2017 is shaping up to be a busy year for travelers, and a profitable year for the hospitality industry. While the customer comes first in any business, it is particularly essential for business owners and managers in the hotel and hospitality industry to see to it customers are comfortable and beyond satisfied. The key to good customer service in the hospitality industry is giving them an experience they will never forget. To get a better idea of how profitable the hospitality industry really is and the clientele you are serving, check out our infographic below:
Whether your customers are traveling for business or pleasure, here are some tips for providing the best hospitality industry customer service:
1) Welcome them with open arms
The customer’s first point of contact shapes the rest of their experience at a hotel. While you don’t want to appear overbearing, it’s important to go above and beyond to make the customer feel right at home. Accomplishing this can be as simple as having staff greet them with smiles, taking their luggage and giving them a comfortable place to site while they wait.
2) Listen to customers and go above and beyond for their needs
In the hotel and hospitality industry, one of the essentials of good customer service is listening closely to the guest and quickly determining some ways to make them feel settled right away. This can involve anything from helping them unpack, delivering refreshments of their choice, running personal errands or arranging a car service to help them get to a business meeting. Try to make them feel as though you know their needs better than they do at that moment.
3) Address problems effectively
Good customer service in the hospitality industry requires you to have a system in place to address customer concerns as they come up. Encourage customers to speak up when they are having a problem, and encourage staff to solve these problems in a calm and efficient manner. Grace under pressure when times are tough will not go unnoticed, and will only improve your establishment’s reputation. In the hospitality industry, it’s a good idea to have customers fill out surveys and questionnaires, so you can fix any repeat issues they are having with the customer service you provide.
4) Empower your staff
Happiness is contagious. If your customer service staff is happy and satisfied, those feelings will be apparent to your guests and make them feel more at ease. Also, giving more autonomy to your staff to serve customers and solve problems as they see fit makes customer service in the hospitality industry more efficient. If staff is trained to listen to customers and ask the right questions, they can make quicker decisions and shorten customer interactions.
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Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
