How quick is quickly, how swift is swiftly, how prompt is promptly?“Check-in was a poor experience. The only receptionist on duty was busy answering the phone and didn’t even look at us. After nearly 5 minutes of waiting and while still on the phone she pressed a button and a colleague walked up lazily to the desk with no interest”. “Seldom was the phone answered within 12-13 rings or less and getting through to the telephone operator was a hassle. Our wakeup call was also invariably given late”. “I recently made a telephone booking but the hotel reservations staff did not email me a reservation confirmation, so I was a little nervous that I would arrive at the property and find myself without a room. To my relief, my reservation was intact upon check-in (although, my name was wrong). A simple confirmation email would have alleviated that niggling worry leading up to my trip”.
Reading these recently posted online reviews aired by guests who stayed at his hotel, the General Manager of the Comfi Resort hotel immediately summoned a staff meeting. In a scene reminiscent of the highly entertaining TV series ‘Faulty Towers’, the hotel manager spoke in an emotionally charged manner at the staff meeting whilst everyone listened in abject silence. Obviously the trigger for the manager’s rant was the series of negative reviews that were seriously damaging the hotel’s reputation. Comfy Resorts Hotel opened its doors just over an year ago and despite having a superior product, was steadily losing market share to the nearby competitor hotels. Even the recent offer of a heavily discounted room rate had failed to halt the slide in occupancy and revenue.
During the staff meeting, the hotel’s GM yelled out ““I want the phone answered quickly, I want our guests to receive swift check-ins and room bookings must be confirmed promptly. These are my standards and I expect all of you to obey these instructions. Unless we provide top class service to our guests we will not make budget.” When the meeting ended and staff were leaving, they looked at each other wondering ‘how quick is quickly? How swift is swiftly? And how prompt is promptly? For certain, the Comfi Resort Hotel will continue to struggle because the vague criteria set out by the general manager is very ambiguous. In the GM mind, answering the phone ‘quickly’ is when the receiver is picked up within three rings - whereas for telephone operator A it could mean upto six rings, and to telephone operator B before eight rings. Likewise, given the vast advancement in technology, is confirming a room booking by email within eight hours fast enough or is 24 hours acceptable?
These examples demonstrate an important principle. Before you can design a scale or measure, you first must agree on what result you are trying to achieve. Results written in abstract language are less measurable and harder to implement than those written in concrete language. Abstract language such as quickly, promptly, swiftly refer to concepts or vague ideals. Other examples of abstract words or phrases include innovative, effective, efficient, top class etc. Concrete language is sensory-specific, meaning it describes things you can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. Because they are noticeable, concrete results are measurable. Concrete results are also more noteworthy and easier to implement. So if you are struggling to design measures for your organization, your first step should be to clarify what result you are trying to achieve, in concrete terms.
This is where Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) come into play. A hotel that is truly striving to build a “world-class” service culture will make every effort to develop service standards that emphasize exceptional service for every customer. One of the key factors that separate good service from truly exceptional service is consistency. Consistency means repeatable. A successful hotel general manager needs to be confident that in any given situation, the hotel staff knows how to respond and act appropriately. Whether it’s in the morning or afternoon or evening, whether it’s a weekend or a weekday, rain or shine, and regardless of whom happens to be working that day.
Standard Operating Procedures ensure that hotel guests are provided personalised customer service. Consistency does not mean that every guest should merely get the same service. True service excellence requires personalisation and making each guest feel as though there is no one else, at that moment, more important than him or her. Front desk attendants that recognise you or call you by name, that are eager to help, that remember your preferences, and that are able to provide valuable information are a huge asset that make a big difference.
Standard Operating Procedures tie your staff’s actions to the hotel’s overall performance. Edwards Deming, the father of the quality movement, famously laid out 14 points for management - chief among them is the concept of "constancy of purpose." This means instilling purpose in your employees by showing them that what they do every day in the workplace has a big effect – such as impacting the guest experience and the hotel's revenues. By tying individual behavior to a larger system, you will give your employees a sense of how important it is that they practice good…no great service every day.
Sponsored article by IN2ITION
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