Customer Service and Guest Relations
Customer Service and Guest Relations tests the service cycle, complaint handling and recovery, and the measures used to judge guest satisfaction.
Moments of truth
Every contact point is a moment of truth: the reservation call, the greeting, the wait for a table, the bill. Guests judge service on reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles, and their expectations are set by price, reviews and previous visits.
Service recovery
Use a fixed sequence: listen without interrupting; empathise; apologise sincerely for the experience; act, fixing it now or stating exactly when; notify a supervisor and record the case; follow up afterwards. A well-handled complaint can leave a guest more loyal than before, which is called the service recovery paradox.
Worked example
At 23:00 a guest reports noise from the next room. Listen and apologise; call the neighbouring room politely; if the noise continues, offer a move to the same or a better room category at no charge; if the hotel is full, offer earplugs and a complimentary breakfast and log the case; the duty manager follows up at breakfast. Never promise a refund you are not authorised to give, and never blame another department in front of the guest.
Upselling and measurement
Upselling means a higher grade of what was requested (sea view, larger room); cross-selling adds a different service (spa, airport transfer). Measure performance with guest satisfaction scores, NPS (percentage promoters minus percentage detractors) and mystery guest visits.
Traps
Arguing or defending the department; saying that it is not my job; blaming the kitchen in front of the guest; over-promising to end the conversation; failing to log the complaint, so the same fault repeats next week.