Interview: Ritz-Carlton's Raksa Wayan
Raksa Wayan’s role as director of rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal means guest satisfaction is his top priority
When did you join Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal and what is your career background?
I joined The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal as a pre-opening team member in July last year. I have been with the company for quite a while and, in fact, celebrated my 17th anniversary with The Ritz-Carlton in November last year. I started my career at the age of 19 as a valet attendant at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, Indonesia. My latest posting prior to joining my current property was director of rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Indonesia.
What are your responsibilities at the hotel?
My job is to supervise day-to-day operations of the front office, club lounge, guest services, villa reception and concierge, as well as the housekeeping and recreation departments while ensuring services are provided in an attentive, warm, efficient and courteous manner. Delivering the highest level of service is crucial while I also stay focused on maximising room revenue and productivity, and developing our staff. In a nutshell, my role is to drive the team to success in three important areas: employee engagement, guest engagement and financial performance.
How many people are you responsible for and how do you motivate and manage them?
I have 10 managers reporting directly to me and a total of 160 people in the rooms division. The key to success, in my opinion, is to have self-motivated leaders who share the same vision and are capable of inspiring their team. We set clear goals and work together to achieve them, not forgetting to celebrate our successes, of course.
How do you monitor guest feedback?
We monitor guest feedback through engaging directly with our guests as well as analysing our in-house comment cards that all guests are encouraged to fill out. We share guest comments in our weekly leadership meetings so that all hotel managers are aware of the areas that require improvement. Another great tool is the guest engagement Gallup survey that we will be part of as of January 1, 2014. We also monitor social media channels to ensure guests’ queries are addressed in a timely manner.
How do you use technology in your role?
In my role, I rely heavily on technology, from making appointments and answering guest inquiries to approving purchase requests and reviewing daily figures and arrival information. However, I strongly believe that technology will never replace human interaction and I will always try and meet the guest personally instead of having a conversation via email. Human interaction is priceless.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures. I also love the feeling of excitement that you get when exceeding guests’ expectation and creating a truly memorable experience when they least expect it.
How do you deal with difficult guests or other tricky situations?
Whenever I find myself in a difficult situation or when I’m in doubt, I always refer to The Ritz-Carlton credo card that all of the staff always carry on them. Our credo states who we are and why we are in our roles. Even if a guest faces an issue, it’s in your hands to turn the situation around and make him or her your loyal customer who will return to your hotel time and again. When a guest comes to you with a problem, you are no longer working for The Ritz-Carlton; at that particular moment you are working for the guest. I always try and put myself in the guest’s shoes and will do everything in my power to resolve the situation as efficiently as possible. Last but not least, don’t forget to apologise.
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Your five tips for running an efficient front of house team
1. Plan ahead – plan your day and plan your operation. If you fail to plan, prepare to fail.
2. Involve your team in the planning of their work – five heads are better than one.
3. Delegate – you can’t do everything by yourself; ask for help when you need it.
4. Always remember that you are on stage – impress your audience. They will come back for the show.
5. Celebrate milestones and reward top performers, even if it’s something as simple as a pat on the back and a sincere “thank you”.