In the hospitality industry, a warm smile upon arrival, a meticulously prepared room, and an exceptional dining experience are the ingredients that transform a mere stay into a cherished memory. While these basic metrics are the basis for enhancing guest satisfaction, they just aren’t enough in today’s competitive market for hospitality. In this guide, we’ll explore the strategies, nuances, and thoughtful touches that work harmoniously to create and enhance the experience of each guest during their stay with you.
Update your curb appeal
Your hotel’s curb appeal significantly contributes to your brand’s image and reputation. A dated or unimpressive outside appearance may turn a large pool of customers away from your business. However, an appealing exterior suggests your hotel cares about the details from the inside out. A stunning entrance is more likely to attract potential guests, increasing your occupancy rate and allowing higher rates per night.
Hotels are also in an extremely competitive industry, and a stunning outdoor space may be just what you need to set yourself apart from your competition. Ensure your business’s exterior is well-maintained by landscaping management professionals and well-lit for guests arriving after dusk. A gorgeous outdoor space also opens your hotel up to profitable opportunities, such as hosting weddings and other special events.
Create a welcoming environment
First impressions are everything when it comes to guest satisfaction. Your staff is the heart of your business and needs robust customer service training to help emphasize the importance of a friendly and welcoming demeanor when communicating with guests and patrons.
Cleanliness and ambiance are equally important when it comes to making a delightful first impression. Ensure each area of your business is cleaned and maintained regularly, from rooms to common spaces like your lobby, to create a pleasant atmosphere for guests. Use appropriate lighting, decor, and background music to foster a comfortable and inviting ambiance for guests.
Personalize your services
Personalization and catering to each party’s needs are keys to providing a positive guest experience. Collect information about guest preferences during the booking or check-in process, such as room location, bed size, and dietary restrictions.
Hotel customer relationship management software can help you store and collect guest information and track their preferences for future visits. Additionally, train your staff to anticipate the unique needs of your guests so they can fulfill them before they even get a chance to make the request. For example, a couple staying with you for their honeymoon will likely be interested in services to do as a couple, such as a massage or romantic dinner.
Streamline the check-in and check-out process
Technology is revolutionizing the guest experience, allowing you to reduce guest wait times. Implement online check-in options to allow your guests to bypass the front desk if they choose to do so. Another convenient option is enabling guests to settle their tab electronically and receive the invoice via email, preventing them from having to wait in a long and often frustrating check-out line in the mornings. By making the process as streamlined as possible, you reduce stress for both your staff and guests.
Robust staff training
You likely have some training protocols for new and existing staff, but consider how you can enhance your training process to provide even better quality service to customers. Train your staff in effective active listening, communication, and conflict-resolution skills so they can handle all guest interactions professionally and consistently.
You likely have various roles and departments, and you should consider role-specific training for your staff. Provide specialized training based on each staff member’s role in your business to ensure they’re knowledgeable and skilled in their responsibilities. The skills and expertise of your front desk staff will vary from the skills needed by the person managing the front door, so make sure you set your employees up for success. By tailoring training to each role, you enable employees to excel in their service to guests.
Provide quality amenities
Delighting customers with amenities and services significantly impacts overall guest satisfaction. Maintenance, upkeep, and safety are standard practices, but you should also ensure that all amenities are accessible to all guests, particularly those with disabilities.
Offer a diverse range of amenities to cater to different preferences. Family travelers appreciate kid-friendly activities or babysitting for little ones, while business travelers appreciate a well-equipped business center and high-speed internet access. In regards to services, room service is also strongly recommended. Offer prompt and high-quality room service with an extensive menu that caters to different dietary needs.
If you operate a spa, ensure your employees in this department are skilled professionals and that you provide a tranquil environment. Provide a range of treatments, from hair styling to makeup services, massages, and more, to suit the different needs of your guests. Keep in mind the types of clients you receive on a daily basis so you can offer appealing amenities to your different customer segments.
Communication expertise
Communication is a cornerstone of the hospitality industry, from the booking process, during their stay, to after they check out. Ensure you’re sending confirmation emails to guests prior to their stay and include information about amenities, parking, additional services, and local attractions. You should also provide clear and concise information to guests during their stay about your services, available dining options, and things to do in the area, especially for tourist guests.
While communication between staff and customers is a top priority, ensure your staff is engaged in internal communication too. Effective internal communication ensures all departments and staff are well coordinated, leading to smoother operations, fewer mistakes, and an improved guest experience. The satisfaction of guests often depends on how well staff communicate internally. If a guest makes a request, it’s essential that this information be conveyed accurately and efficiently to the relevant departments so you can work together to address the issue and meet your guests’ needs.
Offer a delicious dining experience
While room service is a must, consider incorporating a restaurant and bar into your establishment. When guests plan a vacation or trip, they expect a wide array of dining options to be available and won’t always want to leave the property to get dressed up for a nice dinner. Offer a dining option that aligns with your overall branding but has a unique touch. Create dining and drink menus that offer local options. For delightful dining presentation skills, train your kitchen and waitstaff to ensure meals are presented attractively and promptly.
