Archive for the ‘Customer service’ Category

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Overcome your guests’ challenges

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Listen to all the reasons people give for NOT staying, or limiting their stay with you. What other services you can provide that might just tip the balance in favour of that night out, overnight stay or weekend away. Think of the challenges your guests face, and how easily you could solve their problems:

  • No baby sitter – can you offer a babysitting service
  • What to do with the dog – recommend kennels (or allow dogs)
  • Poor transport network – provide a free taxi service to and from the station or airport
  • If I stay away another night I’ll miss my gym session and end up eating more than I should – a common concern for business users, so set up temporary membership arrangements at the local gym, and provide a healthy option light or calorie counted meal
  • The kids will want their bikes, but we don’t have a bike rack – offer bike hire or team up with a local hire shop ~
  • There’s nothing to do if the weather is bad – set up a kids’ play room and indoor entertainment area, and provide games and indoor activities
  • I don’t have time to do my laundry, get my hair cut or legs waxed – provide a laundry and pressing service, or offer complimentary or discount vouchers for your own spa or a local beauty or hair salon

You could take the attitude ‘that’s not my problem’ or you can see these ‘problems’ as great opportunities for additional services. Without having to think too hard or spend too much, people can have a ready-solved problem if you’ve put together a package ‘just for them’.
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Be flexible and offer hotel guests alternatives

Friday, July 29th, 2011

You can’t bow to every request a hotel guest ever makes. But don’t be so bound by the rules that any request is met with a hostile ‘jobsworth’ attitude! If you cannot meet your guests’ initial requests, look at offering an alternative:

  • A guest wants an early breakfast, before your kitchen staff normally arrive – offer a continental breakfast or a tray instead, or at the very least a take away cup of fresh coffee.
  • You receive a request just 10 minutes before service for an alternative to the set menu for a big party – you don’t have a choice, but listen to what the guest needs to avoid and offer an alternative combination without this item.
  • Your weekend guests ring ahead and say they haven’t been able to get a dog sitter. You don’t take dogs, but can you find a local kennel who can accommodate the dog?
  • Your guest asks for a particular brand of whisky for an important client he is entertaining. You don’t stock it, so do you refuse, or phone your neighbouring hotel or pub to see if they have it in stock.

Encourage your staff to get into the mindset of looking for an alternative solution, even if the initial question has to be answered with a ‘no’, it can be followed by ‘but I can do x for you’, or ‘I know someone who could do this for you’.
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Offer your hotel guests and restaurant customers a choice

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Give your guests choice. This does not mean having 100 items on your breakfast menu or 40 types of pillow – but do give them a choice you can cope with. Again listen to what your customers tell you.

  • In your restaurant, how often do people tell you they are too full for a dessert? Serving huge portions may be appealing to some, but others may be put off having a starter or dessert if they think the portion sizes are too big. Why not provide a taster version, for a slightly lower price, to ensure the sale? That way the waiting staff don’t need to make a judgement call or check with the kitchen if this can be done; it’s already in the system, and the kitchen don’t have to guess the portion size.
  • Can you offer a choice of rooms in terms of features or facilities? Even if the rooms are all a standard layout, can you offer people a choice of outlook, proximity to reception, in-room amenities etc?
  • How often do you get asked what time is check out? Can you be flexible to allow later check-outs (for an additional cost or as part of a promotional special) so guests have the opportunity to make the most of their last day before they head home?
  • Do your guests come to you to celebrate special occasions? If so do you have one room, which is very special in its own right, or where you can include extra services? What else can you add to your standard offer to make a deluxe version to sell at a premium price?

Become your own hotel inspector, or train your staff to become your personal team of hotel inspectors giving you valuable and objective feedback where ever and whenever you want http://www.zealcoaching.com/products-resources/the-customer-journey/

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Listen to your guests and turn ‘no’ into ‘yes’

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Have you ever stayed in a hotel or eaten in a restaurant where the staff and management have been so hell bent on the rules that it’s impossible to get what you want? I’m sure we all have. And will we ever go back there? I doubt it.

But allowing the attitude that anything goes can be damaging to your bottom line, especially if you are a small hotel. And it can be confusing for staff. So how do you strike the balance?

Over the next few days I’ll be exploring the options to show we are listening and responding to our guests needs and helping to build loyalty and trust.

Anticipate their needs

Start by identifying customers’ needs in advance. Identify your perfect customer and identify the things that will be important to each category of guest. Put yourself in their shoes or ask them directly what they want from their stay with you.

  • Are they business users who need a phone re charger, restaurant or theatre bookings make, access to a printer to print their boarding pass, a quick no frills breakfast before their meeting, or an express check out?
  • Do you cater for families, who may want equipment for infants and small children (and staff who look happy to see them!), child friendly menus, and something to entertain the kids?
  • Do you cater for a lot of celebrations when people may want birthday cakes, flowers, or gifts? If you know there is a likelihood something will be asked for, build this into your services as a norm, that way it can be planned for and staff can be get the right training to deal with the situation.

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How to waste your hotel marketing budget

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Is your hotel making any of these mistakes…..?

