Examen pour le London School of Journalism
When Sammy Floret had left France four years ago, he didn’t believe he would stay that long in London. He came to England thank to his school, the Chamber of Commerce in France, which gives a chance to students to work in London. Along with 13 students from his school, Sammy started to work for Maison Blanc, a French coffee shop, as a sale assistant. He became quickly supervisor. After two years, he decided to change for the coffee shop Gail’s where he met a customer who will influence his life.
“I moved to Gail’s to shove my life. I had seen everything in Maison Blanc, and I wanted new challenge”. Sammy has always loved to create good relationship with customers, but he didn’t know that one of them would change his life. “Stephanie works for an important hotel company and was coming every day in Gail’s to have a coffee. I really like to be close to my customers to provide them what they wish for. When I told to her I wanted to change my job, she proposed me to apply for The Savoy Hotel. She gave me the website address, her business card and a lot of advice”.
The Savoy opened in 1889. It is one of the most luxury hotels in London. In 2005, Fairmont Hotel and Resort bought The Savoy from Maybourne Hotel Group around £250 millions. From 2007 to October 2010, they decided to close the hotel to refurbish the main building. For the reopening, the leaders of The Savoy had to recruit a new staff. “At the moment where Stephanie told me about this opportunity, I didn’t hesitate to apply via internet. The manager from the recruitment contacted me quickly and invited me for an interview at The Savoy. This interview was so different from what I had done in other companies. It was shared in three steps. Even if it was a long interview, I didn’t really feel the pressure on me. Some managers were interested about my personality, not only about my work experience”.
Sammy realized the reputation and the luxury of The Savoy only when he was introduced to his new staff and discovered the whole establishment. “The Savoy was not open yet, but it was already very impressive. Some managers took me to visit the hotel which is wonderful and huge. There are 268 rooms including the Royal Suite. As well for the convenience of customers, The Savoy has two restaurants, two bars, the Bow room where the special representation are shown, and the Thames Foyer, the place where I work. Definitely, I felt that I arrived in a new world. It was so different from other place where I used to work”.
A week after the reopening, Sammy was called for his first day. “When I started, I was stressed. The Savoy was -of course- more impressive with costumers. And I wanted to show I was hard worker”. He barely had time to realize than Prince Charles came one week later to inaugurate the reopening of Savoy. “It was just amazing. Everything was prepared with accuracy. I was impressed by the Prince but as well by the camera for the TV reportage”.
In The Savoy, Sammy holds the position of host in the Thames Foyer which is the tea room. “I have to welcome our guests and organize this room which is near to the entrance. I think it is a really important position because the afternoon tea is a very special event in England. So I have a direct contact with all kinds of customers”. Of course, the most impressive is to welcome famous people. “I was lucky to welcome Arnold Schwarzenegger who as charismatic as in his movies. But to see Buzz Aldrin was a special feeling. I stopped for a moment and was thinking: this guy had been walking on the moon”. At the beginning it was complicated to treat celebrity as any other customers. But after a while, it has become easier and easier for him.
In this kind of job, a good workforce is important. “Of course, I have pressure on me because we have to accomplish every single customer wishes. The Savoy has to find an alternative solution for any request. But the quality of our staff enables to have the highest standard of the performance. Sometimes it is quite tiring, however the atmosphere is always good between us. This aspect is really important for me because I work there full time and do sometimes overtime as well”.
Working in Savoy has given to Sammy more ambition than before. “I wish to evolve within The Savoy as an assistant. And later, I want to open a medium bed and breakfast hotel. The Savoy has given to me a chance to work for them, without relevant experience. Now, I know that everything is possible if you have a dream. To my opinion, an opportunity like this would not have happen in France which is more focus on degrees and qualifications. It was definitely, a very good choice to move here”.
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