Handling My Difficulties in Communication with Australian Guests at Naval Hotel Bandung.
ABSTRACT
Di dalam tugas akhir ini saya membahas permasalahan yang saya hadapi
selama menjalani program magang di Hotel Naval yang dimulai pada tanggal
13 Januari 2014 sampai 13 February 2104. Permasalahan yang saya hadapi
selama melakukan magang di sana yaitu saya sulit berbicara dengan tamu
asing yang berasal dari Australia. Di dalam permasalahan yang saya hadapi,
saya menemukan beberapa penyebab. Penyebab yang pertama yaitu saya
tidak mengerti aksen orang Australia. Penyebab yang kedua yaitu saya
kurang menguasai kosa kata Bahasa Inggris. Oleh karena itu saya
mengalami kesulitan dalam berbicara dengan mereka. Dari beberapa
penyebab ini, terdapat beberapa dampak. Dampak yang pertama yaitu tamu
dari Australia tidak percaya dengan apa yang saya sampaikan. Dampak yang
kedua yaitu atasan saya berpikir bahwa saya tidak mampu menghadapi tamu
dari Australia.
Setelah saya melakukan analisis, saya mendapatkan tiga solusi untuk
mengatasi permasalahan saya selama magang di hotel Naval. Solusi yang
pertama yaitu saya menonton film dengan tidak menggunakan teks bahasa.
Solusi yang kedua yaitu saya menggunakan bahasa tubuh saya untuk
membantu dan juga memperjelas apa yang saya ingin katakan kepada tamu
dari Australia. Dan solusi yang terakhir yaitu saya meniru struktur kata,
kalimat dan grammar penutur asing.
Untuk mengatasi masalah yang saya hadapi, saya menggabungkan solusi
yang pertama dan kedua, karena kedua solusi ini saling menunjang satu
sama lain. Saya tidak memilih solusi yang ketiga, karena tidak semua penutur
asing menggunakan struktur kata, kalimat dan grammar yang benar.
i
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………............i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY………………………………………………….…….ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………….………………...….……iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………..........................1
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Background of the Study
Identification of the Problem
Objectives and Benefits of the Study
Description of the Institution
Method of the Study
Limitation of the Study
Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS………………………………………..….………6
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS…………………………….….……..………9
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION………………………………………..….......................14
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX:
A. FLOWCHART
B. THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW
iv
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
In a hotel, there are many departments to serve the guests. One of the
important departments in a hotel is the Front Desk. When guests come to
the hotel, they will be greeted by the Front Office staff. The Front Office
staff have a task to serve the guests and give information about the rooms
and facilities in the hotel. Front Office staff must have good communication
skills and good personality so that the guests will feel comfortable. As
stated by Rose that, “First impressions are important, most definitely. Your
front desk staff is essentially the “face” of your business.”(par 1). I agree
with Rose’s statement because the front office staff are the one who first
connect with the guests. The front office is the main connection in the
hotel as it is stated by LinkedIn that, “As a Guest Service Agent, you will
serve on the Front Office Team which is the main connection between the
Guest, the hotel, and the various hotel departments.” (par. 3).
When I did my internship at Naval Hotel from 13 January 2014 until 13
February 2014, I was given a position as a Guest Service Agent or GSA at
1
Maranatha Christian University
the Front Desk. I had many tasks. Some of them are handle check in or
check out, payments, guests complaints and, receiving phone calls from
inside and outside the hotel. As a GSA I must had good attitude and
personality because I had to communicate with the guests.
During my internship, I had a problem with Australian guests. I had
difficulty in speaking with them because they spoke with Australian
accents. In the morning the guests from Australia came to me and they
asked about the breakfast menu and WIFI password, also about which
way to go to the factory outlet. Because they said with the Australian
accents, I did not understand and I did not know what vocabulary that I
must use. It is makes me difficult to have conversation with the Australian
guest. Based on my problem I faced with the Australian guests, I choose
to analyze the causes and the effects to find the solutions to my problem.
B. Identification Of The Problem
The problem that I am going to discuss in this paper is formulated as
follows:
1. Why did I have a difficulty in speaking with Australian guests?
2. How did my problem affect my work performance?
3. How should I overcome my difficulty in speaking with the Australian
guests?
2
Maranatha Christian University
C. Objective and Benefits of the study
The objectives of the study are to find the causes and the effects of the
problem to find the solutions. Beside the objective there are also benefits
for the readers, for the Naval Hotel also, for me. First, the benefit for the
readers is they can know how to speak well with foreign guests, especially
Australian guests, if they face the same problem like me. The benefit for
Naval Hotel, especially for the Front Office staff is they can solve the
problem if they meet the similar problem. And finally for me, the benefit is I
can know the best solution and the right words if I speak with foreign
guests especially Australian guests if I work as a GSA in the future.
