Okay so I am fully aware that I haven't updated in a few days but I wanted to explore the financial district the most I could in a week before I updated. I am taking tomorrow to visit the museums on my list and then I'll be ready.
The past week has been my first full week of proper work where the focus has shifted from my training to whether or not I can actually do my job. Turns out I'm pretty good at it.
Tips for Front Office Employees.
1. Never say no! You don't have to and the guest does't have any reason to care that you should. If you ever get into a situation where a guest is requesting something you cannot provide leave the desk for a minute, especially if you are busy, and think about personalizing an individual response to the problem. Guests don't mind if their check in takes a few minutes longer but they do mind if they don't get what they asking for.
2. Never offer just one alternative. This works especially well if they are angry, returning to the front desk with multiple options gives the impressions that you actually pieced together their problem and its constraints, which you are forced to do if you keep this in mind. Options give the power back over to the guest and make them feel like they are controlling the situation.
3. Smile always. If a guest is angry before they even get to you, a MASSSIVE smile and genuine concern relax them instantly. Judge the situation carefully and try, being sensitive, to joke around. It doesn't matter how upset they are, if you can get them to smile or smirk - you just made your job so much easier for yourself.
4. Personalize and separate yourself from the organisation. This works in two ways. Firstly you do not become personally responsible for the situation and it reduces the risk that your name will end up in a complaint. Secondly it forms a personal understanding, where you as employee agree with them totally, even though "the organisation" does not. After you have separated yourself you can give them personal advice, in line with what the policy is anyway, and they are much more likely to accept it because you now have their best interest at heart.
5. Never be afraid to admit a mistake. Same as your parents, guests would much rather deal with a mistake as it happens than find out about it a few days later from somebody else. In my first few days escorting guests to their rooms I would get lost in the massive hotel. Making the guest understand that I am new and that I am trying my best makes the journey a small adventure instead of an inconvenience. Guest's love this! Honesty is a universal social lubricant: dishonesty is simply bad service.
6. Follow up. Some guests have personalities that you will automatically remember. some don't. It doesn't matter they all paying for the same service. Treat everybody with the same respect and reward great guests with extra special service but make sure you follow up. Just providing one extra teeny service, an ice bucket for example, will cement the process as positive and complaints will turn into praise.
7. No good deed goes unpunished. This is the hardest lesson I am learning and it has happened personally to me. For example, a guest arrives at 9am for a 3pm check in. They have had a long flight and are extremely upset that they have to wait for a room. You switch rooms around and get them into a vacant room without a wait. Smiles all around. Six hours later they are back at the desk requesting a room change because the room you put them into AT THEIR REQUEST does not have a view or is smaller than they were expecting. You cannot say it is actually their own fault so rather stick to policy and let them blame the industry standard than you or your hotel.
That done there are a few things guests repeatededly complain about that baffle me.
1. Check in times. Check in time is 3 o'clock universally. Just because you arrived at nine does not mean you automatically move in. The hotel I work at is frequently 100% occupied and guests do not check out before noon. I know you are tired but you arrived early We will get you into a room as soon as possible, sometimes within a few minutes but understand, it is similar to asking a doctor who opens at 9am to see you at 11pm and getting upset that he cannot.
2. The view. The hotel is slap bang in the middle of New York City, We are surrounded by high rise buildings. You do not come to NY for majestic views and we cannot offer them. You paid for a room on the 7th floor and want to the see the coast? I cannot do that, God himself cannot do that. Why you want a view on a normal city street is above my understanding. why you will get upset about it flabbergasts me.
3. The person serving you. This is a rule that applies generally to all situations in life. You have a problem and between you and the solution is a single person. DO NOT ATTACK them based on looks, observations or stereotypes. They will lose any interest in helping you and your chances of getting what you want plummet to just above mediocre. We are human beings and you would never speak to us this way if there wasn't a desk between us. Motivate me to help you and I will probably, more than you expected.
Tips and tricks for guests.
1. Everybody asks for an upgrade. Seriously everybody does and we have an obligation to fulfill those as best we can. Real world constraints are: time of day, availability and - no jokes- how pushy you are about it. Hotels offer you to request special rooms beforehand, make use of this. We will not re-assign a room if the guest made special requests at the time of the reservation unless we have too. The best upgrades get given first so check in early and ask and you will probably get what you want, arrive at 12pm when the hotel has had 96% check ins and you only get the option of whats left, it won't be much.
2. If you are celebrating let us know. This is hotel gold for free. If you let hotels know beforehand they WILL make special arrangements. If you let them know at check in they will do their best. If you let them know at check out, well sorry we cannot read minds and deal with it.
3. Always look for honour guests desks or specialized check in areas. The employees that work these areas are the most experienced and have the most power when it comes to upgrades etc. They will always receive any guests and you do not have to part of a program to use them.
4. I might get into trouble for this one but here goes. If you have a genuine complaint DO NOT immediately ask for a manager. The manager will deal with your problem as fast and professionally as possible but that doesn't not meant you will get the best option. Involving staff that were involved previously means they become liable for the complaint and they will work with you to resolve the issue. You increase your saying power significantly by cordially getting as many people involved as possible.
