The hotel industry is all about providing a good experience for guests. This means ensuring they feel comfortable and welcome from the moment they arrive. A big part of this is the role of the hotel staff. They need to be hospitable and welcoming, able to answer any questions and deal with guests’ concerns. It’s important to remember that hospitality is more than just providing a good service. It’s also about creating a warm and friendly atmosphere where guests feel they are being cared for. This is why it’s important to ensure your staff is hospitable and welcoming. Doing so can ensure that your guests have a positive experience from check-in to check-out. Here are some ways you can encourage your staff to be more welcoming to guests:
Train Them Properly
This may seem like a no-brainer, but training your employees properly is crucial to providing good hospitality. This should include how to greet guests, handle complaints, and provide basic information about the hotel and its amenities. Additionally, ensuring that your staff is familiar with your hotel’s policies and procedures is essential to do their work and properly answering guests’ questions.
If employees are not given the proper resources or training to do their jobs well, this can lead to frustration which will be evident to guests. Ensure your employees understand your expectations and encourage them from time to time.
Give Them the Tools They Need to Succeed
For your employees to provide good customer service, they need tools to succeed. This is essential, especially if you have new staff to train. You can provide them with things like a list of frequently asked questions, a map of the hotel, and a list of emergency numbers. Additionally, they should have access to a computer to look up information for guests if necessary.
Teach Them the Importance of Smiling
A hotel’s employees are its most important asset in providing exceptional customer service. To ensure that your employees put their best foot forward, you should encourage them to practice smiling in front of a mirror. Smiling is the universal sign of friendship, and it can go a long way in making your employees appear more hospitable and approachable.
Moreover, you can encourage your employees to take good care of their teeth. Getting dental checkups every six months can help your employees avoid common dental issues like tooth decay or gum disease, making them appear less confident and less approachable. By working with a local dentist, you can provide your employees with tips on how to better care for their teeth, which will not only improve their appearance but also their overall health. By taking these simple steps, you can ensure that your hotel’s employees are prepared to provide the best possible experience for your guests.
Reward Them for Good Hospitality
Rewarding your employees for providing good hospitality is a great way to motivate them to keep up the excellent work. This could be in the form of bonuses, paid time off, or other perks. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something that will meaningfully improve their lives or something they would likely want. You can enhance the benefits you offer your employees or ask them directly what they would like to see. Your employees are the face of your business, so they must represent you well. By following these tips, you can increase the hospitality of your hotel employees and provide a better experience for your guests.
Lead by Example
Serve as an example of the standards of behavior you wish all employees to uphold by regularly demonstrating those standards. You can showcase these when you interact with them or guests in all areas. This includes oral communication skills, nonverbal cues/expressions, appearance & hygiene, written communication skills via memos, email & social media posts as well as phone etiquette skills when answering/returning calls. By showing your employees what it means to provide good hospitality, you set the stage for them to do the same.
Encourage Them to Get Feedback from Guests
When running a successful hotel, listening to what your guests have to say is essential. One way to do this is to encourage your staff to get feedback. This can be done by conducting surveys, setting up comment boxes, or asking guests for their opinions. Not only does this provide valuable information about your hotel, but it also shows that you care about your guests and are willing to listen to their suggestions. In today’s competitive market, making an effort to get feedback can give you the edge you need to succeed.
Your hotel’s success depends largely on the quality of its hospitality. By following these tips, you can increase the hospitality of your hotel employees and provide a better experience for your guests.
