News for the Hospitality Executive |
Train Your Hotel Team To Use The Language Of Hospitality: Part One
By
Doug Kennedy
March 19, 2012 Although there is no doubt that non-verbal
signals such as
eye contact, body language, and facial expressions strongly help convey
meaning
during human interactions, the words we choose also impact
interpersonal communications. Therefore
it’s important to help your
hospitality and guest contact staff to choose their words carefully
when
interacting with guests, prospects, and even their “internal” customers
from
other departments. Today’s hospitality associates have the most
advanced
technology at their fingertips for “processing” guests through the
hotel
systems. Also, driven by real photo
postings and online guest reviews at TripAdvisor and elsewhere, hotel
owners
and operators have certainly put forth the best “physical product” when
it
comes to guest rooms, meeting space, and public areas. Despite all these improvements, there’s
still one area of
opportunity at most hotels I stay at these days, and that is to train
all guest
contact associates to use the language of hospitality.
All too often I find myself walking into the
lobby of a
luxury hotel, towing my luggage being greeted by a raised eyebrow and
nod
followed by “Checking’ in?” Even where
I’m properly welcomed by service providers with a warm smile and eye
contact,
often the words I hear being used present a less than professional and
positive
first impression. If you are looking to take your team to even
higher levels
of guest service excellence, here are some examples of words and
phrases to
better-convey the spirit of hospitality: Not
That: “Checking In?” or “May I Help The
Next Guest In Line?” Say
This: “Hello! Welcome to the (name)
hotel. Do you have a reservation with
us?” Nothing is more de-personalizing to a hotel arrival experience than to walk into a hotel lobby towing your luggage and to be greeted with these phrases. If you are unsure whether or not the guest needs to register, say “Good afternoon. Welcome, how may I assist you today?” Replace “May I help the next guest?” by establishing eye contact with the next person in the queue and saying something such as “Welcome sir, you may step up so I can assist you…” Not
That: “We Have Like A Pool and Hot Tub
On The First Floor.” Say
This: “Our Pool and Hot Tub Are On The
First Floor.” Avoid describing your hotel product with the
phrase
“like.” This word diminishes the
description by implying uncertainty. Sound
more confident by accurately describing what it is. Not
That: “No Problem” Say This: “It was my pleasure.” Or
“You are most welcome.” Even at four and five star hotels, “no
problem” seems to be
the most frequent response I hear after genuinely thanking a hotel
service
provider. Although this has become part
of the vernacular for some time now, when you think about it what this
phrase actually
says is “Normally sir, this is a problem, but for you
we made an
exception.” Although few if any guests
will actually be offended by this harmless remark, your staff will
sound so
much more eloquent when they simply respond “You are most welcome” or
“It was
our pleasure.” Not
That: “Just one?” Say This:
“Welcome To (Restaurant Name.) Are You
Ready To Be Seated?” As a business traveler I often find myself
walking up to a
host or hostess stand, my newspaper or book neatly tucked away, and
being
greeted by “Just one?” Even when said in a friendly manner it still
makes me
want to frown and reply sadly, “Yes, just one. No
one wants to have dinner with me tonight.” Instead
avoid reminding single patrons they
are dining alone and greet them by saying “Hello, are you ready to be
seated?” Not
That: “I’ll have to check on that for
you.” Say This:
“Let me check on that for you.” Over the years I’ve heard associates from
all departments
saying this, often in a helpful tone and with the best of intentions. Yet it does make the guest feel like a bit of
an interruption to our “more important” tasks of running our hotels. A better approach is to say “Let me check on
that for you.” Not
That: “I Think It Is.” Or “It Should Be.” Say
This: “It Is.” Or “I Will Verify That
Right Now…” When guests hear service providers make statements such “I’m pretty sure…” it leaves doubt in their mind about receiving the accurate and sometimes vital information they need. Some service providers seem to use this as an automatic disclaimer, even when they are certain of what they are saying such as “The breakfast should open at 6:30am.” A better approach is to say with conviction “It is.” or if you don’t know for sure, assure them you’ll find out and let them know in a timely manner. Not
That: “I’m Only Just The…”
Say This:
“Let Me Help You…” or “Let Me Find someone to Assist You.”
Whenever I hear a hotel staffer say “I’m
only just…” it
seems to diminish their status and again sounds like an excuse-making
disclaimer. Yet at great hotels it
doesn’t seem to matter who I voice my request to; they either take care
of it
directly, or convey it themselves to the appropriate person or
department. By addressing examples such as these at your
next meeting or
training even, you’ll help ensure that your hotel staff will
professionally
convey a message of pro-active, guest-focused hospitality during each
and every
guest interaction. In Part Two of this article, I will provide
some fun ideas
for training your staff at your next pre-shift or departmental meeting. Also in Part Two I will share additional
examples of common phrases frequently used, along with more eloquent
replacements
that convey the language of hospitality. Readers
are encouraged to contribute their own examples by
emailing me
directly at: [email protected]
|
Contact:
Doug Kennedy
|