-oriented, by putting their interest number one and living up to their expectations. To give the best experience for the guests, you should demonstrate both awesome oral and written communication skills.
Listening skills
Being a hospitality employee requires you to be a good listener. By pinning your ears back to your guests, you will get better understanding of what they want to convey. It becomes more vital when they speak in different language, as you have to know non-verbal communication too.
Technology-savviness
The world is changing, and hospitality is no exception. To stay abreast of the advances of technology, you should equip yourself with good computer skills and familiarise yourself with new applications used in the business. Technology-savviness is a great help for you to thrive in the industry.
Flexibility
To succeed in the demanding industry, you should adopt a flexible and adaptable attitude. When something unexpected arises, you should be able to deal with it in versatile manner and find the best way out.
Teamwork
Highly-effective hospitality employee knows how to work and cooperate with other team members. To achieve the business goals, they understand the value of good teamwork and mutual contributions. You should understand your own role, while supporting your co-workers and taking active participation in the team.
Leadership
A great hospitality staff demonstrates strong leadership skills. They must be able to lead the team in certain projects and make sure that the operation runs efficiently.
Attention to details
It is vital for hospitality employee to have an eye for details. You should have thorough and careful examination in your job, since even the slightest mistake might result in guests’ dissatisfaction. Additionally, you should master the art of multitasking to juggle between one task and the others smoothly.
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