OPERATIONS

MANAGEMENT
 FUTURE TRENDS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Discuss the future trends in hospitality industry.

2. Identify the technology trends that plays a big role in the industry.
3. Explain the impact of technology in the future of hospitality industry.
Talking about trends, trying to predict them, and attempting to foresee the future
is very much a trend in itself. The future of the hotel and hospitality industries is a
hot topic and the paths to success are potentially many. In general terms, hotel
industry trends or hospitality trends generally look at new consumer behavior,
new technology, and the new business theories that are powered largely by the
former two factors.
 
One thing for sure is that generic or impersonal hotel companies will struggle to
survive in the future. Your hotel must have a personality that connects to both
existing and prospective guests. It’s a vital ingredient for travelers who are
looking for a unique travel experience. Obviously this personality must be
conveyed via your staff and the property itself.
 Hotel Trends
Here’s a list of some commonly heard initiatives that are increasing in their application around
the world:
1. Smart Hotels. Incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) into a property is something that
excites guests. It offers them a high level of convenience and efficiency, and also a sense of
luxury. People are starting to incorporate technology like this in their own homes so the
demand for it in hotels is sure to increase.
2. Sustainable Hotels. Generally, society is becoming more environmentally conscious as it
becomes clear sustainability is an important issue. These changing attitudes are filtering into the
way travelers choose their hotels. Sustainable hotels look at eco- friendly construction, energy
saving, waste management as priorities.
3. Robot Staff. Some travelers may find it controlling to be served by a robot, others may
welcome the chance not to have to interact with humans when staying at their hotel. More and
more hotels are using robots in some capacity, to help automate check- in and check- out, carry
luggage and acts as concierge, or for room service.
4. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. These technologies are no longer the niche segments they once
were. Extremely popular already in gaming and entertainment as well as attractions, they can also be quite
useful to hotel customers. Virtual reality replaces the real world with visual and audio input while augmented
reality layers’ virtual elements onto the real world. Customers who want to try before they buy can take
virtual tours of your property and even parts of the destination. With AR, a hotel might use something like an
interactive map to provide information to guests.
5. Unique brand experiences. Many hotels are now starting to differentiate their brand by doing
something unique with the way they design, layout, or outfit their property. Travelers are looking
more and more for cool, experiential hotel stays so anything a hotel can do to provide a novelty
factor is going to be at an advantage.
 Trends in the Hotel Industry that lasted
Not all have to be new. There are many that reshape the industry and become an integral part of it,
continuing to grow over time. Examples of this include:
1. Sharing Economy. Airbnb represented a major disruption in the travel industry and it certainly stuck –
but it didn’t kill hotels either. Just as Uber hasn’t killed taxis. Rather it’s contributed to a growth in the
industry which can only be a good thing.
2. Online Travel Agents. Obviously OTAs changed the entire landscape of the hotel industry. They made it
so much easier for travelers to find and book hotels, and much easier for hotels to reach target audiences.
Hotels were able to brand build and occupy their rooms like never before. It did come at a price however,
with hotels needing to pay OTAs for the privilege of accessing their guests. These days, OTAs are a
necessary part of a hotel’s sales and marketing strategy.
3. Digital Guest Experiences. Digital marketing has been a way to reach travelers for a while but it
continues to grow. Customers themselves are interacting with digital experiences more than ever before
and are now expecting to be communicated to via digital formats. Apps in particular are seeing a huge
rise in usage and there are tons of ways hoteliers can use apps to manage the relationship they have with
prospective and existing guests.
4. Boom of Global Tourism. Global tourism has grown steadily year on year, especially as more nations become
developed and low cost carriers have enabled people to cross the world at a reasonable price. Travelers from locations
like Korea, China, and India now represent a large body of potential guests for hoteliers. Their demand has a big
impact on what the hotel offers.
5. Young Markets. Young people have always had a sense of adventure and desire to travel. In today’s climate they
are a huge consideration for hoteliers. Generations Y and Z live for the opportunity to getaway and undertake life-
changing or life-enriching experiences. They also bring a new focus to travel, with older generations thinking about
hotels and car rentals while the younger group are starting to think about Airbnb and Uber.
6. Power of Social Media. Since the launch of Facebook and other social media platforms, the power to influence
travelers has soared – and will continue. The amount of media that can be pushed to global audiences is vast and
extremely incentivizing. Brands can market much better and are constantly finding new ways to use social media to
collect loyal customers. Meanwhile, when travelers share videos and photos of their trips with friends and family, this
is one of the most impactful factors in inspiring others to take a trip. The other advantage of social media’s growing
dominance is that it makes your property available to travelers 24/7 with Chabot’s and automated messaging.
Popular Hotel Technology Trends
Technology is an area of the industry that is showing the greatest and most accelerated development, both in
terms of technology the hotel uses and technology the guest uses before, during, and after their stay.
 
