By Pathias Klinn Akabanjuna
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, beaches to resorts and everything in between, your job as a hospitality service provider is to maintain customer happiness and satisfaction. This demands effort and concentration from the service providers which has been disappointing sometimes especially to the fast-rising middle class in the region whose expectations are rising as fast. There is the ever-growing need to benchmark experiences, the value added, memories and emotions that matter, other than the provision of the service itself. If I come to your Hotel or club, I need to feel enthusiasm, affection and kindness. It is very imperative to keep your customers at the forefront of your operational plans to hold your business afloat.
The usual "please" and "thank you" or getting service with a smile no longer cut it. Although those go into the recipe for proper etiquette, it's just not enough. We seek a memorable experience and dynamic service. From being served quickly to bending the standard practices, such as extending my check-out in a hotel or customizing a menu item in the restaurant, the small things that make me feel appreciated. To be able to do this, you must anticipate your customers’ needs and be able to have your staff deliver accordingly. Hoteliers in the region who have learnt the important lesson of engaging their customers and consistently making sure customers get the same awesome service or better have reaped big from the industry and their stars continue to rise.
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 customers. Be available. If I have to continuously wait for you to do your part, I may grow tired, no matter how loyal I am, and venture off to your competition. Keep customers loyal by focusing on them at all times.
More so, as a customer, when I get disappointed at your service that day, I need to be comfortable enough to air my grievance. If I am not allowed to vent, I will probably vent out on someone else, a potential customer. In the corporate setting, news travels fast. You will probably end up losing business. Therefore it is important that you let me advise you on how better you could have handled serving lunch in the conference so that I can expect better service next time.
Maximizing customer satisfaction makes an important contribution to maximizing profitability as well. Although other factors such as cost control, productivity and marketing strategy also impact the bottom line, it is your ability to increase the opportunity for repeat sales to customers that reduces costs of sales and marketing which translate into increased profit. It is not uncommon for a customer to bring their friends to a hotel where they had their car parked properly for them or where the waitress went out of her way to make sure he got his drink chilled to the right temperature, just the way he likes it. Satisfied customers have an indirect impact on profitability when they share their opinions and experiences with others. In this era of technology, social networking sites play an important part in shaping attitudes towards a service or product. By maximizing customer satisfaction and encouraging customers to post their views on a forum or service review site, you can attract new customers who use the reviews to make their business decisions. Therefore, it is almost a must for every player in this industry to have at least a twitter page.
Having excellent food, beverages and world class accommodation is no longer enough. Processing customers through your service system is not sustainable. Everyone does that. Without a personal connection, hospitality businesses are just expensive vending machines. To deliver better and learn faster is the only truly sustainable competitive advantage.
The writer is a socio-political commentator and Blogger
Twitter: @PathyKlinn
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