Contributed by Teoh Bee Huat, Orchard Hotel Laundry Attendant.

Uncle Teoh, as he’s known to his colleagues at Orchard Hotel, has been with the hotel for over seven years, joining as a Laundry Attendant after retiring from a 20-year career in electronics. He shares about how he discovered his passion for the hospitality industry after retirement. 

I had been a retiree for about seven years, before I chanced upon an ad in the papers that was looking for part-time help 24 hours a week. Before retiring, I had a 20-year career at an electronics company, and spent my retirement taking care of my three grandchildren. As they had grown up and I did not need to watch them as often, I thought it would be good to find something to help occupy my time.

I came across the ad in the papers for part-time job at Orchard Hotel and thought that I could definitely do 24 hours a week. That’s about five hours a day in the morning, and being an early bird, that sounded perfect for me.

I immediately headed down to the hotel to send in my application. The hospitality industry was not one that I was interested in particularly, as I had come from a completely different field. But the timing was good. I could stay active, and still have time to spend with my grandchildren.

I headed home after submitting my application. But before I even reached, they called me. They asked me to come back, so I did. When I arrived, they asked, “Bee Huat, can you start tomorrow?”

And that was the start of my journey in the hospitality industry.

Marking a new year with a new start in hospitality

I will never forget my first day of work – it was New Year’s Day! 1st January 2013. I took the bus and arrived at Orchard Hotel at 7.00am sharp.

When you are used to building machines, washing laundry in a hotel is a completely different ballgame. My wife takes care of the laundry at home. My supervisor was very kind and patient with me as I learnt the ropes, and now in the hotel, I am a laundry king. I wash all the employee uniform and clothing. (And now I also help my wife out with laundry at home!)

When I just started, there was a learning curve, but thankfully my supervisor and all my colleagues are very supportive. The morning shift handles the employee uniforms, while the afternoon shift members handle guests’ clothes. When I was new, I could not complete my part in five hours at first. But my supervisor said nothing and helped me finish the rest. His patience and encouragement motivated me to keep doing more. Until one day, I was finishing 100% of the washing on my own! That was when I started to really enjoy my work.

I have to confess that this is not the easiest job in the world. I have to really focus on doing my job well to get 100% of the washing done in five hours, but it is a good challenge that keeps me active.

I have also learnt many tips over the years, such as how to treat different kinds of stains and delicate clothing. I am also very careful with the pockets, as a piece of chocolate or a pen left inside can ruin the entire load. The “rules” are simple – clean, no damage, no decolourisation, and on time.

A fulfilling journey in hospitality

It has been a fulfilling seven years with Orchard Hotel, and I am very thankful to my supervisor and colleagues, who have been very caring since the start. One incident I recall happened about six to seven years ago, when I had not been with the hotel for long. One of my family members needed medical attention, and it was a stressful time having to manage work and helping out at home. I decided to share about my situation with my supervisor Shamsul, and after some discussion, I was given a month’s leave to look after my family member. This was a really memorable incident as it deeply touched me, and made me realise how much my colleagues care about me.

This job is also a perfect fit for my lifestyle! I get to wake up early, like I am used to, and head to work for the morning shift. I also get to have the staff breakfast at the hotel before starting work, and wrap up my five-hour shift with a shower and staff lunch at the hotel canteen.

When I get home, there is still half the day for me to spend however I want, such as reading the newspapers, or playing the guitar. I am still learning how to master the guitar, so I am sure my neighbours are getting annoyed with this old man playing badly! My favourite song is Will You still Love Me Tomorrow, which I have been practicing recently. With this job, I also have the time to work out at the gym to keep my strength up (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), and am able to spend time (and about half my salary) on my lovely grandchildren, who are in polytechnic now.