Every member of the team at a hotel has to learn customer service skills that go above and beyond a guest’s expectations. While some employees may come to the company with amazing people skills and years of customer service under their belt, it is important to train all employees to get everyone on the same page.
You want to deliver a consistent experience to all of your guests whether they are ordering dinner to the room, interacting with housekeeping or checking out at the front desk. Having a formalized way of interacting with guests, conducting standard processes and providing superior service will help make the expectations clear.
Having this formalized way of interacting with guests will help the property run smoothly, but it requires some effort on the front end. Management needs to train new employees to attend to guests and give intermittent refresher courses to current employees. While it is important to keep key traits in mind while hiring new employees, many skills can be learned.
Ensure your property is putting its best face forward and focus on these aspects when training the hotel staff to attend to guests:
Communication
Communication is possibly the most important part of customer service. The way in which your employees interact with guests can make or break an experience. Employees need to be cool, calm and collected, but they also need to be accommodating and supportive as well. They need to be thoroughly trained with interactive simulations and scenarios so they are not caught off guard.
Body Language
Body language is another important factor. While it may be unintentional, body language says a lot. Make sure your employees are giving the right message with the way they carry themselves throughout the property.
Department Expectations
There should be a clear understanding of what is expected from each role. While team members can go above and beyond their call of duty, a task or job should always be assigned to a specific role. Each employee should know which duties are assigned to each department. While it is important to know what is expected of each employee, it is also useful so employees will know where to direct specific questions. With clear expectations, guests will enjoy better service and more organized interaction with staff.
Training and Development
Training is the most crucial aspect as it puts your staff in a better position to contribute to the hotel’s success. Make training a part of day-to-day management, so it’s not considered as an additional task. This goes for both staff and management.
Behavior
Train your staff on their behavior management. You need to teach them how to identify customers’ needs and requests, and how to conduct themselves when assisting the customer.
You have to encourage your staff to take a guest journey and see everything from a guest’s point of view as often as possible. This will help them put the whole customer experience into perspective.
Also Read: Are You Motivating Your Hotel Staff To Perform Better?
