When guests arrive, most hotels simply guide them to the front desk for check-in and then escort them to their room. Have you ever thought what can make your hotel stand out from the rest in terms of service as soon as your guest arrives? Well, it’s nothing but a bit of extended service with a pinch of personalization.
Value their time
Time is precious so value your guest’s time as no one likes to wait to be checked-in or waste time during the long process of check-in. A recent study by Cornell shows that Americans get apprehensive at check-in after just three minutes, with satisfaction scores dropping by 50 points after five minutes.
Image Source: Hospitalitynet
Every hotel has different check-in policies which is why some hotels take more time for check-in than the others. But as a hotelier, making efforts to value every minute spent by your guest goes a long way. The following services will make your guests feel valued and, trust me, they wouldn’t mind spending another 5-10 minutes checking in if you are courteous in your approach. Take a look:
Start with a welcome drink: Your guests will be tired after a long journey so offering them a welcome drink on arrival and then proceeding to the check-in process is a good idea and is definitely not expensive to implement. Also, when your guest is waiting at the check-in desk, you could thank him for choosing your hotel by offering a complimentary meal or other small gift.
Speed up the check-in process: In my earlier blog which focused on guest engagement strategies during the pre-arrival phase, I mentioned collecting your guest’s details and other proofs of identification via email to cut down time during check-in. If that’s not possible, then provide them assistance during the form-filling process and ensure that your form is short, capturing just the required information.
Also, be prepared with your guest’s information like the room to assign and associated services to be offered.
Offer a tourist handbook: Offer your guests an easy-to-read booklet containing information about the famous tourist spots, local maps, nearby restaurants and the sightseeing packages. This will help them get familiar with the city and they will value your thoughtfulness.
Customize in-room services: I previously mentioned taking details of your guest’s visit, such as their purpose for traveling and past preferences. The gathered data can help you provide customized services to your guest so apart from the regulars like complimentary breakfast and toiletries, you could add more in-room services. For a leisure traveler, you can offer free passes to the museum or an event. Provide in-room stationary to a business traveler, and for the newly-weds, you can arrange for chocolates and wine to be ready in their room or suite upon their arrival.
Remember, your hotel guests aren’t always looking for complimentary services or discounted rates. Being courteous in your approach and adding personalization will help enhance the service levels. These extended services might require investment of time and effort but will go a long way and will translate into many recommendations. It will also ensure that your hotel gets positive reviews for other potential guests to see.
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