Hotel guest relations officer picked up new skills during Covid-19 downtime

SINGAPORE - As the hotel sector grappled with plunging occupancy rates when the pandemic first hit Singapore's shores, Ms Kimberly Tan decided to use the downtime to upgrade herself.

The senior guest relations officer at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa took various courses under the Enhanced Training Support Package, which offers course fee subsidies for firms to upskill their workers.

These included short Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses that taught her how to manage difficult situations involving guests, communicate effectively with her colleagues and project a professional image at the workplace.

"During that period, there weren't as many guests. I thought it was a good time to learn new skills and be better at my job, so that when the industry opens up again, I would be able to contribute," said the 25-year-old, whose role involves engaging her guests and ensuring that they have a pleasant stay.

She added that the help from various Covid-19 Budget measures, including the Solidarity Payment which gave all adult Singaporeans $600 in cash and the $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit, has helped her family to ride out the challenging period.

To support Singapore's pandemic response, Ms Tan also volunteered to be an SG Clean Ambassador from May to November last year. Her duty was to remind the public to observe safety measures at hawker centres.

After the six-month stint, she returned to the hotel and helped to ensure that the safety measures are in place.

"Being familiar with the rules, I can help to remind my colleagues and guests to observe them," she noted. "I also used what I learnt during the courses to manage various work situations."

Ms Tan, who has been with Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa for about five years, remains optimistic about the future.

"I've learnt a lot over the past year, and I am sure my experiences would be helpful in future."