A Working day in the Life of Deborah Collins, Account Director at The Belfry Hotel and Resort
Have you at any time wondered what it is like doing the job with VIP friends? Deborah Collins, Account Director for Corporate, Leisure, Media & Sport at The Belfry Hotel & Resort is dependable for the VIP friends who pay a visit to. To give you a style of what it is like guiding the scenes, Deborah has shared an perception into her part at the Royal Sutton Coldfield dependent resort.
Day to day
There is no usual working day! It is a 24/7 work my telephone is constantly on and prepared to receive texts and phone calls to make certain I fulfill the requirements of our attendees and functions held at the vacation resort. My principal function is to make our guests feel snug, protected and at property.
Behind the movie star they are just attractive, ordinary persons who want to feel seemed right after. Our VIP guests are utilized to expending many nights in inns, so I want to make sure we produce a ‘home absent from home’ encounter for them, and that does frequently necessarily mean we receive tons of unconventional and last-moment requests. Previous 7 days I had to source a grand piano for a visitor – and I did deal with to discover a single which was accessible for lease for 24 several hours. Nothing is extremely hard!
I have been functioning in the lodge sector for around 20 decades and I’ve been at The Belfry 7 years. I like my job as no day is the same. A person working day I may possibly invest the morning welcoming attendees and responding to their requests or meeting brokers and safety for website inspections forward of their remain. Then I may shell out the afternoon searching for new alternatives for the resort, this includes communicating with occasion organisers requiring lodging for their artists, crew or sports teams or looking for and getting bid alternatives.
A Tale to Explain to
My position signifies that I have obtained a whole lot of attention-grabbing tales to inform – and some uncomfortable types far too! At the time I was in a lift with an American rock band who were inquiring me about the hotel’s 3 golf programs, which includes The Brabazon and The PGA Countrywide, which are recognised as planet-course. The entire time I believed they were being inquiring me about goths not golf which intended we experienced a very confusing and uncomfortable conversation.
There was also the time I satisfied Gary Barlow on arrival, and he claimed it was a person of the most effective resort welcomes he experienced at any time experienced. I explained thank you and without considering I curtsied – it was the center of the evening, so I was exhausted!
The highlight of my part has to be getting glowing opinions from our shoppers. It is a great emotion knowing all of our tough work has paid off, specially when you hear that clients who take a look at us for the very first time say that they will definitely be coming back again to keep with us.
There is certainly No I in Crew
Teamwork is key at The Belfry we are like one massive spouse and children. We all operate together to be certain each individual guest’s take a look at is seamless from get started to end. Each individual group has adapted their procedures to ensure we can continue on our usual exceptionally higher typical of assistance in the new covid safe and sound setting.
Weeks, even months, of arranging go into profitable new organization. I am component of the extraordinary gross sales workforce, but the complete Belfry staff are associated with each individual go to, from our wellness and safety supervisor, stability workforce and front of property group. I also liaise with our superb functions workforce who work their magic to assistance to set up the logistics of our VIP visits, to our awesome award-winning chefs to examine menus. Just about every solitary client always remarks on the meals and company and how fabulous it is which tends to make me so very pleased.
When it comes to VIP visitors, our connection with the brokers is vital to be certain conversation is suitable so that the approach is seamless. There needs to be trust we have a demanding discretion plan and constantly respect the privateness of our company so all people can delight in a relaxing keep. It is also important that we get to know our visitors, their likes and dislikes, so we spend a whole lot of time placing in the research to make guaranteed they have a snug keep and so we can shock them with treats during their visit. It is the minor touches that make them truly feel peaceful, considered of and welcomed. The Belfry is renowned for its heat and welcoming hospitality we consider the time to get to know our company to make guaranteed that every single check out to the vacation resort is a specific just one.
We were delighted when elite athletics began last summer season we seriously enjoy obtaining the groups keep with us and our common higher amounts of company alongside with our new protocols have ensured their stays are safe and sound and comfy and importantly, fulfilling. Our staff members and guests have had accessibility to day by day fast tests given that the summer to assure a harmless natural environment for all people on site. The health and security of our friends and teams has generally been a precedence at The Belfry and we will do anything to make sure absolutely everyone feels safe with us and that small business can continue on for our shoppers. We are also really fortuitous to have 550 acres of outside house encompassing the vacation resort which provides our visitors with a great deal of house to get out to get some refreshing air and also physically distance.
Now we have a roadmap to simplicity us out of lockdown, we are all feeling incredibly thrilled at the prospect of welcoming far more of our company again to The Belfry. We miss possessing our VIP entertainment guests with us and we can’t wait around to welcome everyone back as soon as shows, excursions and festivals can get started all over again.
