Q&A with National Award Winner Chris Speck

FRONT OF HOUSE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR: ACCOMMODATION DIVISION

WHAT IS YOUR POSITION TITLE?

Guest Relations Manager, Mount Lofty House

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU ENTER THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY?

I joined the hospitality industry in 1994 at Matson Plaza, Cairns as a night porter. After completing my apprenticeship in butchery, I was told by a regular client that travelled extensively and stayed in five star hotels around the world, that my personality would be better suited to the role of Concierge. This planted the seed in my mind to look into hotels as a potential change of career.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH?

After my time at Matson Plaza, I was promoted within the organisation to the five star hotel, Cairns International as Porter. After spending two years with Daikyo Corporation and servicing international visitors and being introduced to the golden key Les Clef d’Ors Society and mentored by Christopher Northam, I had the desire to see the world and all that it had to offer. I spent time backpacking across the world before finding myself in London in search of a job. It was here that I started working at the Langham Hilton and as Commissionaire was exposed to five star service in the highest form. From the discreet service of celebrities to the simple act of hailing a cab, this gave me the base of my career with Hilton International.

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD FRONT OF HOUSE PERSON?

I believe that a good front of house person must be approachable, friendly, organised and have the ability to think outside the box. Keeping up to date with local knowledge and being able to preempt guest needs by researching your guests prior to arrival so you know what they want. They need to be able to adapt and think on their feet quickly to manage guest requests. Prioritising guests and their needs are non-negotiables all whilst multi-tasking to deliver the best experience. Offering a calm, seamless service, even when under pressure, is key.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT THE JOB?

Farewelling guests from the house who have had a fantastic stay with us. I get to work with all areas of the house which ensures that my guests are personally looked after and I have control of their experience from check-in to departure. I have total freedom to make decisions which impact the guest experience and is above all of their expectations. I have full authorisation to make decisions to recover any service issues. My goal is to ensure that the guests feel like they are at home at Mt Lofty House.

WHAT PART OF THE JOB DO YOU FIND THE MOST CHALLENGING?

Keeping up to date with local knowledge and always maintaining current and correct information. Being in the Adelaide Hills, there has been so many new businesses enter the growing food and wine market. Another challenge is finding and keeping good team members. Unfortunately, the hospitality industry has been an industry where university students earn money whilst studying. I have worked with some great people over the years who were fantastic and could have been true hospitality professionals, however, once they got their degree in their chosen field they left.

WHAT MENTORS HAVE YOU HAD DURING YOUR CAREER AND WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE THEY HAVE GIVEN YOU?

When I worked at The Cairns International, I worked under Christopher Northam who was Chief Concierge. During my time there he was awarded his golden keys from Le Clef d’Or Society. This was a huge achievement and showed me, as a young man, that there was a goal to work towards, and I wanted it. The advice he gave me was to always continue moving forward by keep going and keep doing it, and that my drive and dedication would get me the keys. In 2007 I was awarded the golden keys by the Society and, after 20 years of not working with him, I received congratulations from Christopher.

Another person who had an impact on my career path was Rohan Manning. He was the Chief Concierge at Hilton Sydney when I was Assistant Concierge. He showed me that hard work and determination will get you where you want to be. The two of us were very different, yet we made a great team by balancing each other. My focus was front of house with the guests and he kept the department operating. I learnt from him that everyone is different and has their own valuable contribution to the team and you need to embrace these differences and success will come.

I believe that a good front of house person must be approachable, friendly, organised and have the ability to think outside the box.

WHAT MAKES MT LOFTY HOUSE SPECIAL?

Mt Lofty House is a beautiful old home which offers old-world charm with more history than most buildings in South Australia. We welcome guests into our home as if they are friends or family, here to celebrate their special occasions with us. With a small number of rooms, we are able to offer personalised service throughout each individual stay. It is great being able to know who guests are, as I typically will meet them on arrival, host them at the nightly House tour, and see them at breakfast the following morning and help make their plans for the day. This could be lazing by our pool with a cocktail whilst looking at the spectacular views of Piccadilly Valley or sitting by the fireplace in the library whilst playing a game of chess.

