The Difficulty in Handling The Guests At G.H. Universal Hotel.
ABSTRACT
Tugas akhir ini membahas kesulitan yang dihadapi Guest Relation
Officer dalam menangani tamu di G.H. Universal Hotel. Topik ini saya pilih
berdasarkan pengalaman saya ketika magang selama kurang lebih tiga
bulan di G.H. Universal Hotel, Bandung.
Sebagai salah satu hotel yang menjadi tempat pariwisata di
Bandung, G.H. Universal Hotel diharapkan mempunyai pekerja yang
berkualitas, akan tetapi yang menjadi masalah bagi G.H. Universal Hotel
adalah kurangnya kemampuan GRO di bagian front office dalam melayani
tamu dan menguasai informasi yang menyangkut fasilitas dan akomodasi
hotel. Hal ini menyebabkan ketidakpuasan para tamu terhadap pelayanan
yang diberikan. Masalah ini tentunya memberikan dampak yang negatif,
baik terhadap tamu ataupun terhadap hotel itu sendiri.
Dalam tugas akhir ini, akan diuraikan penyebab kurangnya
kemampuan GRO dalam melayani tamu. Penyebab pertama dikarenakan
GRO tidak memiliki pengetahuan mengenai hotel, dan penyebab kedua
ialah tidak adanya program pelatihan rutin yang diadakan oleh hotel untuk
mempersiapkan GRO menghadapi dan melayani tamu. Adapun akibat
yang dapat terjadi karena masalah ini adalah GRO menjadi frustasi dan
munculnya kesalahpahaman antara GRO dengan tamu yang akhirnya
dapat membuat hotel mengalami kerugian dalam hal waktu dan
keuntungan.
Di bagian penutup dari tugas akhir ini saya mengajukan solusi yang
terbaik yang dapat dipergunakan untuk menyelesaikan masalah di G.H.
Universal Hotel. Solusi tersebut adalah pengadaan pelatihan bagi para
pemagang yang dilaksanakan satu minggu sekali. Solusi ini dipilih sebagai
solusi terbaik karena dapat meningkatkan kemampuan pemagang dan
diharapkan dapat bermanfaat untuk meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan di
G.H. Universal Hotel.
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY..............................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................1-5
A. Background of the Study
B. Identification of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Method of the Study
F. Limitation of the Study
G. Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS.......................................................6-8
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS..............................................9-14
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION..............................................................15-16
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX:
FLOWCHART
Maranatha Christian University
FLOWCHART
Cause1: The trainees did not
have a background of hotel
or tourism education
Cause2: The hotel did not
give any training to the
trainees
Potential Negative Effects:
1, Trainees will depend on
the front office supervisor
2. Individual guidance
decreases staff’s time,
especially supervisor’s time,
to do their responsibilities
Problem: The GRO
trainees in the front
office department in
G.H.Universal Hotel
lack knowledge of how
to handle the guests
well
Effect1: Misunderstanding
between GRO trainees and
the guests
Effect2: The trainees would
feel bored and frustrated
Potential Solution I:
Front office Supervisor
should give an
individual guidance and
instruction every day
Potential Positive Effects:
1,The trainees get knowledge
of both facilities and
accommodation in the hotel
from the supervisor
2. Having facilities and
accomodation understanding
about the hotel will prepare the
trainees to interact with guests
Potential Negative Effects:
1, It wastes the trainers’ time
2. The training will be
useless if it is poorly
organized
Potential Solution II:
Front office department
manager plans a
training schedule for the
trainees, which must be
done at least once a
week
Potential Positive Effects:
1, Training will make the
trainees know their
performance standards
2. The trainees will be
competent in doing their
responsibility
Potential Negative Effects:
1, Some people might blame
the hotel if it does not want
to give an opportunity to
people who have no
knowledge of hotels
2. The hotel has to spend
more money to hire
professional employees
Potential Solution III:
The hotel should not
accept trainees who do
not have any
knowledge of hotels
Potential Positive Effects:
1, It will not waste the time and
money of the trainer to hold
training
2, Front office Manager and
Supervisor can concentrate
more on evaluating the staff
Chosen Solution:
Front office department manager plans a training schedule
for the trainees, which must be done at least once a week
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The tourism industry is believed to be a gold mine for many countries
and plays an important role in increasing the income of some countries in
the world. Indonesia is one of the countries that has a lot of beautiful
tourism places that can be used to attract domestic and foreign tourists to
visit. In other words, Indonesia can get income from the tourists who are
interested in tourism places in Indonesia.
