The team members within a hotel operation are the beating heart of the business. They’re also the people with whom guests usually first interact.
So, how can your team make the best possible first impression?
As the recovery for the hotel industry slowly starts to get on track amid a tumultuous year, it’s important that warm feelings are established with guests as they return to your doors.
Working in the hotel industry isn’t easy. Long hours, a complex list of varied tasks and ever expectant guests make each day unpredictable (although, arguably, very exciting, too).
Here are a few tips for putting guests first by encouraging the best aspects of your team members to shine through.
Go ‘above and beyond’
Yes, this is a bit of a cliche, but one which really does have a place in the hospitality industry.
Going ‘above and beyond’ for guests doesn’t mean bowing to the most unreasonable demands – it simply means providing them with the experience they expect. And that experience will vary from guest to guest.
It’s impossible to write a job description for a hotel operative that includes every potential encounter with a guest. Therefore, remind your team regularly that when they’re hit with the unexpected, they should always do their best to provide a positive answer or solution.
The more this mantra is followed, the better the blueprint will be for future employees.
Take into account your own experiences
Most hotel staff will have been guests, too, and they’ll have experienced varying levels of service during their own time in hotels.
There’s a lot to be learned from this. If your team can draw from their own experiences to provide the best possible service for your customers, they’ll know the impact they’ll be having on guests.
It feels nice when you’re looked after well by a hotel, and what better way to gain job satisfaction than to pass on what you’ve learned as a guest?
Remember that flattery works
We all like to be praised or complemented – it’s human nature.
Flattery really works in the hotel industry. If it’s used subtly and in the right context, the check-in experience for a guest can be made all the more pleasurable.
For instance, complimenting a guest on their choice of aftershave or perfume will make them feel good, and that’s a feeling that will continue throughout their stay with you.
It’s not about your hotel
Even if you have a trophy cabinet that spans the entire board room or a list of accolades and reviews as long as your driveway, the hotel experience isn’t about your property.
Sound crazy? Not really.
Like any business, the customer is what matters, and their stay with you is absolutely all about them.
Showing off works with decor and well-appointed rooms, but everything else should be geared entirely towards the guest from the moment they step through the doors and the first conversation they have with your staff (or you!).
Find common ground
One of the best ways to make a great first impression is to demonstrate that you have shared interests with guests.
Clearly, this isn’t always possible, but if you’re aware that a guest is staying as part of a golfing weekend and that’s a passion of your own – make note of the fact.
The same goes for food passions or similarities in your personalities. It’s important not to get too familiar with people who are essentially strangers, but the more you show that you have something in common, the more likely they are to warm to you and the hotel itself.
Wrapping up
Use our tips above to create the best first impression for every guest that walks through your doors.
The best news? None of these strategies cost anything more but your time and desire to offer the best guest experience!
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CMS Hospitality holds over 30 years of experience in delivering hospitality software solutions. CMS offers the most complete solution in hospitality software, whether you’re running a hotel, a resort or a hostel. Our highly experienced support and installations team holds a unique understanding of the hospitality industry and will aim to provide software that suits your property’s needs.
Call us today at (+61) 2 9440 9711, or email us at sales@cmshospitality.com. We will be happy to guide you to the CMS Hospitality solution that’s right for you.