Midland Hotel Customer Service

Customer? ► Paying Guests using facilities and services of the hotel ► Potential future customers who are in the hotel to make an enquiry ► General Public are all potential customers ► Staff members & colleagues are customers of each other.

Why do we need customers? ► We rely on paying customers for our livelihood. ► Customers pay for service & services ► After paying for costs, operational costs, wages, and Repairs and Renewals of equipment, Profit is the result ► Generally each £ we take 15p goes in direct F & B costs, 30p in Wage costs, 20p in Operational Costs, and 10p for repairs. 25p is profit.

Why strive for Customer Loyalty? ► Reducing customer defections can boost profits by %. ► 68% of customer defections take place because customers feel that they have been unfairly treated. ► It can cost 5 times more to attract new customers than retain existing ones. ► Where customer satisfaction levels are high it can reduce payment of bills by 14 days.

What do we do? ► Recruitment of the right people, Customer focused individuals ► Train in-house, Welcome Host courses, have a customer focused ethos ► Giving information verbally and in print ► Strive to understand our customers needs, by listening to their requests, action, and repeating for their next visit. ► Dealing with problems fast and efficiently ► Staff levels promote good customer service ► Give the staff a good working environment ► Empower Staff & Management to do anything we can for the customer ► Always Going the Extra Mile

We need to be able to… ► Listen carefully and ensure the customer has finished. Repeat their request to let them know you understand them. ► Talk politely and coherently ► Look at the customer…not at what’s going on somewhere else. ► Dress in proper, clean and well presented uniform ► Be properly groomed, with correct levels of make-up, and not too much jewellery (Rings, Necklaces and Earrings) ► Be well groomed, and Men need to be clean shaven at all times. ► Don’t smell of too much perfume, but don’t have Body Odour or Bad Breath. ► Management and supervisors need to keep their staff under constant scrutiny when on duty. ► Staff need to come to work having the correct attitude to customers, other staff and colleagues. Be professional at all times, no larking about, being too noisy etc.

Who are our Customers? ► Business and Private Individuals staying for Business or pleasure, mid- week or weekends ► Customers attending meetings, conferences, Restaurant & Bar or Banqueting Customers ► Elderly Groups, Disabled, Special Needs ► Our Customers are people who come from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, businesses, organisations. Some of our customers come from abroad and often do not even speak the language. ► If we know and understand our customers then we can help make their experience at the hotel far superior.

How do we benefit from Good Customer Service? ► Increased customer loyalty resulting in Repeat business & Recommendations ► Marketing and Advertising costs are less ► Less Complaints, and refunds ► Customers talk about us as being ‘better’ than other Hotels. ► Customer service these days is generally poor or average. Striving to be the best gets you recognised ► Feel good factor in the hotel, results in better working environment for staff, better feed back and gratuities. Gives staff a sense of a job well done ► Leads to reduced staff turnover. It is estimated that it costs a minimum of £1500 per staff member to recruit.

Complaint Handling ► Listen fully and be attentive ► Have open body language…. Not folded arms, or head down looking at the floor. ► Let the customer finish ► Apologise sincerely, tell them that you will take ownership of the situation. Take an empathetic view…but do not patronise. ► If the problem is complex, investigate, report back and suggest a solution. ► If you can put the problem right there and then, Do it and make it right. ► If you feel out of your depth, apologise and suggest that you call someone more senior. ► Ensure that you report all facts and details to the senior staff member/ or manager away from the customer.

Records & Marketing ► Accurate records give us mailing lists ► We use Post Code recognition and house numbers for effective address finding. ► We can search using any criteria, e.g. Customers who live 50 mile radius away. ► Accurate client comment records lead to improved customer service, e.g. Mr Jones likes room 225 each time he stays ► Each individual staff member remembers a customers likes and dislikes if they stay on a regular basis, they have their own ‘computer records’ in their head. ► We need to be aware of Data Protection Act with customer details.

What are we striving for? ► The best recognised levels of customer service in the city with Investors in People and Servicemark Awards Resulting in ► Increased Business Levels from Loyalty & Recommendation Resulting in ► Improved morale and sense of achievement for staff & management Resulting in ► Lower staff turnover Resulting in ► More benefits and higher wages for staff, and lower price increases for customers as hotel becomes more profitable Resulting in ► Being more competitive in the market place with improved and increased investment in facilities and services for customers Resulting in ► Increased Business Levels from Loyalty & Recommendation etc etc etc…