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It can be easy to get defensive when we receive feedback, particularly when we feel it is not justified or we totally disagree with it. What we need to ask is what led to this customer’s perception. This sometimes involves asking questions in a tactful way.

The key thing is to show some empathy with the customer’s point of view. Even if we disagree, something must have triggered their perception.  So listen to what your guest is saying, and aim to turn a negative into a positive. The least you can do is apologise (even if you’re just apologising that they feel that way) and demonstrate what changes you’ve made if appropriate. 

Whatever the feedback you receive, listen and learn from it.  Keep your objectivity and don’t take things personally. Use the feedback to identify your strengths, so you can capitalise on these.  And make sure you share these with your team.   Then use the less positive feedback to identify root causes and what changes are needed, and remember to involve your team in the process.

So next time someone wants to give some feedback, look forward to it. It’s the businesses that embrace feedback that will succeed.

Make it easy for your customers to give you the feedback you need.

Ask direct open questions

Making statements such as “I hope you enjoyed your meal” or “was everything all right for you?” is not likely to get the customer to open up. We need to ask specific questions that will give something more than a yes or no. Open questions starting with how or what are the most useful; for example how would you rate …, how could we improve on …, what did you like most about …

Capture the good and the bad. Even if you don’t agree with feedback you need to find out (tactfully) what has led to their perception, as this may lead to the root of the problem.  

Questionnaires are impersonal and few people like to fill them in except maybe when they’re really unhappy about something. Questionnaires can help you rectify your mistakes, but they often dwell on negatives rather than positives. Although face to face will always be preferably some people will always be reluctant to feedback first hand so don’t dismiss them altogether.   

Visitors Books on the other hand are another good way of capturing general feedback.  Although they may not go into specifics, they provide a great record for other to see and people will often write things that they would not say directly to you.  

Make the best of the positive comments you receive and ask your guest if they would be happy to use these as testimonials in your marketing – prospective customers like to see social proof.

Also take note of the language your guests use to describe what they like. Capitalise on this information and use the same language it in your marketing.

As someone who regularly uses hotels for meetings and training courses I get to see the good, the bad and occasionally indifferent ways venues cater for such events.

Here are my top 20 tips to keep your hosts happy and encourage repeat bookings:

1. Confirm the booking  in writing- date, room size, set up, what’s included and what’s not.
   Put this in a format that is easy for the booker to pass on to the host.
2. Recognise that the host may not always have been involved with the booking, and not everything will always be exactly as they would like it – Be flexible to changes.
3. If the room has natural light, make use of this. So many venues put the presenter and screen in front of the window then end up having to close the curtains (and waste power by having all the lights on – where is the logic in this?)
4. Before arrival – check that the room is ready and that all equipment works. Simple things such as sufficient flip chart paper, the flip chart pens supplied all work, that the projector lens is clean (when was the last time yours saw a lens wipe?), the stationery box is stocked with basics such as blue tack, there is a waste paper bin, water, coat hooks, etc
5. Check positioning of the projector (lined up correctly with the screen), and ensure all running cables are covered with a cable mat – both for safety and a professional appearance.
6. If it is a presentation or training event, provide the presenter with a table and some space to put all their papers, etc.
7. If any materials have been couriered or sent on ahead to the venue, ensure these are already in the room.
8. Brief staff on what meetings and events are taking place, and where.  If using a welcome board, check all the information is accurate (especially company names and spelling).
9. On arrival allow the host time to get settled after their journey, and as a minimum go to the cloakroom and see the room, before going through the detail of refreshment breaks, etc. 
10. Offer refreshments to the host in advance of the other participants arriving, so they have a chance to enjoy theirs before being ‘on show’.
11. Ensure someone is on hand to help with any last minute changes to the set up and in particular showing them how any equipment – projectors, air con, etc works, and going through fire and facilities.
12. Make it easy for the host to contact someone throughout the day without having to chase around the hotel to find you if there is a problem.
13. Check refreshment and break times and ensure these arrive on time.  It’s also useful to check with the host regarding duration of breaks – some meeting timetables are very tight, and don’t allow for a leisurely one-hour lunch (one hotel I used recently took 1½ hours to serve our lunch – our timetable only allowed for 40 minutes, so we had to cut out 50 minutes from the afternoon timetable!). Be prepared to be flexible with break timings – agendas don’t always run on time.
14. Provide refreshments or buffet lunch away from the meeting room whenever possible to allow a change of scene.
15. Check with host if they are happy for staff to enter the room during day to clear cups, etc.
16. Be imaginative with your buffet menus - no one wants to eat bread and pastry every day.
17. Use different flasks for coffeee and hot water to avoid coffee tainting water flasks. Label these clearly to avoid confusion (this cuts down on wastage too as you wont have people pouring coffee onto tea bags!).
18. Provide hosts with a method of securing the room without having to find a member of staff. (And ensure it can be left unlocked if need be for people to get in and out easily). Ensure staff servicing the room during breaks locks it again afterwards.
19. At the end of the day ask the host for their feedback - they will welcome the opportunity to let you know, especially if they have further events booked with you. And you will learn what needs attention.
20. And finally aim to do something exceptional, some thing different or special by which you will be remembered and you will increase your chances 10 fold of getting referral or repeat business.