D. Description Of The Institution
Based on Report of Naval Hotel, the owner of Naval Hotel is Mr. Fristian.
Naval hotel is located at Jalan Sukajadi No.180 , Bandung. The hotel
started operating on the first of July 2008. The name Naval itself was
taken from Latin American language which means orange or in Indonesian
language means jeruk. The location of Naval hotel’s is quite strategic.
From its location, it only takes 5 minutes to Paris van Java, 10 minutes to
Jalan Dago, 10 minutes to Jalan Cihampelas and only takes 20 minutes to
the airport. Based on that surely Naval Hotel is one of the most strategic
hotels in Bandung and definitely a great hotel to stay at. Naval hotel has
42 rooms for guests, they are 22 deluxe rooms, 18 executive rooms, and 2
suite rooms. Every room has it own privilege. Beside rooms for hotel
guests Naval hotel also has one meeting room which can accommodate
3
Maranatha Christian University
up to 50 persons. Another facility which is owned by Naval Hotel is Orange
Cafe.
According to Naval Hotel report it is stated that the Naval Hotel has a
vision which is, to be the first choice of Hotel for businessman and family,
to be the best in service provider by giving the best service to fulfil
customer’s needs.(par. 3).
The Naval hotel also has a mission that is, to create long term business
relationship and to prosper each other between the owner, the employee
and the customers by creating loyal customers, increasing income
annually, reaching profit within budget and, increasing investation value
(par. 4).
E. Method Of The Study
The data which is used in this term paper is collected from report,
interview and, articles from the Internet. The data is used to analyze the
causes, the effects, and to find the potential solutions.
F. Limitation Of The Study
This study is focused on me, as a Front Office staff when I did my
internship at Naval Hotel. The internship is conducted from 13 January
2014 until 13 February 2014.
4
Maranatha Christian University
G. Organization Of the Term Paper
The term paper are divided into four chapters. The first chapter
consists of The Background of the Study, Identification of the Problem,
Objectives and Benefits of the Study, Description of the Institution, Method
of the Study, Limitation of the Study, and Organization of the Term Paper.
The second chapter discusses the causes and the effects of the problem.
The third chapter analyses the potential solutions with their positive and
negative effects. Finally, the last chapter is the conclusion of my analysis
of my problem.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
In this chapter I would explain about my chosen solutions of my difficulty in
speaking with the Australian guests during my internship from 13 January
2013 until 13 February 2013 in Naval Hotel, Bandung. The cause of my
problem is I could not understand the Australian accent and I am lacked of
vocabulary. Besides the causes, the problem has some effects. The effects
are the Australian guests did not trust me and also my supervisor thought that
I was not able to handle the Australian guests. After analysing the causes
and the effects, I have found three potential solutions to solve my problem.
The first solution is I will watch Australian films without subtitles. The second
potential solution is I will use my body language. The last potential solution is
I will listen to music.
For the best solution, I choose to combine the first and the second
potential solutions. The reason of choosing these solutions is because they
13
Maranatha Christian University
support one another and can help me to solve my problem in difficulty speaking with the
Australian guests. By watching Australian films without subtitles, I can learn the accent
used by Australians and also my vocabulary will increase. Furthermore while speaking
with them, I will also use my body language that enable me to communicate more easily
with them. I do not choose the third solution because, it is makes me lack of
concentration.
Finally, I suggest that as a Front Office staff, one should understand the accent used
by Australians moreover, mastering English vocabulary is also essential to enable him
or her to speak with the Australian guests fluently and more clearly.
14
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Brounstein, Marty. Communicating Effectively for Dummies. New York: Wiley
Publising, Inc, 2001.
Electronic Sources
“Become Familiar with Australian Accent”. Ieltsexamstips. 2014. 15 April
2014.
Farouk Radwan, M, MSc. “Using body language to your advantage”.
2knowmyself. 12 May 2014.
“Guest Services Agent - Front Desk”. Linkedin. 27 March 2104.
“Imitation is The Key to Learning Languages”. Bussu. 25 Juny 2014.
Maranatha Christian University
Mikoluk, Kasia. " Best Way to Learn a Language: Imitating Native Speakers”.
Udemy. 9 July 2103.
Rose, Angela. “Why Your Hotel Front Desk Manager is One of Your Most
Important Hires”. Hcareers. 27 March 2104.
“The Truth About Accents”. Humanaccents. 25 Juny 2014.
Szynalski,Tomasz P. “Watching movies in English”. Antimoon. 20 April 2014.
Szynalski,Tomasz P. “The best way to learn a foreign language is to speak
it”. Antimoon. 15 May 2104.
“Why A Native Teacher is Not Always The Best Language Teacher”.
Creativityandlanguages. 1 July 2014.
