Bad customer service can have tremendous consequences for the hotel industry and can cost your hotel customers and end up costing you a whole lot of money. It can seriously damage your hotel’s brand- even loyal guests can start looking at your competitors when they receive bad service. You should be making every effort to make sure that your customer service is up to par. However, you and your guests could be viewing the level of your hotel’s customer service remarkably different. Businesses would almost always rate their customer service at a higher level compared to how a customer would rate it. Has your hotel taken on a reputation for bad customer service, have you been noticing a few more negative reviews than normal? Perhaps your employees are committing five of the most common bad customer service mistakes in the hotel industry.
The cost of bad customer experiences
Do you know the cost of bad customer service on your hotel? In a guest survey, it was determined that 80% of customers would end a business relationship due to bad service. At the same time, 70% of guests would continue to do business with you if you address their complaint and attempt to find a solution. Guests are looking for responsiveness from you and your employees. Unfortunately, far too often that is not what the encounter.
Common customer service mistakes
We’ve assembled five of some of the most common customer service mistakes in the hotel industry. When employees are unengaged, these guest service faux pas tend to occur commonly:
- Socializing with co-workers rather than interacting with the guests.
- You and your employees should be accessible to your guests- when you and your employees are engaged in personal conversations, guests may feel they are interrupting to get service.
- Putting a call on hold without asking first.
- Nobody likes to be cut off- it makes them feel as though they are not being treated as a valued customer but rather an annoyance.
- Not greeting guests when they enter the door.
- Are your guests walking into a lobby, looking around to find someone to help them? You have eight seconds to make the first impression- by making guests wait, you will not make a great impression.
- Hanging up on an angry customer.
- Irate customers are never fun to deal with, however your employees should be adequately prepared to deal with rude, angry, or challenging customers.
- Failing to listen.
- Your guests are using your hotel’s services- you and your employees should be listening closely to them. When your guest is upset and your employees are not helping find a solution, the chances that you will see that guest again are low.
How can you tell is your hotel’s customer service needs to be improved?
Do not rely on your customers to let you know when they are unhappy with your customer service. Between 70 and 90% of guests will not complain to you but prefer to complain to their friends and family. Always assume that for everyone one guest that complains, there are four who have not. How can you step back and take a unbiased view of your hotel’s customer service? Braymark’s Niagara mystery shoppers can provide you with unbiased feedback of your customer service. They can examine your employees’ customer service skills and make sure that they are up to your hotel’s standards.