Digital media and the unending march of technology means the way you present your hotel business and get
people interested will be different to the past.
 
The increasing popularity of video marketing and the rise of virtual reality (VR) will give guests a whole
new opportunity to guests when researching travel and exploring the hotels they want to stay with. To this
end you need quality content to host on these platforms and show off the unique selling points of your
property.
 
Video marketing is a great way to go behind the scenes of your hotel to give guests more insight, make great
advertisements for your rooms and services, and generally create exciting, varied content.
 
With VR guests will be able to have a virtual tour, transported through the VR headset to your reception
area, dining area, kitchen, amenities, and to their rooms where they would stay. Through this technology the
opportunities are endless for your hotel to showcase its features, or promote events and upcoming
attractions.
 
More and more millennials are travelling nowadays. It’s expected they’ll make up 50% of global travelers by
 The most Important Technology Trends
1. Voice Technology. In the past couple of years, it’s become apparent voice technology is set to play a
major role in the future of society, never mind a particular industry. Voice recognition devices are
already being used in millions of homes, offices, and cars via Google and Amazon among others. With
the amount of data in the world, voice search is another aspect with the potential to really narrow things
down. Instead of a whole screen of information overload, a voice-based search will be designed to
deliver a much more personal and helpful result.
2. Drone Technology. The images that drones can produce have a real wow factor, and can obviously
capture infinitely more detail than a handheld camera. Many travelers now use drones to document their
trips and to post breathtaking pictures to social media, giving friends and family a true example of a
destination’s beauty. It’s easy to see the potential this aerial photography holds for destination and hotel
marketing.
3. Demand for Flexible Check- in and Check- out. With huge efforts being made around the
world to personalize and improve guest experience, travelers will now only settle for the best.
Check-in and check-out are one of the most important places where this can be improved and
over the next 12 months, great strides will be taken.
4. New Ways to Pay. Alternative forms of payment basically encompass anything beyond typical card and
cash transactions. This might include cryptocurrencies or loyalty points and will form the basis for a cashless
society.
5. Artificial Intelligence. In hospitality, this trend is especially strong, where 24/7 support is often required.
This type of artificial intelligence is proving very useful for helping visitors with their enquiries, processing
bookings, and checking guests in and out.
6. Distribution Technology. Distributing your rooms to the right channels is vital for the success of your
business, as is managing distribution and reservations in an effective manner. As time goes by an increasing
pool of distribution channels will become available, and we’ll see an increasing number of hotels adopt
technology to help with this.
 FUTURE TRENDS IN THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY(continuation)

