The Do’s and Don’ts of Interacting with Guests

9.1 How to Interact with Guests

When it comes to interacting with
guests, there is a real need for you to remain friendly, polite,
and professional at all times.Anything other than this is just
not acceptable, as it will reflect badly on not only you, but the hotel in
general.However, there is still a need
for us to examine more closely the way in which you will interact with the
different people that enter your hotel.

You also need to accept that
there may be a need to provide staff with additional training to make sure that
they fully understand the methods and approaches that they must apply at all
times when dealing with guests.

9.2 Basic Manners

Basic manners undoubtedly play a
role in how you should interact with guests.

Politeness costs nothing, and yet
it is invaluable for a hotel since it creates a better atmosphere that is loved
by the guests.

Whenever you are dealing with a
guest, they should always be referred to by either 'Sir' or 'Madam', and you
must always have a smile on your face when talking to them.

Always ask how you can help them
or if you can be of any assistance and when you have indeed helped them as if
there is anything else that you can do and do it all with a smile on your face.

9.3 Looking Professional

One part that can be overlooked,
but still falls under the banner of interacting with guests, is looking
professional.

This section focuses on staff
looking professional at all times, as it is still interacting with people. You
must remember that you are representing the hotel whenever you are in the
building. Namebadges should be worn, if the hotel uses them, and you must look
smart at all times. Anythingelsewill just not do, as it creates the wrong
impression.

You should also remember these
following points when looking at how to correctly interact with guests.

1. See things from their
perspective

When interacting with guests, it
is always going to be easier for you to see things from their point of view.
This can prevent staff from becoming frustrated while also coming across as
being more caring and willing to listen to what they have to say.

2. Be consistent with your
interactions

This is perhaps the most
important thing for a hotel in that every single member of staff, no matter the
role they play, must be capable of correctly interacting with guests at all
times. This kind of consistency will help to improve the experience that guests
have at the hotel, as it comes across that the different members of staff are all
working off the same page, and it gives the impression of a far more professional
hotel.

3. Be calm even when it is
difficult

Staying calm with a customer who
is perhaps being a bit difficult in some way is important, even though this can
be quite difficult. Calmness even when under pressure shows professionalism,
and that is a quality that is to be admired. This is something that comes with
both experience as well as the level of training that you receive, as you must
learn how to cope with difficult situations in the correct manner due to how it
will have an impact on how even the most difficult of guests then view the hotel.

4. Be personal with them

Being personal with a guest makes
them feel more special and it also creates a sense that they are individuals and
not just another person that is staying in the hotel. This interaction starts
from the time they make their booking, as emails or phone calls to them should be
professional whilst also providing the same high level of
service as they should expect when they are there before you in person.

5. Help them in awkward
situations

The final point is linked to a
key aspect of how you interact with the guests. In this instance, we are looking
at a situation that is going to involve you showing how flexible you are as a
hotel manager in making sure that the guest has the best time possible in your
hotel. Now, you cannot break the rules, but if a guest requests something that
pushes you slightly, then you have to let them know that it will be possible and
then carry out the quest as quickly as possible. Not being flexible is the wrong
way to interact with guests as it just causes tension and stress and that is
something that must be avoided at all costs.

So, in short, when it comes to
interacting with guests, it is important that you do the following to make sure
that everything goes as well as it possibly can.

*Be polite and respectful whenever
you are dealing with a guest.

*Be open to discussions and do so
with a smile on your face.

*Be as friendly as possible and
appear to take a genuine interest in them. Be personal with them.

*Be open to helping them in
awkward situations.

*Be calm even if the situation is
difficult and is testing you.

*Try to see things from their side
when interacting with the guest.

All of this can be achieved
through a mixture of your own personal development as well as training. You
will develop the skills that are required as you become more experienced
allowing you to provide a better service to your guests.

9.4 The Reasons why Being
Professional Makes a Difference

There are a number of clear
reasons as to why acting in this way makes such a difference in the staff to
guest relationship.

First, it will help to build that
relationship between you and the guests and it is important for the sake of their
experience at your hotel that this is as good as it can possible be. The only
way in which this can happen is if you are able to come across as being warm and
welcoming, because then the guests are going to be more likely to come to you
with problems or feel that they can ask you for things that will make their stay
there all the more positive.

Additionally, it will give the
guest a positive impression of the hotel, and they are then more likely to either
become regular guests or at least tell others of their wonderful experience at
the hotel with warm and welcoming staff. This is going to be a positive thing
since they become marketing tools for the company and this would just not happen
if you interacted with the guest in the wrong manner. Remember that you are
providing a service, and by that we do not just mean the hotel as being the service,
but also you as an individual.

How you interact with a guest is
part of that service, and you are in an industry which focuses on this and it
directly influences the impression that a member of the public has about both
you and the company as a whole.

9.5 How Not to Interact with
Guests

Even though a number of the
points on how not to interact with

guests may seem obvious, it is
amazing how often they are ignored, leading to a breakdownin the relationship
between hotel staff and the guests that are staying there.

