Windy city workforce

This department spotlights a relatively recent addition to the workforce, focusing on the person’s educational or working background, daily responsibilities, challenges, passions, frustrations and outlook for his or her future in the field.

Name: Lynne Herolt
Age: 27
Company: Hyatt Regency Chicago
Title: Convention Services Coordinator
College Path: B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Communication Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota

How you ended up here: My first job out of college was working for an event planning company. After about two years, I moved into my first hotel gig at the Intercontinental Hotel. There, I decided I was not cut out for the tasks of a front desk agent and moved into a position at a trade magazine in customer service, but I realized I missed the creative side of event management/planning. I started job searching and saw a position open at the Hyatt Regency Chicago for a meeting concierge (a liaison between the client and the convention services manager for the hotel) and have since been promoted to my current position. All in all, I’ve really come full circle back to where I began.

How long you’ve been at it: Two years.

Who you answer to, if anyone: The director of convention services and ultimately, the general manager.

Hours you expect to be at work: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. If I have a client in-house, my hours can vary quite a bit. A 12-hour day is not uncommon in our busy months (spring, summer and fall because no one wants to travel to Chicago in the dead of winter for a convention). A lot of the work you are hired to do gets done before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

Breakdown of what people anticipate from you: Once a file has been finalized in the sales department, it comes to the convention services department. Once we have it in our hands, we contact the client and work out all aspects of the program. This includes managing their block of sleeping rooms, receiving rooming lists, picking out and personalizing food and beverage functions, room sets, VIP needs and AV requirements. We begin work with the client approximately two or three months prior to their arrival. Then we work with the client on property to make sure everything runs smoothly and help with any issues they may encounter. We are basically the liaison between the client and the rest of the hotel staff.

What your friends assume you do all day: Fold the toilet paper into a triangle in guest rooms. No, most of my friends have a pretty good idea. They basically know that I am a meeting planner for the hotel and have to work more weekends than I would like.

Best perk: Complimentary hotel rooms anywhere in the world!

Business travelers typically want… convenience, speed and quality service. Most people who come through our hotel are frequent travelers, and their travels have taken them all over the world, so they know what to expect. We strive to provide them with the most comfortable stay possible and a truly positive experience all around. Hyatt Regency Chicago always keeps up on the changing needs of both business and leisure travelers and solicits input from guests.

I know it’s a good day when... you receive a compliment from a guest, client or even a peer letting you know you have done an extraordinary job or gone out of your way to assist them. It makes you feel good when people notice you are working hard for them.

The hospitality industry is a lot like… whitewater rafting. There are nice, calm times and then the rapids start, and you better be ready for it! I feel almost everyone in this industry learns to deal with issues sincerely, but also with a grain of salt. You learn to recover from “challenges” quickly, and you learn to choose your battles. Otherwise, each yelling guest would have you putting in your two weeks on a daily basis! Most people have chosen to keep an upbeat attitude, and it rubs off on your co-workers. You learn from the hospitality veterans.

Things can get tense when... you have to “walk” guests to another hotel. When the hotel has reached capacity and we still have guests to arrive for that day, we send people to another hotel in close proximity for the evening. When you get people checking in at midnight after a long day of travel, this can get a little tense. Walking a person for the first time in your hotel career can be a very frightening. You never know how someone will react.

I have trouble dealing with… people who think yelling and demanding will get them better service or respect. By simply using the agent’s or manager’s name and being civil, you’ll be amazed at what a little extra kindness can get you!

Do most people ever realize what goes on behind the scenes at a hotel or a convention? No. Most people don’t know all the work and timing that goes into everything — from a 500-person dinner to a room-service drop or turndown service, there is a lot to coordinate. There are many little details that each department needs to know to execute a successful program from start to finish. Meeting planners change their minds a lot. Many times, right before an event might start. A good convention services manager can anticipate their needs before they even ask. It’s only a successful meeting or stay if the attendees/guests don’t notice there is a problem.

What might you change if given the chance? The dress code. Wearing a suit to work gets old after a while. There will never be a “casual Friday” in the hotel industry, and dry cleaning gets expensive.

Where can you go from here? I can move into handling larger meetings and conventions and ultimately become an associate director or director of convention services. There are so many opportunities in the hotel, you never really know where (location or position) you might end up.

Why you have a smile when you come to work: The people I work with are really an amazing group. From my colleagues in the C.S. department to the to the housekeepers, everyone here is generally happy, and it shows. It’s amazing how much of a good mood you can be put in by a few people greeting you by name in the back hallways in the morning.

Advice for joining the field: If you like people and a fast-paced industry, this is for you. You don’t necessarily need a degree in hospitality or tourism, but a passion for great customer service and delivering an impressive product is a good start.

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