Besides the tourism places, hotels also play an important role in the
tourism industry. Hotels are temporary places for the guests or tourists to
stay during their vacation. Thus, hotels have to be able to satisfy the
tourists who become their guests. In hotel service, the first impression of
the hotels is shown by the front office officers, such as when they serve
the guests, check if there is an available room for the guests, and help the
guests that come to get information about the hotel facilities and
accommodation by taking the guests around the hotel. However, I have
discovered that I, as one of the Guest Relation Officer (GRO) trainees in
1
Maranatha Christian University
G.H.Universal Hotel, are unable to give a good impression to the guests. I
lack knowledge of how to handle the guests well. For example, I cannot
give details information to some guests who ask about the swimming pool
size and the capacity of a meeting room. Therefore, it gives the hotel a
bad image and there is a possibility the hotel will lose some profit because
of my lack of knowledge.
This study aims at discussing the problem and providing the best
solution that can be used to improve the competence of GRO trainee so
that they can serve the guests well.
B. Identification of the Problem
The problems that are discussed in this paper are as follows:
1. Why are the GRO trainees unable to handle the guests well?
2. What is the best solution to help the GRO trainees be able to
handle the guests well?
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
By the end of this term paper, I expect the best solution to solve the
problem at G.H.Universal Hotel can be given and the competence of
G.H.Universal Hotel’s trainees in handling guests will improve. It will give a
good impact on the guests, GRO, other staff of the hotel and also the hotel
in the midst of the tight competition among hotels. It is expected this study
will also have a great contribution for D3 English Programme students’
tourism knowledge. Moreover, for other students who will do their
2
Maranatha Christian University
internship program, I hope this term paper will motivate them when they do
their internship, especially if they take it at a hotel.
For myself, it is expected that this term paper can give me good
experience about how to analyze the problem systematically and find how
to solve the problem by thinking logically. This term paper will also enable
me to practice my English skills that I have gained during my study in the
D-III English Programme . Moreover, I hope this term paper can give me
knowledge that I can use when I work in a real working place.
D. Description of the Institution
G.H.Universal Hotel was built in 2004, and was established in May
2008. It is located at Jl. Setiabudhi 376 Bandung. In the past it was known
as a Guest House, and was built by Agoes Yoesman, who is the current
owner of G.H.Universal Hotel. This hotel has a building with a renaissance
style. G.H.Universal has 104 rooms, and the rooms are grouped into six
types. The types are Standard, Deluxe King, Deluxe Queen, Honeymoon
Suite, Governor Suite, and Presidential Suite. G.H.Universal Hotel as a
new hotel in Bandung, trying to give the best services to all of the guests,
either for long staying or short staying guests.
G.H.Universal Hotel, as a five-star hotel, also has various facilities that
support their services, such as a swimming pool, a baby and kids room, a
meeting room, a ballroom, a coffee shop, a massage and spa, a fitness
centre, Fat Dragon restaurant, Belle Vue restaurant, a chapel on the roof
3
Maranatha Christian University
top, a children’s playground, a VIP room, a business centre, high speed
internet access, car rental, city tour, and valet parking.
E. Method of the Study
The methods of the study used in this paper are an internship journal
and library research. My internship journal contains data which were taken
during the three months of internship, while the library research was done
to collect theories from textbooks to support my data and analysis.
F. Limitations of the Study
The study only discusses a problem faced by Guest Relation Officer
(GRO) as a staff in the front office department. The data were taken from
May 2nd until August 9th 2009 in G.H.Universal hotel, in Bandung.
G. Organization of the Term Paper
The research of this study is divided into four chapters. The first
chapter is the introduction, and 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, Limitations of the Study,
and the Organization of the Term Paper. The second chapter deals with
problem analysis, discussing some factors that cause the problem and the
effects as a result of the problem. It also provides some relevant theories
and examples that support the process of analyzing. The third chapter
discusses potential solutions of the problem. Here, the writer provides
4
Maranatha Christian University
three solutions that can be used to solve the problem, with positive and
negative effects from the given solutions. In the last chapter, which is the
fourth chapter, I make a conclusion to support the chosen potential
solution, which is the best solution to solve the problem. This solution is
proposed based on the analysis in the previous chapters.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
After doing some observations at G.H. Universal during my
internship, I found that it was not easy to serve the guests.There are two
causes that make the GRO trainees have a hard time to perform their best
in doing their responsibilities. First, some trainees did not have a
knowledge about hotels. Second, the hotel did not give any training to the
trainees. Consequently, the effects are the trainees who did not know how
to handle guests’ complaints would feel bored and frustrated and there will
be some time and money wasted because of unfinished and unsatisfactory
jobs done by the trainees. There are three potential solutions to avoid this
problem from becoming worse. First, the front office supervisor should give
individual guidance and instruction to the trainees every day. Second, the
front office department manager should plan training, which must be done
at least once a week. Third, the hotel should not accept any trainees who
do not have any knowledge about hotels.
