'Traffic-flow management' is an essential component of front-desk training
Consider These Techniques To Thrive in Moments When the Front Desk Gets Crowded.
Regardless of how well-staffed a hotel front desk is, there are moments on just about any shift when guest traffic bottlenecks, and usually at the most inopportune times.
For example, let’s take a typical full-service hotel. Let’s say it’s 10:30 p.m. in the evening shift, the mid-shift person is of course gone, and given that there are only five check-ins remaining, one of the two 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. staff ask to leave a bit early. After all, the night auditor will be in shortly, right?
About the time they walk out of the employee door, all five remaining guests simultaneously walk in the front. Sometimes it seems that guests have formed a conspiracy to make life difficult; they have synchronized watches and met outside so they can all walk in together, and at the same time their buddy at home calls in to ask some unusually random question requiring research to answer.
For smaller hotels and those serving the midscale and economy segments, the front desk typically has only one person to begin with. Given the current staffing challenges, even hotels that intend to staff properly may wind up shorthanded. Therefore, now is a great time to train your front-desk team how to handle themselves during times of unusually high activity so that they do not become overwhelmed and frustrated. Here are some training tips for your next staff meeting, most of which also apply at the hostess stand, coffee shop counter and bar.
- Display a calm demeanor. The first step in successful customer traffic-flow management is to display positive body language that exudes a calm and “in-control” attitude, helping those who are waiting gain confidence that their needs will eventually be met when their turn comes. Alternatively, if the service provider looks panicked and out of control, guests will tend to become more impatient and pessimistic.
- Continue to properly welcome guests even when it is busy. Always be sure to truly welcome guests with personalized greetings and welcome statements, such as “Good evening, sir; welcome to the Brand X Hotel; May I have your last name please?” Too many times I see front-desk staff cut corners during peak periods. Instead of a proper welcome they simply say “Checking in? I need a credit card and an ID.” Or at the hostess stand, the greeting becomes “just one?” At the bar, it becomes a raised eyebrow and nod.
- Acknowledge and greet those who join the queue. Create a positive first impression of those who join the wait by briefly acknowledging their presence. During a pause in the interaction with your current guest, make brief eye contact with the newcomer and offer a genuine welcoming phrase such as “Good morning sir, we’ll be with you in just a moment.” This will go a long way toward securing some goodwill and this will usually elicit a response such as “Don’t worry, no rush,” helping set others waiting at ease.
- Conduct “customer triage” to identify and dismiss quick questions. When guests approach the desk from the elevator or inner corridor, therefore making it obvious that they are not checking in, ask the guest you are assisting to excuse you briefly, then ask the newcomer “Did you just have a quick question?” Often they might have a simple request such as for more pillows or an easy question such as what time the hotel van starts running.
- Focus on one guest at a time. Once you acknowledge those who have just walked up, “triage” the needs of those who have joined the wait, and dismiss any guests with easy requests, be sure to return your full attention to the guest who is in front of you at that moment and be present with them.
- Thank guests for their extra patience. As you complete each guest interaction, be sure to extend a genuine, authentic and sincere “thank you for your patience today,” showing your appreciation not only to them but the rest of those who have just joined the wait.
- Training your front-desk team to use simple tactics such as these during those inevitable periods when the flow of guests bottlenecks momentarily will make them feel better prepared and much less stressed when they occur. Guests will be ensured of a positive first impression which will set the tone for their entire stay.
Doug Kennedy is President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. a leading provider of hotel sales, guest service, reservations, and front desk training programs and telephone mystery shopping services for the lodging and hospitality industry. Doug continues to be a fixture on the industry’s conference circuit for hotel companies, brands and associations, as he been for over two decades. Since 1996, Doug’s monthly training articles have been published worldwide, making him one of the most widely read hospitality industry authorities. Visit KTN at www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com or email him directly doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com
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