Look on Trip Advisor or any similar website, and you’ll quickly find reviews that outline customer service horror stories. So, how do so many hospitality businesses get it so wrong? And what can hospitality management graduates introduce to a business to make an instant impression? Let’s take a look.
1. Increase Response Times to Resolve Problems More Quickly
Even problems with the most straight-forward solutions can take a long time to resolve when staff are scared to make a decision. Empower workers to make their own judgments. This could be done by introducing a set of guidelines regarding which concessions they can offer or drawing up a company policy on some of the most common customer complaints that arise. Managers are of course needed to handle more complex issues, but quicker decision-making means customers can get back to enjoying their meal or hotel stay.
2. Make Sure Staff Strike the Right Tone when Speaking with Customers
Concentrate on your speaking skills during hospitality management courses, because using the right language can calm so many difficult situations in the workplace. Strike the right tone in your dealings with customers. If they walk into the reception area soaking wet after walking for 30 minutes in the rain, then they probably won’t be in the best mood. The last thing they’ll want to hear is an insincere, overly enthusiastic voice. By adapting to different situations and offering candid and friendly service, hospitality professionals can help clients feel welcome and heard.
3. Introduce Multiple Communication Options for Customers
Stay in touch with latest communication trends and give customers plenty of options to get in touch with staff. Smartphone and tablet apps are making many everyday tasks so much more convenient, and it’s also being adapted for customer service. Assess whether it’s possible to introduce a ‘chatbot’ on a website or app where customers can type and send in their queries. They might have a faulty kettle in their hotel room after a tiring day, and don’t feel like speaking to somebody in person. ‘Chatbots’ are just another means of solving the problem.
4. Graduates of Hospitality Management Courses Should Follow-up with Customers
When the kettle has been fixed, don’t assume that’s the end of the problem. The best graduates of a hospitality management diploma program stay alert to potentially larger problems by following up with customers again. They might have noticed that another appliance is faulty but didn’t want to bother the staff for a second time. When customers notice that workers are being proactive about finding and solving problems, then they’ll have a much better impression of the business.
Are you searching for the perfect college for hospitality management?
Look no further than Eton College. Find out more about our diploma training program.
