10 Hotel Customer Service Mistakes That Drive Guests to Competitors

Customer service has always been the hallmark of the hospitality industry. Whether travelling for business or leisure, the quality of customer service guests receive during their stay will determine whether they return for another visit, warn their friends to avoid your property or, worse still, write a negative review.

Service and attitude are often what make the difference between a guest choosing your hotel or a competitor.

Some mistakes determine success or failure, and the worst part is that many of them are avoidable.

While it is always important to reflect on our own mistakes and make corrections for the future, it also helps to look at the mistakes of others and learn from them.

In this article, we will look at some common hospitality mistakes so that we do not repeat the mistakes of others. Some are general mistakes, while others are much more specific, but all are equally important to consider.

Your team is made up of many people with many assigned responsibilities, and they are the face of your hotel. Keeping them happy means keeping guests happy. Remember, one person can form a team, but they cannot buy one. Plan for your staff’s enthusiasm, have a bonus system in place, and consistently offer thanks and praise.

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Provide regular performance evaluations. Hold regular, productive staff meetings, involve the team in the goal-setting process, and consider hiring someone to help you do so.

Ultimately, it is about creating an environment that encourages and promotes personal and professional development. Identify a list of characteristics and traits you want to see in your staff, and look for them during the recruitment process.

To avoid having employees who do not fit your culture, avoid desperate hiring decisions and learn to recognise negative personality traits that can affect other team members and guests.

It is imperative to have a marketing committee that meets regularly to discuss, plan and implement marketing strategies. Attend meetings, ask others so you can learn more and, if necessary, consider hiring external consultants to help you. This is common knowledge for many people, but others try to get by with little or no marketing. Little or no marketing almost always leads to little or no revenue.

Most of us know that a big ego and arrogance do nothing for anyone except alienate others. Set a good example and create an environment in which employees feel able to admit their weaknesses and mistakes to you and the team. Doing so not only fosters a better internal working environment for employees, but also enables them to serve and treat guests much more effectively.

As people, we like to be treated as people. It sounds simple, easy and obvious, right? But failing to use someone’s name, aside from showing a lack of recognition and respect, can make guests feel like objects rather than valued individuals.

As people, we like to be treated as people. Most of us have been ignored while waiting in a queue or at a desk and disliked that feeling, so why would we do that to others? Even if your staff are busy, train them to give due attention to guests who are waiting.

Today, service expectations are different from what they were a generation ago. Increasingly, people expect immediacy when it comes to what they need. Therefore, if you want guests to return to your hotel, you must be easily accessible. If people find it difficult to get in touch with you, you need to find a way to make time for your team and your guests.

One of the most common guest complaints concerns dirty rooms or a general lack of cleanliness throughout the hotel. Nothing should be overlooked when it comes to cleanliness and maintenance. It is not only a matter of health, hygiene and safety; there is also a major risk of creating a reputational gap for your hotel, with terrible consequences.

We must avoid giving canned, one-size-fits-all responses. Doing so demonstrates a complete lack of experience. One of hospitality’s latest buzzwords is personalisation, so guests expect more tailored service wherever they stay. If you want your hotel to stand out, you must provide a relevant and therefore unforgettable personal experience for guests. Personalisation means understanding that every guest is an individual, and you are more likely to receive positive responses if you treat them as such.