The past week has been my first full week of proper work where the focus has shifted from my training to whether or not I can actually do my job. Turns out I'm pretty good at it.
Tips for Front Office Employees.
1. Never say no! You don't have to and the guest does't have any reason to care that you should. If you ever get into a situation where a guest is requesting something you cannot provide leave the desk for a minute, especially if you are busy, and think about personalizing an individual response to the problem. Guests don't mind if their check in takes a few minutes longer but they do mind if they don't get what they asking for.
2. Never offer just one alternative. This works especially well if they are angry, returning to the front desk with multiple options gives the impressions that you actually pieced together their problem and its constraints, which you are forced to do if you keep this in mind. Options give the power back over to the guest and make them feel like they are controlling the situation.
3. Smile always. If a guest is angry before they even get to you, a MASSSIVE smile and genuine concern relax them instantly. Judge the situation carefully and try, being sensitive, to joke around. It doesn't matter how upset they are, if you can get them to smile or smirk - you just made your job so much easier for yourself.
4. Personalize and separate yourself from the organisation. This works in two ways. Firstly you do not become personally responsible for the situation and it reduces the risk that your name will end up in a complaint. Secondly it forms a personal understanding, where you as employee agree with them totally, even though "the organisation" does not. After you have separated yourself you can give them personal advice, in line with what the policy is anyway, and they are much more likely to accept it because you now have their best interest at heart.
5. Never be afraid to admit a mistake. Same as your parents, guests would much rather deal with a mistake as it happens than find out about it a few days later from somebody else. In my first few days escorting guests to their rooms I would get lost in the massive hotel. Making the guest understand that I am new and that I am trying my best makes the journey a small adventure instead of an inconvenience. Guest's love this! Honesty is a universal social lubricant: dishonesty is simply bad service.
6. Follow up. Some guests have personalities that you will automatically remember. some don't. It doesn't matter they all paying for the same service. Treat everybody with the same respect and reward great guests with extra special service but make sure you follow up. Just providing one extra teeny service, an ice bucket for example, will cement the process as positive and complaints will turn into praise.
7. No good deed goes unpunished. This is the hardest lesson I am learning and it has happened personally to me. For example, a guest arrives at 9am for a 3pm check in. They have had a long flight and are extremely upset that they have to wait for a room. You switch rooms around and get them into a vacant room without a wait. Smiles all around. Six hours later they are back at the desk requesting a room change because the room you put them into AT THEIR REQUEST does not have a view or is smaller than they were expecting. You cannot say it is actually their own fault so rather stick to policy and let them blame the industry standard than you or your hotel.
That done there are a few things guests repeatededly complain about that baffle me.
1. Check in times. Check in time is 3 o'clock universally. Just because you arrived at nine does not mean you automatically move in. The hotel I work at is frequently 100% occupied and guests do not check out before noon. I know you are tired but you arrived early We will get you into a room as soon as possible, sometimes within a few minutes but understand, it is similar to asking a doctor who opens at 9am to see you at 11pm and getting upset that he cannot.
2. The view. The hotel is slap bang in the middle of New York City, We are surrounded by high rise buildings. You do not come to NY for majestic views and we cannot offer them. You paid for a room on the 7th floor and want to the see the coast? I cannot do that, God himself cannot do that. Why you want a view on a normal city street is above my understanding. why you will get upset about it flabbergasts me.
3. The person serving you. This is a rule that applies generally to all situations in life. You have a problem and between you and the solution is a single person. DO NOT ATTACK them based on looks, observations or stereotypes. They will lose any interest in helping you and your chances of getting what you want plummet to just above mediocre. We are human beings and you would never speak to us this way if there wasn't a desk between us. Motivate me to help you and I will probably, more than you expected.
Tips and tricks for guests.
1. Everybody asks for an upgrade. Seriously everybody does and we have an obligation to fulfill those as best we can. Real world constraints are: time of day, availability and - no jokes- how pushy you are about it. Hotels offer you to request special rooms beforehand, make use of this. We will not re-assign a room if the guest made special requests at the time of the reservation unless we have too. The best upgrades get given first so check in early and ask and you will probably get what you want, arrive at 12pm when the hotel has had 96% check ins and you only get the option of whats left, it won't be much.
2. If you are celebrating let us know. This is hotel gold for free. If you let hotels know beforehand they WILL make special arrangements. If you let them know at check in they will do their best. If you let them know at check out, well sorry we cannot read minds and deal with it.
3. Always look for honour guests desks or specialized check in areas. The employees that work these areas are the most experienced and have the most power when it comes to upgrades etc. They will always receive any guests and you do not have to part of a program to use them.
4. I might get into trouble for this one but here goes. If you have a genuine complaint DO NOT immediately ask for a manager. The manager will deal with your problem as fast and professionally as possible but that doesn't not meant you will get the best option. Involving staff that were involved previously means they become liable for the complaint and they will work with you to resolve the issue. You increase your saying power significantly by cordially getting as many people involved as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment