Good customer service skills are practically inherent for people who love the hospitality industry, but brand standards exist to turn a good guest experience into a remarkable one. Often these are seemingly minute touches, but they have the potential to make a huge impact on the guest.
I have found all-staff training to be one of the biggest tells for a culture of service. This typically includes eye contact and some form of communication from every staff member when they are in contact with a guest, even if they are not in a guest-facing role. It’s about being gracious and accommodating through absolutely every phase of the guest journey and includes every staff member who is in uniform, even if they are off the clock.
Management makes a big impact here as well. Experience scores go up when management is engaged with the guests, even if they’re not doing anything different than the staff. It’s a little thing that nudges the general culture in the right direction.
Any growth in service development should be sustained with recognition. Both immediate praise and a tangible reward in the form of a comped meal or an extra long lunch can go a long way to supporting a culture of service throughout the entire organization. Some hotels get guests in on this through the use of comment cards or digital feedback programs, often directly incentivized by the brand. Even the smallest service point can have a big impact on overall experience.