At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Identify and describe the future trends in the hotel
industry.
2. Enumerate and discuss the future trends of the travel
industry.
 Future Trends in the Hotel Industry
Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen in the future. Looking at indications
for what’s going to occur this year and in following years is very useful for staying at
the forefront of any particular movements and staying competitive in your markets.
Here’s a full list of what’s expected to be a strong trend in the years ahead:
1. Smart Rooms. Travelers will pay a lot for convenience and what’s more convenient than a room that doubles as
your personal assistant? With wireless charging, smart controls such as Amazon Alex and Google Nest, the
internet of things, soundproofing etc. travelers will be able to do anything they want in their hotel room and barely
have to move a muscle to do it. Smart rooms will enable guests to be as relaxed as they possibly can be on a trip.
2. Green Hotels. The world is quickly becoming more environmentally conscious, to the point where it is starting to
impact the traveler’s choice about where they stay. Hotels are reacting by using solar power, conserving water,
reducing plastic, adopting motion sensors, and adding meat alternatives to menus. It’s what guests now expect so
hotels need to join the sustainable movement.
3. Multicultural Employment. Increasing immigration in many countries is creating more global
workforces. Hospitality is especially strong in this area, making many hotels truly international. This
adds another dimension to the guest’s stay. They might be served from someone from their own country
or learn about a culture they’ve never visited before while staying somewhere they haven’t visited before
either.
4. Technology on every Front. Technology is advancing to the point where no part of a trip or experience is
without it, and hotels rarely operate without it. Artificial intelligence can be used for pricing rooms, to
checking-in guests, to online help, room service, and more. Transport technology is being upgraded,
search engines can now be voice operated, and there’s literally a mobile app for everything. On the whole,
technology makes it much easier to personalize the guest experience and remember their preferences.

5. Traveler Priorities. There are people who will travel for their love of coffee alone for instance. Or there
are those who will visit sports-themed hotels just because of their love of baseball or basketball for
example. Other influences on traveler experiences that are on the rise include glamping, cannabis tourism,
medical tourism, social media influencers, and – pets. We know pets are a huge part of people’s lives and
they increasingly want their pets to be able to share their experiences. It’s something for hoteliers to think
about.

6. Hotel Designs and Business strategy. ‘Cool’ luxury brands are starting to pop up in increasing numbers,
along with ‘instagrammable’ brands, micro-rooms, a focus on local design and flavor, and experiential social
spaces.
 Travel Industry Trends: How to stay relevant
Clearly the most important trends are the ones which will impact whether or not a traveler chooses your hotel.
To stay relevant and ensure the regular flow of bookings, don’t ignore the following:
1. Mobile booking – Online bookings via mobile are increasing exponentially.
2. Social media – The prevalence of social media in decision making is increasing, particularly Instagram.
3. Growth in Asia and Asia Pacific Travel – These guests come with their own set of ideals and preferences.
4. Multi-channel distribution – As traveler markets become more diverse, so must your ability to reach them.
5. Technology is a driving force – It’s now a significant disadvantage not to be tech-led in your business strategy.
6. Transport is becoming cheaper – More people are being freed to travel, bringing new markets into play.
7. People want travel to be enriching – The experience of visiting another destination should be fulfilling and
exciting. You need to make sure a stay at your hotel is not a forgettable one.
Enriching your life with meaningful travel
8. Money talks – Travelers are now willing to spend more if it means they get a unique experience. The value for
money is the most important thing.
 Hospitality Trends: Prominence of Wellness Travel
One of the biggest trends in recent times has been wellness travel; people travelling to make an
improvement in their bodily and mental health to achieve an overall sense of well-being.

Some examples of how wellness travel fits into the grand scheme of things:
1. Stop smoking retreats. Going cold turkey is hard enough but doing it within the confines of work and other life
related stress is near impossible. So taking valuable quiet time away at a health-conscious retreat will help assist a
therapeutic dispelling of bad habits and cravings.
2. Men’s health. Even though men are still considerably less likely to visit a doctor than women, they’re beginning
to open up and wellness retreats present a less confronting option for addressing health needs.
3. Healthy mind and emotion healing holidays. A growing realization that a healthy life is made up of a balance
between mind and body sees retreats offering wellness coaching in mindfulness, meditation and yoga to help
people combat burnout.
4. Eat-well detox holidays. ‘I’m going on a detox’ is a commonly heard phrase between friends and workmates but
how many people stick to their plan? Combining a detox with a holiday at a healthy-eating retreat will assure the
traveler gets the physical cleansing they were hoping for.
5. Zen and adrenaline. Two things that may not seem like they go together are relaxation and adventure
sports but combining both encourages a traveler to live in the moment and let go of any worries they are
suffering.
6. Family-wellness holidays. Once off-limits to children, retreats and spas now encourage quality family
time, with some treatments specifically designed for children. These are often treated as a tech switch-off
trip where the family can bond over new adventures and activities.
7. Workplace wellness. It’s becoming commonplace for work ‘teams’ to take weekends away together to
bond and enjoy each other’s company without the stress of work. Often, these are physically active trips.
8. Eco- friendly Wellness Retreats. The affinity with mother nature that is encouraged by wellness travel
is resulting in the emergence of more environment-conscious travelers who want to relax without feeling
guilty about it.
 As wellness grows as a social movement overall, there are always new trends emerging to
change the way people interact with their health and daily lives.
Here are four more wellness travel trends that were uncovered, which hotels could pay
attention to:
a. A new era of transformative travel
b. Wellness in the kitchen
c. Extreme travel as a path towards wellness
d. Feminist wellness and travel grows more powerful
 Hospitality Industry Trends: Old Favorites
Hospitality is about giving your target audience the best experience possible. In saying that, some trends
can’t be ignored and some don’t go away.
1. Millennial travel. Millennial travelers love to live in the moment, meaning they can be impulsive and
adventurous but also demanding. They are the group that definitely wants experiences over material
possessions. This has an impact on the tourism industry, since it has to try to please one of its biggest
markets.
2. Exclusivity. Privacy, intimacy, escape. Travelers want to get away from the buzz to find experiences that
feel unique to them. You don’t have to be a remote hotel to attract these guests however. You can create
separate spaces, or offer additional services etc. This is balanced with offering a local experience that
guests won’t be able to find at home.
3. Bleisure travel. ‘Bleisure’ is the name given to trips which combine business travel with leisure
activities, and it has been a popular term for some time now, because it’s a behavior that has become
commonplace.
 FUTURE GUEST

At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Identify and use a range of opportunities to update general
knowledge of the hotel and travel industries.
2. Identify current issues of concern to the industry.
Introduction
Global travelers have always been, by nature, a complex and diverse market.
Future travelers will only evolve this fact, as technology maintains its
accelerated state of development and society becomes more sophisticated and
more accepting of alternative lifestyles.
 
Travel is undertaken for many reasons and is instigated by many sources of
inspiration and motivation. The way travel is planned, booked, and
experienced can change from individual to individual, but there are still
defined groups hotels can focus on to develop strategies and create the
personalized service all guests seek in a trip.
Tomorrow’s travel experience
In an era where the impact of technology and data has never been larger, it should be easier for travelers to
navigate the maze of destination and booking options to make the right travel choices and be more satisfied
with their trips. By the same token, there should be more opportunities for travel marketers to apply specific,
personal, strategies and make dramatic increases in conversion rates and optimize guest experiences.
 
In ‘Future Traveler Tribes 2030: Building a more rewarding journey’, the research identified that some
travelers will prioritize technology and personalized service, while others could grow to see it as a hindrance
to their experience.
 
The types of services offered to travelers will be impacted by technological advancements in artificial
intelligence, robotics, 3D printing and virtual reality. But ultimately, travelers will still have the same human
needs as they have always had – it is their purchasing behavior that will vary.
 Here are the six key traveler tribes set to exist in the future:
1. The Simplicity Searchers. The first group are travelers who want their trip planning and
booking to be as easy and seamless as possible. If this means handing over responsibility to
third-parties to organize their travel.
2. The Reward Hunters. To this tribe, travel is an opportunity to undergo personal growth and
enlightenment. This could mean enrichment in mental health, physical health, spiritual health, or anything
else that centers on the ‘self’. They will see their trip as a well-deserved treat that is most likely to involve a
retreat of some kind or travel focused specifically on wellness.
3. The Social Capital Seekers. These travelers choose their destination based on the opportunities to
capture and share social media-worthy experiences. For them, travel is an activity that should be done to
fulfil personal goals and something that is treated as a must-share endeavor, rather than a private getaway.
4. The Cultural Purist. Cultural purists want to immerse themselves in the new and unfamiliar to explore
different ways of living. Getting off-the-beaten-track is very popular with this group.
 