I believe what makes Mt Lofty House so special is the passion and vision that stems from our two owners, David and Malcom and General Manager, Jesse.

In my opinion, they have the most luxurious accommodation offering in South Australia, if not the whole country and they are personally involved and very invested in many decisions made that shape our guest experience. I think their approach and attitude towards finding the right people to join the MLH family is the reason the house is where it is today. With core values of old-fashioned hospitality, and teamwork at the forefront, the team has been able to deliver the most memorable guest experiences, which has led to the success of the team and resulted in the house being rated #1 on Trip Advisor in the entire country.

WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS OR HIGHLIGHTS YOU HAVE FROM WORKING IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY?

After thirty years working in the hotel industry, I have serviced celebrities, world leaders and even royalty, however, the most memorable moment was from my time at Mt Lofty House. A couple, who were both blind, arrived at the House. They mentioned on checkin that it had been on their bucket list to stay at Mt Lofty House. They did not have a carer with them and were happy to spend their stay in their room and be serviced by room service for their meal options. I did not accept this and told them that they would experience the House in its entirety.

They taught me how I needed to interact with them for the experience to be comfortable and familiar to them. For example, a nudge to the left indicated that there was something in the way and they needed to veer in that direction. I arranged for them to come on the House tour, enjoy breakfast in the Piccadilly Restaurant rather than the room and go for walk through the expansive gardens of the property.

To coordinate this new level of service meant working with all departments to make sure our guests were supported – for example, arranging a team member to be at their door at a set time to escort them to breakfast.

I was delighted with their grateful comments on departure, they were overwhelmed with their stay and promised to come back again. It didn’t take the team or myself too much effort to make such a difference to this couple, however, it definitely meant everything to them.

WHAT IS A HOTEL YOU HAVEN’T STAYED AT BUT IS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST – AND WHY?

I have two hotels on the top of my list that I would like to visit, both of which I admire for different reasons. The first one being Atlantis on the Palm in Dubai. It is a magnificent resort and I find it mind blowing that it has been built on an artificial island where water once was.

As a father of two girls, it has everything that is needed to keep a family amused without the need to leave. Top end luxury with every detail thought of and executed and none missed. It offers the best of everything that you could imagine and didn’t know that you needed.

The second hotel on my bucket list would be Hayman Island in the Whitsundays. A private island experience that offers refined service and every luxury imaginable, in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. A prestigious offering of exclusivity.

WHAT DOES YOUR FUTURE LOOK LIKE? WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

I always like to look back on what I’ve noticed during my career, and think about any improvements I could help achieve for the future of the industry.

In five-years’ time, I will be moving towards the end of my career and would love to see something left behind to help the industry thrive for years to come. I see a huge potential for a body like the AHA to help not only bring young potential talent into the industry, but also to shape their careers in a way that secures a promising pathway to a successful future in hotels.

Currently, I see that most opportunities for career pathway programmes are quite restricted in a way, be that to either a property, a department, and/or a company. Don’t get me wrong, I think these programmes are very important, although they do have their limitations which are starting to show when looking at the industry retaining talent as a whole.

The last couple of years have shown the struggle to attract new people to the industry, and in addition to this, we have been losing those already in the industry as they seek the growth and learning opportunities elsewhere.

I hope that over the next five years I would be able to consult with industry bodies such as the AHA as well as hospitality collages, and industry leading companies on building a new initiative to attract and retain talent, with the goal to keep them within the industry as a whole, not just a single company.

In five-years’ time, I hope that I will be continuing to welcome back guests to Mount Lofty House, and share in creating their special experiences that shape memories that last a lifetime. I’d also like to

make the most of my career by sharing my ideas and experiences in some capacity to shape long-term careers for the hotel industry with a new initiative that brings many partners in the industry together.

I hope... I would be able to consult with industry bodies such as the AHA... on building a new initiative to attract and retain talent, with the goal to keep them within the industry as a whole...

(L-R) Arthur Antonellos from Hostplus and Chris Speck, Mount Lofty House.