Exclusive Interview | Dipal Jayesh Shah, Housekeeping Manager, Al Hamra Residence | Al Hamra Village Hotel, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
/“I am thankful to Mr. Leo Baekeland for inventing plastic, but I would really like to see world without plastic. ”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
Since I started my journey from bustling city of Mumbai every day I use to wake up at 4 am to reach for morning shift and come back at 9 or 10 pm, I use to travel for 5 to 6 hours every day for 4 years until heartbreaking incident happened to me in 2013 where my dad was in ICU and outside I was accepting the offer for Asst. Manager of Marriott. JW Marriott was a brand gifted by son to Father I feel vice versa in my case. It was big emotional dilemma for me to choose from successful footwear shop business or pre-opening property away from home. Becoming manger was truly blessings of my father in sad way for me, but I am proud of my journey that I stayed on principles and values from room associate to Executive housekeeper delivered just genuine guest and non-guest satisfaction. I am very honest Executive Housekeeper but it’s very difficult to achieve Honesty.
Share with us 5 skills that you think will be critical for a hospitality career in the future.
For me below 5 skills drove me to good career, success for me is to be happy in what you do.
Ownership is the biggest skill I look for in every individual of the world, Ownership of your personal and professional life is driving and delivering you results what you do. I always tell my team to look themselves in mirror and blame that person either for success or for failure.
Ownership leads to self-motivation another very important skill which drives you and to follow your passion. My success story of self-motivation is understanding yesterday and tomorrow as same that’s the time I met my mentor and learned English first than room division, in final year my project scored 96/100 topped in college I cannot forget that day when my father lifted me on my result.
Self-motivation leads to Discipline, I have gone through Vipassana mediation to follow very difficult self-disciplined exercise for 10 days. Unlike our normal routine I stayed in centre without any connection to outer world, mobile, book with complete noble silence just followed what was instructed very difficult to focus for 10 days and cleaning deep impurities of our mind was an amazing experience of self-discipline.
Discipline leads to time management, For me my fight with co department is basic as we have very less time to portray smile as bed fold, upkeeped room as grooming, clean floors, windows, walls as clean uniform and air freshener as words of housekeeping associates in just 3 hours hence its very essential to do the task efficiently. I have always achieved room condition audit score with over 90% in all Marriott hotels I worked. Time management leads to perfect execution which I believe all of us have room to improve as this always leads gap of improvement in any result delivered.
What is your favourite interview question & why?
I have always asked candidate where he/she wants to see themselves in next 3 years that derives me to their aspiration and vision to become professional, I also asked them what makes them professional to understand what values, ethics they carry in their routine.
Describe an ideal hospitality professional.
For me ideal hospitality professional who always count himself/herself as an associate and entrepreneur of the hotel who is always groomed, smiling, greeting, and interacting/acknowledging with genuine body posture, who takes ownership and responsibility of the task assigned. I always ask 1 question in briefing that “Who is stopping you to become an Executive Housekeeper of the hotel?”. If everyone gets this mentality than that is the ideal hotel for me to work.
The new, young traveller wants experiences and insta-ready content. What do you have in store for them?
Simply basic genuine hospitality. We as hospitality professional we are accountable to create and make any guest feel experience. This depends for me from hotel to hotel for sure I would welcome them in sustainable hotel with all ecofriendly product and process are implemented. If that’s the business hotel just quick very savvy service, if its resort decorated room with towel and leave origami.
Share some of your secrets in keeping an engaged, safe and happy team.
My morning briefing are with always 15 mins training followed by exercise of the day for their take care. I always make sure that briefing is 2-way communication this is my daily routine.
In busy period I have never sate in office and asked for room status change instead help associate and supervisor that makes me good human and professional.
It’s very difficult to keep housekeeping team motivated as nature of the job is as such. I have always recognised my team with every smooth weekend bringing all of them together in office sharing treat with them that had always been my passion to do.
I put my all energy in Housekeeping Appreciation week, and I make sure they are recognised by entire hotel management.
Time by time chemical product training for their safe working environment.
What does not exist in the world, but you would like it to?
I am thankful to Mr. Leo Baekeland for inventing plastic, but I would really like to see world without plastic. Another substantial change I would like to see is change in humans’ behaviour with Nature. No pollution, No killing of animals & No cutting of trees.
What makes you strange?
I am an Executive Housekeeper with proactive approach and never say no attitude.
I feed a bird or animal every day before I come to work.
I help associates to make right career.
My connection making skill with guest is unique.
I am self-motivated professional.
I follow work ethics than personal growth.
I hope I have made difference in your mind about our hospitality world with my insight, that’s my ultimate goal to have just guest satisfaction and peaceful life.