5. The Ethical Travelers. Conscience, morals, and core values based around political or environmental
issues shape the travel of this tribe. Their ideal is to bring a neutral balance to the world by keeping the
impacts of individuals under control.
6. The Obligation Meeters. This tribe are largely restricted in their travel choices. Whether
they are travelling for work, medical needs, charity commitments, or anything else, they have
less control over where and when they can book their trip.
 Whatever the future holds, we’ve got three tips to better understand your guests and their changing
preferences and guest expectations.
1. Keep Track of Trends and Changing Tastes
It’s important to stay informed on the latest hotel and accommodation research. Over time, it can impact how
you structure your offerings and services to meet changing expectations. 
2. Invest in People
By most accounts, future tech investments will allow for a more streamlined hotel experience. In some cases,
guests could completely bypass the front desk for check-in proceeding directly to their room through apps or
other fast-track services. But if tech allows for fewer staff interactions, those times when guests do interact
with hotel staff need to be even more positive and memorable. A properly trained staff, engaged for guest
relations, is crucial. 
3. Tap into the Power of Data
The future of attracting new guests and building loyalty over time rests in the ability to reach them with
relevant messaging at the exact right time. We are far from clairvoyant, but one thing is for sure—adapting to
how preferences and guest expectations change over time is key to surviving in a competitive hotel market.
 CUSTOMER SERVICE

At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Elaborate the importance of quality customer service.
2. Identify and discuss the characteristics of a good customer service.
Customer Service
“Customer provision of personalized definition to a customer before, during
and after a purchase.” While this may seem to be a very banal explanation,
good customer service is something mere. We can, therefore, redefine customer
service to give that something extra;
 
“Customer service is generating customer emotions or feelings of happiness and
contentment by the way we meet and exceed their expectations.” There are
several key concepts involved here. A service is an experience that creates
emotions. We want customers to feel happy and contended. Another key term
here is customer’s. expectations vary as the people. Nobody has the same
expectations as the other, simply because people’s socio- economic
backgrounds create varying needs.
 Importance of Customer Service
1. It satisfies a customer who walks out with a pleasant experience.
2. Good customer service becomes a topic to be talked about with others who
will be motivated to try the product or service. This expands the client base.
3. It reflects the professionalism of the organization thereby building its image.
4. Good customer service gets customers to come back. Repeat customers
establish a loyal client base that is worth its weight in gold.
5. Employees providing good customer service are appreciated both by the
customers and the organization. The employee gets rewards in terms of
praise, tips, letters of appreciation and pay increase.
6. Employees tend to develop friends, rather than customers, who will reward
the server with their patronage.
7. Customer service is a vital skill for everyone working in the service
industry. A person who perfects this skill can expect to advance in their
careers.
8. Good customer service makes work much more pleasant. Bad customer
service results in constant ‘firefighting’ problems
9. Good customer service is solution oriented
10. Good customer service gets compliments and not complaints.
11. Good customer service saves time. Bad customer service can result in
drawn out arguments and litigations.
12. Good customer service promotes teamwork.
 Who is the Customer?
One may believe that the customer is one who pays for goods and services. While this is true, it is a myopic view
of a customer and fraught with limited gains.
 
Two types of customer
1. Internal Customer. Internal customers are all those who have a role in the business. They are called
stakeholders. The stakeholders are:
a. Employees. They provide service to the external customer. No employee can provide exceptional service
unless they have the cooperation of all other employees who enable that service.
b. Suppliers. They are important stakeholders as they provide the supplies for daily operations. The way they
are treated largely influences the efficiency of their supplies.
 
2. External Customer. The prime external customer is the gest who pays for the services he receives. He will
only pay for the service if it meets his standards and expectations. The basic needs are, as explained by Maslow,
are provided by physical and intangible facilities and services.
 
