2.  Service : activity done for another person  Hospitality is the business of satisfying people’s needs  Customer Service : total customer experience with that business › Includes performance of the staff, courtesy of the staff, the cleanliness of the property, and the way customers are treated  Empathy : ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and know how that person feels › Why might it be important to be empathetic to your customers and their needs?

3. Customer : someone who purchases products or services from a business Guest : customer who purchases products or services from a hospitality business Guest and Customer are used interchangeably in hospitality

4.  Customers are the main reason for hospitality industry › Without customers there would be no business › No business = no profits › No profits = no money › Success depends on returning customers › POOR SERVICE is the number one reason customers do not return to a business.

5.  Customers look for a place where they feel welcome  Hospitality businesses satisfy both the physical and psychological needs of customers  Maslow's Hierarchy (next slide)

6.  Way to describe how human needs are met  Ranked needs in order from most basic to higher needs  Basic needs are at the bottom › Physical/Safety › Must be partially met to pursue higher needs  Higher needs are psychological needs › Self actualization : expressing your true self through reaching personal goals or helping others

7.  How can the hospitality industry help meet the needs in the pyramid?

10.  Customer Satisfaction : the positive feeling customers have about a business that meets their needs.  Quality Service : Service that meets or exceeds customers’ expectations.  Quality service is the key to establishing and maintaining a successful business.  Service always depends on people, the employees who provide the service  Customers frequently compliment the following service elements: › Cleanliness and attractive appearance of facilities and grounds › Employees who respond quickly to requests › Employees who anticipate customer needs

11.  Quality service is necessary but more important is consistent quality service.  Consistent Quality Service : providing the same good and service each and every time they come to your business.  Think McDonalds, Olive Garden  Delivering quality service always involves people. › Depends on interactions that take place between customers and staff. › Service encounter : an interaction between a customer and a staff member.

12.  People choose restaurants based on recommendations from friends and coworkers  WORD OF MOUTH PUBLICITY : informal conversation people have about their experiences with a business  In hospitality, word of mouth is one of the major ways people learn about your business  Can give a business good publicity or bad publicity

13.  People who provide quality service are the hospitality employees. (2 groups) › Front of the House: area in hospitality business that guests usually see. (entrance, dining room, lobby area) › Back of the House: area that guests usually do not get to see. Also called the heart of the house. (kitchen, receiving, storage, laundry, broiler room, storage, offices)  Front of the house employees work with customers and have direct contact with customers. (front desk staff, hostess, wait staff/servers, bell attendants  Back of the house employees are rarely involved with customers (cooks, chefs, dishwashers, housekeepers, engineers, etc.)

14.  Customer focused employee: employee who can anticipate customer needs  Customer focused employees have the six following characteristics 1. Make immediate eye contact: Shows you have a willingness to serve and are giving the guest your complete attention. 2. Have good posture: relaxed but alert; do not stare at the ground or look off into space.

15. 3. They smile warmly : communicates respect for the customer and readiness to help. 4. They respond quickly to requests: attitude should be positive and business like 5. They use the customer’s name whenever possible: when customers hear their own name, they feel important and welcome 6. They are clean and well groomed: Image is made from impression that staff gives; companies have strict regulations that employees must follow.

16.  Critical Moments : time when customer’s experience makes a bigger impact on customer satisfaction than at other times. › Phone Call : guests first impression › First View of the building entrance › Interaction with the greater › Wait for a table or a room › First moments at the table or in the hotel › First encounter with bussers and servers › Encounter with the manager › Arrival of the food › Visit to the restroom › Presentation of the check or the bill › The last interaction with the server or the office staff

17.  Customer relation skills are skills that are necessary to provide good customer service.  Communication Skills › Critical for every employee at every level › Managers must communicate the rules of the company, standards of customer service, and information about the business to their employees

18.  Verbal communication: includes the tone of the voice you use and the way you speak.  Use proper grammar at all times, not slang  Never use profanity (shows a lack of manners, lack of respect)

19.  MUST communicate in written form  Write menu orders clearly  Write down specifics about different orders  Write publications, articles

20.  Nonverbal communication is how you communicate with your body language.  Facial expressions, hand gestures, posture, and eye contact are ways that we communicate nonverbally

21.  There will ALWAYS be customer complaints! The key is ALWAYS to resolve the complaints with customer satisfaction. › Listen with empathy › Allow the customer to vent › Be supportive › Do NOT blame someone else › Have a positive attitude › Offer solutions › Follow through on the situation