Tips for Facility Services Teams
Paul Savarino serves as Vice President, Engineering Services, Southern California for UG2. His recent article in Facility Executive offers a guide to exceeding expectations when it comes to customer service in a hospitality facility.
In “How To Make Hospitality Customer Service Shine,” Paul underscores the importance of keeping customers happy—and ensuring they’ll not only return for a future stay, but will share their positive experience to friends, family and colleagues. He outlines strategies for making sure building engineers are part of a comprehensive effort to treat guests as a hotel’s most precious assets. As Paul points out, facility engineers have more touchpoints with guests—and therefore can have a greater impact on their experience—than anyone else on site.
Paul outlines a range of best practices that include making sure everyone is aligned on:
Putting guests first. Experts say that first impressions form within seconds—and have a lasting impression. Thus, the first-15-minute “warm welcome” guests receive is paramount, from walking into the lobby to entering their room to evaluating amenities, including TV, lights and shower pressure. Whether working front or back of house, every task facility engineers approach must begin with the mindset that the customer comes first.
Prioritizing guest room interactions. A call to the front desk to report an issue should garner an immediate response. An engineer should arrive within 10 minutes to demonstrate the guests’ importance. Engineers should be well trained to greet and treat guests respectfully and to read them and respond appropriately, gauging whether the guest is inviting conversation or expecting a quick, conversation-less response.
Taking ownership of issues. To truly delight customers, an engineer responding to an issue should go the extra mile and check back with the guest later to confirm the issue has been resolved. In fact, if a guest mentions being dissatisfied with any other aspect of the hotel, the engineer should take steps to proactively address the problem on the spot.
Attending to public area interactions. Remind engineers that they’re always on the job, even when not attending to a specific task. If they spot a guest walking through the hotel who looks confused, they should ask if they need help. If the guest asks for directions to a particular room or area, escort them to their destination. If the guest raises a question they don’t know how to answer, bring them to someone who will.
Preventing problems from the outset. Back of the house responsibilities means making sure that everything customers see, touch, and feel is working properly, including:
- Room Amenities: Well before a guest arrives, engineers are responsible for making sure that everything in a room is up and running — making sure batteries in the room are functioning properly, the TV and remote work, electronic drapes open and close, shower pressure is powerful, hot water is plentiful, sinks are working, and nothing is clogged.
- HVAC: Avoid an overly hot, cold, or humid room in advance by ensuring the HVAC system is working properly and that guests can control the temperature. Equipment should have no rattling vents, loud motors, or strange smells. Preventative HVAC maintenance such as replacing air filters, cleaning air ducts and coils, and checking supply air temperature are critical to keeping guests comfortable and happy.
Do you want to learn more about how to stand out from the competition when it comes to customer service? Read the complete full article at Facility Executive, or contact Team UG2.