These points should be covered in
the initial training provided to you by the hotel when startingwork there as
each place will have its own set of rules as to how they expect you to
interact. However, there are a number of points that are seen as being quite
general points aroundtheworldand it is those points that we will examine now.

1. Rudeness is not permitted

At no point can you be rude to
guests. Depending on the severity of the incident, it could technicallylead to
you losing your job as a direct result.

Clearly, this involves a number
of aspects, as being rude can take various forms.

First, a member of staff should
never use foul or abusive language not just to guests, but evenwhentalking to
other members of staff in a public area where they can be overheard. This may
not beadirect form of interaction with the public, but if they can still be
heard, it is entirely possible forit tostill lead to a negative experience for
the guest. This is something that cannot be allowedtohappen.

Next, a member of staff should
not raise their voice to a guest, even in the face of direct provocation.
Raising your voice is a sign of a lack of professionalism, and that is one
thing that youshouldexcelin at all times.

Never be rude to a guest under
any circumstance. Be careful how you joke with them, becauseeventhough making
somebody laugh and smile can be a good thing, it is also a dangerous
gametoplay, especially when you have no idea how they will react. It is just
not worth taking that chancesincethey could easily end up being offended.

Not having simple basic manners
should be seen as a major failure on your part, as this shouldformthe core part
of how you interact with guests. You need to remember your position in the
hotel andthe prestige that it brings. Not having manners is a catastrophic
failure and there is no chanceofitever reflecting well on you as an individual.

2. Leave them waiting or ignoring
them

 This is such a basic thing to get
correct, because even if you are too busy that you cannot deal withaguest at
any given time, simply letting them know that you have seen them and will get
to themasquickly as possible is all that is required. Never just leave them
waiting and ignore thembecausethis is not only unprofessional, but it will also
give the guest a poor impression of the hotel ingeneral.

3. Never be scruffy

Part of the interaction with
guests actually involves the way you look, so never be scruffy becausethis is a
form of visual interaction that will then lead to the guest developing a
negative idea of thehotel.

4. Never be too strict

Never be too strict with the
rules and regulations to the point that it has a negative impact
ontheexperience that the guest is having at your hotel.We are not saying that you break
any laws or regulations, but being flexible to a certain extent reflects better
on the hotel and you as an individual.

5. Ignoring their needs

If a guest has a specific
request, then clearly ignoring it is not the way to proceed. It is always best to
address their needs and, if you are unable to help them, then tell them at the
time and explain the reasons why you are unable to help. Just ignoring it is
wrong as it shows a lack of care for the guest and it will lead to them having a
negative experience at the hotel which you cannot allow to happen.

You need to look closely at the
language you use, how you deal with guests, and also howyoufollowthe rules and
regulations that are set by the hotel itself.

However, keep the following
points in mind when understanding how not to interact with guests.

*Watch your language at all times.

*Never be rude or offensive.

*Be careful with what you say to
other staff members in public areas.

*Never be disrespectful to guests
at any point.

*Never just ignore the guests.

*Never look scruffy with your
personal appearance.

*Never be too strict with the
rules when some flexibility would go a long way.

Being too restrictive in your
approach to dealing with guests can be problematic and should be avoided, as this
will have a negative impact on the way in which you can interact with guests.
Also, be careful with what you say and how you deal with any requests from the
guests or you will quickly change their opinion of the entire hotel.

 9.6 The Reasons why the way you
Interact with Guests Makes a Difference

Interacting with guests in an
incorrect manner will have a direct impact on the future relationship that they
will have with the hotel.

It will destroy the possibility
of them becoming a regular customer as they will simply go elsewheredue to the
poor way in which the staff interacted with them during their stay.

If you do not interact with
guests in the correct manner from the beginning, it could easily leadtothem not
enjoying their stay, and there is a greater chance of them finding fault and
becomingamore difficult guest than they otherwise would have been. Now, the
problem here is that this wassomething that was entirely your doing, and the
annoying part is that this could have so easilybeenavoided.

Finally, if you are unable to
interact with them in a professional manner, then it will meanthat theyare
going to be less likely to come back to the hotel, and if they will certainly
not recommendyouto

anybody else. Also, thanks to the
Internet there is now the added extra of thempotentiallyleavinganegative review
on various websites and that, in turn, can have a negative impact on the
businessasa whole.

The type of interaction that you
have with guests directly impacts on the entire relationshipandhowthey feel
about their stay at the hotel. It is your responsibility as the hotel manager
that theyhavethe best possible experience, and you must do everything in your
power to make sure that thisisthecase. Anything else will just not do.

FACT

79% of guests agree that the
hotel they most frequently visit takes care of their well-being.

Source:
Gallup's Hospitality Industry study

Summary  of  Module

This module has focused on one
key component of working in a hotel, how to interact with guests as well as things
that you must avoid doing. Being able to correctly interact with the people
that are staying at the hotel will have a direct impact on the type of
relationship that you then have with them as it can influence whether they have a
positive or negative experience during their time there. Make sure that you
develop the personal skills that are required in order to give them the kind of
experience at the hotel that they are looking for.