Your guesthouse or hotel staff may have come to you with a wealth of knowledge in the customer service industry as well as a heap of amazing people skills, but it’s important to have all your employees on the same page. They may have come from different backgrounds of work, so you want every member of staff to have the same principles. Your receptionist may have previously worked in a 5* Hotel, but that particular 5* Hotel could do things differently to yours. Train all your employees to your standards.
As Cape Town is fortunate to be filling its dams, which is the subject on everybody’s lips, it has also brought with it intensely polar temperatures. This seems to be the coldest winter that the Peninsular has experienced in years. Snow and slated frost is foreign to our Mother City. With climate change, we may well be getting more familiar with it!
With such icy temperatures, one always tends to imagine oneself in a romantic setting in the arms of your loved one, sipping on the best red wine that Cape Town has to offer. Of course, the setting is incomplete without dimmed lights and a roaring fireplace. This sketches the perfect winter night spent at Evertsdal. The bedrooms offer the same warmth with all mod cons available, a comfortable mattress and the plushest of linen to swaddle you in the warmth that you started your evening off with. Enjoy the luxury that Evertsdal has to offer, irrespective of the season.
When hiring new staff, you will want the best and most experienced, but you will also have to show them how things work, the ins and outs of the everyday tasks at your hotel and how they
differ to the last job they had.
No matter what part of the hotel your employee is working in, there should be an overall common standard of excellent customer experience. Set out standard processes and procedures to follow in daily situations that arise, making sure that all your staff deal with things in the exact same manner. Give your guests a steady, consistent experience throughout their stay.
Encourage Your Staff to See Everything from Your Guests’ Point of View – Ask them how they would expect to be treated in a hotel. Can your staff say that everything went perfectly and there was no need for complaint in any way from the customer through their entire stay? Unless there is something completely out of their control, your guests should have no reason to speak negatively about your employees.
Keep It Consistent – Make sure that every member of staff interacts with guests on the same level. Your front of house staff shouldn’t be the only ones with 5* manners and appearance. If a guest happens to be speaking with laundry staff, housekeeping, if they run in to someone from your accounting department on the property, they should be greeted and treated the same way as if it were an interaction with a receptionist, spa therapist or waiter. Everyone should have the same vision. Consistency is key!
Staff Etiquette – Speaking of manners and appearance, your hotel staff should carry themselves in a way that always makes them approachable . Provide your staff with a clear dress code or uniform. Your employees should always look presentable and fresh. They are there to make sure the customers stay exceeds expectation. Having rude or untidy staff isn’t going to make a great impression. The type of service your guests receive, will determine their future relationship with your hotel. It may also determine the future of your business, as word of mouth can work in your favour or against it!
Customer Communication – At the heart of customer service is communication, on all levels. All staff should be trained to be calm, accommodating and supportive to all guests. Every member of staff should be trained to deal with any situation that may arise. They need to learn how to deal with both ”easy going” and ‘’hard to deal’ with customers. You don’t want your employees to be caught off guard with a scenario that they may not be able to handle. Constant development of skills in this area should be a priority.
Be Personable – Content guests turn in to loyal guests. Guide your staff to provide a top-class service from the moment of booking. to the time your guests check out. Emails sent back and forth and any phone calls to customers should be seen to with the same amount of excellent service as in-person communication. If you have a return guest, make sure your front of house staff is up to speed with their preferences of room etc before arrival. Little personal touches like this will keep your customers returning and recommending you!
Reference: iHotelIntelligence
