Final Critical Reflection

Reflection for the course:

This module is one of the most enjoyable modules I have taken. Not only have I improved my communication skills, I have also discovered myself in the process. Even though it was somewhat uncomfortable to share with a stranger, I am glad that we were all given the opportunity to do so in class. This has enabled me to step out of my comfort zone and test out my social skills. One of the activities I really liked was when Mr Blackstone had the entire class stand up and share something before we are allowed to take a seat again. It was an eye-opening experience to hear what others had to say. Also, it becomes more challenging as I try to think of something that no one else has shared yet.

A goal which I wanted to accomplish by the end of this module is to communicate better through listening more attentively to others and successfully bringing across my message. My friends have always told me that I tend to beat around the bush and that I tend to hear what they are saying instead of listening. Over the course of the module, I have picked up various tips and knowledge as to how one can communicate better. I am now more aware of my weaknesses in communication. Armed with new knowledge as to how I can improve myself, I believe that I am currently a better communicator than I once was. I especially loved the lesson where we learned about power poses. It is such a great boost to my current state of mind which works almost instantaneously.

Reflection on CPD showcase:

If I had to choose one group who I believed was a great success during the CPD presentation showcase, I would choose Happy Tree. I personally loved how the members of Happy Tree presented. They were very confident and presented clearly. Eye contact with the audience was maintained constantly and they had little dependence on the slides. I enjoyed Cheryl’s part of the presentation the most. She articulated well, planted herself in one location without much shifting on her feet, and moved her hands without being too distracting about it. She also spoke at a comfortable pace which allowed me to take in the information easily. I also noticed that the video was different. It was edited to be more like a proper training video, with less prioritization on humour. I believe that this version of the video could be effectively implemented in actual training of spa employees. I would also like to congratulate Happy Tree for winning second place in the competition.

Critical Reflection on ‘Skills on Wheels’

Instead of completing two modules in the mobile application Skills on Wheels, I actually attempted all the modules. I personally loved the iSimulation videos which allowed viewers to make decisions, thus, affecting the next part of the video. I was more engaged in watching the video and I believe that this led to me gaining more knowledge. Out of all the modules, I really enjoyed the “Manage Conflict”, “Exchange Feedback”, and “Build Relationships” modules the most. This is probably because I feel as though I am currently lacking in these areas.

The “Manage Conflict” module is module which I believe is very important as I will be required to work in teams or groups for most of my projects and in the future when I join the workforce. Conflict is bound to happen especially if the group is not homogeneous. I achieved a score of 67% for the “Conflict Management Process” subtask, 50% for the “Active Listening & Questioning Techniques” subtask, and 100% for the “Emotion Management” subtask. I intentionally answered the quiz questions with the actions which I would have normally opted for as I wanted to see how I could better improve myself.

The next module which I really like is the “Exchange Feedback” module. I have a hard time receiving feedback as I tend to take it to heart. I achieved a score of 67% for the “Receiving Feedback” subtask and 50% for the “Giving Feedback” subtask. It definitely shows how well I really perform in this area; which is not that well in my opinion. Despite the low scores, I love the way the learning materials were done up; I feel that it is very visually appealing. On top of that, there were acronyms which made it easier for me to remember, especially G.I.F.T.. It is an approach that is recommended for someone who is attempting to receive feedback. I believe that the most important thing about receiving feedback is by keeping an open mind which is easier said than done.

The third module, “Build Relationships” is another module which I attempted. I achieved a score of 100% for the “Personal Level Interaction Approach: S.E.E.D” subtask and 100% for the “Task Level Interaction Approach: L.E.A.R.N”. Even though I felt that I had a lot of room for improvement in this area, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well I did. I did learn a few things from this module despite attaining full marks for the quiz. One of the tips that I learned was that one should state the main goal of what and why a party is having a conversation. I feel that this would steer the conversation in the right direction instead of randomly jumping into a topic and hoping that everyone would stay on topic.

Overall, I love the Skills on Wheels mobile application. However, I believe that the “Module Assessment” subtask seemed rather redundant as all I had to do was just scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the “Mark as done” button. Nevertheless, I think that the students who are currently undergoing the CPD 2 module should definitely check out this application.

Service Recovery Letter

Dear Mrs. Rebekah Traumann,

Thank you for you feedback regarding your stay in our hotel. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that you experienced while staying with us.

We always strive to provide the best service to our guests and we regret that you had a less than satisfactory experience. We have reached out to the relevant departments involved and we will take the necessary actions to ensure this does not happen again. With regards to the breakfast issue, we are sorry for the miscommunication and we will refund you the amount within 30 days.

I want to thank you again for bringing this issue to our attention. We are always looking for ways to better our service, and your feedback is an invaluable part of the process.

Should you need any help in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us again, as i will be very happy to assist you with anything that you need.

