Naturally, you want your guests to have a wonderful experience when they stay at your hotel. It’s an important part of hotel management. How they feel before, during, and after their visit will be reflected if they decide to leave a review. They will also think about their experience the next time they need to book a hotel. If they didn’t have a great time when staying at your hotel, there’s a very good chance they are not going to be coming back.
Therefore, you will want to do everything you can to ensure your guests have a great time. When you have a properly trained staff, they can help to enhance the guest’s experience. Having good hotel housekeeping management software, along with a great staff, can make this easier. Let’s look at a few of the ways it could help.
Tip #1: Ensure Cleanliness & Maintenance
What is one of the top complaints that hotels tend to get at the front desk? A lot of the time, it will be about the cleanliness of the room. If this is a problem, even if you fix it after the fact, the guest is going to remember. They are going to tell their friends and family that your hotel has dirty rooms. They will write about it on social media. The more this happens the worse your hotel’s reputation is going to get.
In addition to the cleanliness, there is also the matter of items that don’t work. It might be a lamp with a burned-out bulb, a coffeemaker that doesn’t work, an iron with a frayed cord, or a television that no longer functions, for example. All of the items in the room need to be properly maintained, just like the plumbing. If there are issues, they need to be fixed or the items need to be replaced before the room is given to another guest.
Hotel housekeeping management software can be used to make sure that all of the rooms are cleaned before being occupied by a new guest. The system can be updated in real-time, so managers will know when the room has been cleaned, if it is still waiting to be cleaned, if maintenance needs to be done on something in the room, etc.
Of course, you also have to be sure that the housekeeping staff is doing a good job in the rooms. Auditing the rooms could be necessary if it is often the same housekeeper’s rooms that have cleanliness issues.
Tip #2: You Need Great Room Amenities
Most hotels and motels today understand the importance of great amenities. WiFi is often considered a basic feature that comes standard with all rooms. However, you have to keep in mind that more and more people are bringing their phones, laptops, tablets, wearable devices, and more with them. All of these items will need access to the Internet. Therefore, you need to be sure you are offering enough bandwidth to handle all of the devices your visitors have.
Additionally, you will want to consider adding one or more streaming services to your hotel’s offerings. Cable television alone just doesn’t cut it today. People generally prefer streaming services. They might have some on their devices, but offering Netflix, for example, could be a good idea.
Some of the other features hotel management might want to consider adding include keyless room entry and chat-enabled rooms. Some higher-end hotels have virtual assistants built in that the guests can use to control various features in the room.
Tip #3: Offer Relevant Amenities to Your Guests
Never just assume that your guests—even if they have stayed with you before—know about all of the other hotel features and amenities you have available. You should reach out to the guests either in person or by sending a message to let them know what your hotel has to offer that might appeal to them.
Typically, you will want to have an idea of why your guest is visiting before making recommendations. Someone on a business trip might be interested in meeting rooms or business centers, whereas someone on a honeymoon will be more interested in the spa or the beauty parlor.
Reaching out to your guests is an easy way to get to know them better. The services and amenities they use at the hotel can be logged as data. The next time they visit, you will have a better idea of what will make them happy.
For example, if they needed an extra blanket the last time they visited, you could make a note in the hotel housekeeping management software to let them know to leave an extra blanket in that person’s hotel room the next time they visit. Even if they don’t need it the next time, they will appreciate that you remembered and that you see them as an individual rather than just another guest.
Tip #4: Train Your Staff to be More Attentive
Although the staff at your hotel might work hard, they might still need to learn how to be more attentive to the guests. This is true of the entire staff from the front desk to housekeeping. Hotel management should make it a point to ensure their staff is doing their best in all their interactions with the guests.
Teach them to be polite in all situations, and to remain calm if the customer seems upset. Train them to be more observant and to learn to anticipate the guests’ needs and what they might like. The staff should be dressed properly, and they should strive to have welcoming, friendly body language.
Tip #5: Give Complimentary Services and Gifts
If you want guests to rave about your hotel, offering something complimentary will help immensely. Knowing your guests will help with the types of gifts and services being offered, of course. The honeymooning couple mentioned before might appreciate a bottle of complementary wine or champagne. A family traveling with kids might appreciate babysitting services.
When you know your guests or at least the reason they are visiting, it becomes easier to figure out what will make them happy. However, there are always some items that will make everyone happy, such as a complimentary meal.
More Simple Ways to Make Your Visitors Happier
The tips above are some of the best ways for the management and housekeeping staff to help improve a guest’s stay. However, those aren’t the only things that you will want to do to ensure your visitors have a great experience from the moment they consider booking a room with you.
When the guests arrive, make sure they can check in and get to their room quickly. Check-out should be just as easy. Reach out to the guests for feedback and ask if there is anything else you could have done to improve their stay. If they have an answer, listen to them and see if it might be something hotel management could implement.
Find the right choice for housekeeping software, along with other hotel management software solutions, and hotel management becomes much easier to handle. Use the right software, along with the tips above, to make your guests’ experiences the best they can be.