 Defining Service in the Hotel Industry  

It’s customer service that makes top-notch hotels stand out from fly-by-
nights.

If we look at the historical background of the hospitality industry , service

has always been an integral part of the hospitality ecosystem.
In essence, providing world-class customer service strengthens customer
relationships which are an invaluable asset to a hotel or any hospitality
venture.

Which begs the big question: what is service in the hospitality industry ?

Simply put, service in the hospitality industry is the level of assistance
provided by staff members to facilitate the purchase by the client.

It also encompasses a raft of efforts hotels makes to achieve pleasant

customer experience for guests.

Of more importance, however, is the fact that customer experience goes

hand in hand with customer service.

In principle, customer experience can be negative, indifferent or positive.

Needless to say, everyone in the hospitality industry is gunning for a
positive one.

 
 Image- Hospitality Quotes on   Pinterest  
 

Service in the hotel industry is even more important and in this post, we
dare to use the hotel industry as a service prototype of the hospitality
industry.

This is due to the facts that service in the hotel industry is the most visible
one for evaluation.

 Service in hospitality industry begins by measuring

Customer Mood
 

This point tries to define the purpose of service in the hotel industry
together with providing tips to ensure the purpose is met.
A recent study by industry’s bigwigs shows that the clients aren’t impressed
by what you can offer or even what you know until they see that you
actually care.

So, personable service is a sure way to improve your client’s mood.

This is one of the key customer service tips in the hotel industry  to ensure
guest go satisfied and elated.
Nowadays, service in the hospitality industry goes beyond a smile or a
simple “thank you”.

As hoteliers, you need to create a dynamic, ambient and unforgettable

experience for your customers to stay ahead on competition in the hotel
sector.

Also, Service in the hospitality industry might mean more than customer
service.

Services also include back of the house and non-customer facing activities
but they all contribute to the overall experience of customers.

Image Courtesy-  LinkedIn

 

Customers again are both external and internal with external customers as
guests and internal as staff and stakeholders.

It’s undeniable that competition in the hospitality industry is as cut-throat as

ever, making high-quality customer service indispensable.
Here’s the thing: most people don’t get what service is all about.

It all begins with the first impression.

Thus gauging the mood of the customer would hold the key to personalised
service.

 A key step in Hospitality service is to Judge and satisfy

the Customer’s Needs
 

This is similar to the previous point or a subset of point one but deserves a
special mention.

It is very important to judge the needs of your customers without their

asking.

A blog post on Hubspot  identifies 16 customer needs. These include

multiple things like price, functionality, design and so on.
However, the key ones mentioned are the ones related to service and this
holds true for the hospitality industry service.

Have a look at the screengrab below from the article that mentions key
customer needs related to service.

 
 

As the above infographic suggests, even hospitality professionals should

satisfy customer needs by answering below questions.

 
1. Are we being empathetic to the customers?
2. Are we delivering what has been promised? Hospitality professionals
must show that they care.
3. Are we being transparent in delivering our services?
4. Have we given complete control to our guests? They need to be able
to curate their experience.
5. Do our customers have options to explore to enrich their stay or
experience with us?
 

For instance, if a family staying at your hotel has children then you should
provide them children supplies without a need of them chasing you for
everything.

It is important to ask yourself the question as well. What is service in

the hospitality industry? A service is an act of respect, kindness and love.

Service can be said to be the heart of the hospitality industry.

This will help your customers get comfortable as they will feel more
respected.

 Service in the hospitality industry is all about improving

Customer Loyalty
 

Excellent customer service goes the extra mile to ensure that customers are
happy and well taken care of.

Remember that a satisfied customer is a loyal customer.

And, customers are a vital part of the business in the hospitality industry.

So, make them your centre of attention – at all times – and they will
certainly be happy.

Follow a few of the below tips to ensure customer walk away happy and
come back again and again.
 

1. Offer personalised experience (emails, SMS, personal connect all

help)
2. Try to personalise all customer touchpoints right from booking to
checkout.
3. Create brand awareness through content marketing and social media
marketing.
4. Reach out personally to existing customers with exciting offers.
5. Use customer service loyalty programmes.
6. Hotel service involves much more than routine emailers. Create a
personal connect with guests.
7. Keep your guests informed on how the service of your hospitality
organisation is improving. Create delights for them.
 

 Feedback is a Crucial part of customer service in the

hospitality industry
 

Sure you business model is water-tight.

Sure your staff is top-notch.

But, without general feedback from the customers, you wouldn’t know if your
business approach is actually working.

A famous quote of Bill Gates would set things up here.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”.

 
 

Customer Service, however, offers you an opportunity to measure how you

are performing.

It allows customers to communicate their experience – both bad and good.

With this feedback, you will know what to fix.

Maintaining an updated information book helps you improve the quality of

customer service in the hospitality industry.

You should know about the time of their stay, so you could help them plan
their stay in a better way.

You should recommend them good restaurants and guide them about other
entertainment options.

 On-Time Services are crucial in hotels and in the overall

hospitality industry
 

Time is the key to success when you’re running a hospitality business.

If you aren’t able to provide on-time services to your valued customers then
this will hurt your business.

Give individual priority to each customer.

If you set customer satisfaction as your basic priority then you will be able
to develop a loyal customer base.

Resultantly, your customers will not only come back again but will suggest
your services to their friends and family members as well.

 Following the Etiquette and meeting expectations of

Hospitality Service
 

Hotel customers are always seeking an energetic service and a memorable

experience.

And, excellent service will enable you to do exactly that.

On the whole, service in the hospitality industry allows hoteliers to meet –

and possibly surpass – customer expectations.

Apart from ensuring that every service is being supplied on time, it is

important to make sure that the etiquettes of the service sector are also
met.

This includes both on-call and in-person services.

While conversing with customers it is important to maintain a level of

respect.

Moreover, provide proper follow-up to make sure they are enjoying their
stay at the hotel.

If they have any complaints, get them sorted out at the earliest.

 
 
Positive endings are extremely important in the hospitality industry.

Positive service endings are like fresh beginning that ensures patronage of
a lifetime.

Always end things on a positive note.

Always smile and greet when you see them.

Call them by their name and maintain a good sense of humour when talking
to them.

Conclusion
 

These are some of the things which must be ensured to understand

and improve customer service in your hospitality business.

If you don’t pay much-needed heed to the improvement of customer service

then levels of customer satisfaction will fall as well.

In contemporary times, the hospitality industry has emerged as one of the

largest business domains in the world.

With more people travelling around the globe, this industry is expected to
grow in the future as well.

To succeed in the hospitality industry customer service is the key and thus
focus should be on the customers.

The Hospitality industry in future  would be more inclined towards

technology but service would still hold the key to success within
the hospitality industry.
While all customers are not the same it is one thing that makes them all
happy, superior service.

So if they get something without asking, it makes them feel special.

When properly ensured, these services help businesses maintain a good
environment.

As a result, they are able to develop a loyal customer base which is

essential for the growth and profitability.