The activities during the job Training

commit to user 20 Club is a service that guarantees children’s security and safety. The guests who come to the fitness centre with their children can entrust them in Kapla Kids Club. So, while guests are doing exercise they have no need to be terrified of their children safety. Laundry and dry cleaning services at Ibis Solo hotel are provided for the guests who come and stay in the hotel. There are two types of services in laundry and dry cleaning services. They are regular service and express service. In regular service, items received before 09.00 AM, it will be returned after 05.00 PM at the same day. Meanwhile, if item is received after 09.00 AM, it will be returned after 05.00 PM the following day. There are 15 price discount for 10 year old children or below. In addition to facilities previously mentioned, Oasis Swimming Pool enables guests to refresh their body and soul. It opens at 6 AM to 8 PM daily. For publics or non guests, there are some requirements to be paid attention. They must buy ticket at the first place, price for adult is Rp. 35.000 and for children is Rp. 17.000, and the prices include one glass of soft drink.

B. The activities during the job Training

I have carried on the job training for about three months at Ibis Solo Hotel. The job training began on February 20 th , 2010 and finished on May 20 th , 2010. During three months, I worked in the housekeeping department such as In Balance Fitness Center in the first month, in laundry section in second month and in room section as room attendant in last month. In improving the services, room attendant commit to user 21 has a responsibility in their work areas. The work areas of room attendants are guest’s rooms, corridors, and bath rooms. Besides, the work area of laundry man is in the laundry section and the work area In Balance Fitness Center is in the spa area, fitness center, Jacuzzi, and pool. Apprentice in housekeeping department in Ibis Solo hotel has some vital duties and responsibilities in hotel operational. They are responsible for: 1. In In Balance Fitness Center 2. Laundry section 3. Room section In the first month, I was placed in In Balance Fitness Center. The first working day was tiring because there were many things I had to do, such as brushing the rest room floor, brushing pool rest room. After that I must work in pool rest room where I should brush the floor of pool rest room with chemical liquid. Then, I was asked to clean the spa rest room like moping and dusting. After finishing that work, I served the guest exercising in the fitness center such as giving towel and putting the fitness stuffs in order. At the first day I worked , I felt that I couldn’t accomplish this job training. When the break time had begun, all of the staffs should take a break and have a meal in the canteen. It was the time for all employees could do their personal business such as having lunch, praying, and making relationship with other employees. When the break time ended, all staffs should have been ready to work. commit to user 22 I had ever made a big mistake when I worked as housekeeper. I started working by checking the rest room in the fitness center, when I entered the woman rest room door I was surprised noticing there was a woman. Then the woman complained to my senior. He reprimanded me even I did not do it on purpose because I did not know the procedure. In the pool area, I served the guests who wanted to swim. People who did not stay in the hotel should buy ticket. It was IDR 35,000.- for adults and IDR 17,000.- for children. They also got free soft drink so I should work hard to give services such as giving towel and making soft drink. I got a lot of experiences there, I could know many people. Nevertheless, I also experienced sex harassment from a man. He asked me to open up my pants and said improper word to me. That was once in my life time to be harassed that way. To accomplish a good result, all employees should work in harmony. At the very beginning of my work in fitness center, everything went smoothly, but my partner accused me for stealing television remote control. It made bad atmosphere in work place. At the second month, I was moved to the Laundry department. When carrying out the duties in laundry section, the schedule was divided by supervisor or laundry manager into three shifts, they were morning shift at 06.00 AM-02.00 PM, middle shift at 11.00 AM-07.00 AM and night shift at 11.00 PM-07.00 AM. Trainee who wanted to change the schedule should make an agreement with the supervisor. commit to user 23 Laundry section was the hardest section when I was on my job training. It was hot and airless. There were big laundry machines, tumbler machine for drying the clothes, roller machine, press machine, and many others. Besides it was far from comfortable, it was also dangerous. The workers should be careful. The hardest thing I had ever been through in my job training was working in this section. I should begin to work in the middle of the night and finish in the morning. Once I took a break in rest room for ten minutes at working hour because I was not in good condition. Every night, the night manager always supervised and monitored the employee. So, if there was an employee working improperly would be reprimanded. The workers in the laundry section never had a spare time to take a rest just a minute. We should handle much stuff such as towel, curtain, sheets, pillow case, duvee, employee uniform, and napkin from Novotel and Ibis, and soil linen from Best Western Solo Hotel which was under one management, PT. Sunindo Indah Corporation. In washing linen, linen should be classified into dirty and dirt free linen because they were washed in different washing machine. As the washing machine vibrated, it was the sign that the linen had been clean. Then, it was the time to take them out of washing machine and selected