Customer service is vital in any industry but it’s especially important when working in hospitality. You could be staying in the most luxurious hotel in the world but if the service isn’t to a satisfactory level then it’s going to dampen the mood of your stay.
With that in mind, you need to ensure that your customer service levels are always of the highest standard. We’ve put together seven top tips on how you can excel at customer service in hotels.
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1. Communication is Key
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2. Be Polite
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3. Patience is a Virtue
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4. Empathise With Your Guests
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5. Be Proactive Not Reactive
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6. Be Positive
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7. Keep Your Promise
1. Communication is Key
Communication mishaps are often the root of the majority of problems in hotels. Whether it’s miscommunicating with your staff or not being crystal clear with your guests, a drop in communication levels can cause issues.
For example, guests could end up in the wrong rooms, not receive the facilities they’ve paid for or be treated poorly by your staff - all through a lack of communication.
A large part of good customer service is both keeping your guests and staff in the loop. It can be the difference between a stay to remember or a stay to forget. Keep your communication levels high and your standard of customer service will soar too. If people receive good customer service, they often spread the word and recommend staying at your hotel to their friends and family.
2. Be Polite
Service without manners is the height of rudeness and is definitely not the way to go about nailing your customer service. The last thing you want is for your customers to get the impression that your staff are rude and unwelcoming.
Instead, they should be given the impression that your team are friendly and always willing to go above and beyond for the guests.
Simple manners make for good service and should be a minimum requirement. Otherwise, your team may come across as brash and rude, which is definitely not what you want.
3. Patience is a Virtue
People love to complain, even when there’s nothing much wrong at all. Losing your temper isn’t the way to deal with complaining customers, although sometimes it might be exactly what you want to do.
Take a step back and compose yourself when in a tricky situation with a difficult customer. Being patient and thinking of a suitable solution is definitely the right way to solve the problem and is the best option to help provide a top level of customer service.
4. Empathise With Your Guests
Listening to your guest's complaints and problems is one thing but you can tell when somebody really understands what you mean and shares your pain. You need to recognise how your guest is feeling so you can work towards a suitable solution to their problems.
There may be times when you might not agree with the complaints but try and see your guest's point of view and handle things in a calm manner.
5. Be Proactive Not Reactive
Don’t sit around and wait for problems to arise. It pays to be proactive and seek them out before they actually happen.
Not only will the guest benefit from an absolutely perfect stay but it’s a good way to ensure that your business is as efficient as possible. Efficiency is a great habit and example to set to the rest of your workforce.
Plus, it’ll help your business to head in the right direction.
6. Be Positive
Guests coming into your hotel could be about to embark upon the holiday of a lifetime, so the last thing they’re going to want is to be greeted with absolute negativity. You should always stay positive and keep smiling.
It might not be the customers that are making you unhappy. There could be other underlying problems like not wearing the correct shoes and being uncomfortable at work that’s getting you down.
7. Keep Your Promise
False promises are so disappointing. Guests are spending their good, hard-earned money to stay at your hotel, so the least you’re expected to do is provide them with what you’ve promised them.
If you don’t receive what you’ve paid for, the likelihood is that you’re going to complain, right? So, reduce the number of complaints and improve your reputation by sticking to your word and catering to all of your guests’ needs.
Delight Your Guests So They Return and Stay Again
From customer service best practices to what to wear to make a good impression, we’ve created an all-in-one guide that will help you keep your guests happy and make them return again. Loyal brand advocates are great for business, not only with the revenue they bring in but for word of mouth too.
Download your free copy below.