In this chapter, I would like also to present the best solution to help
the GRO trainees be able to handle the guests well. Based on the analysis
of the potential solutions that have already been discussed in the previous
15
Maranatha Christian University
chapter, I decide to choose the second solution. Holding a training
for trainees, which must be done at least once a week, will surely help the
trainees know what and how to do their job well.
Training can help the trainees know their responsibilities and be
able to improve their ability in their work. This is supported by Stephen J.
Shriver’s theory, a hotel management should give training to an employee
to make sure their employee knows the performance standards to be
achieve effective in their job (237). An effective result in doing the job will
surely make the guests get satisfaction, and it gives advantages to the
hotel.
To conclude, holding proper training is very important to improve
GRO trainees’ competence, especially for those who do not have
knowledge of hotels, because they play an important role in determining
the hotel’s image. I suggest the G.H. Universal Hotel management hold a
training programme which is planned well. Thus, they will be able to
produce GROs who are ready to serve and handle the guests well.
16
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
DeVeau, Linsley T., et al. Front Office Management and Operations. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
Shriver, Stephen J. Managing Quality Services. New York: The
Educational Institute, 1988.
Taylor, Shirley. Communication for Business. England: Longman, 1999.
Electronic Sources
Bragg, Terry. “Prevent Misunderstandings.” Terrybragg.com. 7 September
2009. < http://www.terrybragg.com/Article_Misunderstandings.htm>
Conner, Jay. “Know Your Product Before You Sell it.” Jconners.com.
2005. 7 September 2009.
< http://www.jconners.com/articles/knowyourproduct.html>
Reschny, Susan. “Toolbox Sessions.” 14 December 2009.
Maranatha Christian University
Tugas akhir ini membahas kesulitan yang dihadapi Guest Relation
Officer dalam menangani tamu di G.H. Universal Hotel. Topik ini saya pilih
berdasarkan pengalaman saya ketika magang selama kurang lebih tiga
bulan di G.H. Universal Hotel, Bandung.
Sebagai salah satu hotel yang menjadi tempat pariwisata di
Bandung, G.H. Universal Hotel diharapkan mempunyai pekerja yang
berkualitas, akan tetapi yang menjadi masalah bagi G.H. Universal Hotel
adalah kurangnya kemampuan GRO di bagian front office dalam melayani
tamu dan menguasai informasi yang menyangkut fasilitas dan akomodasi
hotel. Hal ini menyebabkan ketidakpuasan para tamu terhadap pelayanan
yang diberikan. Masalah ini tentunya memberikan dampak yang negatif,
baik terhadap tamu ataupun terhadap hotel itu sendiri.
Dalam tugas akhir ini, akan diuraikan penyebab kurangnya
kemampuan GRO dalam melayani tamu. Penyebab pertama dikarenakan
GRO tidak memiliki pengetahuan mengenai hotel, dan penyebab kedua
ialah tidak adanya program pelatihan rutin yang diadakan oleh hotel untuk
mempersiapkan GRO menghadapi dan melayani tamu. Adapun akibat
yang dapat terjadi karena masalah ini adalah GRO menjadi frustasi dan
munculnya kesalahpahaman antara GRO dengan tamu yang akhirnya
dapat membuat hotel mengalami kerugian dalam hal waktu dan
keuntungan.
Di bagian penutup dari tugas akhir ini saya mengajukan solusi yang
terbaik yang dapat dipergunakan untuk menyelesaikan masalah di G.H.
Universal Hotel. Solusi tersebut adalah pengadaan pelatihan bagi para
pemagang yang dilaksanakan satu minggu sekali. Solusi ini dipilih sebagai
solusi terbaik karena dapat meningkatkan kemampuan pemagang dan
diharapkan dapat bermanfaat untuk meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan di
G.H. Universal Hotel.
