Miscommunication Weekend: Trainee Challenge at the Front Office of the Five-Star Hotel in Batam City

The Front Office serves as the frontline in creating the first impression for hotel guests, especially in five-star hotels that demand high service standards. Therefore, the presence of trainees in the Front Office has become a common strategy to support operations, particularly during weekends when guest volume increases. Although trainees have received training, miscommunication with guests still frequently occurs, leading to a decline in service quality. The problem addressed in this study is how trainees can minimize miscommunication to ensure smooth operations and enhance service quality at the Front Office of five-star hotels in Batam City. This research aims to understand how trainees can reduce the occurrence of miscommunication to support operational efficiency and improve the quality of Front Office services in five-star hotels in Batam City. This study employs a qualitative research method with a case study approach. The rationale is to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and challenges faced by trainees, focusing on a specific location within a complex situation where miscommunication is likely to occur during weekends. The findings indicate that miscommunication often happens due to the trainees' lack of experience in handling pressure during busy weekends. One limitation of this research is its use of a qualitative case study approach, involving only one five-star hotel in Batam City with a limited number of respondents. It is recommended that future research adopt a quantitative method to cover a broader range of respondents by involving multiple five-star hotels.