10.1 The key to dealing with guests
via the telephone
First, let us look at the key to
dealing with guests via the telephone, as there are certain ways in
which you should interact with them to make sure that you can then provide an
adequate service at all times.
Perhaps the main thing is the way
in which you interact with the guest via the telephone. You must speak clearly
and be polite at all times, and if you have an accent, try to make it
as neutral as possible, especially if you are working in a hotel where there are
a number of guests from around the world where English is not their first
language.
With the telephone, it is always
important that you are helpful at all times, but are also honest if you are
unable to assist them at this time. When this is the case, you need to be able
to provide them with some alternative help, as well as stating why you cannot
assist them in the way that they had hoped. There has to be an understanding that
it is impossible to deal with everything that guests request, but how you deal
with that situation is the key to it all.
Admittedly, dealing with things
via the telephone is not easy, and that is why it can often be better to deal with
the immediate issue, which means find out what the problem is, and then try
to completely work it out in person. This could take up some part of your day,
but guests do prefer the personal touch especially when they are not happy with
something.
If you are left to deal with
something via the telephone, it is very important to describe to the guest how you
see the problem and what you are going to do about it. If it requires the
assistance of another member of staff, then tell them this rather than leaving
them in the dark. Nothing will confuse or upset a guest more than feeling as if
they have been left in the lurch and it will only lead to their anger increasing
as a result.
However, dealing with guests via
the telephone will typically mean You act professional when answering the
telephone.
*Always state where their call has
landed in the hotel.
*Always state your name at the
start of the call.
*Always ask how you can help them.
*Listen intently to what they have
to say to then make a decision as to how to act. Be as helpful as possible.
*Repeat their request to make sure
that you got everything.
*Explain what your actions are
going to be.
*Thank them for calling and ask if
you can help in any other way.
Dealing with guests via the
telephone is easier than you may think, although it is still something that a
number of staff members dread doing. However, as long as you have a good
understanding of your hotel and are able to deal with guests in a professional
manner, then the telephone should hold no fears.
10.2 How to provide a wake up
call
A wake up call is an essential
service that is provided by a hotel to its guests, but you have to be able to
deal with this in the correct manner. You must remember that the guest is going
to be woken up by you, and that can often mean that they are not in the best of
moods.
However, the way you handle this
call can make a difference to the kind of reaction that you get, as well as
painting the hotel in a better light due to the quality of this particular
service. Remember, every hotel is going to provide this service, and you
certainly want to make sure that they get their call on time, or else it shows
that you are rather lack lustre in your approach.
First, you need to look at who
has requested a wake up call every single morning and the time that they have
requested. This allows you to give some order to your day, although you do not
have to allot a lot of time to each call due to the simplicity of it, so dealing
with more than one person that has asked for the same time is an easy enough
matter. This does mean that you need to be organised, but it is something that
you will get used to, and the hotel you are working for will have their own
system in place for dealing with this issue. If not, we recommend that you
design one as it will undoubtedly make your life easier.
The reason for this is because it
is easier for you if you have a list on your screen with the relevant room
numbers and the extension numbers that then have to be called. This will
allow you to work through them in an orderly fashion, as well as doing it all on
time. Remember, the guests expect this call to be punctual, and they expect the
personal touch as well, so keep that in mind at all times.
When you call the room, always
make sure that you say good morning to the guest and inform them that it is
reception and that this is their wake up call. You may also wish to add in the
time when breakfast is being served before wishing them a good day and ending the
call.
We are literally talking about a
matter of seconds, but they are seconds that count for a lot. In this instance,
it is a service that you are providing and it is one that you want to get right
from the outset.
So, when providing a wake up
call, you need to take the following into account: Create your list of who to
call, their room, and the time.
*Work through the list on your
screen in an orderly fashion.
*Always begin the call by wishing
the guest a good morning.
*Remind that this is their wake up
call that they requested.
*Inform them of breakfast times.
*Do not get into a conversation
with them as that is not the point of the call. End the conversation.
*Always be polite and professional
at all times.
As you can see, dealing with this
call is very easy to do, but it is also very easy to get it wrong. However, by
following these simple steps, that should never be the case.
10.3 How to deal with guest
requests via the telephone
Earlier, we spoke about the key
to dealing with guests via the telephone, but now we are going
to be more specific by looking at how you deal with requests in an adequate and
professional manner.
The first thing that you must do
is to answer the telephone in a prompt manner, as the last thing that your guests
should experience is a substantial wait for somebody to pick up the telephone.
This is unprofessional, and it will then change the way that they feel, and the
tone of their voice could even be entirely different as a result. Most places
will operate, or at least try to operate, a three ring service, so try to stick
to that as much as possible.
When you answer, always introduce
yourself, because the guest will have no idea who they are talking to at this
moment in time, and they have to then make a decision as to whether or not
you will be in a position to help them.
