PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Service Provider

PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Service Provider Needs to Know by William B. Martin 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. NJ PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ

Customer Service Fundamentals —Providing Hospitality at Its Best – Ch. 1 -4 PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 2

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE IS WINNING WITH THE CUSTOMER PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 3

Winning with the Customer • The Customer Wins • The Service Provider Wins PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 4

Quality Customer Service is NOT The Customer Wins while The Service Provider Loses PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 5

Quality Customer Service is NOT The Service Provider Wins while The Customer Loses PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 6

Quality Customer Service is NOT The Customer Loses and The Service Provider Loses PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 7

Customers come in two varieties. • External • Internal PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 8

Quality Customer Service Is the ability to consistently meet external and internal customer needs, wants, and expectations involving procedural and personal encounters. PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 9

Quality Customer Service • • Is consistent Meets external customer needs Meets internal customer needs Includes procedural customer expectations • Includes personal customer expectations PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 10

THE TWO DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY SERVICE THE ARENA OF QUALITY SERVICE Improvement PROCEDURAL Room for PERSONAL PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 11

Procedural THE FREEZER We don’t care Personal PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 12

THE FACTORY Procedural Customer is a number Personal PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 13

Procedural THE FRIENDLY ZOO We try hard, but don’t know what we are doing Personal PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 14

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE Procedural We care and we deliver Personal PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 15

Adopting a Customer Service Perspective • • • “The customer is king. ” “The customer is the reason we exist. ” “Our customers pay our salaries. ” “Without our customers we have nothing. ” “We are not providing quality service unless our customers believe that we are. ” PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 16

Customers Service Providers Managers CEO PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 17

Tangibles vs. Intangibles PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 18

Chapters 5 - 10 The System Side of Service— Providing that Procedural Touch PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 19

Timeliness vs. Promptness PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 20

Timeliness is Relative • The service concept • The sequence of service steps • The meal period PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 21

Four Timing Moments of Truth • • When the guest arrives The length of wait before service The time of providing service Post-service time PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 4 22

How is guest time OCCUPIED while waiting? PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 23

Maintaining an Incremental Flow of Service • • Flow affects timeliness Flow and system interdependency Breaking service into increments Service provider control of the flow PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 24

Managing the Flow • • Pre-bookings/reservations Seating/room assignment patterns Express check-in/check-out Adjustments for large groups Waiting procedures/areas Queue formations Multiple service stations/steps Staffing PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 25

The Art of Anticipation • Knowing WHAT customers want and WHEN it is wanted • Thinking one-step ahead of the customer • Being prepared with back-ups • Staffing PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 26

Communicate, Communicate • • Miscommunication = Misunderstanding = Service Failures Miscommunication is too easy Effective communication is the hard part PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 27

Sender Receiver Message Feedback PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 28

Customer Feedback -- The Four Questions • • How? Who? Where? When? PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 29

Obtaining Feedback from Guests • • • Two minutes/two bites Being specific Comment cards The Internet Shopper services PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 30

Listening to the Guest • • • Stop talking Avoid distractions Concentrate on what the guest is saying Look for the “real” meaning Provide feedback to the guest PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 31

Accommodation Yes • Flexible systems that favor the customer • Ability and desire to grant special guest requests • It is easy to say “no”; hard to say “yes” • Sometimes you have to say “no” • “The answer is ‘yes, ’ now what’s the question? ” PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 32

The Human Side of Service— Providing That Personal Touch PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 33

The Four Basic Customer Service Needs • • The Need to Be Understood The Need to Feel Welcome The Need for Comfort The Need to Feel Important PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 4 34

Your Attitude Shows PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 35

Body Language • • • Eyes Mouth Posture Gestures Grooming PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 36

Tone of Voice • • Friendly/unfriendly High energy/low energy Warm/cold Concerned/indifferent PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 37

Attitudes are “caught” -- not taught PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 38

Attitude Metamorphosis • Emotional Labor • Contact-Overload Syndrome PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 39

Tact • • Is saying the RIGHT thing Is using polite language and phrases Is avoiding the five forbidden phrases Is making sure that what you say meets your customers’ needs PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 40

The Five Forbidden Phrases • • • Phrases to Avoid I don’t know We can’t do that You’ll have to… Hang on a second. I’ll be right back No, (at the beginning of Positive Helpful Options • I will find out • What I can do is… • May I help you… • May I call you back in a few minutes • Yes a sentence) PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 41

What You Say Should Help Your Customer - • • Feel Understood Feel Welcome Feel Comfortable Feel Important PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 42

Naming Names • Systems help • Using the system • “The sweetest sound in any language is the sound of your own name. ” PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 43

Attentiveness • Is making guests feel special by doing special things! PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 44

“WOWing” the Guest PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 45

Reading the Guest PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 46

Empathizing with the Guest PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 47

Helping the Guest • Providing helpful information • Being knowledgeable about -– products – procedures – internal resources – external resources PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 48

Selling that Sells • • • Assuming you can sell Upgrading choices Cross selling Being specific Describing items Using props PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 49

Getting the Sale • Expand your customer’s awareness of what’s available • Explain the features of what you are offering • Describe the benefits of what you are offering • Ask for the order • Compliment the customer’s choice PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 50

Gracious Problem Solving • Service provider remains calm and cool • Customers are “right” even when they aren’t • Service provider focuses on the problem, not the person • The four basic service needs are maintained PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 51

• • Responding to a Customer Complaint Listening Repeating Apologizing Full disclosure Acknowledging feelings Explaining positive actions Thanking the customer PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 52

The Challenge of the Difficult Guest • • Don’t take it personally. Remain calm. Listen carefully. Focus on the problem, not the person. Reward yourself for turning a difficult customer into a happy one. • When all else fails, ask for help. PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 53

Handling Complaints and Difficult Guest No-No’s • • • Give excuses Argue with the customer Criticize the customer Challenge the customer Ignore the customer Blow the problem out of proportion PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE What Every Hospitality Provider Needs To Know William B. Martin (2003) Person Education, Inc. NJ 54