1 created by and property of christian alexander and lorena perez gomez

BECAUSE OUR GUESTS DON’T CARE HOW

MUCH WE KNOW…..

…..UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH WE

CARE!

GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY

PEOPLE COMPLAIN, EXPECTATIONS

ABOUT SERVICE, AND THE MANY

DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE HOTEL AND ITS

GUESTS REGARDING COMPLAINTS

3

DEFINE THE ROLE OF A FRONT DESK AGENT (GUEST SERVICE AGENT, RESERVATIONIST, BELLBOY, ETC) IN THE RESOLUTION OF A COMPLAINT AND DETERMINE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR ATTITUDES AND TECHNIQUES VIS A VIS SATISFYING AN UNHAPPY GUEST. IN ADDITION WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE PROCEDURES AND TEAMWORK.

4

L.E.A.R.N. SOME VERY EFFECTIVE AND

IMPORTANT TECHNIQUES THAT CAN

MAKE US BOTH MORE EFFICIENT AND

SYMPATHETIC WHEN HANDLING

COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS

5

If guest services is not your number one priority, then you are in the wrong business!

The top three day–to-day priorities of any hotel:

1. SERVICE-MAKE SURE THE GUEST IS HAPPY!

2. SERVICE-IF THE GUEST ISN’T HAPPY, MAKE HIM HAPPY!

3. SERVICE-MAKE SURE THE GUEST GOES HOME….HAPPY!

PRIORITIES 4-(?) ARE ONLY THERE TO SUPPORT #s 1-3

WHAT EXACTLY DOES “HAPPY” MEAN?

ASK YOURSELF OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PRESENTATION HOW WELL THE POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND SERVICE SUPPORT THESE PRIORITIES

6

WHAT IS A “SERVICE CULTURE”?

DOES THIS HOTEL HAVE A “SERVICE

CULTURE”?

DOES OUR “SERVICE CULTURE” LIVE UP

TO OUR VALUES AND MISSION

STATEMENT?

HOW SO AND HOW NO? WE WILL RETURN

TO THIS IDEA OF “SERVICE CULTURE”

DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEMINAR

7

WHAT CONSTITUTES GREAT SERVICE?

WHAT CONSTITUTES AVERAGE SERVICE? WHAT CONSTITUTES POOR SERVICE?

WHAT ARE OUR PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS AS A CUSTOMER OR GUEST? ARE WE SURPRISED BY GREAT SERVICE OR BY POOR SERVICE?

WHEN WE COMPLAIN, ARE WE SURPRISED WHEN THE PLACE OF BUSINESS DOES A GREAT JOB OR A POOR JOB IN RESPONDING TO AND RESOLVING OUR COMPLAINT?

EXPERIENCES AS GUEST/CUSTOMER:

A GREAT SERVICE EXPERIENCE A POOR EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE ON THE JOB;

RECOUNT A TIME WHEN YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB FOR A GUEST IN DIFFICULT SITUATION. HOW DID THE EXPERIENCE MAKE YOU FEEL?

RECOUNT AN EXPERIENCE IN WHICH YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE?

FACTORS INVOLVED IN BODY LANGUAGE POSTURE

EYE MOVEMENT AND CONTACT

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

YOUR OWN BODY LANGUAGE

“THE FIRST IMPRESSION”

PHYSICAL PROXIMITY

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

HOW WE TOUCH OURSELVES AND OTHERS

HOW OUR BODIES CONNECT WITH NON-HUMAN OBJECTS SUCH AS PENS OR CIGARETTES

UNIVERSAL FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE: HAPPINESS

SADNESS

FEAR

DISGUST

SURPRISE

ANGER

SOME BODY LANGUAGE' ISN'T WHAT IT SEEMS AT ALL, FOR EXAMPLE: SOMEONE RUBBING THEIR EYE MIGHT HAVE AN IRRITATION, RATHER THAN BEING TIRED - OR

DISBELIEVING, OR UPSET.

SOMEONE WITH CROSSED ARMS MIGHT BE KEEPING WARM, RATHER THAN BEING DEFENSIVE.

SOMEONE SCRATCHING THEIR NOSE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE AN ITCH, RATHER THAN CONCEALING A LIE.

HOW DO WE FEEL WHEN WE HAVE A COMPLAINT? THE GUEST’S STATE OF MIND WHAT WE KNOW: THE GUEST IS UNSATISFIED ABOUT THE

PRODUCT OR SERVICE WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED

TO THE GUEST (BAD FLIGHT,ETC) HYPERSENSITIVITY TO PROBLEMS WHAT ARE OUR ATTITUDES ABOUT COMPLAINTS? WHAT ARE OUR ATTITUDES ABOUT GUESTS?... ARE THEY OUR GUESTS OR ARE THEY JUST INTERRUPTIONS?

HOW THE DAILY CHECKLIST AND TIME ISSUES CONFLICT WITH SERVICE

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPADVISOR AND THE INTERNET

“MY WIFE AND I ARRIVED LAST MONTH FOR A ONE-WEEK STAY AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL OUTSIDE OF PUERTO VALLARTA. OUR EXPERIENCE AND IMPRESSIONS OF THE HOTEL WERE NOT PLEASANT. WHEN WE ARRIVED, WE WERE ASSIGNED A ROOM SOMEWHAT FAR AWAY FROM THE MAIN AREA AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE ROOM, WE FOUND IT TO BE KIND OF DARK WITH A STRONG SMELL OF MILDEW. TO MAKE IT WORSE, THE AIR CONDITIONER WASN’T WORKING. WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED AND RETURNED TO THE FRONT DESK TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ROOM AND GET MOVED. THE AGENT AT THE FRONT DESK SEEMED LESS THAN UNDERSTANDING. ACTUALLY SHE BORDERED ON BEING RUDE. SHE EXPLAINED THAT DUE TO THE HOTEL BEING SOLD OUT AND VERY FEW ROOMS HAVING BEEN AVAILABLE FOR NEW ARRIVALS THAT DAY, A DIFFERENT ROOM WAS NOT AVAILABLE THAT EVENING. SHE SAID THAT SHE WOULD LEAVE A NOTE WITH THE MORNING STAFF TO SEE IF A NEW ROOM MIGHT BE AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY “BUT SHE DOUBTED IT”. THE ONLY THING SHE DID DO WAS TO CALL HOUSEKEEPING TO CHECK ON THE MILDEW PROBLEM.

OUR DINNER THAT EVENING AGAIN WAS A MIXED EXPERIENCE, AS WERE THE FOLLOWING NIGHTS’ DINING EXPERIENCES. THE FOOD WAS GOOD BUT WE FOUND THE RESTAURANTS TO BE SOMEWHAT NOISY. THE SERVICE, WHILE EFFICIENT, SEEMED TO LACK ANY WARMTH. THE WAITERS SEEMED TO HAVE TROUBLE COMMUNICATING BEYOND “MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER” AND THE HOSTESS SAT US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RESTAURANT EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE TABLES OPEN NEAR THE WINDOW AND BARELY WELCOMED US.

AS FAR AS CHANGING ROOMS THE NEXT DAY, THE SO CALLED MESSAGE ABOUT CHANGING ROOMS NEVER REACHED THE MORNING STAFF. WHILE WE DID GET MOVED TO A (SOMEWHAT) NICER ROOM, I FELT LIKE WE WERE TREATED LIKE A NUISANCE, NOT A GUEST. FUNNY, IF THE SERVICE HAD BEEN BETTER…AND KINDER, I WOULDN’T HAVE FELT COMPELLED TO COMPLAIN. I DIDN’T BOTHER COMPLAININGWHILE WE WERE THERE SIMPLY BECAUSE I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET ME ANYWHERE. AS IT IS, I WOULD ADVISE READERS TO LOOK FOR OTHER HOTEL OPTIONS. THIS PLACE DID NOT MAKE US FEEL AT HOME. IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS AT MY IN LAWS’ HOUSE INSTEAD.

