The guest is the raison d'être of a hotel and for that reason deserves all the attention. In this article you will find expert recommendations that will help you improve the service for all types of customers who can stay at your establishment. By: Duván Chaverra Agudelo
During my stay in several hotels in Latin America I have had the opportunity to analyze all the types of guests who stay daily in the different establishments in the region. Children, teenagers, adults and seniors roam the premises daily.
Observing this I asked myself the following: Do hotels treat all guests equally? Or better, is it possible to satisfy all types of customers? To clarify these doubts we invite several experts who, from different points of view, will talk to us about the guidelines that must be kept in mind to satisfy all hotel customers.
We are accompanied by consultants Sergio González, representative of ACTI, and Gerardo Barrios, president of Amvar Consultants. We also have Edwin Arteaga, coordinator of the hospitality career at the Equinoccial Technological University of Quito (Ecuador); and to have the point of view of a hotelier we invited Sergio Rosarios, general manager of the Hotel Oro Verde in Ecuador.
How to satisfy guests?
There are different strategies that can be applied to keep the guest satisfied. The guests speak from their knowledge about the most recommended methods. For example, Edwin Artega highlights the importance of emphasizing the innovation of products, services and added value that generate customer loyalty.
"Creativity, imagination and versatility in hotel workers will always be of great importance to act as agents of consumers or users of these establishments, so that they become a support in the solution of their problems or requirements. The key for the return of the client will be based, among other aspects, on the design of an adequate pair: product-market, which achieves not only hotel quality, but excellence, which in short is the quality of goods and services plus the full satisfaction of their needs. Likewise, it is important to follow up and maintain contact with customers through mass media."
Different styles and needs
These two characteristics vary according to the type of client, so the key is to be very clear about the market segment you want to reach. Sergio Rosarios, general manager of the Oro Verde Hotel in Quito, said about this aspect that it is important to "anticipate the particular needs of each segment (Corporate, Leisure, etc.) and try to meet those needs."
Gerardo Barrios indicated in this regard that "we have to analyze the market segments with which we work and assess the main attributes that each of these segments seek. In a business hotel, the corporate client has different needs and expectations than a client attending a conference."
While Edwin Arteaga said that it is important to keep in mind from the booking process the type of guest who will receive the hotel, as it will give indications of the socio-economic profile of the person. "The differences of the guests are related to their behavior in the market, so the segmentation must satisfy certain criteria, and among the main ones we can mention the following: the possibility of obtaining information, existence of heterogeneous needs, ability of the company to identify and concentrate efforts in selected segments and develop a program for each segment".
Disgusted guests
There is no hotel in the world that has not had the experience of treating guests who feel dissatisfied for different reasons such as service, facilities, staff, etc. But this is where the hotel's ability to solve the client's discontent comes in and thus avoid that in the future it does not return to the establishment, something that Sergio González calls "response speed".
On the subject, the manager of the Hotel Oro Verde commented that "the guest must be listened to and give a solution at that same moment to their concerns, that is the great opportunity to retain them, since most do not complain and simply leave and do not return. All employees who are in contact with guests of a hotel should know how to handle complaints and resolve them immediately."
Gerardo Barrios highlighted the importance that in these circumstances the heads of area have: "You have the heads of each department, who have to be alert to help the employees or take the initiative themselves to reconquer the guest. But the general manager of the establishment also needs to be informed and involved in problems and solutions through daily communication with his entire team."
For his part, Edwin Arteaga made some suggestions that should be applied in these cases: "Listen carefully to what the client says. Don't interrupt him unless it's to clarify something or ask for an example. Do not argue at least before you have fully listened to it. Once the claim is understood, the claim must be processed and resolved. Attending to the complaints of the guests is essential if you want to maintain a goodwill towards the hotel. 'Satisfied customer brings more customers.'"
A difficult guest
There are guests who do not behave properly within this class of establishments and for that reason sometimes there is damage to the decoration, furniture, structures of the building, among other facilities that can mean a significant cost for the hotel in repairs. This kind of people must know how to manage through personalized recommendations and making known the rules and policies of the place.
Sergio González said on this issue that "each hotel has its policies in this regard. I would suggest that the first thing to do is to invite the guest to abide by the rules of the site, and in case of recidivism, invite him to change hotels."
The coordinator of the hospitality career of the Equinoccial Technological University of Quito, shared some recommendations to avoid suffering setbacks with this class of guests: "Internal reminder advertising is very effective in these cases, because the newsletters published in a strategic site of the rooms allow to be clear about the responsibilities and obligations of the guest. The training of hotel staff in human relations issues facilitates the treatment of these inconveniences with the guest, since during the identification of the mishap it is essential to act with discretion, communicate to the executive of the area so that it measures the magnitude of the impasse and the causes; and if necessary request the participation of a security employee."
The guest added that the extent of the damage that has been presented to request payment must be analyzed, as well as when to terminate the guest's accommodation.
Types of guests
According to Sergio Rosarios, the treatment of the guest should not be particular but special, and although this is true, it is also valid to take into account some differences in the service depending on the type of client. Therefore, we highlight the recommendations delivered by the guests on this matter.
- Seniors: This class of guests require spacious and wheelchair accessible facilities, light doors, menus with large print, rooms that allow the least possible noise.
- Children and adolescents: They are guests staying with their parents, who request rooms near them for their own control; in other circumstances when staying alone, they are usually cases of lay overs or sports tournaments, in which precautions are taken such as the withdrawal of minibars, to avoid problems with payments at the end of their stays. You should also try to have greater control by the security area to avoid causing discomfort to other guests for certain concerns and games of their age.
- Adults on holiday: Generally these travelers make their arrangements through a travel agency, so it is common to agree to accommodate them in the simplest rooms, however, this segment has to be planned with great care and attention because if that is the market you are looking for, then all the facilities have to be aimed at providing relaxation, comfort and rest. The problem you constantly see is when a business hotel, try to become totally a "resort" hotel for a weekend and this never works.
- Corporate travelers: It is important to have a good response speed, effective check-in and check-out, free wireless Internet, business center, bilingual staff, efficient airport transportation, good restaurants for business meetings, no noise, comfortable and good wine lists.
Adaptation of the hotel to the guest
Our guests agree on this when asked if the hotel should adapt to the guest or vice versa. For example, Gerardo Barrios states on this aspect that "the hotel must always adapt to the guests. In my opinion, the only situation in which the guest has to adapt to the hotel is in an emergency: a hurricane, an earthquake, a terrorist action or a critical situation."
Edwin Arteaga concludes that "the hotel should always be aiming to 'adapt to the guest' given that that is the goal of the service. When situations of high occupancy arise, the application made by the hotel of a revenue management or Yield management become successful operations to take advantage of the season, but it is the guest who finally decides the best option according to their tastes, needs and ability to pay. "
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