Highlights from the Bring It On Webcast: September 22, 2021
COVID has changed the entire landscape of service. As customers return to hotels, how will you train your staff to continue to provide stellar service in these trying times.
On September 22, 2021 Kristi White was joined by Cindy Novotny, partner with Master Connection Associates, to discuss this topic. Both agreed that service is the key to retaining, or regaining, customer loyalty.
Below are three recommendations we took away from the discussion.
- It is imperative to have a GM or Director on the floor at all the times, at least until next year. Having an experienced leader available to greet every guest as they arrive, when possible, ask what they need or what the hotel they can do for them will go a long way in preserving loyalty. If you need to, move your desk on to the main floor. It shows the staff that your leaders are committed to working with them to ensure each guest feels special and has what they need right from the beginning.
- Be more present with your guests, as well as potential or returning customers. Making sure your sales staff is taking the time to understand your past customers to identify those that haven’t come back and find out why. If you can’t get them back, ask for feedback. If you reach out to existing customers as well as those you haven’t seen lately, don’t start the call with “When can we expect to see you back?” Instead, tell them you’d love to get their opinion on travel today, or how your hotel can continue to evolve to better serve them. Let them know that you’d love to hear from them. This can open the door to future business. If they know your name, they will call you when they need a hotel.
- Do NOT drop rates. If someone says they can get a better rate, then they aren’t your customer. You need customers that you can take care of them. The reality in the industry is that the cost of everything has gone up. Unfortunately, the customer doesn’t pay attention to that, or care to know about it. Take the time to explain the value that they get from staying at your hotel. You need to have grit and stay true to your cause. Lowering rates will put you in an uncomfortable position of having to find a way to raise your rates when things get better. Instead, point to those value propositions and avoid the rate game.
Kristi and Cindy discussed a wide range of issues and their impact on guest service and ultimately how that will impact revenue and loyalty in 2021 and beyond. Listen in to hear more!
If you’re a hotelier who’s ready to find and book more meetings while streamlining your sales process, schedule a demo with one of our prospecting pros. We’ll ensure you have the right information to capture the best opportunities for your property.
