Vacations are meant to be relaxing. They are supposed to be a time of enjoying days away from work and away from the responsibilities of the busy lives that we lead. When hotel problems occur, then, guests hope that solutions can be found as quickly as possible. From rooms that are not clean to air conditioners that are not working, hotel customers need to know that their concerns will be taken seriously and that they will be remedied in a timely and respectful manner.
In an effort to reach this goal, a growing number of hotels find that the best way they can provide great customer service is to make sure that staff is well trained. And while part of this training happens on site with managers and staff members, other great customer service solutions include training hotel staff members how to make use of hotel software to find solutions.
From hotel reservations software to other kinds of hospitality management software systems, these technological advances help make sure that banquet rooms are not overbooked and that any problems that occur are efficiently handled. Understanding how hotel management systems work is, in fact, an essential part of most jobs that are part of an industry that Americans rely on everyday.
How Well Trained Is Your Hotel Staff in Handling Customer Service Questions and Concerns?
In today’s competitive hotel industry it should come as no surprise that consumers demand the best. When the do not get the services that they want in a well appointed hotel property, they are quick to find another location the next time that they need a place to stay. For this reason, great customer service is important if you want to attract customers to your property and encourage them to return time and time again.
Consider some of these statistics about the hotel industry and the need for great customer service that is required to attract and keep the customers that make a business a success:
- Approximately 96% of customers forced to expend ?high? effort with a company over a problem are likely to be disloyal, according to CEB research. Understanding this statistic should be an indicator of the importance of solving a problem as quickly as possible.
- Getaway weekends for couples are a great opportunity to reconnect and relax, but it is important to find a hotel that is clean, comfortable, and provides the services that you are looking for.
- Research indicates that 74% of previously travelers plan to return to a destination they have visited.
- Estimates show that 53% of people use their mobile devices to find travel related information.
- According to Harris Interactive/RightNow, 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company in 2011 because of a bad customer experience. This means that your hotel staff needs to be well trained so that no bad customer experiences occur.
- The latest trends in hotel industry technology provide solutions for reservations and tracking the completion of guest requests. Failing to use this technology can leave a hotel staff short of some of the skills that could help them provide the best possible customer service.
- Statics from the hotel industry show that the average no-show rate is 10% daily.
- Travelers conduct approximately 17 research sessions before booking a reservation. Making sure that your hotel website contains up to date photos that feature all that your property has to offer, as well as an easy to manage website, can increase the chances that you will book the traveler who is taking the time to shop around.
- A hotel chain that can build customer loyalty can see immediate results.
- Your customers have an array of choices of where they stay when they travel. Once a customer books, you want their visit to be top notch.
Finding a great hotel is the goal of individual business travelers as well as vacationing families. Once the reservation is made, however, how the stay goes determines the success of the visit, as well as a return visit. From the way that the hotel staff greets you when you first walk through the door to how clean the room and swimming pool are, everything that happens when you enter a hotel helps to determine whether or not you will return.