External customers are also those who have an influence on the establishment. They can be the media,
government bodies, licensing authorities, polies, fire brigade, etc.
 Exceeding customer expectation
Organizations are striving for the competitive edge by making unique
breakthroughs in customer service. Here are some ways of going beyond
normal customer service and providing a ‘wow’ service. ‘Wow’ service can be
achieved by providing service which the customer is not expecting and gets a
delightful surprise.
 
Providing unbelievable service
Service can transcend guest expectations to an extent that it is unbelievably
great. There are six levels of the guest expectations, which are:
1. Unbelievably bad experience
2. Basic service
3. Expected service
4. Desired service
5. Unanticipated service
6. Unbelievably good service
 Customer service and the organization
An organization must introduce a customer service system. The system is a chain of activities
that combine to form a customer service.
1. Customer service starts at the top. The owner/ president/ CEO must have the passion to
please customers as the key strategy to do business. He must drive the customer service
movement and ensure that is permits down the organization to the final salesperson.
Employees must realize that the customer is the only reason to be in business. Without
customers there is no business. They must not treat customers as interruptions to their work,
but the sole reason for being employed.

2. The next big thing is to find customer needs and expectations. The senior management may
commission elaborate market surveys to do this. But the real seekers of information should be
the employees in their day- to- day interaction with customers. They must constantly evaluate
needs and expectations and feed the information back to management who will device
products, services, policies and systems to satisfy them. It becomes a collaborative work
between management and staff. Employees must be made accountable for their customer
service mistakes they make.
 
3. Modifying organization structures to enable good customer service.
Many organizations have inverted their organizational hierarchy from
traditional pyramid shape by empowering their front- line staff and making
them the most important factors in organizational effectiveness. Traditional
organizational hierarchy makes top management the high and mighty.
 
4. The intention to provide good customer service starts at the hiring stage.
Recruiters must look for natural competencies at the time of interview. Such
competencies would be grooming, smile, etiquettes and manners, social
confidence, tone of voice, etc. These are so simple to observe, yet overlooked.
Employees with such competencies are best for customer interface jobs. It
saves longer training time.
5. Employees must be trained thoroughly in customer service before they are placed on the front
line. Many organizations tend to position a new receptionist, counter salesperson or waiter in
front of the customer with the belief that they will learn on the job itself. Training must be
followed up each year to reinforce the customer service concepts. A typical customer service
training program will include:

a. Quality customer service

b. Rapport building
c. Customer expectations
d. Changing perceptions
e. Conflict resolution
f. Language skills
g. Managing difficult customers
h. E-mail protocol
i. Developing listening skills
j. Communication skills
k. Role play of situations

Many organizations have customer service programs but they tend to focus more on practices
rather than on principles. Customer service is not a ‘brain’ thing but more of a ‘heart thing’
6. Introduce self- service wherever possible. Organizations with customer
volume will have difficulty in providing a high level of customer service. One
way to overcome volumes is by putting more people on the job.
 
7. Progressive organizations will include a performance appraisal system that
emphasizes the customer orientation performance. This is done through ‘mystery
shoppers’. The organization would introduce an individual performance
appraisal system where customer service is a key focus area for assessment.
Individuals get their rewards and progression based on their customer
performance.
 
8. Organization will also introduce reward and recognition programs to
encourage good performances. Rewards can be in the form of bonuses, career
progression or key postings. Recognitions can be in schemes such as ‘Best
employee of the Month’ or simply a praise at the daily briefing.
 CUSTOMER SERVICE

At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Develop strategies to anticipate guest needs.
2. Discuss how customer service resolve issues and enhance their
customer experience.
Customer Service Before, During and After a Sale
Before a Sale
The first point of contact for most customers is over the phone. A reservationist
of a hotel is the first point of contact for a hotel. 92% of people feel their call
experience will shape the image of the company over the phone.
1. Telephone Manners. The telephone we see is the preferred instrument of
contact. It becomes a powerful marketing tool and therefore, needs some
skills to be used effectively as a medium of providing good customer service.
 