Efficient issue resolution
You can do your best to avoid issues with customers, but it’s impossible to prevent a problem from occurring at some point. To help resolve your issues and maintain a positive overall guest experience, ensure you address all customer concerns efficiently and professionally. Training your staff to resolve minor issues on the spot empowers them to handle issues without escalation, often delighting customers with an easy resolution.
Surprise and delight your guests
Surprising and delighting customers helps you go above and beyond with their overall experience. Recognize birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, honeymooning guests, and other special occasions with personalized touches like rose petals in their room, special desserts, champagne, and more. Additionally, offering less-expected touches like room upgrades when you’re at low capacity can instantly delight guests, giving them a quality experience not even an hour into checking in for their stay.
Collect and evaluate feedback
Collecting guest feedback is a vital part of enhancing the experience for your guests. Feedback provides insights into what’s going well and where you can make improvements for your business. You can collect feedback through post-stay surveys, online reviews, and social media interactions, as well as through direct communication, and use feedback software to collect, organize, and highlight key areas for improvement.
When offering feedback opportunities, ensure guests can provide feedback anonymously if they prefer, ask clear, open-ended questions, include incentives, and segment feedback based on demographics, length of stay, and source of booking to identify patterns and trends.
Manage your reviews
With so many online business directories, such as Google and Yelp, every customer can be a critic. Even with top-notch staff, sometimes an angry customer is unavoidable. While you can’t control what customers say about your business, you can control how you respond. Don’t leave less-than-stellar reviews hanging, turning potential customers away from your business. Always respond to your reviews, especially the bad ones.
When you reply to a customer’s dissatisfaction with your business, you show the customer and others who see the review that you care about the service you provide and are willing to do things to make it better. A sincere apology and offering a resolution to their problem can go a long way, but ensure you actually follow through with the solutions you name.
Provide transportation
If most of your guests have to fly to your destination, offering an airport shuttle to and from your hotel is an amenity that can elevate you above competing hotels and resorts. Many guests may not have access to a vehicle during their stay. If your location is a long drive from the airport, taxis can be quite expensive for guests. By offering a shuttle service, you delight your customers before they’ve even set foot on your property, enabling them to relax and get their vacation started the moment they land.
Demonstrate environmental responsibility
More guests than ever are making the pledge toward sustainability, and if you haven’t joined in, it’s time to start. Implementing eco-friendly practices, such as conserving energy, reducing water usage, and more, appeals to your environmentally conscious customers. Ensure you communicate the efforts your business is employing to demonstrate environmental responsibility to appeal to customers from the booking process to their stay with you.
Upgrade the sensory experience
While the visual appeal of your hotel cannot be neglected, don’t forget about the other four senses as well. Evaluate other aspects of your hotel, such as lighting, music, and even smell, to create a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere.
Avoid harsh, blue-toned overhead lighting to avoid replicating the ambiance of a hotel. Keep the volume low on the music you play and stick with instrumentals. Lastly, while you want your property to be pristine in every corner, ensure it doesn’t cause your various rooms to smell like cleaning detergents. Consider installing some diffusers or scent plugins to ensure your hotel smells just as delightful as it looks.
Create an app
Many people agree that at this point, our phones are essentially extensions of our hands, providing a way for hotels to offer even more convenience. We mentioned earlier that streamlining the check-in and checkout processes can have a positive impact on your guest experience, so why not include it in your app?
In addition to streamlining the check-in and check-out processes, offer keyless entry via your app so guests can use their phones as their room keys, avoiding the annoying scenario where a key is lost. Guests can also use your app to request room upgrades, book amenities, and personalize their room preferences.
If your property utilizes smart home technology, you can integrate controls into your app so guests can customize light settings, thermostats, and entertainment systems. Your app can also serve as a 24/7 front desk tool to get local recommendations, order room service, and book amenities.
The keys to guest satisfaction
In an industry where the guest experience is paramount, achieving excellence requires a harmonious combination of elements like exceptional service, thoughtful gestures, and unwavering attention to detail. As you delve into the insights provided in this guide, it’s important to recognize that guest satisfaction is not a static goal but an ever-evolving journey.
Personalization is the cornerstone of this journey, as it allows you to connect with your guests on a deeper level, making them feel valued and understood. Attention to detail is another crucial aspect, where the smallest touches can leave a lasting impression. Effective communication throughout every guest touchpoint, from booking to departure, fosters trust and transparency, enriching their overall experience.
Yet the most significant takeaway is the commitment to continuous improvement. In the world of hospitality, the pursuit of perfection is ongoing. By embracing guest feedback and staying attuned to evolving trends and preferences, you can adapt and refine your offerings to meet and exceed guest expectations. This level of dedication cultivates a loyal clientele and positions your establishment as a beacon of excellence in a competitive landscape.