Last week my husband and I read a full page colour advert in one of the colour supplements for a holiday we’d been thinking about for a while. This was the Saturday paper and at lunchtime on Saturday I went to their website to find more details. So far so good, the advert had grabbed our attention and had a very clear call to action.

But the website didn’t match the advert. The specific holiday advertised was difficult to find and when I did find it the prices quoted in the advert didn’t seem to be available. So I’m already starting to lose faith in the company.

Undeterred I picked up the phone to ask for more details. Bearing in mind this was the day the advert came out I was rather surprised that the number they gave went directly to a voicemail saying there was no one available to take our call. I was given a selection of options, one of which included requesting a brochure. Fine, all I needed at this point was a brochure, so I selected this option.

Even this bit they couldn’t get right, as I was immediately put on hold!

Quite frankly I have better things to do with my Saturdays and realise there are plenty more companies offering similar holidays. As my first impression was so poor, needless to say this company will not be getting my business. I wonder just how much potential business they lost on that day, and what damage this did to their credibility.

When your hotel does any marketing or promotional activity how prepared are you, your team and your systems for the response you get? Or are you just turning people away and wasting your hotel marketing budget?

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Help guests find your hotel

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Where is your hotel?

Last week I wrote about Google places, but it seems some restaurants or hotels haven’t yet mastered the concept of including a postcode or zip code.

Today I went to look up the location of the hotel where I had thought about staying to see how long it would take me to get there from home and how far it was from the venue I was going to visit. It seemed to list everything but the postcode, even down to having the grid reference coordinates for helicopters!

I looked on the homepage, under location, contact details, directions.

Everything but the postcode.

One simple little detail that could make all the difference between someone saying “yes this hotel is ideally situated” or left wondering whether your location is right for them and clicking away from your site to find somewhere else.

Knowing where you are has to be a fundamental part of the decision-making process to book or not to book, and therefore a part of your restaurant or hotel marketing message. If you want to increase your chances of getting more restaurant or hotel bookings make this information as easy as possible for your prospective customers and include on your restaurant or hotel website’s homepage.

Added to this, even if your customers know roughly where you are there’s a good chance they’re going to use their Sat Nav to find you, so make life easy. Better still put the postcode or Sat Nav coordinates and directions in your confirmation e-mail. But please check the Sat Nav coordinates are correct and don’t take your guests up the wrong road! If you know there can be some confusion pre warn guests and give them the coordinates for a key landmark where they need to make a turn and give directions form that point onwards.

It all adds up to a part of great customer service and contributes to the all-important first impression.

 

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Are you on Google Places?

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Are you on the map yet?

Have you entered your hotel or restaurant onto Google places?

Increase your visibility by adding your details including a brief description of what you offer, a link to your website, photos and even videos. You can update it as often as you like. You can even adjust your location on the map if necessary, making it nice and easy for people to find you, and creating a great first impression.

It’s really easy to do; all you need is a Google account, and then set up your details and claim your spot! So when someone Googles hotels in X restaurants in Y you’re not only come up as a text listening, you will also be plotted on the map.

 

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Chalk and Cheese

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Last week while I was on holiday in Scotland we had a fabulous meal at the Ardanaiseig Hotel in Argyllshire, where Chef de Cuisine is Gary Goldie, Chef of the Year, Scottish Hotel Awards 2011. We enjoyed it so much we went back the following day and spent time at the hotel and exploring the gardens. On both visits we received a warm welcome and attentive service.

Compare this to another local hotel. Same star rating, equally impressive location and stunning views across Loch Awe.

Sadly the same could not be said for the impression it left on us.

As we drove up to the entrance a sign directed us to the back of the building. I could appreciate they did not want cars parked at the front, interrupting the views. However, grand as the front entrance was, the back was far from impressive. As we approached the car park, we felt as if we were getting the evil eye from someone sheltering from the rain under the archway, smoking a cigarette. We could only assume form his attire that he was a hotel employee.

On entering the car park, we passed unsightly equipment – a rusting barbeque and other dishevelled tools. The back of the hotel was far from attractive and at this point I almost suggesting turning round and heading back to the Ardanaiseig. We carried on and down the back steps, passing the window to either the cleaning cupboard or kitchen, whose cluttered windowsill was laden with cleaning products. Then into the back corridor, only to walk past the gents, with the door wide open and the urinal in full view.

I’d love to say this could be forgiven had our afternoon tea made up for it – it didn’t. We waiting over half an hour and when tea did finally arrive, it was luke warm!

What a waste. This hotel could have been fantastic, had someone just thought through the customer journey and taken a leaf out of the Ardanaiseig’s book.

 

Hear it from the experts. Join me on my regular FREE interviews when I talk to hospitality experts and specialists and ask them to share their insights, strategies and secrets that can help to give your hotel a competitive edge.  Find out more and register here.

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The Value of Referrals

Monday, May 16th, 2011

I’m having lunch today at Raymond Blanc’s restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

Of course I’d heard great things about the restaurant in the past, and have even met Raymond Blanc some years ago, but to be frank it probably was not on my priority list of places to go.