MY WIFE AND I ARRIVED LAST MONTH FOR A ONE-WEEK STAY AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

OUSIDE OF PUERTO VALLARTA. OUR EXPERIENCE AND IMPRESSIONS OF THE HOTEL WERE

MIXED. WHEN WE ARRIVED. WE WERE ASSIGNED A ROOM SOMEWHAT FAR AWAY FROM

THE MAIN AREA AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE ROOM, WE FOUND IT TO BE KIND OF DARK

WITH A STRONG SMELL OF MILDEW. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, THE AIR CONDITIONER

DIDN’T WORK. WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED AND RETURNED TO THE FRONT DESK TO

COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ROOM AND GET MOVED. THE AGENT AT THE FRONT DESK TURNED

OUT TO BE ONE OF OUR MORE PLEASANT EXPERIENCES. SHE WAS VERY APOLOGETIC

AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE SITUATION. SHE EXPLAINED THAT DUE TO THE HOTEL

BEING SOLD OUT AND VERY FEW ROOMS HAVING BEEN AVAILABLE FOR NEW ARRIVALS

THAT DAY, A DIFFERENT ROOM WAS NOT AVAILABLE THAT EVENING BUT THAT SHE WOULD

MAKE A ROOM MOVE A PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT DAY (WHICH, BY THE WAY HAPPENED

THE NEXT DAY IN A VERY EFFICIENT AND HOSPITABLE MANNER). IN THE MEANTIME, SHE

CALLED ONE OF THE RESTAURANTS AND MADE A PRIORITY RESERVATION FOR US. SHE

ALSO CALLED HOUSEKEEPING AND SENT THEM TO DO A CLEANING.

OUR DINNER THAT EVENING AGAIN WAS A MIXED EXPERIENCE, AS WERE THE

FOLLOWING NIGHTS’ DINING EXPERIENCES. WE FOUND THE RESTAURANTS TO BE

SOMEWHAT NOISY AND WHILE OK, THE FOOD WAS NOT THE GREATEST I HAD EVER TRIED.

AGAIN THOUGH, THE SERVICE MORE THAN MADE UP FOR THESE COMPLAINTS AND I WAS

IMPRESSED HOW GENUINE, KIND, AND ACCOMODATING THE STAFF WERE WHILE WE

WERE THERE. MANAGERS, TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE HOTEL FACILITIES AND YOU WILL

HAVE A VERY NICE PRODUCT. KEEP ENCOURAGING THE GREAT SERVICE AND IT WILL BE

HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE MORE WELL KNOWN HOTEL

NAMES SUCH AS MARRIOTT OR HYATT.”

WHY DO OUR GUESTS GET ON SITES LIKE TRIP ADVISOR TO EXPRESS THEIR DISSATISFACTION and WHY DON’T OUR GUESTS BRING THEIR COMPLAINTS TO US?

A LACK OF CONFIDENCE CAUSED BY…

AN INDIFFERENT, UNCARING STAFF POOR RESPONSE BY STAFF TO PREVIOUS REQUEST OR

COMPLAINT

WHAT OTHER FACTORS COULD CAUSE A GUEST TO ADVERTISE THEIR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ?

THE IMPORTANCE, OR VALUE, THAT A CONSUMER PLACES ON ANY SINGLE OR GROUP OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.

THIS IMPORTANCE IS BOTH MONETARY(OBJECTIVE) AND PERSONAL (SUBJECTIVE).

EUROPEAN PLAN vs ALL-INCLUSIVE HOTELS…DETERMINING VALUE

DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES OF IMPORTANCE WHEN STAYING AT A HOTEL. WHAT ARE YOURS?

•RATE THEM 1-4 1. LONG WAIT FOR TOWELS

2. NOISY NEIGHBORS – NO HELP FROM SECURITY

3. MALFUNCTION IN ROOM

4. ROOM NOT CLEANED

5. WRONG ROOM TYPE

6. MINI BAR NOT FILLED

7. PAID FOR INTERNET-DOESN’T WORK

8. RUDE WAITER

9. POOR QUALITY FOOD

10. ROOM INFESTED WITH INSECTS

11. MADE TO WAIT FOR CHECK IN

12. POWER SURGE FRIED COMPUTER

13. NO VOICE MAIL OR MESSAGE SYSTEM

14. CALLS DIRECTED TO WRONG ROOM

15. MISSED WAKEUP CALL-MISSED FLIGHT/RESERVATION

FORM INTO GROUPS…..

USING A RATING FROM 1-4, “1” BEING A MILD COMPLAINT OR SITUATION AND EASY TO RESOLVE AND “4” BEING A COMPLAINT OR SITUATION THAT SOUNDS ALL THE ALARMS, THINK OF TWO COMPLAINTS FOR EACH LEVEL (TWO MILD COMPLAINTS, TWO EXTREMELY SERIOUS COMPLAINTS ETC.)

THIS CONCLUDES THE FIRST PART OF THE

TRAINING. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SO

FAR? THE NEXT SECTION WILL DEAL WITH

THE FRONT DESK AND GUEST SERVICES

TEAM AND HOW THEY ARE PREPARED

FOR COMPLAINT RESOLUTION AS WELL AS

WHAT WE CAN DO TO BETTER EQUIP

THEM IN ALL ASPECTS OF GUEST

RELATIONS