Simon Angrove

Director of Operations, Pullman KLCC Hotel

Creating consistency in customer service is the key.  We can’t afford to have a bad day

There are forces that move the world, and likewise in KL city, Malaysia, there is Simon Angrove, director of operations who is moving and shaping things at the Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel and Residences. 

An Australian citizen who arrived six months ago with his family, Angrove has worked with leading hotel brands in Australia and Asia. “The Accor Group is a family. As we do for our guests, we treat our staff the same, like family. It’s all about making people feel welcome and valued. The company is growing by the day, particularly in this region – Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. With 119 properties in the world and 20,000 employees with the Pullman brand, we are really looking forward to give Pullman a great representation in Malaysia.” 

Overseeing the big renovation project with a lifespan of 18 to 24 months, Angrove is well ahead of schedule. “We are currently doing the guest rooms and club lounge, then moving on to public areas, lobby and restaurants and finally, speciality dining.”    

“The Pullman brand is young, funky, intense and edgy, very much about state-of-the-art connectivity and comfort, which serves our typical age demographic of 25 to 45, exceedingly well.”

One of the biggest challenges for Angrove is customer service.  “We want to get customer service right every single day. If I have done my best, put hand on heart and say that we’ve gone above and beyond, then I can sleep well at night. Creating consistency in customer service is the key. We can’t afford to have a bad day.”

“For me there are three simple strategies in running a hotel – teamwork, leadership and initiative. Everyone has an important role and no one should be better than the other.” 

打造连贯性的客户服务是非常关键的，我们尽量杜绝负面状况。

这世上总是有强大的力量试图改变和塑造事物，而在马来西亚吉隆坡 – 铂尔曼 (Pullman) 吉隆坡市中心酒店及公寓任职运营总监的 Simon Angrove 正是其中佼佼者。

这名在6个月前与家人抵达吉隆坡的澳大利亚人，也对于这家澳大利亚和亚洲领先酒店品牌的任命感到荣幸。“雅高集团 (Accor Group) 是一个大家庭。正如我们为客人所做的，还有对待员工的态度，皆以家人方式相对，这是让人们觉得受到重视和爱惜。公司的业务也日益增长，特别是在马来西亚，印尼和新加坡等区域。我们在全球拥有119家酒店，2万名员工与铂尔曼品牌共同并进，我们非常期待铂尔曼在马来西亚的活跃表现。”

而他所负责监督的长达18至24个月间的大型装修计划，目前提前完成。“我们正在进行整修客房和俱乐部休闲室，然后就是公共空间，大厅和餐厅，最后是特色餐饮处。”

“铂尔曼品牌集年轻、时尚，激情和前卫于一身，也具备最先进的连通性和舒适性，尤其是为25岁至45岁的典型青中年客户群提供了最佳服务。”

Simon Angrove 认为所面临的最大挑战之一就是客户服务。“我们希望每天都能获得客户满意回馈。如果我已经尽了全力，我将把手放在心上，说我们已经超越了，一夜安眠。打造连贯性的客户服务是非常关键的，我们尽量杜绝负面状况。”

“对我来说，运营酒店有3种简单的策略 – 团队协作，领导力和主动性。每个人都将发挥重要性，没有人会完全占优势。”

By Billie Ooi-Ng Lean Gaik