Then last summer when I was interviewing business strategist Peter Thomson for my series on How to give your hotel a competitive edge, Peter sited Le Manoir as an example of phenomenal service. He described it as “Absolutely fantastic from start to finish”.

Shortly after my interview with Peter some friends of ours were visiting from Denmark. They asked us to put together an itinerary for them for a week in the south of England. So remembering Peter’s comments I recommended Le Manoir, and duly made a reservation.

Our friends absolutely loved it.

….So much so, in fact that they could not believe we’d never been ourselves, and invited us as their guests; hence our trip today.

So from one person’s experience has come not one further booking, but has sparked a whole chain. And it probably won’t end there. As I was telling some friends about this on Friday, they too suggested a visit for their forthcoming 50th birthday.

Of course, this hasn’t happened by accident. It has had to live up to its reputation, and offer something that will continue to wow its customers on a consistent basis. But even without such a celebrated chef as Raymond Blanc, every hotel or restaurant should be able to find that something special that will continue to wow their customers and guests every time they visit, and prompt repeat business and a chain of referrals.

So what can you do to wow your restaurant customers and hotel guests and give them something to talk about, so they tell their friends and spark that chain of bookings?

 

I’m currently running a further series of FREE interviews, when I talk to hospitality experts and specialists and ask them to share their insights, strategies and secrets that can help to give your hotel a competitive edge.  Find out more and register here.

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Twelve tips for leaving a positive lasting impression with meeting and conference delegates

Monday, April 4th, 2011

You work hard enough to win your meeting and conference business, so it makes sense to leave a positive lasting impression and an incentive for them to return. A lot of effort goes into first impressions, but what sort of lasting impression are you leaving on your meeting and conference delegates?

In my line of work I see a lot of meeting and conference venues, sometimes as a mentor, but frequently also as the client or a delegate. Normally the first impression is alright, you get a warm welcome and asked at the outset if everything is okay. But it’s what happens after this that invariably leaves you let down

  1. If using a projector, are there sufficient sockets for a laptop, and can these be easily reached without the presenter tripping on a lead and breaking their neck?
  2. Has the presenter been included in the delegate numbers and been provided with a chair, glass and water, or does the venue really expect them to stand for eight hours? (At two venues only last week I was not given a chair for an all day workshop.)
  3. Check the size of the table needed for the presenter; if they have notes and handout materials have you provided them with a table that is big enough to put down their notes and props, or it is taken over by the projector?
  4. Is the projector lined up properly screen (and in focus), or is it so close to the screen that the image only fills a quarter of the space available, and worse still, not angled upwards so the image only shows on the bottom third of the screen.
  5. If they’ve requested flip charts is there a supply of fresh paper, and do all the pens work okay and not dried out. Test them at the end of every meeting and discard those that have passed their best.
  6. Consider also the positioning of tables and chairs. I frequently find that the presenter is positioned so far away from the rest of the participants that it would be necessary to shout to hear! When a cabaret set up is used factor in the length of the meeting; if it is an all-day meeting and delegates are required to face the front, ensure that they can do so without having to keep turning round and straining their necks.
  7. Having refreshments turn up on time is critical to the smooth running of any event. Just five minutes late when you have only scheduled a 10 minute break can have a serious impact on the timetable. And this means everything being on time; clean cups, fresh milk, plenty of teabags, etc etc. I know this sounds obvious but you’ll be amazed how often the milk runs out, or everyone favours a particular flavour of tea.
  8. Avoid bottle necks at the coffee station: Arrange flasks so you don’t get congestion all around one spot. Clearly label which pot or flask is tea and which is coffee and which is hot water. Is there somewhere to dispose of tea bags once tea is brewed? If you have more sophisticated coffee machines do ensure they can keep pace with demand. A machine that takes just 20 seconds to brew and dispense a cup of coffee can only accommodate 30 people in a 10 minute period, so certainly won’t be suitable for a meeting with 50 delegates.
  9. Lunch: A simple label on buffet food so delegates know what they are eating (and cut down on wastage). And ensure lunch is cleared away promptly at the end of their break.
  10. Watch for trends. If your delegates get through more still water than sparkling (which in my experience is usually the case) match what you provide in your set up to meet the demand. Likewise for other beverages. It not only keeps your delegates happy, but saves on wastage too.
  11. Check the room temperature, and be responsive to organisers’ requests to adjust this. The bane of my life is air conditioning. Invariably it blows too hot or too cold. Half the time I question whether it’s adds anything, particularly in a room where the windows open, but there are times when it’s needed. But nobody wants to be sat right beneath a blast of cold air, and adjusting it to suit everyone’s requirements is a fine line.
  12. Everyone wants to get off as quickly as possible, so just a few minutes of your time to help with the packing up and to get the organiser on their way just a couple of minutes earlier would always be welcome. And provides the perfect opportunity to gather that all important feedback.

 

Hear it from the experts. Join me on my regular FREE interviews when I talk to hospitality experts and specialists and ask them to share their insights, strategies and secrets that can help to give your hotel a competitive edge.  Find out more and register here.

 

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