Assistant Front Desk Manager Royal Caribbean International

Being a key member of the shipboard management team, the Assistant Front Desk Manager possesses a dynamic outgoing demeanor with a passion for ‘Delivering the Wow’ through industry leading service while demonstrating exemplary problem resolution skills. The Assistant Front Desk Manager continually strives to exceed hospitality industry standards, while ensuring complete guest and team satisfaction. This role establishes and drives a positive working environment and focuses on operational goals where training, leadership, development, and recognizing overall team performance are paramount. Leading by example and from the front of the house, the Assistant Front Desk Manager assists the Front Desk Manager in being the ship's driving advocate for delivering outstanding Customer Service.

Royal Caribbean International expects each shipboard management team member to relentlessly exemplify the principles of the Anchored in Excellence Credo to all team members. In addition, all duties and responsibilities are to be performed in accordance with Royal Caribbean International’s Gold Anchor Standards, SQM standards, USPH guidelines, environmental, and safety policies.

1. In accordance with Royal Caribbean International’s philosophy of Anchored in Excellence , each employee conducts oneself in a professional and courteous manner at all times. This applies to physical and verbal interactions with guests or fellow shipboard employees and/or in the presence of guest contact and crew areas.
2. Supervises a front desk team that excels in delivering industry leading service to our guests. Responsible for motivating, coaching, training, evaluating and tracking development on an individual and team level.
3. Responsible for assisting the Front Desk Manager in leading a team of empowered individuals who will strive to deliver focused and extraordinary customer service in accordance to Guest Services Vision and Mission Statement. Takes ownership and accountability for reacting to guest feedback and requests effectively and efficiently. Through maintaining a detailed knowledge of all guest ratings and comments establishes a culture throughout the Guest Services team for owning issues and resolving to the full. The Assistant Front Desk Manager will assist the Front Desk Manager to ensure that at all times the Guest Services team is empowered to achieve these goals and establishes a reputation for prompt and industry leading service. The Assistant Front Desk Manager will also use every guest issue as an opportunity to coach and mentor the Guest Services team, emphasizing empowerment and focusing on a desire to find permanent solutions to guest feedback.
4. Primarily focused on being visible at the desk to provide all services of the Guest Services desk including but not limited to lost luggage, babysitting arrangements, cash services, safety deposit box service, lost and found, printing and issuing guest Sea Pass cards, and broadcasting ship announcements. Leads by example in displaying exceptional customer service by being readily available to assist the Guest Services Team at all times.
5. Effectively balances operational needs between the Financial and Guest Services Divisions through synergetic communication of guest issues, in order to optimize positive guest comments and ratings of the overall Guest Services operation.
6. Promotes a positive and productive team environment by assisting and mentoring the Guest Services Officers during their daily operations at the front desk. Develops and provides both classroom-style and on-the-job training to team members to strengthen their current performance and preparation for succession planning.
7. Assists the Front Desk Manager in overseeing and planning a balanced front desk schedule per voyage, taking into consideration proper coverage during the peak times and slow port afternoons. Ensures proper manning of the front desk during team and training meetings in addition to mandatory ship board meetings. Facilitates exceptional front desk service by effectively utilizing experienced team members and new hires in the schedule while taking
   into account appropriate language coverage.
8. Develops new ways to enhance and enrich the Guest interaction and service, either one on one or over the telephone with Guest Services. Maximizes solutions and minimizes concerns to root causes of Guest issues. Enhances department and company reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests, exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
9. Assigns duties and responsibilities to team members. Observes and evaluates team members to ensure high quality standards are met. Utilizes all performance management tools (opportunity logs, action plans, appraisals, progressive discipline) effectively to drive accountability and enhances career development opportunities.
10. Responds to escalated guest concerns in a considerate, professional and positive manner by showing empathy and listening actively. Assists Front Desk Manager in taking ownership with follow up of guest concerns, by managing the Guest Satisfaction Log and effectively liaising with all division heads to ensure all outstanding issues are appropriately resolved to the guest satisfaction and in a timely manner.
