The business of hospitality is all about taking care of people. Whether it’s your guests, co-workers, vendors or those just passing through, people working in the hospitality industry have a natural talent for making others feel welcome, regardless if it’s for a brief moment or the duration of a long stay.
For independent hoteliers, nurturing and developing their team members’ customer service skills can create tremendous value for your property. This February, we’re giving you a few tips to help you invest in your team members’ talent, show some extra love to your guests, and generate strong returns for your hotel.
Remind yourself & your team that every interaction with a guest matters
Check-in and check-out are often the most critical team member-guest interactions, but collectively, all interactions that occur between arrival and departure can have a greater impact on the guest experience. This is why it’s important to train all team members, from front desk staff to the maintenance team, on the best ways to engage with guests.
In most cases, making eye contact, providing a smile and/or saying ‘hello’ is all that team members need to do to engage with guests on-property. However, in the cases where guests need assistance, all team members should be trained on how to handle basic requests or, at the very least, direct guests to another team member who’s better suited to help. The faster your team members can help guests get back to enjoying their stay, the more memorable their experience will be.
If you want your guests to feel extra special at your hotel, encourage your team members to strike up conversations with guests whenever time permits. Simply asking guests where they’re from, why they’re in town, or what their favorite vacation they’ve been on was and why will allow your team to give them a more personalized experience.
Stay two steps ahead with your hotel’s hospitality
Anticipating guests needs is a hallmark of top-notch hospitality for independent hotels. While there is no substitute for years of experience, team members can learn how to read situations and make the guest experience as seamless as possible.
For example, guests checking in between 5 – 7 pm will likely want to find a place to eat soon after dropping off their bags. Rather than having them come back to the front desk to ask for dining recommendations, front desk team members can ask guests during check-in if they’ll be dining locally and then suggest restaurants based upon their preferences. This small gesture not only helps the guest experience remain seamless, but also helps team members work more efficiently by actively handling potential guest requests before they occur.
Some other ideas for going above and beyond for guests:
- Handwritten or printed personalized welcome notes in each room. “Dear The Jones Family, We hope you have a wonderful time in Savannah!”
- Providing coupons and local recommendations for guests to use during their stay.
- Have the owner or manager personally greet top guests.
- Introduce guests to your team- this will allow them to know your guests during their stay and allow them to feel more at home (this can be through a flyer in guest rooms or simply an introduction to the staff checking guests in).
Get a hotel management system that caters to the guest experience
Have you thought about how every aspect of your property should be catered to your guests? From check-in, check-out, booking their room, and utilizing amenities, everything needs to be planned with guests in mind.
Using a hotel software system is no different! When searching for a property management software for your hotel, you’ll want to ensure the software you choose has features that will appeal to your guests. We know what you’re thinking.. “they won’t be using the software, why does it matter?” The truth is, although they might not see the inside part of your software, how the software functions, how fast the booking engine is, where they can find your hotel online, and how the check in process works is all so important! Here’s a few key features to look for in a hotel management software system that are critical to pleasing guests:
- High converting booking engine (guests will be able to book with ease.)
- Mobile optimized website (guests are booking more and more on their phones nowadays.)
- Channel manager with connections to the top online travel agents (guests will be able to easily find your hotel.)
- Pre check-in features (allow guests to skip the front desk and start their vacation early with online check-in)
- Payment processing with end-to-end encryption (keeps guests payments safe & secure with fewer vendors)
Checking Out
Show your hotel guests some extra love this month with these simple tips! By giving guests a more personalized hotel experience, they’ll spread the word about your property and become repeat customers! Hello more bookings!
If you’re looking for a hotel management software system that has the features you need to keep your guests happy, our team would love to chat with you.
