Guest and Employee interactionKathleen FoleyMarch 18,2013Ethnography Assignment

Working at Marriott Vacation Club through an internship program on the island.

I observing new people everyday.

I was switched around into different departments but I mostly work at a pool side grill and catering.

I got to interact with guest first hand and see how they act on vacation.

The Front desk is where the most guest interaction occurs.

I have not worked at the front desk yet but was able to observe the guest that check in and out and listen to any complaints they may have. I got to see how Susan and Kristin handled the situation.

The front desk deals with the most guest interaction and their complaints.

They need to be the strongest employees because they deal with most conflicts of all.

The front desk tackles every problem a guest may have with a smile on their face the whole time, regardless if their happy or not.

Its all about pleasing the guest.

Front desk Conflicts Some conflicts that happen at the

front desk is miss communication with the employees and the manager.

Lack of communication with the guest not seeing their side.

Language barriers

My studies fit a pattern and are not unusual in this case.

This interaction is similar at every hotel.

How people act on vacation is laid back but at the same time expect good service.

Methods I collected my data by

observing the employees at the front desk and the guest interaction.

I also got to interview two of my co-workers Kristin and Susan. Along with my manager Tim.

Personal Experience I saw behind the scene what goes

into making a happy guest stay happy. Communication is key and being understanding of their needs.

My ideas did not change about what goes on at the front desk because I dealt with the same thing just in a smaller amount in the food and beverage department.

Conclusion The interaction between the guest and

employees is very crucial in the guest return. They will not come back if they feel they had bad service.

We want the guest to feel like family so that’s how we try to treat them.

Some times they treat us back with respect and other times we are treated like we should be kissing their feet.