Elevating your guest experience…

Last week I had the pleasure of welcoming a new team member to Right Revenue and part of that process was to introduce Rebecca to our team in gorgeous Country Down and of course deliver her safe and sound to the hotel she was staying at for the week.

What followed was, quite literally one of the best check-in experiences I have ever had (and after an almost 40-year career in travel and hospitality, let’s just say that I have checked in A LOT!)

Let me talk you through the experience…

The receptionist was seated and working at a computer as we arrived but immediately stood up to welcome us. Now that might seem like an inconsequential detail but trust me, there is nothing worse than a seated receptionist who continues to work as you arrive. Most hotels will have work stations at standing height, trust me there is a reason why. Guests are more comfortable communicating face to face… And you may not be one of those trendy hotels who have moved to ‘wandering ipads’ (still not sure I am ‘vibing’ that experience) but having someone stand to greet you and chat to you at eye-level does make a huge difference to a guests’ experience.

Then we were greeted with a warm and very genuine smile and welcome. ‘Hello’ she said, and ‘welcome’. She saw that Rebecca had a suitcase with her and thankfully dispensed with the obligatory (and one of my many pet hates of the check-in experience) ‘are you checking in?’. To which the reply should be, ‘No, I have just beamed down from space with my suitcase trailing behind me and thought this might be a fun place to stop’.

Instead, she said, ‘you are our guest tonight?’ Pause for the smile and confirmation; then ‘Great, let me take a few details and I will get you settled in’. What a difference. Your guest is already feeling valued and welcomed. The Receptionist continued to chat, asking Rebecca if she had a good journey getting there… and basically ‘read the room’, understanding that Rebecca was open to chatting. Not only did this make Rebecca feel welcomed and at ease, it allowed the Receptionist to complete the boring paperwork whilst still engaging in conversation.

All the details had been collected at the time of booking, so with one very swift signature, Rebecca had her key.

Rebecca was then asked if she wanted to book dinner, shown where breakfast was and then something I rarely have experienced… a question… ‘are you comfortable with our team going to clean and straighten your room when you are out?’ What a lovely way of asking if Rebecca would like housekeeping service and to acknowledge the fact that Rebecca was a woman travelling alone and just may not be comfortable with that.

Even the upselling was done discreetly and with a smile… ‘It is such a gorgeous evening that if you like, you can sit out on the terrace and our signature cocktail is fabulous’ You can bet your bottom dollar where Rebecca spent her evening.

All of these things may seem simple and without actually being there, maybe it is even difficult to visualise the experience, but trust me, the over-riding memory is of a Receptionist who genuinely welcomed a guest to her hotel. It came across that she was very proud to work there and more importantly, that she honestly cared. How many of us can truly say that they believe their team offers the same experience?

There are dozens of articles written about how to elevate your guest’s experience, many of which revolve around technology (and definitely a blog for another day) but carrying on in today’s theme, I would also stress the importance of looking at things through the eyes of your guests.

• Simplify the process. There is nothing worse than having to fill in a reg form on arrival. What do we actually do with this information? Check what your team are asking for; check how you are storing and using this information and if you don’t need it, don’t ask for it! Take as much information at the time of booking and even if you don’t have the tech to support your team, please, please try and simplify the process for your very valued guests.

• Train your team. Your team should know that there are certain trigger phrases that set the tone for a poor check-in experience – such as ‘are you checking in?’ or after taking their name, still asking ‘Have you stayed with us before?’ Your team needs to be well versed in what to say but more importantly how to say it – that makes a huge difference.

• Empower your team. Allow your team to make decisions and resolve issues immediately. If a guest’s room isn’t ready even though it is close to that 2pm check-in time, allow them to offer a drink in the bar. Simple gestures that cost very little, can immediately remove what may be the start of a complaint… Teach your team that it is okay to ‘read the room’. If guests seem like they want to know breakfast times and your leisure centre opening times then great, but if you have a stressed business person standing in front of you who has stayed before, read the room and simply ask if they want the details and stop if they don’t. Simple things go a long way…

If the check-in experience is good, if your team are warm and genuine, trust me many other issues that may arise during a stay with you can seem a lot less troublesome. So, hats off to our great Receptionists. Not only do you hold all the guests’ secrets, you are quite literally the secret of our success…

And finally, why does a company specialising in revenue write a blog about a check-in experience? Simple… all great Commercial Leaders understand that every single experience in your hotel impacts your ability to price. Get your customer success story right and your pricing can rise…

And super finally, a shout out to Gerty, Sinead and the Front Office Team at The Millbrook Lodge Hotel. You are superstars!