When you get down to brass tacks, customer service plays a big role in the hotel and hospitality industry. It shapes the perception your guests have of you and, ultimately, whether they're likely to use you again. Advanced customer service skills are indeed called for.
Why Is Service So Critical And Vital In The hospitality industry?
Well, if you want glowing reviews in the hospitality sector, you need to offer great service. People will vote with their feet if you don't, as statistics show that just 3% of consumers will use a business with two or fewer stars on an online review. In a very real sense, bad service equals lower profits.
What Are The Best Ways To Deliver Excellent Customer Service?
When a guest stays in a hotel, several actors influence their time with you and their opinion of you. If your customer service skills training isn't up to scratch, then it won't be long until an aspect of your service is lacking. However, as previously mentioned, great service represents more than just smiling and saying ‘sir’ or ‘madam’.
Ways in which you can demonstrate good service include:
- Offering a warm greeting to your guests on arrival
- Answering queries about the amenities quickly and confidently
- Ensuring guests have everything they need to be comfortable
- Dealing with problems expediently and always with a positive attitude
- Providing directions and advice on local sights and tourist spots
Being knowledgeable is critical, but when you don't have the answer, it's about being proactive and helping your guest in any way you can. As a customer service course will show you, you will leave a lasting positive impression by going out of your way when you don't have to.
Happy Customers: Those Extra Touches Really Make A Difference
Going that extra mile is a bit of a cliche, but it still applies in the hospitality and hotel industry. Those little extra touches can really make a difference and turn an OK stay into a Five Star one. Practice this ethos with everyone, and it won't be long until the great reviews you're getting turn into paying guests.
What we mean by extra touches are things like…
- Mailing out a thank you to guests who've stayed with you
- Providing a discount or gift on a guest's anniversary or birthday
- Committing guests' names to memory and referring to them
- Offering to help people with their luggage
While these actions might seem fairly minor at a glance, they can leave a lasting impression on your guests - the kind that will make them come back and tell all their friends about you. Social media is a powerful modern reviewing tool, and just one positive post can reach thousands.
What Happens If You Don't Offer Good Customer Service?
When advanced customer service skills aren't being utilised for every guest, it can hugely harm your business. You see, social media is also available to those who don't have such a good time and aren't happy with what you're providing. The word can spread really quickly.
When you think about the guests who have a poor experience, they are likely to tell many people. In fact, the impact of a bad review can be hard to come back from, as the stats show it takes 12 good reviews to make up for a good one. It just shows the constant work needed to present a positive image to your buying public.
Gain Advanced Customer Service Skills With Online Education
Clearly, customer service is a key element of success in the hospitality industry, but don't worry if your or your team's abilities in this area are lacking. Thanks to immersive video-based, CPD Endorsed online studying like our Advanced Customer Service course, you can boost your skills affordably and at a pace that suits you.
If you'd like to know what it is that makes ours the best online courses around, take a quick look at our Student Study Demo, which shows everything you need to know about life as an OCA learner. To see our entire course library that covers over 20+ industries, visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au.
Alternatively, if you have any questions about enrolment or anything else, simply call us on 1300 611 404 or drop us a line at
