In-conversation: Petrus Papona, Regional Director, Parkside Hotel Group
“The most important thing in hospitality whether in the air or land, is serving from the heart”
Petrus Papona is the Regional Director of Sales and Marketing at Parkside Hotel Group. His work in the airline industry forged his approach towards going the extra mile for guests, that he translates to the hotels and teams he works with today.
In our conversation, Petrus shares how he tries to instil a mindset of going the extra mile for the customer in the direct and indirect teams he works with. Sales is ultimately a small part of the travel experience, and teamwork is what enables positive guest impressions. In fact, oftentimes, collaboration across service providers, such as airlines and hotels, is required to deliver seamless experiences for guests.
Interacting with guests is a relished challenge.
“I am the type of person who likes challenges. When I started working in the hotel industry at Sheraton, I set a goal to be either a general manager or hotel manager by 30 years old.
It’s also why I am passionate about meeting new people. Whether in airlines or hotels, I deal with a lot of new people. Leading sales and marketing today, I have to continuously find new customers. That’s a fascinating challenge for me.”
Translating lessons from the airline industry to elevate guest experience in hotels.
“Working in an airline taught me many things about handling people. Airline passengers have expectations that can be disruptive to manage. For example, moving or purchasing a new seat on a fully booked flight, or a passenger missing their connecting flight due to delays. They may blame you when these things happen and you cannot meet their expectations. I had to develop a thick skin. It’s about learning how to handle those situations.
I brought what I learned in the airline industry with me when I moved to hotels.
I train all hotel staff on communications, not just the sales and marketing team. In sales, we handle the booker such as OTAs. If guests complain, we cannot directly engage them. Instead, we work together with the F&B and front office team who are the ones facing the guests to address the problem. Unlike airlines where there is a handbook on how to reply to passengers’ enquiries for almost everything, such as missing baggage, hotels don’t have that.
When I hire someone, I also utilize the airline industry method of assessing people’s ability to work together by doing a group interview. It helps to find out whether someone is too dominant, too submissive or more balanced.”
Interconnectedness of airlines and hotels.
“Both industries are also very interlinked. For example, whenever a flight is cancelled, passengers need accommodation. Airline staff would need to coordinate with hotels in that case so the guest can be provided with a seamless experience, like being given baggage check-in directly at the hotel after they check-out from their room, so they can go straight to their boarding gates.”
The importance of cultural awareness in hospitality.
“Different cultures have different practices, and when you work in hospitality you need to understand them. For example, there is no tipping culture in Japan so when you expect it they may assume you are ‘money oriented’. That is why when I worked in the airline industry, I would never accept any kind of gratuity from my Japanese passengers. Interacting with them was enough.
Working in hotels across Indonesia from Aceh to Papua has taught me a lot about other cultures. What I call ‘local wisdom’. Whenever I go to these provinces, I try to learn their societal and cultural landscape, including their government situation.”
Creating a service mindset of going above and beyond.
“I strive to continuously learn, which is why I handle weddings at my hotel. People often say it’s complicated because of the many stakeholders and opinions, but I enjoy the challenge. If you are holding your wedding celebration in my hotel, I would do anything for you. Not just the F&B. I would recommend vendors, book appointments for them and all that.
Nowadays, people in sales often execute a template, leaving no impression on the guest. I try to instil in my team the importance of leaving a positive impression. The challenge I face is changing mindsets. I tell them ‘yes it is hard, but it is our job to be patient, listen and make the process easier for them.’ We have to challenge ourselves.
Another challenge is that the hotel, although managed by us, is owned by someone else. There can be differing opinions about operations due to different priorities. I would still make the most of it. For example, when one of the hotels I worked in was short staffed during breakfast service, I took charge. I took guest orders and served them their food. I took the challenge in stride.
At its core, the most important thing in hospitality whether in the air or land, is serving from the heart. As long as I have been in the hospitality industry, that is my philosophy. If you do something with ulterior motives, like tips, the guest can sense it.”