Sincerely,

MSS Hotel

Synopsis 1st Draft

1. Introduction
This report will address an interpersonal issue faced within the food and beverage (F&B) service industry. The team has chosen to focus on coffeehouses and the interaction between its employee and customers. Specifically, the team will explore different methods on how an employee could respond better to angered customers in certain situations.


1.1 Workplace Context
In 2018, the F&B service industry in Singapore had registered an increase in sales on a year-on-year basis (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2018). Furthermore, the industry had contributed 0.8 per cent of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 (Info-communications Media Development Authority, 2018). The F&B services industry attracts talents who are service-oriented, passionate, resilient, meticulous, and a team player (Skillsfuture, 2017). Concurrently, the F&B industry in Singapore struggles towards being manpower-lean. (Aggarwal, 2018)


Starbucks has positively influenced its market share, productivity, and profitability by providing high quality products and service (Paryani, 2011). According to Paryani, its success can be attributed to its coffee, the people serving the coffee, and the in-store experience. Starbucks invests heavily in training that will arm its employees with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) necessary to create exceptional experiences and how to respond to difficult situations (Panopto, 2018). The same cannot be said for other coffee house brands such as Coffee House X. As compared to Starbucks, which has a structured training plan in place for new hires, Coffee House X will only send new hires for classes which are subjected to availability. There are also other factors involved such as time, lack of manpower, and only at the store managers’ discretion.

There is an increase in the consumption of coffee and consumer patronage in coffee houses due to an influx of millennials with higher disposable income (Gay, 2016). This is further supported by Goh Theng Kiat, chief marketing officer for global consumer financial services at OCBC Bank, who said that these millennials “visit F&B establishments like cafe, coffee shops and restaurants 20 times a month.” (as cited in Ong, 2017).


1.2. Thematic focus
The main theme explored in this synopsis is handling customers. This idea came about when three out of four team members experienced unsatisfactory service during their visit to coffeehouses. This issue could have happened due to the poor training provided by the coffeehouses, or the low importance placed by these coffeehouses on employee training. 

In addition, a team member who had the opportunity to work in two different coffeehouse companies shared the recurring issue she encountered during her working experience. She mentioned that customers often use the coffeehouse as a place to complete their work. Occasionally, these customers will leave their belongings unattended when they momentarily leave the coffeehouse. However, there is also an unspoken rule whereby these belongings will stowed away by the employees if it is left unattended for more than ten minutes. As a result, she had to face an angered customer who had his belongings stowed. As she was a new employee at the time of incident, she was hesitant to entire the unspoken rule. As the other teammates were able to empathise with the customer, they felt that there is a need to delve into this matter to prevent similar situations from recurring.

The synopsis focuses mainly on the communication between the baristas and its customers. The synopsis also offers a step-by-step approach on how baristas are able to deal with angry customers in these situations.


2. Problem statement
Students prefer studying in F&B public areas has caused displeasure to visiting customers (Sin, 2017). This has made it increasingly difficult for staff when dealing with conflict amongst different customers.

Managing customer expectations while performing duties at work has proven to be challenging. The maxim of “Customer is always right” puts employees in a dilemma when conflict arises. As opposed to, “caveat emptor” where the responsibility of checking the suitability and quality of items before purchase making is put on the buyer (Morgan, 2018). Therefore, proper training is necessary in order to guide and nurture current and new employees. This would allow them to be exposed to the workplace environment and recurring issues that are already present.

Well-trained employees will already be aware of possible workplace hazards and situations that may arise during day-to-day operations. Additionally, some service staff are unable to manage situations that involves angry customers due to various reasons. One of which is due to the high turnover rate and lack of a structure in training programmes. New employees and part time employees might not be equipped with the necessary KSAs for the job. Generally, the F&B services industry in Singapore has a higher turnover rate as compared to other industries as they rely heavily on temporary and part-time workers (Manpower Research and Statistics Department, 2018).

Evidence has shown that more effective management and training of part-time employees can yield the same gains as full-time employees, which can lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction (Etherington, 2016). Sufficient and adequate information in standard operating procedures (SOP) in a manual must be up-to-date and relevant so as for staff to be able to refer and prepare themselves for difficult situations. It is imperative that effective training programmes and guidelines should be properly developed and implemented to uphold service excellence.


3. Purpose statement
The purpose of this case study synopsis is to propose a structured training plan to the management of the F&B services industry; more specifically, coffee houses. Expand more…?


