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Memorable, a term defined by the dictionary as something that’s easy to remember, especially because it was unusual or special. When thinking of guest experiences, memorable isn’t a term that’s often used. Instead, the trend is more about personalized, sustainable, custom, inclusive - you get the gist.
So why are we talking about a memorable experience? Well, first, because guest expectations have drastically changed over the past few years. And, second, because there’s a major difference between providing customer service and hospitality.
The latter term is used often casually, but in reality, it’s much more than the former. While customer service is providing everything that a guest expects, hospitality is about going beyond just service, but about ensuring that to improve guest experience, your customers should feel that they received much more than they paid for, and leave completely happy and satisfied with the entire stay.
Even if you do everything perfectly, you may never see your guests return. Most people don’t keep traveling to the same place over and over - that’s just the real, hard truth. But, people do leave feedback, especially when the service is below par. Similarly, guests who have an exceptional stay or have a memorable experience, often make it a point to leave a nice word for the hotel or host as a kind gesture.
And kindness doesn’t come often or easily. More often than not, it’s earned. Here’s taking a look at how hotels, whether large or small, can make a difference by doing simple things that go a long way.
Even if you do everything perfectly, you may never see your guests return. Most people don’t keep traveling to the same place over and over - that’s just the real, hard truth. But, people do leave feedback, especially when the service is below par. Similarly, guests who have an exceptional stay or have a memorable experience, often make it a point to leave a nice word for the hotel or host as a kind gesture.
And kindness doesn’t come often or easily. More often than not, it’s earned. Here’s taking a look at how hotels, whether large or small, can make a difference by doing simple things that go a long way.
A lasting impression is one that stays with you for a while. It can be both good or bad. Imagine booking a hotel, arriving at the check-in time, entering the room, and facing mold issues, finding stains on the bed covers, and getting scared by random pests. There you have it - a very lasting impression and a definite one star. Doesn’t matter if all three are present, doesn’t matter if it’s even just one.
A bad impression is a bad impression and it sticks. Therefore, one of the most essential recipes to guest experiences is this - a clean and hygienic living space. Without it, all your personalized treatment, smiling staff, additional add-ons won't matter!
It’s the most basic principle - before your guest checks-in, have your staff check-in. Ensure that when your guest arrives, they get a five-star welcome with the cleanest sheets, shiniest floors, and the most enchantingly warming fragrance.
Your guests should arrive, and never feel like leaving.
When you read onl online on how to improve guest experience, most blogs will suggest you to offer this service, that service - all of which will cost you a little bit extra. Every investment will mean pennies spent. However, long forgotten are the days of turndown service where a guest was escorted to his/her room, given a small tour, had the bed turned down for the day, and asked if they needed any other assistance.
This is a service that’s now only seen in airBnBs and five star properties. It’s a very simple ask - the moment your guest checks-in, you make them feel welcome and show them that your staff is always available if they want anything. It’s not really a personalized offering, it won’t cost you anything extra, and it won’t need any operational training like that needed for handling booking engines - you can start doing this from tomorrow onwards.
The simple act of making guests feel welcome doesn’t cost anything, it only requires you to extend that welcome in a positive and authentic way!
You may look at the services and amenities you offer, and feel like you’re doing the best! However, just feelings won’t make an actual difference, it’s the research that makes you face cold hard facts. Do you offer breakfast? Other hotels also do that! Do you have a pool? Others do too! Do you offer a spa? Well, there’s one that’s got better reviews.
To improve guest experience, it doesn’t matter what you have on offer. What matters is the experience! If you have a spa, do you ensure that your guests are aware of its timings and prices? If you have a pool, are towels available and accessible? If you provide breakfast, does it cater to all the guests staying - think vegetarians, vegans, and people allergic to certain items?
When people talk about personalized touch, they often mention pillow candy, discounts, package offers, and experience walk-throughs. Those are all exceptional offerings, but if you can’t offer them, it doesn't mean you can’t do something else. And that’s wherein the creativity lies. See what you offer, and make it better.
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There will be complaints, about anything and everything. You might have to deal with a difficult guest, do damage control after a staff member makes a mistake, or face construction issues that weren’t present when you received the booking. The hospitality business, like life, can be very random, and you can get so many issues in a day, that you might wonder why you were in the biz in the first place.
Well, fear not! Just like you, your guests are also aware that anything can go wrong. And they may be frustrated when that happens - but it’s up to you to make things better. The moment you’re made aware of an issue, you should do everything in your power to resolve them. Whether it means changing the room for the guest, calling someone to fix something, or offering an upgrade or complimentary service.
Apart from doing this, the one thing that you need to do is reassure your customer. To enhance guest experience even when calamity strikes, you need to be a people’s person. To understand the frustration that your customer might be feeling and to pacify him or her and promise a better experience in the near future. Feeling heard is sometimes all that your guest wants!
You don’t need to do all the things mentioned above alone - you have a staff, who should be just as proactive in improving guest experiences as you. For that to happen, you need to trust your staff more with important decision-making. Anytime your guests have an issue, your staff should have the authority to make certain decisions without having to consult you or the manager.
Moreover, your staff should work as a team and be able to handle any task thrown at them. The front-office staff should be proficient in managing CRM software and also handling guest escalations and questions. They should also be trained to take over managerial responsibilities, if required.
Similarly, the house keeping staff should be empowered to apply for different roles in the hotel itself. They should have the opportunity to work in the restaurant or the front-office with proper training.
It’s all about ensuring that everyone works together, in sync, to provide the best possible experience to all guests.
What is guest experience? The experience that the guest has while staying at your property. Now, no matter how hard you try, there will inevitably be a customer you won’t be able to satisfy. And more often than not, that same customer will leave a review. And a very long one at that. Be mindful that any new guest interested in booking your property will go through the same review by clicking on the ‘lowest rating’ score, just to understand what went wrong.
And here, no matter what goes wrong, it’s how you respond that will matter! You can obviously get all defensive and blame the customer. But, understand that the same communication is being read by another, prospective customer, who may be put off by the way you put your message across.
Therefore, it’s important to respond to your customers irrespective of what they write about the property, and respond well. That way, you will show that you care about the services and hospitality you provide even after your guest has checked-out of the premises. Doing this won’t just help you manage your online reputation, but also enhance it. You just need to regularly check all booking portals and respond to your customers with respect.
It’s the little things that make a difference.
Improving guest experience isn’t about investing in high-end software programs or gadgets. It’s also not about going above and beyond to offer customized items or gifts. Instead, it’s about enhancing all that you already have, and ensuring that you’re using all your amenities, staff, and offerings in the best possible manner.
Guests are happy even in well-worn homestays, so it’s not really luxury they’re looking for or additional offerings. It’s just that they expect to receive the value of their money, and if that’s done with a warm attitude, your guest will remember you, and recommend your hotel.
It’s that simple!
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