If you would like more helpful tips, tools and inspiration for your business, sign up for the Hospitality Business Toolkit here

According to research by Coeliac UK, the hospitality industry is missing out on an estimated £1 million a year by failing to provide safe, gluten-free options, because sufferers feel obliged to eat at home. And this is just for the 1% of the UK population who have the disease.

Add this to the huge numbers who have some kind of allergy or intolerance to certain foods and you’re certainly missing out on huge opportunities if you don’t make any provision to cater for them. Not only are you potentially missing out on the people with dietary requirements, but if you can’t cater for that person, then the whole party will probably end up going somewhere else.

You just have to look at any of the big supermarkets and their range of products to recognise there is a huge market here.

But with so many different conditions to cater for it’s inevitable that we are often put off doing anything about it. So what are the first steps?

1.           Research

Contact Coeliac UK and/or Allergy UK to gather information on different dietary requirements and ingredients to avoid and suitable substitutions. Talk to your staff, existing customers and your network to identify those with first-hand knowledge and experience of any specific conditions. If any of your staff have first-hand experience enlist them as your dietary champion.

2.           Decide on your strategy

Decide whether you want to actively promote that you are able to cater for specific dietary requirements, or whether you want to do this on request.  By prompting people at the time of booking if there are any special dietary requirements enables you to cater for them on individual basis.

3.           Review your existing menu

You may be surprised to identify a number of dishes already on your menu that will meet certain dietary requirements such as those with no dairy produce, or wheat. You may also identify dishes that only require minor modifications to comply with some of the requirements.  Check pre prepared ingredients especially sauces and condiments for any ‘rogue’ ingredients.

4.           Revise menu options

Whether you decide to revise certain many items to feature on your main menu or whether you opt to have a variation of the same dish, make sure you have the recipe written up, costed and of course test that the replacement gives you satisfactory results.

5.           Segregate foodstuffs

Some food-triggered conditions can be set off by only minute traces of the food. So ensure that any dishes you have identified as being safe for certain diets are not then contaminated by the ingredient from utensils, chopping boards, or serving ware.

6.           Educate your staff

Ensure your staff are aware of all the options on the menu which are suitable for specific diet requirements, and the importance of checking if they are in any doubt. Keep staff up to date with any changes to recipes or ingredient substitutions.

7.           Gather customer data

Keep details of any of your customers who require special diets with specifics of foods or ingredients to avoid. Build relationships with these people, ask for feedback on meals you’ve created specially for them, get to know their likes and dislikes, and what they’d like to see more of on the menu, giving them an incentive to come back again.

Please note: I am not a trained dietician – these notes are intended as an introduction only.  Please contact the relevant societies for detailed information on diets.

Useful contacts:

Allergy UK

http://www.allergyuk.org/

Information on Lactose intolerance http://www.foodreactions.org/intolerance/lactose/index.html

Coeliac information for Food Service businesses

http://www.coeliac.org.uk/food_business/food_service/default.asp

Gluten-free Chef of the Year  http://www.coeliac.org.uk/get_involved/our_campaigns/1370.asp

If you are an established chef, enter recipes for a three course gluten-free menu and you could win a 1 week placement at Gleneagles.

Food Standards Agency introductory leaflet

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/loosefoodsleaflet.pdf

Food Standards Agency allergen information

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/labelregsguidance/nonprepacked

Food Standards Agency Voluntary Best Practice Guidance

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/loosefoodsguidance.pdf

Was it Oscar Wilde who said ‘There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.’?

Sadly more people (especially us Brits) are likely to share their bad experiences than their good ones.  And in the current climate few people will want to spend their hard earned cash on poor customer service. 

On the other hand, there’s nothing like a referral or testimonial to endorse your hotel or restaurant. Pick up any research on advertising effectiveness and you’ll see word-of-mouth at the top of the list. In fact a recent Google study showed that 33% of people booking accommodation online made up their mind after reading a testimonial. And one of the best things about word-of-mouth is it is essentially free.

So how do you get people talking about you and how do you get referrals? Well, obviously they’re not going to be saying good things about you unless you’ve met their expectations and gone beyond this.

So ensure you do something exceptional. Think of the things that are of high value to your customers but low cost to you so you can give added value. Give people a reason to talk about you.

What can you do today to add value and give exceptional service to encourage your customers to talk about you?