With the advent of cyberspace, most organizations have their own websites
which give complete information and contact for future transactions. The
websites must be attractive and motivational for a customer to pursue the
transaction.
 During a Sale
The above translates itself into behavior that promotes the best customer service. Such as
behavior is as follows:
1. First Impression: “First impression leaves lasting impressions.” The first impression sets the
standard for future experiences. If the first impression is good, then it takes ages for it to be
changed to a bad one. If the first impression is a bad one, then it takes a lot of effort to convert
it into a good one. So the first impressions must be right to leave a good impression.
 
2. Prompt Acknowledgement: As soon as a guest approaches a person for service, s/he would
like to be given immediate attention. If the guest is ignored, then he / she will make a gesture to
attract attention- sometimes unpleasant.
 
 
3. Friendly Greeting: The server attends to the guest with a smile, saying, “Good day, welcome
to (name of company), how may I help you?” Here, the guest has shown courtesy by wishing
him / her the time of the day. In a global world there is another problem- languages differ.
However, the smile and gesture shows the greeting. It is more emotive than the words.
4. Listen patiently: This is a quality that needs to be developed in order to give good customer
service. Listening is different to hearing. Listening on the other side, is deliberately giving
attention to one. Therefore, listening to a customer is a deliberate action giving the customer
importance. There are several gestures to show that one is listening, such as:
a. Eye contact
b. Nodding the head
c. Repeating keywords of what the customer is saying
d. Asking questions to clarify further
 
5. Speak Clearly: In a global environment, vocabulary becomes critical. Many hotels hire multi-
lingual staff to bridge the barriers of language. It is important, therefore, to speak slowly so make
sure that the guests understand.
6. Keeping Promises: In a server- customer relationship, some products and services often may
not be immediately available. The server promises to satisfy the need at some future time. Good
customer service means keeping the customer informed about the progress of the need and must
fulfill it as soon as it is available
 
7. Delight the Customer: The interactions must be ‘wow’. This can be achieved by:
a. Informing and educating them. A diner may need explanation to some dishes. s/he may be
anxious about certain ingredients of the dish, that s/he is allergic to.
b. Show expertise and professionalism by making transactions easy with few steps. Offer
options. An undecided diner may be offered a choice of cocktails to chooses from. The guest
feels that s/he has made the choice and not settled with an option by the server.
c. Diffuse an angry, frustrated or tired customer by showing speedy action on their demands.
Don’t argue.
d. Take ownership of any promises made.
After a Sale
A customer experience does not end with a sale. The after sale service is equally
important that seals the loyalty to a product or service. The service centers
provide support for faulty products. The way they respond to service requests
makes the final difference between a good organization and a bad one. A
customer would prefer to patronize those who are care after a sale.
 
Customer Service and Technology
Organization are increasingly using technology to serve their customers
better. They call the total process as Customer Relations Management
(CRM). There are three aspects of CRM each of which can be implemented
in isolation:
1. Operational CRM. Operational CRM provides support to front office business processes
including sales, marketing and services. Each interaction with a customer is generally added to
a customer’s contact history which can be retrieved from the database as necessary. Such guest
histories respond to customers in a much more individual way than in a ‘blanket’ manner.
2. Collaborative CRM. Collaborative CRM covers all the technology used to
interact with customers like internet, phone systems, speech translation systems,
interface systems with suppliers, business partners and hotel associates. The
objective of collaborative CRM is to save time and cost, and improve service.
3. Analytical CRM. Analytical CRM analyzes customer data for a variety of purposes, including:
a. Design and execution of marketing campaigns to target markets.
b. Cross- selling, acquisition, up- selling and retention campaigns.
c. Analysis of customer behavior for pricing decisions, new product development, etc.
d. Profitability analysis of past customer sources for management decision- making.
e. Credit evaluation of customers.
f. Predictive analysis of future customer behavior.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!!!