11. The Assistant Front Desk Manager is primarily a visible front of house position and uses effective planning and time management skills to properly balance front of house and essential administrative duties, ensuring all operational needs are met.
12. Ensures the security and proper management of cash floats issued by the Financial Controller by monitoring the cash transactions at the front desk being able to provide immediate feedback and assess training needs.
13. Demonstrates aptitude for the management of headcount within assigned area, as it relates to and supports the business needs of the ship. Ability to identify skill sets in individuals to promote succession planning and increase retention rate within the fleet-wide Guest Services operation.
14. Inspect and manage maintenance of workstations, work areas, equipment and such to ensure efficient service and compliance to standards and procedures.
15. Empathetically deals with sensitive guest issues, for matters related to serious injury, illness, death and burial at sea. Maintains guest’s confidence and protects organization reputation by keeping guest and company information confidential. Must practice sound business sense and high professional ethics at all times.
16. Engages the Front Desk Team in daily operations to achieve and exceed quantitative and qualitative goals and targets set for Guest Services. Ensures basic understanding of balanced Score Card metrics among the Guest Services Officers.
17. Maintains current knowledge of all ship’s regular events and special functions by reviewing all available data in order to provide guests with accurate information. Assists on ensuring that all collateral, including core languages, is kept updated and complies with all company brand standards.
18. Comprehensive knowledge of Customs and Immigration policies and procedures. The Assistant Front Desk Manager supports the Front Desk Manager to ensure maximum compliance with all internal requirements and external authorities as it relates to guest immigration and clearance. As required takes an active role in ensuring a seamless process, providing organizational structure to all clearance procedures ahead of time to ensure our guests experience minimal delay.
19. The Assistant Front Desk Manager ensures the guests’ first and last impression of service delivery is optimized and that our guests receive a welcoming and efficient boarding and departure experience reflective at all times of our company brand standards. Communicates continuous updates provided by the Front Desk Manager to the Guest Services Team members throughout the turnaround day. The Assistant Front Desk Manager assists the Front Desk Manager in planning, training and ensuring the smooth transition to new itineraries and seasonal repositioning.
20. Ensures the continuous updating of clear and concise handover notes to eliminate any possible miscommunication that compromises the efficiency of set processes.
21. Maintains safe, secure, and healthy environment by enforcing organizational standards, procedures, and legal regulations. Effectively monitors, overseas and makes improvements to workplace safety within the division and throughout the ship. Attends mandatory crew and guest safety drills as required, including meetings, training activities, courses and all other work-related activities.
22. Performs related duties as required. This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the shipboard employee occupying this position. Shipboard employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor or management.

Hiring Requirements:

• Minimum one year front of house supervisory experience in a hotel, cruise line or hospitality industry related field preferred.
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external guests, some of whom will require high levels of discretion, patience, tact and diplomacy.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing exemplary customer and personal service including needs assessment, problem resolution and achievement of quality service standards.
• Ability to communicate diplomatically with managers, shipboard and shore-side employees to resolve problems and negotiate amicable resolution to challenging issues.
• Flexibility to manage, focus, direct and encourage a positive, dynamic, diverse guest services operation by navigating through a changing work environment. Should be able to utilize and administer the progressive disciplinary action process through coaching and counseling to improve performance where possible.
• Ability to work positively and cooperatively in a diverse team environment to meet overall established timeframes for the Guest Services division operation.
• Should harbor a flexible outlook towards placement throughout the fleet, considering changing fleet-wide operational business needs.
• Working knowledge of computers, internet access, and the ability to navigate within a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge to operate all office equipment.
• Completion of high school, basic or vocational education equivalency preferred.
• Working knowledge of US cash handling procedures and foreign exchange required.
• Required to speak English clearly and distinctly.
• Ability to speak additional languages such as Spanish, French, German, Italian or Portuguese preferred but not essential