LONGITUDE: Can you give us an overview of what you do on a typical day?
JOYSTON LOPES: I supervise and facilitate all the Club’s events, from solemnisations, weddings, corporate events and meetings, to barbecue dinners and birthday parties. A busy day sees us handling two functions, a lunch followed by a dinner; I sometimes interact with around 600 people in a single day. When I start my duty, the first thing I do is check the staff roster, to find out how many people we are serving today, what sort of events we have, and what the overall set up is like. I start with a quick meeting with my team followed by a coordination briefing with our guests. I will go over all the timings, brief my staff members and proceed to kick off the event.
You have quite an impressive list of awards. This year’s haul includes the Quarterly Service Star Award (Q1), the Excellent Service Award (Silver), and the FDWAU/NTUC/SHA Employee of the Year Award. What makes you so good at keeping guests happy?
We just need to follow a few simple rules. First, be proactive. Don’t wait until the guest comes to you; approach the guest instead. Second, do your best to anticipate all possible questions. Third, keep your word. If you promise something, make sure you deliver. Fourth, ensure smooth flow of service and always keep your guests updated, so that they know everything is on track. The last thing is teamwork, which is very important, because a single person cannot take care of everything. A team needs to be tight, and everyone should feel they have equal parts in contributing to the success of an event.
Do you remember a recent event at work that made you appreciate what you do?
I received a very encouraging email from a guest who organised a 7th anniversary celebration for her company at the Club. When she realised that no one had brought along a camera for the group photo, I managed to borrow one from my colleague. I even took some shots for them. I had forgotten about it until I got a complimentary email from that guest. I was very happy about that. At the end of the day, just knowing that all the guests had a good time makes everything worth it.
What do you like most about working here?
My colleagues are really supportive. Especially during my first year here, my team guided me a lot. When I made a mistake, my manager, Jumadi bin Pari, would take me aside and explain how to do it right. He has taken care of me from the beginning. My achievements have only been possible due to his excellent guidance. Another colleague, Ling Zhen, also deserves a special mention for all the help and support he has given me over the years. And then there’s my twin brother.
You have a twin working here too?
Yes, my identical twin, Royston. I came here first, and since we have the same qualifications, I asked him to join the company. We support each other, share and discuss any challenges we encounter at work. Guests often think mistake my brother for me and vice versa. The reactions on the guests’ faces are quite funny when we tell them that we’re twins.
Are there any challenges you’ve overcome that you are particularly proud of?
When I first came here from Mumbai, most Singaporeans found it difficult to understand my accent. I’ve since overcome this communication gap—and I feel proud about it. Also, I found it challenging to manage the team at first, even though I was good with the guests. But I have since learnt how to take care of both groups and it makes me happy.
Meet Joyston at any of our F&B outlets:
