Amanda is the Hotel Training Manager at Aria and an active member of NHLA. We asked Amanda to tell us about her experience in the hotel industry. Her passion for training shows in every way possible.
Service from the beginning
I started working in guest service as soon as I could get my worker’s permit when I was 15 ½ years old. I worked the Front Gate at Wet n’ Wild when it was next to the Sahara Hotel & Casino. I took the bus to work and my mom would pick me up after my shift because she didn’t like the idea of me taking the bus at night. I worked as many hours as they would let me because I loved the thought that I was becoming independent! I could buy my own clothes, go to the movies, and pay for my own car insurance (after I got my driver’s license!) – It was something that built my work ethic from a young age. I loved interacting with guests every day from locals to those all over the world on their vacation. Smiling and having an upbeat optimistic attitude always came naturally to me and that personality made service guests a joy.
A performer at heart
I went to high school at Las Vegas Academy where I had the wonderful opportunity to hone my craft as a singer. Performing for large or small crowds was a thrill that I, to this day, crave. In 1995, I had the opportunity to audition to be a “Starlight Conductor” for Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Starlight Express at the Las Vegas Hilton. Sales for the media items was low and they had the idea to have lids with theater backgrounds perform a pre-show and sell programs, CDs and cassettes (I am dating myself a bit here). Kids from all over the Las Vegas Valley in theater departments auditions for this amazing opportunity. Who wouldn’t want to sing, dance and play with people before a Broadway show and get paid for it? Seven kids were chosen after several call-backs (interviews): five seniors and two juniors. Six of them were in theater. And then there was me: a junior in Choir. I beat all the odds. I was one of the original Conductors and when the show finally closed in 1998, I was the only original one left. Being a conductor was not only one of my most favorite memories from high school, it taught me a lot about guest service. I talked with the guests, learned about them and then catered the sale to them as if was specially made for them. No matter if I had a test or music to study during the show in the office, my guest never knew if I had other things on my mind. I smiled, skipped down the aisles, played and engaged with them for the 45 minute pre-show. I was the team’s top-seller for seven months straight and I loved it.
Finding the way through various jobs
Throughout my early 20s, I held many jobs: Temp staff, lab technician, leasing agent for an apartment complex, ticketing representative/usher but my love for training others began at the Front Desk. I remember being in new hire training, looking at my trainer and thinking: how do I get to do what you do?
I loved working with guests. It was easy for me to learn about them and use what I learned in each interaction. That little trick made me great at up-selling to suites! (I later learned that that little trick was what is called “showing genuine and sincere concern for the guest and anticipating their needs.” Two very important standards with AAA and Forbes Travel Guide) About three years into my service at the Front Desk, the Training Supervisor approached me and asked if I have ever been interested in learning how to be the Training Facilitator. At first I was really confused. I had been in the cashiering and auditing office so many times and you want me to teach??? She told me that my personality would fit perfectly as a facilitator. (I also learned years later that the reason why I was a trainer was because I made so many cashiering mistakes – I could teach how to fix them and how not to make them in the first place).
Catching the training bug
My very first new hire class was in December of 2004 and I caught the bug. The big bad training bug. I watched as light bulbs were lit, understanding flowed through these new Front Desk Agents… and I loved it. I found my calling. I wanted to be everywhere where training was happening. I involved myself in special training projects for the Front Desk, Concierge, HR, our luxury areas and made a name for myself as the go-to person for new hire training for the front of house. The Training Supervisor began to groom me to take her position so she could stay at home with her children. That was when I got to know the Hotel Division Training Manger at my property. How do I get to do what you do??? She was the go-to person for all training in the hotel division! Yep. That’s it. That’s what I want to do. In 2006, I was approached by HR to interview for a position that would be a great step in the right direction: Service Excellence Specialist. This position did not do the customary HR Training Specialist duties such as new hire orientation. Service Excellence was a small but mighty sub-department of HR Training that specialized in teaching task training to departmental trainers, supervisors and managers. I spent 2 long, difficult weeks in an instructional seminar and was soon certified to teach this specialized class. I also followed-up with the participants and coached them during their task training. I loved my job and knew that it would help me build the skills and experience I needed for my dream job.
When one door closes…
Then the recession hit. I wish I could say I was one of the lucky ones, but alas, operations needed to focus on operations and training was cut on a large scale. During my “time off,” I focused on my family and heard about this new amazing project that was being built. This project was not just a hotel, it was CityCenter. Going back to my roots, I applied for a management position at the Front Desk, stressing that I could do the hiring and training for the department. Two interviews and background and drug test: done. I just had to wait about 4 more months to start in November… it was a long wait. Well, sort of. In August 2009, I got a call from a former colleague who worked with me in Service Excellence: “Amanda, I am going home to California and they want me to find my replacement. You have an interview tomorrow.” He was the Hotel Division Training Manager for ARIA. Long story short, I started my dream job on August 28, 2009 and part of the pre-opening team for the most-anticipated hotel in the world at the time.
Amazing growth and education opportunity
In the past six years, I have learned exponentially more than I have in the 15 years before that. My boss always said this about opening ARIA: it was the most difficult and fulfilling experience of our career. Difficult because we opened during a recession and advertising was minimal, staffing was reduced and training was shortened. Fulfilling because I met all 3000 employees of the Hotel Division on their first day. We designed retraining after opening and ensured all colleagues were part of something bigger, something special. And because of our commitment, we received the AAA Five-Diamond Award in our first year (an accomplishment never done before). We received our Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Award for ARIA Resort and Five-Star Award for ARIA Sky Suites the year after. And we have never stopped striving to be the best in the Hospitality Industry. In my position, I have the opportunity to guide individuals on their career path, watch the “light bulbs,” and experience something new almost every day. I take care of our guests through our colleagues. I am grateful every single day that I have the opportunity to do what I am passionate about: serving my guests who are the colleagues of ARIA.