Communicating with your in-house guests during COVID-19

Here’s a very pertinent question we received from the resident manager of a hotel in the cultural triangle. Quote “…We hope to reopen our hotel to guests and wish to know what we have to tell them when they arrive for their Staycations with us during COVID-19?” unquote

Communicating with your guests at the property itself, apart from before they arrive is very important. As we all know now, health and safety is the top concern for everyone, and that includes guests as well as employees. Your guest will want to know about the additional steps you are taking to reduce the risk of infection.

Here are some recommendations that can allay everyone’s anxieties and re-affirm the guest’s conviction that he or she has made the correct decision to stay in a safe and clean place:-

• Communicate that your first priority is and has always been your guests.
• Outline what actions you are following for their health and safety.
• Describe your enhanced cleaning protocols including how you sanitise guest rooms, public spaces and ‘back-of-house’ locations.
• The precautions and behaviour adopted (physical distancing, etc) to limit contact.
• Revised food & beverage offerings including limitations in seating in the restaurant / bar.

Your statements must be clear, consistent, brief and factual. Be careful how you choose your words. Avoid making unsubstantiated claims, like calling any public area “COVID-free”.

Other things you could do include:-

• Posting a ‘Safety Sign’ at your Front Door that explains your safety policy before entering your premises.
• Post a ‘PR’ letter at your Front Desk detailing your Public Relations response to the Coronavirus.

Before we conclude, remember, that communicating with your staff is just as important as sending out messages to guests - both of which can be challenging tasks during these difficult times.

Hospitality Sri Lanka

The above article is from our video series “19-Hospitality Related Questions on Covid-19", which can be viewed on our Youtube channel here.

Why not take a moment to share your experience with us, or if you have a question you'd like answered, get in touch through reachus@hospitalitysrilanka.com

We hope to hear from you, and in the meantime, check out our social media feeds on Facebook and Instagram.

Shafeek Wahab - Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka

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