Over the past six months I have had the opportunity to intern at Deer Valley Resort. I was given the opportunity to pick which property I worked at. I am so thankful that I made the decision to work and train as a front desk agent with the Signature Collection. The Signature Collection is not your typical lodging property. This front office is responsible for Deer Valley's private home and condominium rentals. These properties are all privately owned and range from one to seven bedroom residences. One of the biggest challenges of this internship was being aware of the vast variety of amenities at each residence. There were multiple times that a guest called with very specific questions about the unit. Luckily we had "in room guides" which gave the guest valuable information about their unit. These guides had information about the televisions, internet connection, hot tubs, fireplaces and much much more.
Interning with Deer Valley Resort has greatly benefited me. Working with the Signature Collection has greatly increased my knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry. Working with such a great group of coworkers has been one of the best perks of this internship. From the first day of training we all knew that it was going to be a good season. Working with each other helped us to learn the true meaning of teamwork. We wouldn't have been able to get through some of our busy days without this understanding of each other. This experience has also helped me to understand that the hospitality industry takes an extreme amount of patience and work. I have been able to learn a tremendous amount in only six months time. I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone who is looking to gain knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry.
Through out my time I did experience some frustrations. One of the biggest issues was having to stay later than my scheduled time. The night shift is scheduled from 3:00-11:30. Unlike most lodging properties the Signature Collections front desk in only open from 7:00 am until 11:30 pm. This created some guest and employee frustration. If guests arrived after 11:30 they would typically meet our security officer and be let into the unit. Unfortunately this was not always the case. There were multiple occasions when my assistant manager had us stay after hours (sometimes until 1:00 am) waiting for guests. This was totally against protocol but more beneficial for the guest. Next season something will definitely need to change. It wasn't fair to make us stay until 1:00 am when we are already working over 40 hours some weeks. However waiting for the guests made for a better guest experience which was in turn a strength for the Resort.
Working for Deer Valley has helped me to improve my professionalism, patience, customer service and front desk skills. One of my top strengths this season was being a respectful listener and being understanding when a guest was upset. You need to constantly remind yourself that the guest may not always be right but they will always be your guest. However I could improve on my professionalism. While in guest space you have to be careful with how you act and what you say. You are always a reflection of the resort.
After interning with Deer Valley Resort I have ultimately realized that I want to explore other sides of parks recreation and tourism. While working in the hospitality industry can be very rewarding it can also be very draining. Being yelled at and criticized by guests for things that are out of your control gets old very quick. I want to pursue a career that I will looking forward to doing everyday. This internship will make it easier for me to find a job within the hospitality industry but it is all about experience. If I want to eventually become a front office manager this will take years of front desk and front desk supervisor work. Now that I have completed my internship I am looking into careers in the parks and recreation field. With a passion and high knowledge of swimming I hope to eventually become an aquatic or recreation coordinator for the County of Salt Lake. The best advice that I can give for future interns is to be yourself and to learn from others. Not only the positives but also the negatives. Strive to be the best that you can be and make your internship/career choices based off of what you really see yourself doing. Make the choices for yourself and not anyone else.
Interning with Deer Valley Resort has greatly benefited me. Working with the Signature Collection has greatly increased my knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry. Working with such a great group of coworkers has been one of the best perks of this internship. From the first day of training we all knew that it was going to be a good season. Working with each other helped us to learn the true meaning of teamwork. We wouldn't have been able to get through some of our busy days without this understanding of each other. This experience has also helped me to understand that the hospitality industry takes an extreme amount of patience and work. I have been able to learn a tremendous amount in only six months time. I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone who is looking to gain knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry.
Through out my time I did experience some frustrations. One of the biggest issues was having to stay later than my scheduled time. The night shift is scheduled from 3:00-11:30. Unlike most lodging properties the Signature Collections front desk in only open from 7:00 am until 11:30 pm. This created some guest and employee frustration. If guests arrived after 11:30 they would typically meet our security officer and be let into the unit. Unfortunately this was not always the case. There were multiple occasions when my assistant manager had us stay after hours (sometimes until 1:00 am) waiting for guests. This was totally against protocol but more beneficial for the guest. Next season something will definitely need to change. It wasn't fair to make us stay until 1:00 am when we are already working over 40 hours some weeks. However waiting for the guests made for a better guest experience which was in turn a strength for the Resort.
Working for Deer Valley has helped me to improve my professionalism, patience, customer service and front desk skills. One of my top strengths this season was being a respectful listener and being understanding when a guest was upset. You need to constantly remind yourself that the guest may not always be right but they will always be your guest. However I could improve on my professionalism. While in guest space you have to be careful with how you act and what you say. You are always a reflection of the resort.
After interning with Deer Valley Resort I have ultimately realized that I want to explore other sides of parks recreation and tourism. While working in the hospitality industry can be very rewarding it can also be very draining. Being yelled at and criticized by guests for things that are out of your control gets old very quick. I want to pursue a career that I will looking forward to doing everyday. This internship will make it easier for me to find a job within the hospitality industry but it is all about experience. If I want to eventually become a front office manager this will take years of front desk and front desk supervisor work. Now that I have completed my internship I am looking into careers in the parks and recreation field. With a passion and high knowledge of swimming I hope to eventually become an aquatic or recreation coordinator for the County of Salt Lake. The best advice that I can give for future interns is to be yourself and to learn from others. Not only the positives but also the negatives. Strive to be the best that you can be and make your internship/career choices based off of what you really see yourself doing. Make the choices for yourself and not anyone else.
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