I get up at 6.30am and have coffee with toast or a croissant for breakfast. Twice a week I'll even drag myself out of bed earlier so I can go for a 35-minute jog around my home of Dulwich in south-east London.
I first came to the UK in 1993 for work experience at the InterContinental hotel at Hyde Park Corner, London. The placement was part of my course at L'Ecole Hôtelière school in Paris, and while at the hotel I was responsible for looking after VIP guests, who included John Major, Tony Blair (before he was prime minister) and Princess Anne.
I must have been successful at what I did, because I was offered a full-time position in the same role. I accepted, returning to Paris just long enough to sit my final exams and graduate.
Later I was headhunted by a contact I'd made at a function to join the relaunched Charlton House, taking up my current post in 1997.
I travel to work by Tube, usually arriving between 8.40am and 9am.
I'm based on the 13th floor and will start my day by checking that yesterday's tasks have been done. My next job is to organise teas and coffees for the directors and check any ordered breakfasts are being prepared. I'll also deal with any last-minute orders.
Presentation is very important to me, so I check all the linen and china to make sure it's absolutely perfect. I'll also check the food before it goes out to make sure it's up to the high standard the directors expect.
As hospitality manager, I liaise with local wine merchants and choose six or so bottles to present to the directors for tasting.
Knowledge of wine
London probably has some of the best service standards in the world, but one area that could be improved is employees' knowledge of wine. I appreciate not every business can have several connoisseurs, but covering the basics with staff would equip them with the knowledge and confidence to offer customers alternatives if their current wine is not meeting expectations.
Lunch, if I'm lucky, will be a sandwich in the staff restaurant at 2pm, although I have a habit, when busy, of saying to myself I'll have one later and never do.
Although I trained at a hotel school, I believe the trick to great customer service - once you have the training - is simply using common sense. Waiting staff should never interrupt talking clients and should instead use eye contact as a guide to what each customer wants. Chewing gum is certainly out, and I can't stand people that walk on their heels or drop plates down heavily in front of customers. Service should be a form of physical exercise in itself, requiring poise and elegance at all times.
I'll head home at about 6.45pm and may even go to the gym or for a jog, if I didn't do so earlier. This goes out the window if the directors are entertaining guests, as drinks start at about 7pm with dinner taking place between 8pm and 10pm. This means it's midnight before I've cleared up and arrived home.
Despite this, one of the best things about my job is that it's five days and 40 hours a week. I have friends in the hotel business and get occasional pangs when we meet up and I think of the buzz and variety - but then I remember the 3am finishes and realise my life isn't so bad.
Just a minute
What's been your most embarrassing moment at work?
I took a small team with me to work at a fancy function In Whitehall. Our first guest arrived, so I sent the butler over to offer a glass of Champagne, only for the poor guy to trip on his way and crash to the floor in a shower of Champagne. Luckily, it was only his pride that was hurt.
What's your ambition?
I'd love to open a restaurant. I'd offer a range of cuisine from around the world and aim for a high-class but intimate setting where customers could relax and unwind.
Your Oddest moment at work?
I sit in on job interviews, and the language barrier got in the way once with a Portuguese lady. Having asked her about her previous job, she looked rather puzzled for a moment before replying that she'd never worked in a hospital before.
Factfile
Charlton House Catering Services
The Clock Tower, Wyfold Farm, Wyfold, Reading RG4 9HU
Tel: 01491 683400
Web: www.charltonhouse.co.uk
Interview by Chris Druce