The most effective way of retaining Guests is to deliver great service the first time. No one likes problems and the Guests are happiest when their stay is problem-free! But let’s be realistic – zero problems is an impossible target.
HeartBeat tells us that 1 in every 5 Guests experiences a problem. That’s 20 out of every 100. Out of those Guests – 14 don’t report the problem. From the remaining 6 that do, 4 of those problems turn into complaints.
Service recovery is often an outcome of a service exception handled poorly. It may have started off positively, but simply fell outside of what the hotel might offer. The best way to handle a problem is to anticipate it happening in the first place. In other words, the quicker you can spot and anticipate service exceptions, the less you will need to deal with problems and handle complaints. When guests complain, they usually hoping for someone to take ownership and can help them manage problems. The 5 steps of service recovery:
Take action
Find a solution
Gain agreement
Resolve
Follow up
ILEAD is a set of principles to handle problems for Guests. By following these principles and using True Hospitality Service Skills, you can offer the best service to Guests when they have a problem. ILEAD stand for:
I : Identify – recognize guests have problems
L : Listen – no interruptions or distraction
E : Empathize – put yourself in guest’s shoes
A : Apologize – 85% of problem resolved by heartfelt apology only
D : Deliver - a suitable solution or alternative. Then make a follow up
The 3 key things to remember with an apology are regret, responsibility and reason.
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