Alice Hockley

I was promoted to Reception Supervisor and continued my previous responsibilities with the addition of some new ones , these are detailed below.

• VIP report - each week I dedicate time to compile a list of VIPS staying in the hotel. This is a detailed report of anyone who is a celebrity , celebrating a big occasion or a repeat guest. This report gets sent out to all seniors in the hotel as well as those in head office.
• Weekly arrival check - each Sunday I dedicate time to look at any guests arriving within the next two weeks and ensure bookings are as they should , in the correct rooms , any pre orders for room gifts have been ordered correctly , email confirmations have been sent , any allergies have been noted down and that all children have been accounted for.
• Sitting in on interviews for new employees.
• Arranging room gifts and hampers.
• Maintain and manage stock for Reception.
• Provide all Reception training as well as cross departmental training into the food and beverage teams.
• Coordinated large party bookings, including deposit processing and special order requests.
• Communicated all policy changes to the Reception team as well as the rest of the hotel.

When I returned to Reception in September, I continued where I left and was determined to improve on a professional and personal level. I continued with the same role and responsibilities until May of 2024, this is then when I was given new responsibilities within the team. Please see these below:

• Open folios - I review them and prompt guests to settle any outstanding invoices .
• Maintain and monitor all stock within Reception and taking the initiative to order more when necessary.
• I am responsible for the stock of room gifts and ensuring they are presented in an appropriate piggy way. I’m always on the look out for new ideas that fit in line with us now becoming B corp.
• I recently developed a new room gift for any children staying that they can grow themselves, this again fits in with our ethos and meets the expectations of being a B corp hotel.
• I am responsible for updating and writing new SOP’s for us as a team to follow.
• Conduct room inspections regularly for maintaining high cleanliness standards in collaboration with housekeeping staff.
• I assess weekly to establish if we are able to offer any complimentary upgrades to guests. This is also where I am able to find any possible issues we may face further down the line.
• I am a trustworthy member of staff who’s all round knowledge can be called upon when help is required in other departments.
• Managed lost property system effectively to return misplaced items quickly.

Working in Reception gave me a better understanding as to how the hotel as a whole runs on a day to day basis and I wanted to include this in a new management role.

Below are some of the things I focused on:

• Addressed customer issues with compassion and professionalism, ensuring swift, successful resolution.
• I helped to ensure all staff received appropriate training.
• Acted as point of contact for high-level queries from team members and liaised with whoever appropriate for any further actions required.
• Another of my responsibilities was maintaining stock levels for all merchandise and equipment. This included a monthly stock take.
• I was able to liaise with suppliers to ensure timely deliveries.
• I was responsible for monitoring and maintaining the Lobster Shed inbox.
• I created and maintained a cover tracker updating weekly and sent to management to show our progress.
• Facilitated staff training, resulting in better customer service.
• I managed services ensuring team members and guests were well looked after.
• Managed team dynamics by implementing conflict resolution strategies.
• Fostered a positive work environment with regular team-building activities.

• I have attended two Smoked & Uncut festivals , both of which I was in charge of a team who ran a point of sale station for guests.

I wanted to try something completely new and test my capabilities when it came to adapting to new roles & responsibilities, Reception was the best place to work on this.

Below are some of the key aspects of Reception that I have been trained in and can confidently offer:

• Maintaining clean, tidy reception areas, ensuring consistently positive first impressions.
• Communicating with housekeeping and maintenance to address needs of guests.
• Provided guests with a full house tour and run through of everything available in their room.
• Addressing questions, escalating issues and complaints.
• Handled customer bookings , payments and updated guest related notes on Opera..
• Assisted staff with administrative duties during peak schedules.
• Greeted customers warmly, aiming to provide positive, smooth check-in and out experiences.
• Managed room availability.
• Coordinated smoothly with housekeeping staff, ensuring rooms were ready on time.
• Managed lost property system effectively to return misplaced items.
• Responded promptly to customer queries, ensuring an enjoyable stay.
• Actioned special requests to meet guest expectations.

