Make Them Experts
In the past, the best hoteliers could spend lifetimes gathering and memorizing pertinent information about important guests. Today, your front desk can offer that same VIP treatment with the use of data cleansing software which stores and sorts information on guests who have previously stayed at your properties. By keeping information on guest allergies and dietary preferences, names of accompanying family members and dates of anniversaries, front desk staff can treat guests like valued members. When new information about your guests is discovered, staff can easily and quickly log it—which will help inform future loyalty programs and custom deals.
Make Pronouncing Any Name Easy
When your hotel attracts people from all over the globe, your front desk is bound to welcome customers who have first and last names they’re unfamiliar with. A mispronounced name is the quickest way to make your guest feel like a stranger, and that’s the last thing you want to do. A good hotel property management system allows for phonetic spelling so that there’s no guessing, and your staff is welcoming each guest by name confidently and accurately.
Help Match Faces to Names
When a VIP walks into a room, they are usually recognized immediately and greeted by name. By logging numerous photos when guests register through a social media account, like Facebook or LinkedIn, staff can familiarize themselves with what the guest looks like before their arrival and welcome them accordingly. This can be at reception or even at the valet station as they arrive by car. Guest images can also help streamline service, allowing the front desk to more easily pull up the profiles of customers waiting to check in.
Provide Them with Guest History
Your staff provides their best service when they are well informed on every aspect of the guest, particularly their history of stays with the hotel or hotel group. For example, if the staff member knows that the guest’s twin toddlers loved poolside orange sherbet during their last stay, they can remind them that the cones are still available. Similarly, if something went wrong during the previous stay, staff members can go to greater lengths to ensure that particular service is seamless.
Avoid Duplicate Guest Profiles
Your front desk will be the most successful when their main focus is on guests, not completing administrative tasks. With basic hotel PMS, duplication of guest profiles can occur. Identifying, merging and deleting duplicate profiles can be a very time consuming process. Duplicate profiles can also result in lost information and missed opportunities for customization. Your PMS should automatically flag potential duplicate profiles, making the process of elimination much easier. Less time looking at the computer means more face time with guests.
When guests speak about their experience, they will likely talk about the way they felt while they were at your hotel. If they leave feeling known, respected and appreciated, it’s likely they will have nothing but good things to say about your business. With excellent front desk service, your guests will start and end their trip on the right note, and will be more likely to return to your hotel.
Photo: Shutterstock / michaeljung