4. Potential solutions


5. Benefits
5.1 Benefits for organisation

5.2 Benefits for employees


6. Research methods
6.1 Secondary research

6.2 Primary research 


7. Conclusion


8. References
Department of Statistics Singapore. (2018). Retail Sales Index: Food & Beverages Services Index. Singstat. Retrieved from https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/publications/industry/mrsdec18.pdf

Etherington, C. (2016). The Value Of Training Part-time Employees. Talent Management 360. Retrieved from https://talentmanagement360.com/the-value-of-training-part-time-employees/

Gay, W. (2016). How Creating A Culture Around Coffee Can Boost Millennial Engagement At Work. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/wesgay/2016/09/16/how-creating-a-culture-around-coffee-can-boost-millennial-engagement-at-work/#7753bd6936a3

Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). (2018). Food services: Industry Digital Plan. Retrieved from https://www.imda.gov.sg/-/media/imda/files/industry-development/small-and-medium-enterprises/smes-go-digital/food-services-idp/food-services-idp-20181219.pdf?la=en

Manpower Research and Statistics Department. (2018). Labour Market Report: Third Quarter 2018. Report prepared for Ministry of Manpower. Retrieved from https://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Labour-Market-Report-3Q-2018.aspx

Ong, Z. (2017). Millennials do invest, even if they spend more money on discretionary items. The Edge Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.theedgesingapore.com/millennials-do-invest-even-if-they-spend-more-money-discretionary-items

Panopto. (2018). How Starbucks Does Training To Create An Unforgettable Customer Experience [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.panopto.com/blog/how-starbucks-does-training-to-create-an-unforgettable-customer-experience/

Paryani, K. (2011). Product quality, service reliability and management of operations at Starbucks. International Journal Of Engineering, Science And Technology, 3(7), 1-14. doi: 10.4314/ijest.v3i7.1s

Skillsfuture. (2017). Skills Framework for Food Services. Retrieved from http://www.skillsfuture.sg/-/media/Initiatives/Files/SF-for-Food-Services/SF_Food_Services_Sector_Info_20170714.pdf

Reflection: Interpersonal communication issue in the workplace

The interpersonal communication issue which I encountered when I was working full-time happened frequently whenever I worked with the store manager. During the opening shift, if there were tasks that were omitted or done incorrectly, he would go into a tirade and message the group chat that was meant for communication among the store employees. There were around 15 store employees which consisted of the store manager, four supervisors, and a mix of full-time and part-time staff members. The store manager would take pictures and send it to the group chat with captions that were written in capital letters. He will also be in a bad mood throughout the remainder of the shift.

One of the possible root causes is his assumption that they were lazy because he has already given what he thought was enough time to complete the tasks. He also had high expectations for himself and the people around him. It did not help that sometimes he caught them playing with their phone when there was still a lot of work to be done. It is also possible that the motivation behind his actions could have stemmed from his belief that scolding them was the only way to get his message across. This explains why his tone was always very aggressive. On top of that, he chose to message the group chat rather than message them personally. This could have served as both a warning and a reminder to everyone.

In the beginning, I felt shocked. As time passed by, I tolerated it and just took it in stride. I also noticed that the staff started feeling resentment. It seemed as though only those who worked during a closing shift would get the brunt of his dissatisfaction the next morning. Apparently, this store manager has always reacted this way, perhaps even worse previously.

Dear readers, how would you have reacted and why? Do you think there is a solution to this interpersonal communication issue?

Edited as of 27th February 2019

Commented on:

Sarah

Carolyn

Formal email self introduction

To: Mr. Blackstone

From: Nurul Afifah

Subject: My self introduction and expectations for BHB2803

Dear Mr. Blackstone,

I am writing you this email with the intent of introducing myself. My name is Nurul Afifah but you may call me Fifa. This trimester, I will be taking BHB2803 – Career Professional Development 2 to fulfil the requirements for the upcoming Integrated Work Study Programme. Currently, I am a year two student in the hospitality business programme offered by the Singapore Institute of Technology.

Prior to enrolling in this course, I graduated from Republic Polytechnic with a diploma in restaurant and culinary operations in 2015. Shortly after, I began working at Zingrill Holdings under a yearlong contract in conjunction with SPRING Singapore. I took another gap year to think about my future while working full-time at Starbucks as a barista. During this time, I got my motorcycle license and bought a motorcycle.

Over the years, I realised that my biggest weakness in communication is lack of confidence. Personally, I think it stems from differences in perception. My childhood was rather sheltered and I feel as though I lack life experience compared to others. As a result, I tend to doubt myself, overthink, and stumble over my words.

On the other hand, one of my strengths in communication is my ability to encourage people to engage in open and honest communication. This can be done through practicing active listening, keeping a friendly tone, and maintaining eye contact. My curiosity enables me to take an interest in the person and the message that they are trying to convey.

By the end of this course, I hope that I will be able to overcome my weaknesses in communication and become a stronger communicator. On top of that, I wish that I can strengthen my strengths as well. I am looking forward to the upcoming weeks of class with much anticipation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Nurul Afifah

Edited as of 13th February 2019

Commented on:

Zakiyah

Shu Ling

Carolyn

Swathi

Tricia

Welcome

Hello,

My name is Afifah. Over the next few weeks, I will be going through an effective communication module, BHB2803 - Career and Professional Development 2, and will be using this blog as a platform to submit my assignments. I hope that we will all learn something new at the end of this module. If you have anything to share, please don't hesitate to comment on my posts. Feedback is welcome from everyone.

Warm regards,

Afifah