5 Qualities of Hospitable Hotel Teams

Hospitality can be a difficult business, but at the same time it can be one of the most fulfilling and satisfying. Success lies in the engagement and satisfaction delivered to consumers and any hospitality business worth its name prides itself on the ability to provide the best possible service and experience to their customers. It is no secret that being polite and courteous goes a long way towards building relationships, but this is all the truer for those in the hospitality business than any other industry. For any hotel to thrive, it needs to create positive customer experiences, and where people’s comfort is involved it is essential that the face to face interaction at every stage is one that inspires confidence and sense of belonging. The following list highlights key characteristics of successful hotel teams.

1. Listening

Listening is half of communication, and effective listening is key if you are involved in addressing client requirements, needs and complaints. Customer facing staff, and all staff in general should be trained in effective listening methods and techniques. Without being able to listen effectively, it is impossible to understand customer needs or to be able to provide solutions to unforeseen needs and address a bad experience that a customer may want to raise a complaint for.

By freeing oneself of any preconceptions and biases, one opens the door to listening to all the expressed and hidden information in an important conversation. It is extremely important that when dealing with customers, they are made to feel that what they have to say is important and a priority for the person dealing with them. Allowing people to complete their side of the communication prior to offering solutions, or even gratitude, is one way of ensuring this. Staff that are able to demonstrate this behavior manage to not only be more effective at dealing with customer requirements, but also leave a positive impression of the encounter.

As the hospitality industry matures, many new and affordable hotels in Karachi are becoming increasingly popular for their high-quality services as well as polite and professionally trained staff members.

2. Verbal Communication

The other half of communication is expressed communication, or speaking and outward body language cues. While the job of saying the right things becomes easier if one has listened well and understood the need of customer, delivering the right information in the most desirable way is just as essential to the communicative experience. There is a multitude of resources devoted to understanding and explaining the best way of communicating with clients. It is imperative that customer facing staff are trained in being able to initiate, carry on conversations and respond to clients in the most professional and courteous way. Once your staff members have listened to and understood a customer’s query or complaint, they should be able to respond in an appropriate manner.  At all times, staff should maintain a respectful tone, but also be able to provide assurance and instill confidence in the customer’s mind that they will be taken care of.

In the hotel industry the clientele is a very large mix of cultures, age, race, religion, language and ethnicity. It is important that customer facing team members are able to speak the major regional and international languages, as well as understand the customer needs based on their ethnic and religious backgrounds.

3. Customer Centricity

Customer is King!!! This is a business rule, that is repeated often, but not often understood or enshrined in the way a business conducts itself. Customer orientation is a part of the attitude that a business must embody and demonstrate in all its conduct.

When dealing with people and their experience of the hospitality on offer, this is one that is no longer a delight factor. It is an essential part of what the customer expects to receive when dealing with any hotel that expects to create a positive name for itself. For staff at a hotel, the customer needs to be front and center of everything that they do, regardless of whether they are with a customer at that point in time. All actions and tasks being performed need to performed bearing in mind the impact this will create for the customer and with the pursuit of creating a delightful experience. Living with this attitude and actively embodying it in all activities goes further than any training or outwardly behavior that hotel staff emulate. This mindset not only prepares one to deal with customer needs and complaints and professionally and with the level of care and respect that is expected, it also allows to be prepared and react to unforeseen requests, complaints or situations with the right mindset, aimed to please the client.

4. Stress Management

Working at a hotel provides a high energy environment, where there is always a lot going on, a lot to take in and even more to get done daily. Maintaining control of one’s time and priorities, while dealing with customers, attending requests and averting crises, can be a stressful ask. All hotel staff need to be trained in being to deal with stress effectively. This helps them remain calm in the face of stressful situations, which is essential not only to be effective at handling said situations, but also for their personal wellbeing.

Train your staff members not to panic in front of guests, which can lead to further stress and that leads to negative effects on personal wellbeing, as well as, negative customer experience and lower productivity.

5. Passion

Any industrious enterprise undertaken without the right motivation and dedication is bound to fail. The hospitality industry brings this to light more vividly than anything else. Hoteliers and hotel staff need to have a passion for the line of work they are in or they are bound to fail. The high energy, high stakes nature of the business provides much in the way of satisfaction when the customer is happy and satisfied with the product and service they receive, but it also takes a lot of dedication to the cause of customer service. It is not enough for staff to be trained in customer centric approach and manuals but they also require a high degree of passion for the job and a dedication to carry out these services come what may. While some people may have a high degree of enthusiasm for customer facing roles early on, it is up to the leadership at the hotel to ensure this dedication and enthusiasm is cultivated and nurtured into a sustainable and consistent approach to hospitality. The face, the name and ultimately the satisfaction of the customer depends on it.

If you’re looking for one of the best hotels in Karachi with polite and courteous staff members and high-quality amenities, check out Zifan Hotel & Suites. With a team of dedicated individuals and a variety of luxurious rooms, we can make your stay fun, relaxing, and memorable. Call us at +92-21-34322140 to book a room.