As Head waitress , I would do a variety of shifts in a variety of roles as well as beginning to be taught how to manage a shift and train new staff members.

You can see below a list of my responsibilities:

• Oversaw inventory control measures avoiding food wastage and ensuring optimal stock levels at all times.
• Reduced guest risks by understanding and clearly communicating allergies and intolerances.
• Managed efficient service delivery during peak hours and delegating duties to waiting staff.
• Inspected plated meals prior to table delivery, reducing errors and enforcing quality standards.
• Trained and supervised waiting staff to maintain the Pigs ethos and standards
• Facilitated effective communication between kitchen and waiting staff to relay menu updates and process changes.
• Trained new staff to maintain service excellence.

After working in the Restaurant for a while, I realised I didn’t have much knowledge about the Bar and saw it as a new challenge so I did a few weeks of training to build up an understanding of it.

• I started off as a Lounge Host as my Hosting experience already gave me a head start.
• I was trained behind the bar , focusing on the most classic cocktails as well as how we fit our 25 Mile ethos into cocktail making.
• I kept the bar neat , tidy and stocked up at all points during service.
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I moved to The Pig at Harlyn Bay and went straight back into the Restaurant team as a multi trained F&B team member.

• I continued to work hard in the Restaurant and developed my knowledge about our 25 Mile Menu.
• I continued to go above and beyond to learn more of what it takes to lead a team and manage a restaurant. I’d always look for opportunities to learn something new.
• I was asked to help train new members of the team and help create a training a manual that could be realised upon for any new starters who needed help developing their knowledge. This was a great opportunity to show my administrative skills.
• I became a core member of the team whom staff could rely on to ask for help and ask questions when necessary.

I started my Level 3 as soon as I could after completing my Level 2 as I found it so interesting and helpful. This course was not just about how to be a supervisor but how to act like one and the challenges you could face

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Please see below the list of skills in learnt throughout the course:

• How to enhance team productivity with clear communication and delegation.
• How to complete pre and post-service checklists.
• How to create a positive work environment encouraging teamwork amongst team members.
• How to complete an accurate end-of-day report and cash up correctly.
• How to resolve unexpected issues with strong communication and problem-solving.
• Demonstrate communication, organisational and multitasking skills.
• Devise training programmes for new and existing team members.
• How to deal with conflict in a work place , more specifically guest conflict.
• I had to do an end of year presentation which I chose to do about stock management within hospitality. I achieved an Overall Distinction in this.

• I started my Level 2 with The Umbrella Training academy (through The Pig) . I spent 12 months learning and developing all aspects of what it takes to work in Front of House services.
• Here is a list of skills I learnt throughout those 12 months:
• How to create a warm, friendly atmosphere through positive guest interactions.
• Understand and adhere to food safety and hygiene regulations.
• Remain flexible to change shift patterns and cover absences with minimal notice.
• How to abide by the standards the Pig sets with its steps of service.
• How to deal with aggressive customers and the conflict that can come with that.
• How to set and meet guest expectations.
• To summarise all the knowledge I’d learnt , I had to submit an end of year project in which I passed with 3 Distinctions and went on to be nominated and win an award for Best Hospitality Team Member of the year.

I started at The Pig Near Bath after my college course had fallen through . I was applying for a part time job at The Pig Near Bath and this is where I was then offered the opportunity to join the team and start my Level 2 Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship.

• I started off in the pass , learning how to restaurant runs.
• Progressed into CDR training and became confident in running a section during any service of the day.
• Progressed into being taught how to look after functions of up to 30 people.
• Progressed into a Restaurant Host and learnt how to control a busy service whilst making sure all aspects of F&B were steady.
• I became a reliable, confident, presentable , determined and friendly part of the Restaurant team.

• Worked alongside Teachers and Teaching Assistant in Year 2 and Year 6
• Supported children with all class activities on a day to day basis
• Supported the Year 6 class in the end of year production at Prior Park School theatre and attended all rehearsals and evening performances providing make up and costume help for performers.