As a hotel manager, achieving high guest satisfaction is key and if you aren't going out of your way to satisfy their needs, then expect an average or even a negative review coming your way. On the other hand, positive reviews and feedback from genuine customers will persuade others to visit. So, here's how to get a 5 star review for your hotel.
We've split this post into five key areas. If these are covered to a high standard, then expect your guests to leave your hotel happy and leave amazing reviews:
- Embracing Technology
- Training Staff
- Responding Quickly To Enquiries
- Learning From Feedback
- Dressing Appropriately
1. Embracing Technology
In this digital age where people are more tech-savvy than ever, it's important you cater to their needs by adapting to the ever-changing technological trends. This can range from the small changes like having USB ports next to beds so that guests can charge phones and other devices while using them, to much more cutting-edge techniques such as mobile NFC technology to enter rooms and make payments.
Source: Skift
Technological improvements like these will leave guests seriously impressed. Knowing that they have everything they need in their rooms and your hotel is going above and beyond when it comes to creating a great experience. Some of the latest hotel technology trends that guests love include:
- Mobile NFC Technology
- Mirror Televisions
- Smart Lighting & Thermostats
We know some of these trends can be expensive, so also consider the more cost-effective ways to be cutting edge such as being able to text the front desk, having Netflix available or installing USB plugs. Having features that guests don't expect will improve their impression of the hotel and therefore their chances of recommending it to others.
2. Training Your Staff
People make or break experiences. If someone rubs you up the wrong way, your impression of the establishment as a whole is tarnished. However, if someone surprises you with world class customer service, such as showing a guest to their room and getting them settled in - rather than just giving them directions, it heightens your whole experience.
It's, therefore, vital that every staff member receives regular training on customer service and works together to create a positive experience. From their first impression at the front desk through to the cleaning staff serving their room, guests should feel everyone is helpful and positive because a bad attitude from even one employee can make your 5 star review go down to 4 or 3 stars.
When you hire new hotel staff, consider letting them shadow one of your best employees to show them what you expect. Then implement a day or two's training regularly throughout the year to keep best practices fresh in the minds of staff.
3. Responding Quickly To Enquiries
The impression of your hotel starts before a guest even books. Consider the journey someone goes through to becoming a guest and try to wow them at an early stage. One example of this is response times.
People have a great memory when it comes to bad experiences and are becoming less patient, so it's important you have someone on hand at all times to answer every query on any platform. A study from Forrester has shown that 53% of customers are likely to abandon their online purchases if they can’t find quick answers to their questions. 73% say that valuing their time is the most important thing companies can do to provide them with good customer service.
- Average email response time: 7 hours and 51 minutes
- Average Facebook response time: 1 day, 3 hours and 7 minutes
- Average Twitter response time: 1 day, 7 hours and 12 minutes
It's difficult to have someone available 24/7 to deal with enquiries. So to ensure they're not left waiting, consider looking into chatbots or even set up Facebook Messenger to deliver auto-responses for basic questions. By using kickback replies on Facebook Messenger, your hotel's response rate badge can achieve 'very responsive' - which is brilliant for those all-important first impressions.
4. Learning From Feedback
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions" - a phrase which applies nowhere better than in the hotel game. We all know the benefits of good feedback. It gets us those high reviews needed to increase bookings, but in a weird way, negative feedback can be equally as valuable.
Hotel managers need to be able to take negative feedback professionally, not personally. This means taking the feedback to the team, addressing the issues and putting fixes in place. Doing this proactively will reduce the amount of negative feedback you get over time and rapidly improve the hotel's standards.
Source: Nathan S Gibson
Remember, professional and constructive responses to bad feedback are a good thing for your hotel. If guests are seeing you working to improve based on their feedback, then they'll appreciate your quick actions and will leave more positive reviews because you take their opinions into account.
5. Dressing Appropriately
Finally, the visual appearance of your team always needs to be professional. This means that their clothes need to look clean and be ironed. Keep shirts tucked in and buttons need to be tied. Correct footwear is also important, as footwear such as trainers don't give off a professional impression. Consider specific hotel shoes which not only look the part, but also keep your staff safe.
The guests are in control. If you're taking the necessary steps to provide an excellent service they can't get anywhere else, then you'll be confident of receiving a 5 star review.
Check Out Our Guide On Improving Guest's Enjoyment
Download our free guide on how to give your customers the best experience possible and increase their overall enjoyment which will lead to more 5 star reviews on a lot more returning business.
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