In-conversation: Putu A., GM, The Tamarind
“My job is not just to generate more revenue but also to manage expenses... we have to think out of the box.”
Putu A., the General Manager of The Tamarind Nusa Lembongan, brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the hospitality industry. With a background in civil engineering, Putu A.'s experience spans two decades across various roles including sales, marketing, and revenue management. He has held leadership positions at several hospitality organizations including The Ascott Limited, Tauzia Hotel Management, Risata Bali Resort & Spa, Accor, Hotel Horison Seminyak Bali, Cattleya Suite by Marbella Hotel and Resorts, Carefree Bali Holidays, and Mutiara Bali Boutique Resort and Villas.
How did you first get into hospitality? What has kept you in the industry all these years?
"I studied civil engineering, but somehow found myself working in a hotel front office around 22 years ago. I’m a people person, so I loved that I got to see and meet many new people in the course of my work.
One of my most memorable roles was in sales and marketing. I got to travel for business and grew my network around the world.
Throughout my career, I’ve moved from one hotel to another. Prior to this, I was at Tauzia in the corporate office up until it was taken over by Ascott. I then joined Tamarind Nusa Lembongan, which was originally part of Tauzia, as general manager after they became independently managed.”
How are you trying to differentiate Tamarind?
“At Tamarind, we want our guests to feel like family. We never say no to them. We always try our best to fulfil their requests.
We constantly engage them from their first enquiry till checkout. Guests communicate with us via email pre-arrival, and switch to WhatsApp once they are on site. The team needs to identify guests across channels, and address them personally every time. They must be proactive to pre-empt guests’ wants and needs.
My philosophy is whoever reads a guest message replies to it. If a guest complains, whoever they complain to resolves the complaint no matter the cost, as long as it’s reasonable. If we conduct prompt service resolution when a guest complains, they have no reason to write bad reviews.”
What is the biggest challenge you face in delivering your desired guest experience?
“Guest expectations. Sometimes they can be too high.
For example, guests need to travel by boat from the mainland to get to our resort on the island of Lembongan. It’s a 30 minute boat ride shared with other guests arriving at the same time. We’ve had guests demand a private boat, but not want to pay additional fees.
It’s hard to please everyone. We do our best based on our service standards.
As the general manager, my job is not just to generate more revenue but also to manage expenses. Sometimes we just don’t have enough people to satisfy every single request. We have to think out of the box, and try to be as efficient as we can be. At the end of the day, I have to be accountable to the owner about our gross operating profit.
We mitigate unrealistic expectations by being as transparent with guests as possible, so they have the right expectations. We’ve had guests cancel bookings because we were clear they had needs we could not fulfil. In those situations, I’d recommend properties that better meet their requirements. Build a relationship. You never know, they may come back to us when they are next back in Bali”
If you could create your dream hospitality experience, how would that look?
“I’d want to create an environment where guests feel like it’s their second home. A home away from home.
The team should have great conversations with guests, so they learn about them - their preferences, their needs, their wants. That way, they can give guests what they want, even before guests ask.”