Once you have introduced yourself
in a polite and professional manner, ask how you can help them in order to begin to
deal with their actual request.
Once the guest has informed you
of their request, the important part is to quickly ascertain if you can help them
yourself or if it requires another member of staff to come to their assistance.
However, you must always let the guest know if it is a request that can be
dealt with or if it is a request that is out of the jurisdiction of the hotel.
If it is the latter, then you
must inform them of this by telephone and also, if possible, provide them with an
alternative that may suffice. If this is still not suitable, then there is a
need to offer an apology for this fact and ask if there is anything else that
you can help them with.
However, if it is the former,
then you need to inform them of how you can deal with their request. To really
explain how to deal with requests, it is best to use actual examples.
If the guest calls reception to
inform you of an issue with their room, then your next step would be to tell the
guest that you have made a note of their issue and ask them to confirm the
number of the room. You would then advise them that a member of the housekeeping
staff will be on hand shortly to deal with the problem. However, if it is a
complaint, then do be prepared to deal with it yourself although this does often
depend on the severity of the problem.
Alternatively, if the request is
connected to something that the concierge service could deal with, then it is
your job to pass it on to the relevant individual perhaps by using the internal
telephone network or having a member of staff go to the room in order to deal
with it directly.
However, with all of this the
most important part is making sure that you are always professional and that
you offer as much assistance as possible or at least admit to it when you are
unable to help. This honesty will always reflect you in a better light, as guests
are intelligent enough to be aware that not every request can always
be filled, but it is how you deal with that point that is the important part.
FACT
Guests prefer responsive
employees when booking a repeat visit
Source: gallup.com
10.4 How to deal with room
service
We must mention room service on
its own simply because of the important role it can play within
the hotel.
With this service, there will
often be certain protocols that must be followed in order to make sure that the
guest receives what it is that they want and do so within a certain period of
time.
Some hotels have actually changed
the way in which their room service operates, so we can only look at the basics
that are involved with the understanding that the specifics in your hotel
could vary.
However, the guest will have been
provided with a list of the options that are available when it comes to room
service, and you should have your own copy close to hand for any guest that
then calls.
When they call, you will have to
be both polite and professional at all times. As with other calls from guests,
there is a need to introduce yourself to allow the guest to know who it is that
they are dealing with and then ask how you
can help them.
This is the standard professional
approach to any request by a guest and you should never deviate from this at any
point.
After this, you need to then ask
what they would like from room service and then take the order making sure that
it is put through the appropriate channels. However, this also means that
you are required to know exactly what is available at any given time in order to
provide the guest with upto date information that will allow them to make their
final decision as to what they wish to order.
Once you have taken the order,
repeat it back to the customer to get their final confirmation that you have
taken down the correct details before then getting them to confirm their room number.
Finally, you should inform them as to how long the wait is going to be, and
thank them for calling to place their order.
This is all about dealing with
the guests in the correct manner while always remaining profession a land double
checking that you have indeed taken down the correct details. By getting
them to confirm it, there is less chance of you making a mistake as that is
something that should just not happen when a guest orders room service.
10.5 How to Deal with Complaints
Finally, we should briefly look
at how you deal with any complaints from guests via the telephone.
This is entirely possible,
although the more common way of a guest complaining is in person.
However, if you have to deal with
an irate guest who calls reception, it is important that you remain calm and
professional at all times, as anything else will only serve to antagonise the
guest and make the situation worse.
Your main aim is to listen to
what they have to say and even repeat the problem back to them in order to show
that you have absorbed what they had to say and that you have understood it.
You should then look to apologise for the issue, or even apologise for how they
feel about a situation, and then start to attempt to build bridges by looking
for a solution.
The exact solution will depend on
the issue, but you need to calm the situation by telling the guest that you can
work around a problem and suggest that you go and see them in person.
Try your best to get them off the telephone as it is always easier to deal with
things in person, as you will often get to the root of the problem faster this
way.
So, if you have an irate guest
that calls from within the hotel, then make sure that you deal with their
complaint there and then and make the relevant changes in order to satisfy
the mand to ease the tension. It is also a good idea to see them once things have
been resolved to check that everything is now fine and that they are quite
content. Getting a visit in this way from the manager will reflect well on both
you and the hotel, as it shows a real sense of professionalism that can often be
lacking elsewhere.
Summary of Module
This module has focused on
dealing with customer requests by telephone, as well as how to provide a wake up
call on time. We have also looked at how to deal with complaints via the
telephone, as being able to cope with a guest in this manner is certainly
something that everybody involved in the hotel industry should be able to do.
Developing a positive telephone
manner will not only make you more professional, but it will also allow you to
provide an adequate service that every guest wants to have available, even if
they do not then go on to use it themselves.
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