Monday, June 23, 2008

Personalised hospitality excellence still a deliverable

Personalized hospitality excellence still a deliverable!
Jun 24, 08 2:00 am
By Doug KennedyDespite all the negative publicity we read these days about the erosion of customer service, genuine, authentic hospitality is still being delivered daily by frontline superstars. As a frequent flyer who is sometimes on the road more than off, all too often I'm made to feel like just another customer in queue; another voice on the phone line; another room number calling in requests. More than once I've found myself standing alone in an empty lobby and being asked: "May I help the next guest?" or walking up - luggage in hand - and being greeted with "Checkin' in?"
Yet despite all this talk about service mediocrity these days, I still receive gestures of personalized hospitality excellence, often when I least expect it. Although a lot has been written about creating "Wow" experiences and "Legendary" service to help guests overcome extraordinary circumstances, some of the most meaningful gestures of hospitality are the easiest to create and cost virtually nothing to deliver daily.
For example, I'll never forget my room service waiter Brian at the Don Cesar Hotel who not only took time to listen to the drama of my "how was your trip in?" story, but also before leaving asked "Can I get you some extra pillows or anything else for your room Mr. Kennedy?" At the Loews Philadelphia hotel I was completely shocked when the gift shop clerk handing my late night purchase asked if I might also want a wake-up call! I'm still grateful to Dey, the restaurant captain at Cambridges Beaches in Bermuda, who having been my waiter for several nights in a row called to remind me the (only) restaurant was closing soon. (I had gotten mixed-up by the time change and otherwise would have missed dinner that night since it was off season and everything was closing.)
Then there's entire bellstaff of the Peabody Orlando who still let my kids ride along on the luggage cart despite that they are now 9 and 10 years old! Yet it's not always just the front of the house staff that excels in hospitality excellence. I've also had some of my most memorable service experiences from the heart of the house staff such as Allie my housekeeper at the Hilton Suites at Lexington Green. During my weeklong stay for a summer family vacation she not only worked around my family's crazy schedule, never complaining about our mountain of towels, but she also made sure my daughter's stuffed animal friends each received a chocolate mint with turn-down service!
So why is it that some frontline associates are able to deliver genuine, authentic hospitality in a pro-active way while others languish in mediocrity? More importantly, what can hotel managers do to foster a corporate culture that creates more of these behaviors and actions? Here are some suggestions for helping your frontline staff create these memorable moments of ordinary excellence daily:
Recruit and select those who are hospitable by nature. Start by reading the definition of hospitality which is "treating others with warmth and generosity" and then find people who are warm and generous. Recruit customer service providers you see in action. In reviewing resumes, look for volunteerism, community participation, and team experiences on resumes.
Extend authentic and genuine hospitality in your relationships with frontline associates; understand that hospitality starts in the heart of the house when you greet your first colleague of the day. The higher the level of hospitality excellence guests receive at a hotel, the more vibrant and fun the annual employee holiday party is, guaranteed!
Re-humanize your guests. Make sure associates never refer to guests as their room or table number. Help frontline service providers understand that there is a "story" behind every guest and each is engaged in their own unique travel situation or circumstance.
Report back to the frontline staff on how their actions and attitudes have a positive impact on guest stays. This is especially important for the "heart of the house" staff and also those such as reservations or PBX operators who don't actually meet guests face-to-face.
Eliminate rigid scripting of guest interactions and overly detailed standards that turn staff into robots. Instead, encourage your staff to have real conversations with the real people they call guests.
Celebrate your staff's success. It doesn't take a cash payout or an engraved plaque to show your appreciation. Sometimes a heartfelt "thank you" and dare I say it in today's litigious business world - a hug - can be much more meaningful

Every hotel employee is a sales person

Every hotel employee is a sales person
Jun 24, 08 1:57 am
By Hans Jürgen RüffertDinslaken - What counts most is the first impression. This refers particularly to the front desk in a hotel. That is why the employees on reception should not limit themselves only to a friendly check in and check out. What is important is that every hotel employee is a sales person. ‘Already at reception various possibilities for an additional sale come up', says Hans Jürgen Rüffert from the company Revway. ‘This is particularly essential when the guest started the hunt for the best price on the internet'.
Note regarding an upgrade
Already the receptionist should actively approach the guest and advice him/her about the possibility of an upgrade in a higher room category. Similarly discounts on breakfast, lunch and dinner are possibly available conditional to additional bookings.
Note regarding another booking
Also at reception the decision, whether a guest will come again or not, is being made. Still very seldom at check out is the question about the next reservation being asked. Possible you can offer the guest this benefit.
Request for a feedback
It is highly advisable to ask the guest for a short feedback about his stay at check out. This counts, above all, if the customer made his reservation on the internet. In this way one finds out quickly if the guest liked the stay. You could ask the satisfied guests to publish a positive judgment on a hotel review internet portal.
Each guest is equally important
In many hotels one still differentiates between the guests who made their reservations on the internet and the ones who booked directly at the hotel. The hoteliers neglect the guests who book on the internet because they must pay commission on those reservations to the travel portals. Therefore, these guests are often accommodated in the worst rooms. However, the hotels do not think about the fact, that these guests have paid an even higher room rate in these circumstances.
No prejudices against the guest
Every guest should be treated equally, no matter how he or she looks. One should never draw conclusions on the behavior in the hotel. This is a basic rule which is unfortunately not always followed.
The guests are multipliers. If they liked it in the hotel, they will inform the others about it. Therefore, it is so important to treat all guests equally. You should never take it for granted that the guest will come again.