Interview
Yusuf. Personal Interview. 1 April 2013
Dewi. Personal Interview. 4 April 2013
Maranatha Christian University
Di dalam tugas akhir ini saya membahas permasalahan yang saya hadapi
selama menjalani program magang di Hotel Naval yang dimulai pada tanggal
13 Januari 2014 sampai 13 February 2104. Permasalahan yang saya hadapi
selama melakukan magang di sana yaitu saya sulit berbicara dengan tamu
asing yang berasal dari Australia. Di dalam permasalahan yang saya hadapi,
saya menemukan beberapa penyebab. Penyebab yang pertama yaitu saya
tidak mengerti aksen orang Australia. Penyebab yang kedua yaitu saya
kurang menguasai kosa kata Bahasa Inggris. Oleh karena itu saya
mengalami kesulitan dalam berbicara dengan mereka. Dari beberapa
penyebab ini, terdapat beberapa dampak. Dampak yang pertama yaitu tamu
dari Australia tidak percaya dengan apa yang saya sampaikan. Dampak yang
kedua yaitu atasan saya berpikir bahwa saya tidak mampu menghadapi tamu
dari Australia.
Setelah saya melakukan analisis, saya mendapatkan tiga solusi untuk
mengatasi permasalahan saya selama magang di hotel Naval. Solusi yang
pertama yaitu saya menonton film dengan tidak menggunakan teks bahasa.
Solusi yang kedua yaitu saya menggunakan bahasa tubuh saya untuk
membantu dan juga memperjelas apa yang saya ingin katakan kepada tamu
dari Australia. Dan solusi yang terakhir yaitu saya meniru struktur kata,
kalimat dan grammar penutur asing.
Untuk mengatasi masalah yang saya hadapi, saya menggabungkan solusi
yang pertama dan kedua, karena kedua solusi ini saling menunjang satu
sama lain. Saya tidak memilih solusi yang ketiga, karena tidak semua penutur
asing menggunakan struktur kata, kalimat dan grammar yang benar.
i
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………............i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY………………………………………………….…….ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………….………………...….……iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………..........................1
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Background of the Study
Identification of the Problem
Objectives and Benefits of the Study
Description of the Institution
Method of the Study
Limitation of the Study
Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS………………………………………..….………6
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS…………………………….….……..………9
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION………………………………………..….......................14
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX:
A. FLOWCHART
B. THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE INTERVIEW
iv
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
In a hotel, there are many departments to serve the guests. One of the
important departments in a hotel is the Front Desk. When guests come to
the hotel, they will be greeted by the Front Office staff. The Front Office
staff have a task to serve the guests and give information about the rooms
and facilities in the hotel. Front Office staff must have good communication
skills and good personality so that the guests will feel comfortable. As
stated by Rose that, “First impressions are important, most definitely. Your
front desk staff is essentially the “face” of your business.”(par 1). I agree
with Rose’s statement because the front office staff are the one who first
connect with the guests. The front office is the main connection in the
hotel as it is stated by LinkedIn that, “As a Guest Service Agent, you will
serve on the Front Office Team which is the main connection between the
Guest, the hotel, and the various hotel departments.” (par. 3).
When I did my internship at Naval Hotel from 13 January 2014 until 13
February 2014, I was given a position as a Guest Service Agent or GSA at
1
Maranatha Christian University
the Front Desk. I had many tasks. Some of them are handle check in or
check out, payments, guests complaints and, receiving phone calls from
inside and outside the hotel. As a GSA I must had good attitude and
personality because I had to communicate with the guests.
During my internship, I had a problem with Australian guests. I had
difficulty in speaking with them because they spoke with Australian
accents. In the morning the guests from Australia came to me and they
asked about the breakfast menu and WIFI password, also about which
way to go to the factory outlet. Because they said with the Australian
accents, I did not understand and I did not know what vocabulary that I
must use. It is makes me difficult to have conversation with the Australian
guest. Based on my problem I faced with the Australian guests, I choose
to analyze the causes and the effects to find the solutions to my problem.
B. Identification Of The Problem
The problem that I am going to discuss in this paper is formulated as
follows:
1. Why did I have a difficulty in speaking with Australian guests?
2. How did my problem affect my work performance?
3. How should I overcome my difficulty in speaking with the Australian
guests?
2
Maranatha Christian University
C. Objective and Benefits of the study
The objectives of the study are to find the causes and the effects of the
problem to find the solutions. Beside the objective there are also benefits
for the readers, for the Naval Hotel also, for me. First, the benefit for the
readers is they can know how to speak well with foreign guests, especially
Australian guests, if they face the same problem like me. The benefit for
Naval Hotel, especially for the Front Office staff is they can solve the
problem if they meet the similar problem. And finally for me, the benefit is I
can know the best solution and the right words if I speak with foreign
guests especially Australian guests if I work as a GSA in the future.
