The future of guest service is experience driven, not transactional
In an ever-changing era of a hyper connected world, powered by electronic technologies and an explosion of new touchpoints and digital encounters, are businesses ready to serve customers throughout the guest journey, while having their best interests at heart? That’s a hard ask: because the shift demands more than just merely ‘airing’ good intentions: it requires a complete reimagining of how we interact with customers.
No longer can customer service be transactional. Traditionally, transactional service has been the usual approach in the hospitality industry, rooted deeply with the aim of efficiently and swiftly meeting customer expectations. Some may rightly claim that all businesses are transactional and in that regard, all hotels, restaurants and bars are no different from other businesses. Customers enter, they place orders, they pay for the goods they receive and leave - very transactional indeed! But should those in the hospitality business who are in a position to deliver memorable experiences stop there? Unfortunately, the majority of hotels, restaurants bars I’ve patronised, languish in providing transactional customer service.
In 1991, I was on an overseas trip to attend a Travel & Tourism Fair in Europe and unexpectedly needed to stay overnight whilst transiting, as my travel agent had bungled things by giving me wrong flight connection details. This occurred late night in winter. I called a hotel near the airport and explained the reason why I wished to book a room at short notice. I also recall mentioning that I had arrived after a seven-hour long flight from Colombo.
Told “We’ll be happy to provide you a room” by the receptionist, I got there within 20 minutes. I was pleasantly greeted by the receptionist at the front desk, who said “Mr. Wahab thank you for staying with us at short notice. We have reserved a nice room for you. Please remember that breakfast service begins at 6.00 am at the coffee shop located on this floor. Have a pleasant night after your long flight.” I replied “Thank you, but I will be leaving early tomorrow at 5.30 am.”
When I entered my room, what immediately caught my eye was the small jug of hot milk and a few chocolate biscuits, with a handwritten note on the tray that read, “Mr. Wahab thank you for choosing to stay with us”, signed by the hotel manager. I was impressed – because it was all done within a very short time before of my arrival…but wait, there was more to come!
The next morning when my alarm went off at 4.30 am, I observed the red message light on my room phone flashing. A recorded voice informed me “Good morning Mr.Wahab. Since you are leaving early and couldn’t take advantage of the complimentary breakfast, we took the liberty of placing coffee and breakfast pastries outside of your door. Have a safe journey!”
This interaction illustrates that, decades ago, a fundamental shift was already occurring in a few brands, unlike the vast majority of hotels that were stuck on providing basic services to comply with guest expectations. It's no longer enough to simply meet expectations; brands must anticipate needs, personalise interactions, and create moments that customers will remember forever and share. This holistic approach doesn't just satisfy evolving consumer expectations—it aims at delighting them, which sets new benchmarks for excellence that benefit the entire industry. Recent industry insights underscore just how critical this transformation has become. According to research more than 50% of customers are open to switching brands, highlighting the urgent need for emotional engagement and loyalty-building through service excellence. Why then are hotels comfortable in remaining in transactional mode – focusing on providing basic services and continually resolving issues that annoyingly don’t seem to go away? The worst of the lot are those that have staff who are untrained and improperly skilled. Hotels that hire competent staff are slightly better.
However, the most successful brands are those that have associates – especially guest-facing employees who are not only technically competent: they’re emotionally intelligent individuals who are proactive… not reactive. They can sense when a customer needs reassurance, when they're excited about their stay, or when they're frustrated with an unexpected issue. They read between the lines, pick up on subtle cues, and respond with the kind of intuitive care that no robot can replicate.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Ex-Hotelier
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