PEOPLE24 HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | August 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 08
B
irles Bizhkenov, the front office
manager at Rixos The Palm talks
about his role, why he chose the
hospitality industry and five tips for
guest satisfaction.Describe your role.
It is said that first impressions are the ones
that last and no one has a second chance
to make a first impression. The front office
department has the important role of being
the face of the hotel, as well as the number
one point in terms of any interaction with
guests on arrival, during the stay and
upon departure. Because I lead the team
with such an important responsibility,
I always ensure that every single guest
gets the warmest welcome. I also make
sure that their experience is seamless and
expectations are exceeded through the
service by each team member.FIVE TIPS FOR GUEST SATISFACTION
- Always keep in mind that the guest is of
paramount importance. - Be sincere in every word and action.
- Do not only listen, but hear your guests
and feel their needs and expectations. - Individualise every single experience.
- Do not set limits in what you can do to
make your guest happy and never stop
challenging yourself. Simple little things
are able to create a huge difference in
the guest experience.
How do you monitor feedback from
guests and how do you ensure
comments are addressed in an
effective way?
We focus on face-to-face real time
communication with our in-house
guests to get their opinion. Apart of
that we use different reports from our
PMS, surveys, emails and platforms like
TripAdvisor, HolidayCheck, Booking.
com and more. We do pay attention and
aim to provide timely responses and
reactions to any feedback we get from
our guests.What is the trickiest situation that
you have had to deal with?
Every hotel is like its own little planet
with real people, real situations and
real life. Through these 14 years I
have faced many different stories
starting from funny situations to
really challenging ones. The most
important is that all of our stories
have their happy endings leading to
long term friendship.How do you keep yourself
motivated through the day?
I always remind myself that every
day brings millions of opportunities
to make someone’s day brighter,
happier and better. For me, that
is something that never goes
unrewarded by the universe.FRONT OF HOUSE
Meet
BIRLES BIZHKENOV
What made you want to work in
hospitality industry?
I chose to work in the industry because of the
different kinds of people we meet everyday
and the one-of-a-kind experiences that we
endure on a daily basis. Being in the hospitality
business means dealing with so many different
people which makes every day of your life
completely unique.Name some of your career obstacles.
To be very honest I do not see any career
obstacles in the hospitality industry as any
success and growth is purely in our hands.
Your passion, dedication to what you do, right
attitude towards guests, colleagues and the
duties along with hard work will reflect on your
career growth.What are the factors that make you thrive
in your place of work?
I would have to say the fact that I am able
to create once-in-a-lifetime memorable
moments for guests and seeing them
genuinely happy. The gratitude of my guests
is my greatest motivation.Tell us about your experience in the
hospitality industry so far.
I started my hotelier journey back in 2005
and have come a long way from barman
to front office manager. Before coming
to Dubai I have worked in countries like
Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Belarus
and the Seychelles.FRONT OFFICE MANAGER, RIXOS THE PALM