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY..............................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................1-5
A. Background of the Study
B. Identification of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Method of the Study
F. Limitation of the Study
G. Organization of the Term Paper
CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS.......................................................6-8
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS..............................................9-14
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION..............................................................15-16
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX:
FLOWCHART
Maranatha Christian University
FLOWCHART
Cause1: The trainees did not
have a background of hotel
or tourism education
Cause2: The hotel did not
give any training to the
trainees
Potential Negative Effects:
1, Trainees will depend on
the front office supervisor
2. Individual guidance
decreases staff’s time,
especially supervisor’s time,
to do their responsibilities
Problem: The GRO
trainees in the front
office department in
G.H.Universal Hotel
lack knowledge of how
to handle the guests
well
Effect1: Misunderstanding
between GRO trainees and
the guests
Effect2: The trainees would
feel bored and frustrated
Potential Solution I:
Front office Supervisor
should give an
individual guidance and
instruction every day
Potential Positive Effects:
1,The trainees get knowledge
of both facilities and
accommodation in the hotel
from the supervisor
2. Having facilities and
accomodation understanding
about the hotel will prepare the
trainees to interact with guests
Potential Negative Effects:
1, It wastes the trainers’ time
2. The training will be
useless if it is poorly
organized
Potential Solution II:
Front office department
manager plans a
training schedule for the
trainees, which must be
done at least once a
week
Potential Positive Effects:
1, Training will make the
trainees know their
performance standards
2. The trainees will be
competent in doing their
responsibility
Potential Negative Effects:
1, Some people might blame
the hotel if it does not want
to give an opportunity to
people who have no
knowledge of hotels
2. The hotel has to spend
more money to hire
professional employees
Potential Solution III:
The hotel should not
accept trainees who do
not have any
knowledge of hotels
Potential Positive Effects:
1, It will not waste the time and
money of the trainer to hold
training
2, Front office Manager and
Supervisor can concentrate
more on evaluating the staff
Chosen Solution:
Front office department manager plans a training schedule
for the trainees, which must be done at least once a week
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The tourism industry is believed to be a gold mine for many countries
and plays an important role in increasing the income of some countries in
the world. Indonesia is one of the countries that has a lot of beautiful
tourism places that can be used to attract domestic and foreign tourists to
visit. In other words, Indonesia can get income from the tourists who are
interested in tourism places in Indonesia.
Besides the tourism places, hotels also play an important role in the
tourism industry. Hotels are temporary places for the guests or tourists to
stay during their vacation. Thus, hotels have to be able to satisfy the
tourists who become their guests. In hotel service, the first impression of
the hotels is shown by the front office officers, such as when they serve
the guests, check if there is an available room for the guests, and help the
guests that come to get information about the hotel facilities and
accommodation by taking the guests around the hotel. However, I have
discovered that I, as one of the Guest Relation Officer (GRO) trainees in
1
Maranatha Christian University
G.H.Universal Hotel, are unable to give a good impression to the guests. I
lack knowledge of how to handle the guests well. For example, I cannot
give details information to some guests who ask about the swimming pool
size and the capacity of a meeting room. Therefore, it gives the hotel a
bad image and there is a possibility the hotel will lose some profit because
of my lack of knowledge.
This study aims at discussing the problem and providing the best
solution that can be used to improve the competence of GRO trainee so
that they can serve the guests well.
B. Identification of the Problem
The problems that are discussed in this paper are as follows:
1. Why are the GRO trainees unable to handle the guests well?
2. What is the best solution to help the GRO trainees be able to
handle the guests well?
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
By the end of this term paper, I expect the best solution to solve the
problem at G.H.Universal Hotel can be given and the competence of
G.H.Universal Hotel’s trainees in handling guests will improve. It will give a
good impact on the guests, GRO, other staff of the hotel and also the hotel
in the midst of the tight competition among hotels. It is expected this study
will also have a great contribution for D3 English Programme students’
tourism knowledge. Moreover, for other students who will do their
2
Maranatha Christian University
internship program, I hope this term paper will motivate them when they do
their internship, especially if they take it at a hotel.
For myself, it is expected that this term paper can give me good
experience about how to analyze the problem systematically and find how
to solve the problem by thinking logically. This term paper will also enable
me to practice my English skills that I have gained during my study in the
D-III English Programme . Moreover, I hope this term paper can give me
knowledge that I can use when I work in a real working place.