D. Description Of The Institution
Based on Report of Naval Hotel, the owner of Naval Hotel is Mr. Fristian.
Naval hotel is located at Jalan Sukajadi No.180 , Bandung. The hotel
started operating on the first of July 2008. The name Naval itself was
taken from Latin American language which means orange or in Indonesian
language means jeruk. The location of Naval hotel’s is quite strategic.
From its location, it only takes 5 minutes to Paris van Java, 10 minutes to
Jalan Dago, 10 minutes to Jalan Cihampelas and only takes 20 minutes to
the airport. Based on that surely Naval Hotel is one of the most strategic
hotels in Bandung and definitely a great hotel to stay at. Naval hotel has
42 rooms for guests, they are 22 deluxe rooms, 18 executive rooms, and 2
suite rooms. Every room has it own privilege. Beside rooms for hotel
guests Naval hotel also has one meeting room which can accommodate
3
Maranatha Christian University
up to 50 persons. Another facility which is owned by Naval Hotel is Orange
Cafe.
According to Naval Hotel report it is stated that the Naval Hotel has a
vision which is, to be the first choice of Hotel for businessman and family,
to be the best in service provider by giving the best service to fulfil
customer’s needs.(par. 3).
The Naval hotel also has a mission that is, to create long term business
relationship and to prosper each other between the owner, the employee
and the customers by creating loyal customers, increasing income
annually, reaching profit within budget and, increasing investation value
(par. 4).
E. Method Of The Study
The data which is used in this term paper is collected from report,
interview and, articles from the Internet. The data is used to analyze the
causes, the effects, and to find the potential solutions.
F. Limitation Of The Study
This study is focused on me, as a Front Office staff when I did my
internship at Naval Hotel. The internship is conducted from 13 January
2014 until 13 February 2014.
4
Maranatha Christian University
G. Organization Of the Term Paper
The term paper are divided into four chapters. The first chapter
consists of The Background of the Study, Identification of the Problem,
Objectives and Benefits of the Study, Description of the Institution, Method
of the Study, Limitation of the Study, and Organization of the Term Paper.
The second chapter discusses the causes and the effects of the problem.
The third chapter analyses the potential solutions with their positive and
negative effects. Finally, the last chapter is the conclusion of my analysis
of my problem.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
In this chapter I would explain about my chosen solutions of my difficulty in
speaking with the Australian guests during my internship from 13 January
2013 until 13 February 2013 in Naval Hotel, Bandung. The cause of my
problem is I could not understand the Australian accent and I am lacked of
vocabulary. Besides the causes, the problem has some effects. The effects
are the Australian guests did not trust me and also my supervisor thought that
I was not able to handle the Australian guests. After analysing the causes
and the effects, I have found three potential solutions to solve my problem.
The first solution is I will watch Australian films without subtitles. The second
potential solution is I will use my body language. The last potential solution is
I will listen to music.
For the best solution, I choose to combine the first and the second
potential solutions. The reason of choosing these solutions is because they
13
Maranatha Christian University
support one another and can help me to solve my problem in difficulty speaking with the
Australian guests. By watching Australian films without subtitles, I can learn the accent
used by Australians and also my vocabulary will increase. Furthermore while speaking
with them, I will also use my body language that enable me to communicate more easily
with them. I do not choose the third solution because, it is makes me lack of
concentration.
Finally, I suggest that as a Front Office staff, one should understand the accent used
by Australians moreover, mastering English vocabulary is also essential to enable him
or her to speak with the Australian guests fluently and more clearly.
14
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Brounstein, Marty. Communicating Effectively for Dummies. New York: Wiley
Publising, Inc, 2001.
Electronic Sources
“Become Familiar with Australian Accent”. Ieltsexamstips. 2014. 15 April
2014.
Farouk Radwan, M, MSc. “Using body language to your advantage”.
2knowmyself. 12 May 2014.
“Guest Services Agent - Front Desk”. Linkedin. 27 March 2104.
“Imitation is The Key to Learning Languages”. Bussu. 25 Juny 2014.
Maranatha Christian University
Mikoluk, Kasia. " Best Way to Learn a Language: Imitating Native Speakers”.
Udemy. 9 July 2103.
Rose, Angela. “Why Your Hotel Front Desk Manager is One of Your Most
Important Hires”. Hcareers. 27 March 2104.
“The Truth About Accents”. Humanaccents. 25 Juny 2014.
Szynalski,Tomasz P. “Watching movies in English”. Antimoon. 20 April 2014.
Szynalski,Tomasz P. “The best way to learn a foreign language is to speak
it”. Antimoon. 15 May 2104.
“Why A Native Teacher is Not Always The Best Language Teacher”.
Creativityandlanguages. 1 July 2014.
Interview
Yusuf. Personal Interview. 1 April 2013
Dewi. Personal Interview. 4 April 2013
Maranatha Christian University