HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK AT BLOC HOTELS?

When I first arrived in the UK in May 2016, I spent the first six months waitressing. In October of that year, Karolina (Duty Manager) and her family visited the restaurant and I had the pleasure of serving them. During the evening, and as a result of my customer service, Karolina invited me along for an interview as BLOC were recruiting at this time. I was fortunate to be offered a position with BLOC and subsequently Karolina and I became colleagues.

HOW DOES HOTEL WORK DIFFER FROM OTHER JOBS YOU'VE HAD?

Customer service has always been an integral part of my working life but the main difference from previous jobs is definitely the structure of this particular hotel brand. The company offers every employee fantastic opportunities to learn new skills - allowing us to progress, to diversify and to reach our full potential.

WHAT QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE A SHIFT?

For me, the most important thing is to stay one step ahead at all times – ready for whatever lies ahead. This enables me to react quickly to any situation that may arise within the hotel and to help minimise disruption to our guests. I deal with everything from welcome notes and answering reviews to working closely with the Reception team to anticipate guests needs, making their stay as individual and memorable as possible - all of which means that a good sense of time management is also essential to succeed in this role.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED?

The biggest challenge when working in an innovative and forward-thinking hotel like BLOC is to reply to all of the guest interactions we receive on social media. We are very committed to acknowledge and act upon the feedback provided by our guests. This allows us to continually refine our brand and, of course, we want our guests to know just how much we appreciate their valuable input.

WHO INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?

I am mostly inspired by hard work. It is not people but rather their actions that influence me towards striving for the highest standards. I am grateful that I was taught the value of hard work from an early age and for that, I thank my parents.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT WHILST AT BLOC HOTELS AND WHY?

My greatest accomplishment has been my recent promotion to the position of Guest Experience Manager. Since leaving school, it has been my aspiration to take on a managerial role and I am proud that BLOC has given me the opportunity to achieve this.

YOU MUST HAVE SOME MEMORABLE INTERACTIONS WITH GUESTS?

One of my most memorable experiences was when I was contacted by a guest who had arranged for his girlfriend to stay with us before flying out to see him. He explained that they were in a long-distance relationship and that he was planning to propose to her on this particular trip. He wanted to make her trip as special as possible and had ordered a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to the hotel. He wanted us to place them on her bed for her arrival. I prepared the room with the flowers and some chocolates. The girlfriend later came down to the reception to thank us for making the occasion so special. Little did she know that this would only be the beginning of a very memorable trip. I had an e-mail from the guest later that month with an update to say that she said yes!