D. Description of the Institution
G.H.Universal Hotel was built in 2004, and was established in May
2008. It is located at Jl. Setiabudhi 376 Bandung. In the past it was known
as a Guest House, and was built by Agoes Yoesman, who is the current
owner of G.H.Universal Hotel. This hotel has a building with a renaissance
style. G.H.Universal has 104 rooms, and the rooms are grouped into six
types. The types are Standard, Deluxe King, Deluxe Queen, Honeymoon
Suite, Governor Suite, and Presidential Suite. G.H.Universal Hotel as a
new hotel in Bandung, trying to give the best services to all of the guests,
either for long staying or short staying guests.
G.H.Universal Hotel, as a five-star hotel, also has various facilities that
support their services, such as a swimming pool, a baby and kids room, a
meeting room, a ballroom, a coffee shop, a massage and spa, a fitness
centre, Fat Dragon restaurant, Belle Vue restaurant, a chapel on the roof
3
Maranatha Christian University
top, a children’s playground, a VIP room, a business centre, high speed
internet access, car rental, city tour, and valet parking.
E. Method of the Study
The methods of the study used in this paper are an internship journal
and library research. My internship journal contains data which were taken
during the three months of internship, while the library research was done
to collect theories from textbooks to support my data and analysis.
F. Limitations of the Study
The study only discusses a problem faced by Guest Relation Officer
(GRO) as a staff in the front office department. The data were taken from
May 2nd until August 9th 2009 in G.H.Universal hotel, in Bandung.
G. Organization of the Term Paper
The research of this study is divided into four chapters. The first
chapter is the introduction, and 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, Limitations of the Study,
and the Organization of the Term Paper. The second chapter deals with
problem analysis, discussing some factors that cause the problem and the
effects as a result of the problem. It also provides some relevant theories
and examples that support the process of analyzing. The third chapter
discusses potential solutions of the problem. Here, the writer provides
4
Maranatha Christian University
three solutions that can be used to solve the problem, with positive and
negative effects from the given solutions. In the last chapter, which is the
fourth chapter, I make a conclusion to support the chosen potential
solution, which is the best solution to solve the problem. This solution is
proposed based on the analysis in the previous chapters.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
After doing some observations at G.H. Universal during my
internship, I found that it was not easy to serve the guests.There are two
causes that make the GRO trainees have a hard time to perform their best
in doing their responsibilities. First, some trainees did not have a
knowledge about hotels. Second, the hotel did not give any training to the
trainees. Consequently, the effects are the trainees who did not know how
to handle guests’ complaints would feel bored and frustrated and there will
be some time and money wasted because of unfinished and unsatisfactory
jobs done by the trainees. There are three potential solutions to avoid this
problem from becoming worse. First, the front office supervisor should give
individual guidance and instruction to the trainees every day. Second, the
front office department manager should plan training, which must be done
at least once a week. Third, the hotel should not accept any trainees who
do not have any knowledge about hotels.
In this chapter, I would like also to present the best solution to help
the GRO trainees be able to handle the guests well. Based on the analysis
of the potential solutions that have already been discussed in the previous
15
Maranatha Christian University
chapter, I decide to choose the second solution. Holding a training
for trainees, which must be done at least once a week, will surely help the
trainees know what and how to do their job well.
Training can help the trainees know their responsibilities and be
able to improve their ability in their work. This is supported by Stephen J.
Shriver’s theory, a hotel management should give training to an employee
to make sure their employee knows the performance standards to be
achieve effective in their job (237). An effective result in doing the job will
surely make the guests get satisfaction, and it gives advantages to the
hotel.
To conclude, holding proper training is very important to improve
GRO trainees’ competence, especially for those who do not have
knowledge of hotels, because they play an important role in determining
the hotel’s image. I suggest the G.H. Universal Hotel management hold a
training programme which is planned well. Thus, they will be able to
produce GROs who are ready to serve and handle the guests well.
16
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
DeVeau, Linsley T., et al. Front Office Management and Operations. New
Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996.
Shriver, Stephen J. Managing Quality Services. New York: The
Educational Institute, 1988.
Taylor, Shirley. Communication for Business. England: Longman, 1999.
Electronic Sources
Bragg, Terry. “Prevent Misunderstandings.” Terrybragg.com. 7 September
2009. < http://www.terrybragg.com/Article_Misunderstandings.htm>
Conner, Jay. “Know Your Product Before You Sell it.” Jconners.com.
2005. 7 September 2009.
< http://www.jconners.com/articles/knowyourproduct.html>
Reschny, Susan. “Toolbox Sessions.” 14 December 2009.
Maranatha Christian University