Hospitality at its Finest: How to Make your Customers Really, Really Happy.
September 30, 2015
It’s the end of September and the official end of the summer season. And as we look in our rearview mirror and wave good-bye to our favorite vacation spot , we can’t help but recall what made that visit so special and so memorable. Was it the food? Was it the people? Yes, to both, but we’ll place our collective bets on the destination. Great location, great weather and unbelievably great service. That makes us happy every single time, no matter if we are traveling for business or pleasure. But let’s say it’s 110 degrees in the shade and the mosquitoes are out in spades. Can you still find that happy place? Well, we think great service can trump any travel snafu. But what constitutes great service? Here are a few that top our list.
1. Focused, Friendly, Fast In and Out
Oh, the dreaded check-in. Aside from the doorman, this is probably the first interaction as they walk through that door. Those first few minutes can make or break the customers’ perception of you. We say that the check-in process should be personalized, quick, genuinely friendly and thorough.
2. Everybody Knows My Name
There is a word that can break through the noise and distractions of the world and reach your customer. And that’s their name. Calling a customer by their name builds rapport and shows that you are focusing your attention on their specific needs.
3. Happy Team
It’s about your team having a “hospitality personality,” which goes further than cheerfulness. It’s having a team with humor and kindness and who quietly makes guests feel comfortable and important.
4. Know Your Location
Make it a priority for your team to know the ins and outs of their locale. Your team should be able to tell a guest where everything is situated in the hotel: services, dining and entertainment. And staff should have a very good knowledge of the hotel’s surroundings and how to get around It means being able to recommend restaurants, activities and attractions.
Hospitality should be all about hosting your guest, not bogging them down with admin intensive processes. Acuant has been powering solutions for the hospitality industry for many years. Whether it’s a solution to expedite the check-in process or collecting ID or passport information for regulatory and billing information, all of this can be achieved in no time at all. Services like self-check-in are a reality with Acuant integrated solutions.