Rande Gaines
Norfolk,Virginia
Summary
My name is Rande Gaines and I happily have over 19+years of Service in Hospitality. Started as an hourly Desk Clerk, then to Front Desk Manager, Currently serving as my property's Event Manager. Multiple nominations (early in my career) for Hospitality Agent of the year. Recipient of Crestline Hotel's Ambassador of the Year award My inaugural year. Earned the prestigious Marriott Spirit to Serve Award for going above and beyond to ensure guest satisfaction.
An Accomplished Leader and Mentor, very skilled in Guest Relations with a love to serve.. Posses years of experience in Front Office Operations. Knowledgeable of many POS and operating systems: QUORE, Hotel Effectiveness, FOSSE, MARSHA, GXP, Sertifi and many others. Currently In active pursuit for a position in Group/Global Sales in a vibrant fast-paced challenging setting.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Event Specialist
Courtyard By Marriott Dulles Town Center
Sterling, VA
03.2022 - Current
- Managed well over 450+ Events
- Increased Hotel's Group Room Sales by 130% over Previous Year
- Planned large-scale events such as Weddings, Conferences, and Meetings.
- Led onsite execution of events, overseeing setup, breakdown, troubleshooting any issues as they arose while maintaining composure under pressure for a professional outcome every time.
- Elevated guest satisfaction by addressing concerns promptly and professionally during events.
Front Desk Associate
Courtyard By Marriott Dulles Town Center
Sterling, VA
05.2018 - 03.2022
- Managed more than 40 incoming calls, emails and GXP Cases daily.
- Greeted visitors and customers upon arrival, offered assistance and answered questions to build rapport and retention.
- Main Go Between for All Departments
- Assisted in training new hires on front desk operations, contributing to overall team cohesion and productivity.
Front Desk Manager
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
Virginia Beach, VA
04.2017 - 03.2018
- Trained new staff on correct procedures, compliance requirements and performance strategies.
- Mentored and trained new hires, fostering a supportive work environment that facilitated professional growth.
- Led monthly office meetings with staff to answer questions, resolve issues and keep employees informed of changes.
- Prepared weekly employee work schedules for [varying depending on season] team members.
- Provided responses to guest reviews on TripAdvisor, Booking.com and other websites within 48 hours.
- Oversaw all front desk operations with an eye for hotel reputation, staff productivity and operational efficiency.
- Performed concierge services for guests as needed.
- Anticipated guests’ needs and responded to all requests within a reasonable amount of time.
Front Desk Supervisor
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
Virginia Beach, VA
04.2013 - 04.2017
- Answered an average of [100] calls per day by addressing customer inquiries, solving problems and providing new product information.
- Described product to customers and accurately explained details and care of merchandise.
- Politely assisted customers in person and via telephone.
- Provided an elevated customer experience to generate a loyal clientele.
- Managed group reservations effectively, providing smooth check-in experiences for large parties or corporate events.
- Handled daily heavy flow of paperwork and cooperated with the accounting departments on invoicing and shipping problems.
- Scored in top 10% of employees in successful resolution of issues
- Recipient of multiple positive reviews acknowledging dedication to excellent customer service.
Guest Service Agent
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
Virginia Beach, VA
05.2001 - 04.2013
- Managed more than 50 incoming calls a day
- Communicated with vendors regarding back order availability, future inventory and special orders.
- Participated in physical inventory counts every month.
- Contacted customer to follow up on their previous stays, and help book any and all future reservations daily.
- Helped drive sales goals and achieve monthly quotas.
- Built long-term customer relationships and brought multi-million dollar groups to hotels (Red Cross, Geico, Johnson and Johnson, etc)
- Recipient of multiple positive reviews acknowledging dedication to excellent customer service. Having been the most mentioned Hotel Representative in the entire hotel.
Education
High School Diploma - Advanced Sciences
Kecoughtan High School
Hampton, VA06.1993
Skills
- Contract Negotiation
- Administrative Recordkeeping
- Meeting Support
- Staff Leadership
- Signage and Display Preparation
- Payment Approval
- Staff Training
- Problem Anticipation and Resolution
- Client Relations
- Event Billing
- Clear Communication
- Conflict Resolution
- Team Leadership and Motivation
- Critical Thinking
Timeline
Event Specialist
Courtyard By Marriott Dulles Town Center
03.2022 - Current
Front Desk Associate
Courtyard By Marriott Dulles Town Center
05.2018 - 03.2022
Front Desk Manager
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
04.2017 - 03.2018
Front Desk Supervisor
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
04.2013 - 04.2017
Guest Service Agent
Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/South
05.2001 - 04.2013
High School Diploma - Advanced Sciences
Kecoughtan High School
Similar Profiles
Anna PriceAnna Price
Assistant General Manager at Piedmont Center Associates/Courtyard MarriottAssistant General Manager at Piedmont Center Associates/Courtyard Marriott
Andrea McMillanAndrea McMillan
Food and Beverage Operations Manager at Westfields Marriott Washington DullesFood and Beverage Operations Manager at Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles
Jenina DayaoJenina Dayao
Hotel Night Auditor at Marriott International, Inc. Courtyard by MarriottHotel Night Auditor at Marriott International, Inc. Courtyard by Marriott