which was duvee, sheet, towel, and pillow case. The next step was drying the lines to the drying machine and rolling those linens into a good order. Besides those activities, the laundry staff should be able to operate clothes pressing machine that was usually used to press the guests’ clothes orderly. commit to user 24 Aside from the things above, laundry staff should fold or set up the towel. There were several kinds of towel, such as bath mats, bath towel, face towel, and hand towel. They were folded differently in order to classify them easily. Towel was one of room supplies in guests’ room that should be changed regularly to ascertain that it was clean. Towels were changed in the morning when the room attendant made up the rooms. So, the coordination between the laundry staff and room attendant were so close in carrying out their daily tasks. Laundry staffs were also responsible to handle guests’ clothes. The guests had absolute right to complain if the result did not meet their satisfaction, so laundry staffs had to be careful in handling this job. In the last month I was placed in the room section as room attendant. In carrying out the duties, the room attendants had to know room status, whether it was occupied or not, and how many rooms that had to be handled. After that, the room attendants had to prepare everything for the guest rooms, such as linens and amenities. Priority in making up the room was based on direct order status or the g uest’s request as the first priority. In other word, room attendants had to work with the request. Making up the vacant room was the second priority of room attendants. A room attendant should not take them for granted. After the occupant leaved out, the vacant rooms had to be made up as soon as possible because they were probably filled immediately. In conclusion, room attendants were responsible for room services in all areas and status. In carrying out a room attendant’s duties, there were some daily activities that had to be done by room attendants. commit to user 25 1. Briefing Briefing is important to do before carrying out the duties. It is done at 8.00 a.m to 09.00 a.m, there are many topics discussed during briefing such as dividing the job allocations, the review of work results, and suggestions from the housekeeping manager. The briefing is usually led by a housekeeping supervisor or a housekeeping manager. 2. Preparing the linen or guests’ supplies in the guest rooms. In preparing linens, the room attendants have to work with laundry section. The room attendants must take linens from laundry section. In the other side, in preparing the guest supplies, such as soaps, bath foams, shampoos, shower caps, tissues, glass bags, laundry bags, etc, room attendants have to join with order-taker section. 3. Check the rooms To start to make up rooms, the room attendants must know the room status, if the room status is “don’t disturb”, it shows that the room attendants are not allowed to make up the guest rooms. For occupied rooms, the first action that must be done is knocking the door and greeting, then, the room attendants have to ask for permission to the guests whether it is necessary to make up the room or not. 4. Make up the room There are many activities that must be done during making up rooms, such as making up bed, dusting all of parts in the room, such as windows, tables, chairs, cupboards, refrigerators, LCD TVs, etc, besides, the room commit to user 26 attendants are also responsible for checking the room’s amenities and room supplies, as well as vacuuming the floor. 5. Recheck the room’s condition. It is necessary to do because it is to make sure that the room is ready to use by the guests or ready to be offered for customers. While re-checking room conditions, the most important thing to do is to re-check room supplies whether it is all accomplished or not. If those are all accomplished, room attendants are hoped to achieve some targets in order to raise standard of service quality. The targets are as followings: 1. Cleanliness in a broad sense Cleanliness of rooms or guest rooms determines hotel’s prestige. If cleanliness is well-maintained, guests will be comfortable and feel safe. This is due to they believe in hygiene and sanitation offered by the hotel service. By then, the cleanliness is a starting step to judge a hotel. 2. Comfortable Cleanliness in equipments and decorations will make rooms look more interesting and elegant. As a consequence, it makes the guests feel comfort while staying in the hotel. 3. Safety Safety is one of substantial factors of a hotel that always becomes any guest’s expectation. Safety comprises privacy safety, in form of stealing and other criminal actions, and burning. commit to user 27 In conducting their duties, room attendants have to pay attention their self- preparation. Self- preparation is one of aspects of hotel’s prestige. In addition to environmental-preparation of hotel, how their human resources serves is also required to be paid attention. Self-preparation comprises: 1. Hair A room attendant must have hisher hair short and tidy because it influences the performances of room attendants. If room attendants look tidy, the guest would enjoy the services they get from the room attendants. 2. Uniform Uniform is a work-suitcase, which is worn by room attendants during their shifts. Uniform mainly determines their identity. That is why to keep the uniform clean is important. It helps them to look fresh and well- dressed. 3. Healthy condition It is important because the healthy condition is needed by room attendants to carry out the duties. If the room attendant is on top form, a room attendant is able to work optimally. Healthy body will influence the work result. Their professionalism and ethos are an intangible value that is related to their healthy condition. commit to user 28

C. The Problems Appearing in the Job Training in Ibis Hotel