While most of us were hiding at home during Circuit Breaker in Singapore there were those working in hospitality who had to show up for work to keep their hotels running, and caring for Stay-Home-Notice and Quarantine Control Facility guests in Singapore.
Curious to find out more about these workers and their stories I arranged with Marcus Hanna, general manager of Swissotel Stamford and Fairmont Singapore, to interview three of his team members. (The interview with Marcus Hanna can be found here.)
Meet Amin, lounge manager (three years), Elaine, banquet coordinator (six years) and Amanda, housekeeping coordinator (three years).
“A lot of changes have happened and we have had to adapt,” said Amin, when I asked him how he’s been coping the past few months. He was reassigned to the front desk and he had to adapt to night shift work. He was also seconded to the Swissotel Stamford when it became an SHN hotel “because they needed more male staff because there were more male guests”. His job was to handle feedback and answer customer calls.
When events were cancelled Elaine was seconded to the call centre to handle in-room dining. “To me, I feel contented and I am grateful I still have a job. I appreciate picking up new skills and adapting.”
For Amanda, as the housekeeping coordinator, her job took on new dimensions with the stricter cleanliness and hygiene protocols introduced under the SG Clean initiative. It now takes twice the amount of time to clean a room, and twice the number of staff – which means it now takes two staff more than an hour to clean a room.
“We have stricter SOPs – wear masks everyday inside and outside work, wear PPE and how to dispose of them, how to sanitise the bins, bedsheets, pillow cases, bed pads, how to remove our gloves. And before we go home, how to sanitise ourselves,” she recounted.
Amin and Elaine have also had to go through similar training around hygiene protocols. Indeed, they say that managing their own anxiety was probably easier than managing the anxiety of their family members who were worried for them and as well as what they could bring home.
“But we tell them that we are taking the necessary precautions with proper training by the government,” said Amin. Added Elaine, “It is important to have a supportive family to understand the changes in working hours and style. I have one kid and one on the way and I am lucky to have my mother looking after my son.”
Amin said he finds it tedious having to wear a mask all the time and that it creates a barrier with customers. “It’s harder to communicate with guests, you only see the eyes, so you have to read the body language more to anticipate their needs.”
During this time Amin said he’s taken digital marketing training courses. “I will try and do more now to promote the lounge and hotel.”
Elaine has new knowledge of what call centres do, and has gained insight into rooms and front office operations. “The events business is going to take a while to come back so I am happy with learning a new role.”
Amanda, who was a room attendant before being promoted to housekeeping coordinator, misses the spirit of camaraderie as the demarcation of zones and separation of teams means “we are not allowed to mix”.
“It’s very challenging but we will work as a team to overcome.
Amin, who has a diploma in hospitality management, joined the industry “because I always wanted to try working in a hotel. I love meeting people and working in operations everyday keeps you energetic. You are always solving problems.”
They are all worried about the future and recognise the special challenges a tiny country like Singapore faces if borders are not open. “I am a bit worried but I believe everything will pass,” said Amin. Added Elaine, “It will take time.”
But now that restaurants are open and the Fairmont is open for staycations, they are smiling more. “It is nice to see restaurants full again and the lobby has more people. It gives me assurance that we are doing something and contributing to our economy to bring it back to normal,” said Amin.
• Featured image credit (The Fairmont Singapore): Fairmont Singapore