Diploma Of Hospitality Management For Local Communities

Discussion

The purpose of this report is to reflect on my pre placement working experience in the hospitality industry. I had been working at Domino’s Pizza in Adelaide in order to gain my working experience. Based on my experience there, I have devised a report on the organization, the management of operations, the placement and interview process and the working environment at the restaurant. I was in charge of making pizzas there, although I performed a horde of tasks during my placement. I am also able to reflect on my own skills and knowledge, my strengths and weaknesses and highlight room for further improvement. I have also completed a self assessment task to gather more information about my employability and personality skills which would better prepare me for jobs in the hospitality industry. 

I was working at Domino’s Pizza, the address of which is Domino’s pizza Hollywood Plaza, 50/200 Winzor St, Salisbury Downs SA 5108. Domino’s is a franchise company and currently there are 600 outlets of the restaurant all over Australia, including most of the major cities like Melbourne, Adelaide, Armidale and Sydney. Domino’s is also one of the largest pizza enterprises in Australia and the rest of the world, in terms of network sales and operations. At present, the company has an annual income of more than 150 million US dollars with an annual revenue of more than 790 million US dollars. The mission of Dominos is to be the best possible pizza delivery company in the world. It also strives to maintain the high standards set by the international pizza brands and introduce an element of fun in the pizza delivery business. This is why Dominos stresses on people and communication skills as part of their recruitment process (Dominos.com.au 2018). The objectives of the company, as we were told, included:

• Treating the customers as we would treat ourselves
• Provide the best quality pizza at low prices
• Setting high standards and constantly evolving in order to provide better services to the customers

The outlet I was working at is in a prominent location within the city, and is located in close proximity to the major means of public transport like subway. Also, the area is a suburb which is located in Salisbury and is connected by all the major roads in the area. The Hollywood Plaza Shopping Center is also located in the vicinity, which ensures that our outlet receives a steady footfall throughout the day. The shopping center has Coles, Woolworths and Target which ensures that a steady number of customers visit our store each day. During my work experience, I was also able to pinpoint the customer profile of people visiting Domino’s. The people who visited our store were mainly people belonging to the local communities, who wanted some light snacks. Our customers were young kids in middle and high school, college going students on their way back home or senior citizens. The people who visited the shopping center would often drop by for something quick and light to eat. Pizza is a hassle free food item which can be picked up and consumed on the go. This made Domino’s a popular choice amongst the people visiting the shopping center. We would also get a lot of customers from the nearby school, where children would often come by after school with their friends and parents. We also got a number of senior citizens or retired people visiting our store during the day or evening for meals. It is mostly during the weekends that we had maximum crowds pouring in. During the weekends, we found it quite difficult to serve all the customers and it was an “all hands on deck” situation. 

Critical Analysis of the Organization and Interview Process

Like most of the Dominos companies in Australia, the store remains open from 11 am to 12 am every day. It is during the peak lunch hours and the evening when we get most of our customers. Usually most of the local stores are closed  by late evening, which means that only a few select customers come at night. From around 17.30 pm to 19.00 pm, we get a large number of customers who prefer to come to the store and eat. Post 21.00 pm, we usually get calls for home deliveries. I was working there as a pizza maker. I was also in charge of some general cleaning, cleaning of floors, chairs and tables and I even attended to the calls made by customers. I was also handled cash during my work there. The working environment at Dominos is very casual and fun, which ensures that each employee enjoys the work that they are doing. I was never allowed to feel out of place for once since my joining. My supervisor was very understanding and patient with me. There were a lot of things I did not know when I joined. However, he was very helpful explained every task before it was assigned to me. I could also rely on his advice and approach him whenever necessary. The other employees at Dominos are also very friendly and welcoming. Together, it is the motto of each employee at the store to create a warm and comfortable environment for the customers to spend a laid back, relaxed evening with their friends and loved ones. The service provided by Dominos can be assessed using the service quality management theory, which comprises the following:

• Tangibles – Our products are of extremely high quality. Only the finest ingredients and top quality meat are used for our pizza and other products. I have had the opportunity to taste the food we produce, and based on an objective account, I would recommend our products to our customers.
• Reliability – Dominos is one of the leading brands as far as reliability is concerned. We ensure that our customers are served on time and that we deliver our pizzas within 30 minutes of ordering.
• Responsibility – At Dominos, each employee is responsible for ensuring that fast and efficient customer service is provided to every guest.
• Assurance – Our quality services over the years has won the goodwill of the customers and we have been able to win their confidence and trust.
• Empathy – Empathy and warmth form the core principles of our customer service.

The interview process at Dominos was just like any other job. Having studied in this field and wanting to work in the hospitality industry, I was looking for a relevant job in the same industry which would help in the development and progress of my career. It was during this time that I came to know about the vacancy at Dominos. I applied and they asked me to come in for a formal interview. I was interviewed by the head of staff at the store itself. It lasted for around one hour and was an informal meeting of sorts. I was asked to provide my resume and they asked me about my skills, strengths and weaknesses. By the end of the interview, I was informed that I had been selected and that I could join immediately. I started work the next day. I was however placed under a supervisor, who would show me the ropes and teach me the work.

I carried out a self assessment test and based on the results of the test, I can conclude the following:

My three employability skills are:

• Team work
• Working under high pressure situations
• Being able to meet targets and goals

The three employability skills I will need to work on:

• Verbal and non verbal communication
• Problem solving skills
• Flexibility

Three best personal attributes are:

• Creativity
• Leadership
• Power of judgment

The three personal attributes I need to work on:

• Ethical awareness
• Adaptability under any circumstances
• Business awareness

I can conclude that I am efficient in high pressure situations and am able to meet my targets even during extreme tense circumstances. Team work is also one of my fortes and I believe that I can blend in easily as part of any team. I am also creative and innovative when it comes to problem solving or situations which require creative solutions. However, I need to work on my communication skills. I am an introvert and often find it difficult to effectively communicate with people I do not know. Moreover, I will need to increase my awareness of how a business works and the ethical considerations involved in the same.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, I would like to say that working for Dominos was a pleasant experience and it was one of the best opportunities that I could hope for. I learned a lot from the experience, both about how such an organization is run and also about my own self. I gained insight into my strengths and areas that require improvement.

I believe that I could benefit from some communications training. Participating in relevant workshops would help me gain better verbal and non verbal communication skills. Also, I would like to gain some more knowledge into the various technologies that are a part of the hospitality industry, the intricacies of operations management at an organization like Dominos and the ethical factors which influence business. 

References:

Dominos.com.au. 2018. Domino’s Pizza | Order Pizza Delivery Online | Food Delivery & Takeaway. [online] Dominos.com.au. Available at: https://www.dominos.com.au/ [Accessed 9 Nov. 2018].