‘HOSPITALITY 101’: A KEY INGREDIENT FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND COMPANY GROWTH
By Steve Brown, president & co-founder, Furnished Quarters
The typical corporate housing guest may not be looking for a glass of Champagne on arrival or the undivided attention of a costumed concierge, but we would be mistaken to under-estimate the value of hospitality in the corporate housing business. While we are not expected to provide the full range of amenities of a luxury resort, our corporate housing guests come to us with certain expectations. Each valued guest expects – rightly so – to be treated with prompt attention, courtesy, thoughtful consideration, efficiency and an understanding of their needs.
In comparison to the hotel business, providing hospitality in our industry is a unique challenge because many of the most important customer interactions are invisible; they are by telephone or e-mail. Corporate housing staff who do have regular personal encounters with guests are typically van drivers, cleaning personnel, building maintenance workers and the tour coordinators who show our facilities. If our goal is to build a loyal base of repeat customers, there is no better way to do so than make sure that everyone who represents our company, from top to bottom, is not only friendly and helpful, but well informed and responsive – in short, hospitality-minded.
It all begins with hiring, before training comes into play. At Furnished Quarters, the majority of our customer relations personnel come from the hospitality industry. They have experience dealing with the needs and expectations of demanding hotel and resort guests, most often through face-to-face interactions. A key to transitioning this knowledge into working with corporate housing guests is illustrating that communicating that same sense of hospitality over the phone and through e-mail communications is a critical part of the guest experience. Customer service managers have the responsibility for teaching appropriate telephone and e-mail etiquette, among the other skills that make a difference in quality personal interactions and assuring customer satisfaction. It goes back to Hospitality 101.
What are the attributes we look for in all Furnished Quarters staff, from drivers to cleaners? A cheerful, positive attitude, an interest in engaging guests, a willingness to be helpful and responsive. But, in large part, providing hospitality is less about actual hospitality training than about operational efficiency. Hospitality is the result of a well-oiled machine running smoothly; if customer needs and expectations are met satisfactorily and in a timely fashion, our guests feel well-cared for.
Customer satisfaction leads to happy clients – and most importantly, return business. This is why much of the training process should focus on making sure that everything works and that the entire staff knows how to do their jobs and to respond in any situation that might arise. It’s basic internal training that ensures a solid payoff. For example, Furnished Quarters has nine levels of supervisory training and invests in highly detailed training of all employees. By having the proper procedures in place to handle any eventuality and making sure that every employee understands his or her responsibilities, the pieces that add up to success are in place. In the long run, a friendly smile and helpful attitude mean less if the customer’s problem or request is not resolved quickly and correctly. A customer relations manager can be charming and attentive on the phone but if the clean towels don’t arrive for hours, or the repairman comes two days later, the guest can hardly feel satisfied.
In our business, hospitality is more than being nice; it is about customers feeling satisfied that they are receiving full value. It goes above helpful attitudes and gracious, well-informed personnel; it requires seamless, flawless operations. It is achieved when every employee is effectively trained in all their roles and responsibilities, while passing Hospitality 101 with flying colors. When that happens, it’s a win-win situation – for our businesses and for building a loyal customer base. There is no better kind of customer relationship.
