Exceptional Guest Service Techniques for Lodging Employees

1. Chapter 2, Section 3 Guest Service in Action

2. As a Lodging Employee: • Give guests immediate and undivided attention. • Greet guests warmly and with a smile. • Listen closely to guests. • Show pride in yourself, your work, and the property. • Use guests’ names when possible.

3. As a Lodging Employee continued: • Maintain eye contact when talking with guests. • Take care of guests’ needs yourself, when possible • Make suggestions that will help guests enjoy their stay. • Protect guests’ privacy and follow all property security procedures.

4. As a Lodging Employee continued: • Be polite. • Invite guest to return. • Always end a conversation with “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Or, “let us know if we can do anything else.” • Always look at every situation from the guest’s point of view

5. Show Guests that You: • Care about the guests’ needs. • Are never too busy to attend to guests’ needs. • Work together with a team to provide good service. • Do everything you can to keep promises and please guests.

6. Serving International Guests • Refer to guests by their nationality or as “international guests,” not “foreigners.” • Speak at a normal volume level, but slowly and early, avoiding slang. • Address them with courtesy title (Mr., Ms., etc.) or their last names. • Inform them of available services such as language services and currency exchange.

7. Serving Senior Travelers • Explain small print on registration cards for seniors with poor eyesight. • Speak clearly and distinctly, especially when on the phone. • Show consideration for the extra time it may take for older guests to get things done due to physical limitations. • Offer baggage assistance, if available.

8. Serving Guests with Hearing Impairments • Move to the guest’s line of sight first, if possible. If not successful, tap the guest on the shoulder or their hand. • Look directly at the guest and speak clearly, slowly, and expressively at a normal volume level. • Use written notes to communicate, if necessary. • Use facial expressions, gestures, and body movements to aid communication. • Address the guest with the disability and not someone serving as an interpreter for the guest.

9. Serving Guests with Visual Impairments • Identify yourself and your role during the greeting. • Use specifics such as “left 100 feet” or “right 2 yards” when directing a guest with a visual impairment. • Orient the guest to his or het surroudnigsn by explaining where items are located. • Separate money into bill denominations before giving it to a guest who is visually impaired.

10. Section 2.3 Quiz • True/False: Lodging employees are guest service amateurs who are practicing to become guest service professionals. • True/False: Guest service should always involve doing the unexpected and going the extra step.

11. Section 2.3 Quiz 3. When serving international guests, lodging employees should: • Establish rapport with the international guests by remarking on the differences in their culture or style of dress • Show consideration for the extra time it may take international guests to get things done due to physical limitations. • Inform international guests of available services such as language services and currency exchange.

12. Section 2.3 Quiz 4. One technique lodging employees use for providing guest service is: • Using a guest’s name only when asked to by the guest. • Taking care of the guest’s needs themselves, when possible. • Offering the same services to each and every guest.

13. Section 2.3 Quiz 5. When serving guests with disabilities, lodging employees should: • Ignore the guest’s disability. • Know that special assistance is needed and provide it. • Ask whether assistance is needed before providing it.