1. Chapter 7 Managing Guest Services

2. Learning Objectives
Understand guest complaint management – from prevention to alternative solutions.
Understand the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Discuss employee empowerment.
Discuss various talents for delivering guest service.

3. Total Quality Management (2 of 3)
Total Quality Management in the Hotel Industry
Examples of Quality Management
The Real Components of TQM
Renovations
Bedding
Linens and Pillows
The Public Relations of Bedding
Cleanliness
An Old Enemy Has Checked In
Noise, Temperature, and Darkness 3

4. Total Quality Management (1 of 3)

5. Total Quality Management (3 of 3)
Total Quality Management Defined
The Buyer’s View
The Seller’s View
Leadership
Empowerment
The Employee
Diversity and Turnover
Selecting and Retaining the Right Persons
Labor Unions
Training
The Author’s View

6. Hotel Employees (1 of 2)

7. Hotel Employees (2 of 2) Employee qualification Employee motivation
Employee retention
Turnover

8. Customer Relations Management (1 of 3)
Customer Relation Denied
Who Knows Why?
Measuring Guest Services
Moments of Truth
Controlling quality
Quality control through Inspection
Chains use their own inspectors
Announced and unannounced inspections
Not gotcha!!, but measurement against standards
Re-inspect after property gets opportunity to correct 8

9. Customer Relations Management (2 of 3)
Inspections by agencies such as AAA or Mobile
Need to maintain standards to be listed
Use of “mystery shoppers”
Inspectors hired by outsiders or by hotel itself
Controlling Quality Through Guarantees

10. Customer Relations Management (3 of 3)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA )
Provides for changes to accommodate guests and employees with disabilities
Law enforced with fines and penalties
Removal of physical barriers to handicap access
Signage to enable handicapped to get around
Issue revolves around many types of handicaps
Physical, visual, audio, movement
Safety of handicapped guest key issue too
Chains, rating agencies, government look for ADA compliance 10

11. Complaints (1 of 2) Most guests do not complain
“Tip of the iceberg” phenomenon
10 unhappy customers for every visible complaint
Treat complaints as free consultancy!
Preventing complaints
Early warning
Minimize complaints by informing about potential problems
Comment cards
Tend to represent only extreme cases – confidential to management 11

12. Complaints (2 of 2) Handling complaints Blogs and internet reviews
Open to the world – need to monitor and respond rapidly
Quality circles
Small groups of employees who meet regularly as quasi-permanent teams to identify issues in delivering quality service
Handling complaints
Prepare for complaints and respond to complaints
By listening; in a proper “official” venue; by making a record/taking notes; with a settlement; by asking the guest what they consider fair; under contractual agreements 12