Frontline Employee Training
Technique 16
Ingrain the Ten Feet Rule;
During new employee orientation, it must be emphasized to all new employees that they must greet guests whenever they pass within 10 feet of them. It is never acceptable to not greet a guest. If the guest is on his/her mobile phone then a smile, a nod, and a wave can serve as the greeting.
Technique 17
Help Employees to Remember Guest Names;
During new employee orientation, everyone should be provided with some tactics regarding how to remember repeat guests’ names.
Technique 18
Offer Body Language Training;
During new employee orientation, all new frontline asso- ciates should be provided training regarding how to manage their body language cues when interacting with guests. Such cues include items such as smiling, eye contact, hands in pockets, etc.
Technique 19
Incorporate Surprise Stories in Shift Huddles;
In every daily shift huddle, one associate should be ran- domly selected to tell the group how s/he positively surprised a guest in the past 48 hours.
Technique 20
Incorporate Encounter Stories in Shift Huddles;
What guest did you meet today? In every daily shift hud- dle, one associate should be randomly selected to name a guest s/he met and tell the group something about the guest such as where they are from, their family, etc. This practice in the huddle will encourage the staff to talk to the guests.
Technique 21
Conduct a Core Value Rotation in Shift Huddles;
Every hotel should have between 8–10 core values that define the organizational culture. At the end of each daily shift huddle, one of the core values should be discussed so that each one is covered in an 8–10 day rotation.
Technique 22
Conduct a Core Value Rotation in Shift Huddles;
Every hotel should have between 8–10 core values that define the organizational culture. At the end of each daily shift huddle, one of the core values should be discussed so that each one is covered in an 8–10 day rotation.
Technique 23
Use Foreign Language Greetings When Appropriate;
In hotel properties with an international clientele, the front desk agents should know greetings in various languages and use them when appropriate.
Technique 24
Ingrain the Drama Metaphor;
All associates should be taught that they are on-stage whenever a guest can see or hear him/her. Such on-stage behavior applies to associates regardless of whether or not they are clocked-in for work. In other words, a guest perceives a uniformed employee as a representative of the hotel whether the employee has begun his/her shift or not.
Technique 25
Train the ‘Again’ Effect;
If an associate recognizes a guest as being a repeat patron, but cannot recall his/her name, the associate should be trained to say ‘nice to see you again.’ Inserting the word ‘again’ helps strengthen the relationship between the guest and service provider.
Technique 26
Express Gratitude to Guests;
A guest must feel appreciated and cannot be thanked too much. Associates should be trained to thank them for their business throughout their stay: “Thank you for staying with us”, “Thank you for dining with us”, etc.
Technique 27
Teach Proper Response to ‘Thank You’;
All associates should be trained to reply with ‘thank you’ when a guest says ‘thank you’. Intense competition in the hotel sector mandates that guests feel appreciated for their business. Replies to ‘thank you’ such as ‘no problem’ do not communi- cate appreciation or leave a lasting impression.
Technique 28
Set the Tone During the Reservation Process;
When a guest makes a reservation via the hotel, it creates a great opportunity to get them excited about coming to the hotel. The tone of the reservationist’s voice is very important and has the opportunity to start the exceptional guest service before they even arrive at the hotel. Reservationists should be trained to speak with enthusiasm, so the guest will feel it too. This enthusiasm sets the tone for their stay.
Technique 29
Smile While on the Telephone;
A mirror should be hung in front of all hotel reserva- tionists and they should be trained to check their smiles in the mirror when conversing with potential guests. Smiling changes voice tone and inflection.
Technique 30
Do Not Unnecessarily Disclose Overbooking;
Reservationists should be trained never to tell guests that they are overbooked on a requested night. Simply stating that the hotel is full would suffice in the conversation. Overbook- ing is viewed by many consumers as an unethical and greedy practice.
Technique 31
Use Hospitable Responses to ‘How are you?’;
If an associate is asked by a guest ‘how are you?’ the asso- ciate should not respond that s/he is happy because s/he is ‘off tomorrow.’ Expressing happiness because of an upcoming separation from guests does not communicate a hospitable culture.
Technique 32
Tell Jokes and Riddles to Children When Appropriate;
All frontline associates should be instructed to learn at least one children’s riddle that can be told when children move through their areas accompanied by their parents. A basic Internet search reveals numerous websites listing children’s jokes and riddles.
Technique 33
Use Strong Telephone Greetings;
An associate’s name is important to a guest. All associates should be trained to state their names when they answer the telephones in their departments.
Technique 34
Make Guests the First Priority;
Who’s more important, the manager or the guest? The entire management team should understand that when an employee is engaged with a guest, the guest is most important. Likewise, some employees think that “Oh there is a manager, I better acknowledge him/her.” Both management and staff should be taught to focus on the guest first.
Technique 35
Check Websites for Accuracy;
During off-peak times, front desk associates should be trained to routinely check websites that describe the hotel for accuracy. Are the hours of operations correct for the various departments? Are the hotel’s features and amenities listed correctly?
Technique 36
Learn the Language of Guest Segments
Do you know who your guests are? If you are near a uni- versity, medical center, or in a leisure market—bring in “spe- cialists” to talk and train the hotel staff on what to say, ask and explain. These specialists normally will do it free of charge. The more knowledge your staff has, the easier it is to provide a more personalized style of service.
Technique 37
Eliminate Hairs;
All housekeepers should be trained that the most com- mon cleanliness problem in the guestroom experience is hair in the bathroom (on floor, tub, or vanity).
Technique 38
Offer Luggage Assistance;
All hotel staff should be trained to spot guests carrying bags and to tell the guests that they would like to help carry the items for them. If the guests decline, the service offered signals care and attention to detail.
To be continue...
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