Sunday, July 27, 2008
Pictures!
I've posted some pictures of Delhi, where I am living, and sites from my recent trip to Amritsar. The site is www.flickr.com/photos/travelmonger Link is also available through my profile. Under "Contributors", click on "Megan Humphreys", then "My Web Page".
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Namaste. Room Reservations. My name is Megan. How may I assist you?
My first department is Reservations. Since the Maurya is such a large hotel, reservations and front office are two separate departments. There is a staff of about 10 people whose job it is just to answer the phones and make reservations. There is also one person who all she does is check the email!
It is interesting for me as a native english speaker to hear how people interact on the phones. For instance, there is a script we have to follow and in the script there are such phrases as "How may I assist you?" and "I am delighted to inform you...". It is so formal! When I start answering phones, I will feel really strange speaking like that. But ITC (the parent company of the hotel) is a large corporation that oversees many hotels, so for them it is necessary to have those standards to keep things uniform throughout the chain.
Something else I have to adjust to is that I have to wear a uniform! Everyone, from the kitchen staff on up to supervisors have uniforms! Only when you hit upper management are you allowed to wear your own business wear (or sarees for the ladies who so choose) or if you work in a behind the scenes department like Human Resources. My uniform is a pant suit but the jacket is button up to the neck (no lapels), and then there is bow tie-like piece of cloth that snaps around the neck and tucks into the top of the jacket to give the illusion of a shirt underneath, with a matching piece of cloth to tuck into the breast pocket. I also have to wear my hair pulled back into a bun with a little hair net over the bun. Woah! With the uniform and the cafeteria food (with requisite metal lunch trays) I really feel like I'm back in school! Apparently I will be allowed to wear my own business dress once I move into marketing as I won't have daily contact with guests anymore.
And while Europeans might think Americans work too hard, I say Indians work too hard! The normal work week in India is 6 days, Mon-Sat. And its 9-hr days instead of 8. So if I arrive at 10 in the morning (which is the schedule I'm on right now) I stay until 7 at night. But luckily for me, the head of HR realizes this is also a cultural experience for me, not just a job, so he's very graciously allowed me to work only a 5-day week. That way I can go on weekend trips with the other AIESECers. Phew!
FYI: Namaste is the traditional Indian greeting. You greet someone by putting your hands palms together in front of your chest and bow your head slightly (as if in prayer) and say "Namaste".
It is interesting for me as a native english speaker to hear how people interact on the phones. For instance, there is a script we have to follow and in the script there are such phrases as "How may I assist you?" and "I am delighted to inform you...". It is so formal! When I start answering phones, I will feel really strange speaking like that. But ITC (the parent company of the hotel) is a large corporation that oversees many hotels, so for them it is necessary to have those standards to keep things uniform throughout the chain.
Something else I have to adjust to is that I have to wear a uniform! Everyone, from the kitchen staff on up to supervisors have uniforms! Only when you hit upper management are you allowed to wear your own business wear (or sarees for the ladies who so choose) or if you work in a behind the scenes department like Human Resources. My uniform is a pant suit but the jacket is button up to the neck (no lapels), and then there is bow tie-like piece of cloth that snaps around the neck and tucks into the top of the jacket to give the illusion of a shirt underneath, with a matching piece of cloth to tuck into the breast pocket. I also have to wear my hair pulled back into a bun with a little hair net over the bun. Woah! With the uniform and the cafeteria food (with requisite metal lunch trays) I really feel like I'm back in school! Apparently I will be allowed to wear my own business dress once I move into marketing as I won't have daily contact with guests anymore.
And while Europeans might think Americans work too hard, I say Indians work too hard! The normal work week in India is 6 days, Mon-Sat. And its 9-hr days instead of 8. So if I arrive at 10 in the morning (which is the schedule I'm on right now) I stay until 7 at night. But luckily for me, the head of HR realizes this is also a cultural experience for me, not just a job, so he's very graciously allowed me to work only a 5-day week. That way I can go on weekend trips with the other AIESECers. Phew!
FYI: Namaste is the traditional Indian greeting. You greet someone by putting your hands palms together in front of your chest and bow your head slightly (as if in prayer) and say "Namaste".
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Introducing...ITC Maurya
I've gotten settled into my apartment and just completed my third day of work at the hotel. It's just as impressive as I thought it would be. With seven restaurants (one of which was recently named the Best Asian restaurant in the world), an assortment of stores ranging from bookshops to high end clothing, and a beauty salon right on the premises, the Maurya is everything I could have hoped for in a luxury hotel. With 442 rooms and over a thousand employees, there is a lot left I need to see!
Being situated right in the Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi near all the embassies, the Maurya is frequently home to visiting heads of state including President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush (who stayed in the Grand Presidential Suite which is 3500 square feet!).
As I am waiting for another intern from Russia to arrive, I've spent my days familiarizing myself with the history of ITC (which is the parent company that owns the Maurya and many other hotels in India) and the amenities of the Maurya in particular. I'm told that I will be going through their induction program, working for two weeks in the reservation department, then moving to the front desk for a month, and most likely spend the rest of my internship in the marketing department.
I'm looking forward to getting down to work next week.
Being situated right in the Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi near all the embassies, the Maurya is frequently home to visiting heads of state including President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush (who stayed in the Grand Presidential Suite which is 3500 square feet!).
As I am waiting for another intern from Russia to arrive, I've spent my days familiarizing myself with the history of ITC (which is the parent company that owns the Maurya and many other hotels in India) and the amenities of the Maurya in particular. I'm told that I will be going through their induction program, working for two weeks in the reservation department, then moving to the front desk for a month, and most likely spend the rest of my internship in the marketing department.
I'm looking forward to getting down to work next week.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Arrival in India
Let me start off by explaining who I am and why I am writing this blog. My name is Megan Humphreys and I am studying management at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I recently joined AIESEC, an international student organization on campus, (http://www.uwec.edu/aiesec/index.html) and through that I was able to obtain an internship at the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi. The College of Business at UWEC has asked me to keep this blog reporting on my experiences here. In addition, I am able to receive college credit for the internship and maintain my full-time student status.
I arrived in India only about 2 hours ago. Representatives from the hotel met me at the airport and helped me get to fellow AIESECers who will show me around the city and where I will be living.
As I was riding through the city, I couldn't help but stare and smile at everything. I have never been to India before and was struck by all the things that here are completely normal. From the indiscriminate honking of horns from every vehicle on the road to the dozens of cows and bulls wandering along side of the streets and even laying in the medians to the sheer number of people I saw walking on the dirt shoulders that serve as sidewalks, everything was unfamiliar and exciting.
I was expecting to feel some trepidation and homesickeness upon my arrival in India, but at this point, I am nothing but excited and anxious to get started!
I arrived in India only about 2 hours ago. Representatives from the hotel met me at the airport and helped me get to fellow AIESECers who will show me around the city and where I will be living.
As I was riding through the city, I couldn't help but stare and smile at everything. I have never been to India before and was struck by all the things that here are completely normal. From the indiscriminate honking of horns from every vehicle on the road to the dozens of cows and bulls wandering along side of the streets and even laying in the medians to the sheer number of people I saw walking on the dirt shoulders that serve as sidewalks, everything was unfamiliar and exciting.
I was expecting to feel some trepidation and homesickeness upon my arrival in India, but at this point, I am nothing but excited and anxious to get started!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)