Portrait of Noémie, Reception Manager at Sunêlia Interlude Campsite
At the heart of the Ile de Ré, in Charente-Maritime, our 5-star campsite welcomes holidaymakers on 7 hectares 5 minutes from the beach. And to live up to these 5 stars, the quality of the welcome is essential.
Let's go behind the scenes to discover Noémie, our reception manager who manages with a master hand all the cogs of the reception of our Bois-Plage-en-Ré campsite.
What missions do you carry out today?
“Today, I work with an assistant and 5 seasonal workers, and I don't get bored! The missions are very varied. Half of my working time is occupied by the management of the team. Recruitment, training, weekly brief or individual assessments every 15 days punctuate my days. The second part of the job is customer management. Here, I take care of managing the quality of reception, customer satisfaction, flow optimization, special requests and even disputes. I do a lot of communication and I am permanently in contact with all the services of the campsite.
Like an air traffic controller in his tower, I check that everything is going well. Reception is the nerve center of a campsite, where customers go for the slightest question. I therefore have to send the right information, to the right person, through the right channel to find answers and make sure that our customers' holidays go as smoothly as possible. »
So it takes a lot of skill!
"Yes, indeed, managerial skills, but not only. To do my job, you have to like office work on a computer, because I do a lot of checking and analysis. I also do logistics, especially with inventory management. Two days a week, I check the files of all the arrivals for the following week. In high season, we can accommodate up to 250 people in a weekend, so I anticipate special requests and work on optimizing flows. It is the attention to detail that makes the success of our Bois-Plage-en-Ré campsite. Customers can't imagine all this work of reflection carried out before their arrival. »
And what qualities are needed for this position?
“I would say first a great sense of organization and then self-control. Not giving in to pressure is certainly the hardest part. In addition, you have to know how to federate and challenge the teams, because the pleasure they take in working at Interlude is communicated to holidaymakers. I often insist on the Smile / Thoroughness / Attention triptych. As for the relationship with customers, you have to show a certain empathy to understand them and their sometimes very specific requests. This is the best way to ensure that they spend peaceful and unforgettable holidays at our campsite. »
And when the campsite is closed, what do you do?
“The Sunêlia Interlude campsite is closed from the end of September to the beginning of April, but we are busy all year round! Indeed from October 15, we open reservations for the following year. There is therefore a real continuity in the reception service with the marketing component, the results of the past season and the recruitments to come. In winter, the teams take the opportunity to develop improvement projects. Each year, we choose to carry out a project based on the needs analysis. I then changed my hat and went from digital project manager to boost the presence of our campsite on the web to site manager for the redevelopment of the reception premises. I love this aspect of my job, it's very motivating! »
Your typical day in high season, what does it look like?
"Let's take Friday for example.
- In the morning: launch of the day with 2 receptionists. I often lend a hand at reception, in the front office.
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: customer satisfaction survey of the previous week on our software. I take into account all customer comments and analyze the statistics.
- In the early afternoon: meeting with all department heads. I prepare it to distribute important information: specific requests (disabled access ramp for a mobile home for example), arrival of regular customers… Communication is important, the information must be checked and transmitted correctly.
- Then briefing of the Reception team with feedback from the service meeting. I make a reminder of the processes and give satisfaction feedback. This last step is essential and always very motivating for the team, because customer reviews are always positive! »
Thank you Noemie. A last word for our readers ?
My team and I work all year round on a daily basis so that you can fully and peacefully enjoy your stay on the Ile de Ré. Before, during and after your reservation, we are at your disposal and we look forward to seeing you for this new season!