By Lynda Moultry Belcher Updated March 11, 2019
If there’s any place where customers are likely to be paying attention to the type of service they receive, it’s within the hospitality industry. From restaurants to hotels and everything in between, your job as a hospitality service provider is to maintain customer happiness and satisfaction. Keep your customers at the forefront of your operational plans to hold your hospitality business afloat.
Customer Experience Expectations
Gone are the days when customers were happy just receiving “please” and “thank you” or getting service with a smile. Although those go into the recipe for proper etiquette, it’s just not enough. Satisfied customers are looking for a memorable experience and dynamic service where it counts. From receiving quick service to bending the standard practices – such as extending a guest check-out in a hotel or customizing a menu item in a restaurant – customers want to feel as if their business is appreciated.
To be on the receiving end of customers’ satisfactory ratings in surveys and among their network, anticipate their needs and be able to have your staff deliver accordingly.
Deliver On Promise
One key factor in keeping your guests engaged and coming back is to deliver as you promise. From being consistent to making sure they get the same awesome service to doing what you say you will do, don’t drop the ball when it comes to what you say you’ll offer. Customers are more likely to get frustrated when you reel them in on a big promise such as special services or premium products and it’s not the case. Avoid saying that you are luxury if your services are mediocre or in developing gimmicks that excite customers only to disappoint them throughout the process of working with you.
Customer Happiness and Loyalty
Happy customers are loyal customers. Not only is it important for you to provide stellar service, but awesome products as well. Make it a point to be on the fast track for keeping up with trends that your customers may follow such as building personal assistance services for traveling customers or making special concessions for avid repeat consumers. Be sure you have items on hand so when your customer needs you and your products, everything’s available.
A customer who has to continuously wait for you to do your part may grow tired, no matter how loyal, and venture off to your competition. Keep customers loyal by focusing on them at all times.
Let Them Vent
Give your customers an outlet for telling you about poor experiences. When you have customers who have had a negative experience, make it easy and clear for them to not only tell you about it but get it off their chest to you and not someone else. Don’t patronize customers when they are disgruntled by shooing them off with little to no plans for recourse. Make it a point to correct issues that went wrong and look into those that could stand some improvement.
Capture communication methods for keeping in contact with your customers so that you can alert them when changes and improvements occur.
Keep an Eye Out Online
You'll hear from many customers directly, with their complaints as well as their compliments. But don't forget to monitor what's being said about you online. Sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor carry endless numbers of reviews for thousands of establishments. Many of the reviews are surprisingly detailed and informative.
Make sure to keep an eye out for comments about your services; you can generally respond to reviews, with either a thank you or a statement of concern and an offer to make things right.
You can also create a site for your company at Facebook, Instagram and other social media services where you can display your wares, so to speak, and invite customers to ask questions or post comments.
FAQs
What defines Customer Satisfaction in the Hospitality Industry? It is the act of meeting or surpassing the expectations of guests, resulting in a positive experience. This includes factors such as the quality of service, cleanliness, comfort, and value for money.
What is customer satisfaction best answer? ›
Customer satisfaction is defined as a measurement that determines how happy customers are with a company's products, services, and capabilities. Customer satisfaction information, including surveys and ratings, can help a company determine how to best improve or changes its products and services.
What are the factors influencing customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry? ›
This study determined the relationship between five key factors (hotel facilities, service capability, service efficiency, service attitude, and breakfast) to the degree of the customer satisfaction with the hotel.
What is customer satisfaction 5 reasons it's important in service? ›
Customer satisfaction is important because it illustrates whether your customer base likes what you're doing. Research shows that high satisfaction leads to greater customer retention , higher lifetime value, and a stronger brand reputation. Low customer satisfaction scores are important, too.
What is good customer service in hospitality industry? ›
Customer service in the hospitality industry also involves maintaining positive customer relations. This means creating a welcoming atmosphere, being responsive to guests' needs and requests, and providing excellent service that exceeds their expectations.
What is excellent customer satisfaction? ›
What is good customer service? Good customer service means consistently meeting customers' expectations. Great customer service is quick, easy, personalized, and empathetic. Companies that deliver excellent customer service take the time needed to understand the needs of their unique customer base.
What are the key points of customer satisfaction? ›
20 Ways to Increase Customer Satisfaction
- Understand your customers. ...
- Create a customer-centric culture. ...
- Put yourself in the customer's shoes. ...
- Lead with empathy, always. ...
- Always ask for feedback. ...
- Act on customer feedback. ...
- Give your support teams everything they need to succeed. ...
- Respond to customer reviews.
Customer satisfaction refers to how well you, as a product or service provider, fulfil the needs and expectations of your customers. This applies to any interactions before and after the sale as well as during it.
How to fulfill customer satisfaction? ›
7 tips for ensuring customer satisfaction is high
- Ask for feedback and take action. ...
- Offer multiple forms of communication for customer support. ...
- Design a custom contact form. ...
- Respond in a timely manner. ...
- Provide 24/7 customer support. ...
- Create customer rewards. ...
- Give transparent information.
The factors affecting the hospitality industry include the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) applications, the integration of various elements such as travel, lodging, and food provision, the increase in travel arrivals in different regions, the need for service innovation to gain a competitive ...
So what are the factors that influence customer satisfaction? The three major factors that affect modern customer satisfaction are customer understanding, service, and technology. By tapping into these factors, you can provide positive, consistent customer experiences and create real customer loyalty.
How do you measure satisfaction in hospitality and tourism? ›
One of the most widely used and simple ways to measure customer satisfaction in hospitality is the Net Promoter Score (NPS). This is a single question that asks customers how likely they are to recommend your hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business to a friend or colleague, on a scale of 0 to 10.
What are the three keys to customer satisfaction? ›
Employees generally don't provide good customer service to their customers if they aren't serving one another in a consistent, reliable, friendly, and timely manner.
What are the 5 Ps of customer satisfaction? ›
What are the 5 Ps of Customer Satisfaction? The 5 Ps of customer satisfaction are product, price, place, promotion, and people.
Why is service quality and customer satisfaction important in hospitality industry? ›
Hotels that provide exceptional customer support are more likely to see repeat business from satisfied guests. When guests have a positive experience, they are more likely to return for future stays and recommend the hotel to others.
What are the theories on customer satisfaction in hospitality industry? ›
Many theories have been used to understand the process through which customers form satisfaction judgments. The theories can be broadly classified under three groups: Expectancy disconfirmation, Equity, and Attribution.
Why is customer satisfaction important in the tourism industry? ›
Satisfied tourists stay longer, spend more and come back. They promote the provider on social media and online ratings, thereby contributing to business and destination competitiveness. They bring friends and family on their next visit. Satisfaction with vacation time impacts their overall quality of life.
What is job satisfaction in hospitality industry? ›
In hospitality, satisfied employees are more likely to provide exceptional guest service. They remain committed to the organization, display a strong sense of allegiance to the company, and work toward accomplishing its success.
