Section III Managing the Critical Drivers of Service Scores PREVIEW R esearch indicates that a few key areas have siza- ble impacts on guest sentiment. One of these key areas is service failure recovery—when something goes wrong, the hotel has the guest’s full attention. The second critical area is forecasting/contingency plans—the hotel must accurately forecast business levels and have plans in place to deliver top-rate service when actual business levels exceed forecasted levels. The third key area is per- ceived waiting times—once in the hotel, guests do not like waiting to participate in the various stages of expe- rience consumption.
This page intentionally left blank CHAPTER 9 Service Failure Recovery I n the hotel business, due to the high human component and the many moving parts, things are bound to go “Failure should be our teacher, wrong from time to time. For exam- not our underta ple, even a top-rate engineering team ker” cannot prevent power outages or —Denis Waitle y water supply problems. Neverthe- less, while a certain portion of problems and failures are inevitable in the hotel sector, such problems and failures do not necessarily need to yield dissatisfied guests. In fact, it is often possible to receive higher satisfaction rat- ings from a guest after a failure than if the situation had never occurred.
The recovery paradox refers to the notion that a ser- vice failure might offer an opportunity to receive higher sat- isfaction ratings from guests than if the scenario had never occurred—but only if you deliver an excellent failure recovery [16]. Stated differently, if you offer a first-rate recovery, then your guests might feel a stronger bond with you than they did before the failure. Because guests often understand that some problems and failures are inevitable, the fact that you went the extra-mile to remedy the problem signals your integ- rity. Guests become very observant of your actions after a ser- vice failure because the situation has caused the transaction Service Failure Recovery 173 to deviate from their “mental script” of what they anticipated [17].
Consequently, this heightened guest attention opens a window for you to impress. Evidently a number of conditions must be in place in order to catapult guest satisfaction after a failure. First, the failure recovery that you and your staff demonstrate must be well-or- chestrated. Second, it is unlikely that a recovery paradox will occur if it is the guest’s second failure in your hotel [18].
Third, if the guest perceives the likelihood of reoccurrence as high than s/he will not view the situation favorably [19]. Fourth, if the failure is too severe it is unlikely that an excellent recovery can spawn paradoxical increases in satisfaction [20]. It is important to note that handling a failure properly can trigger a recovery paradox, but conversely, not handling the failure properly can result in a double deviation effect. Double deviation is the term used to describe a situation in which your hotel is made aware of a problem, but the reso- lution offered by your staff is so poor that, in the eyes of the guest, the resolution is viewed as a second failure [21].
As one might imagine, double deviations can be very detrimental to the health of your property. This chapter, therefore, offers a number of techniques related to high-performance failure recovery. Some techniques focus specifically upon situations in which the failure was out of the control of the hotel because offering guests relief in such situations is a particularly effec- tive means of spawning recovery paradoxes. 174 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook #139 Technique #139 Ask About Travel Experiences Offering redress for problems not caused by the hotel can be a key driver of guest satisfaction.
For example, if a guest mentions travel-related problems experienced before arrival, the hotel should offer an amenity or upgrade as an expres- sion of empathy and comfort. Front desk associates should be encouraged to ask guests how their trips were because doing so increases the probability of finding out about travel-related frustrations. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #139 175 #140 Technique #140 Thank Guests for Complaining All associates should be trained to thank guests when they voice valid complaints. Such a thank you encourage guests to communicate problems directly with the provider as opposed to posting complaints on social media forums.
Thanking the guest for voicing the complaint also signals that the problem is less likely reoccur in the future. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 176 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #140 #141 Technique #141 Ask What Would Fix the Problem If a guest voices a valid complaint, after listening, empa- thizing, thanking the guest, and apologizing, the hotel asso- ciate should ask the guest what the hotel can do to fix the problem. Most guests will ask for very little which presents the opportunity to deliver more than what was asked—spawning guest delight. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #141 177 #142 Technique #142 Organize Recharging Cords Recharging cords for mobile electronics are perhaps the most commonly left items in the rooms; thus, most hotels have excess in lost and found since many guests never call for them.
Therefore, the hotel should have a selection already identified by phone/computer type. When a guest asks where to buy one, or if they ask to borrow one from the hotel, they will be readily available for them to use with no hassle. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 178 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #142 #143 Technique #143 Be Ready for Clean-Up The front desk agent should always have immediate access to both cloth towels and paper towels and should be on the look-out for guests in need of them. They can be offered if a guest comes in from the rain, if an infant spits up, etc.
We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #143 179 #144 Technique #144 Have Shower Chairs and Bath Mats Readily Available While all hotels have handicap rooms, at times, an elderly person or a person with an ailment may want “more protection” while in the shower. A shower chair and rubber bath mats are good to have on hand. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 180 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #144 #145 Technique #145 Offer Hot Chocolate During Inclement Weather Whether driving or flying, guests’ stress levels increase significantly when they must attempt to travel in snow or ice. Hot chocolate should be available in the lobby in such circumstances.
We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #145 181 #146 Technique #146 Let Guests Keep Umbrellas The hotel should have an abundance of umbrellas at the front desk for guests to use when needed. If a guest says s/he will drive the car around and return it later, let them keep the umbrella (they can be purchased inexpensively at a dollar store). We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 182 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #146 #147 Technique #147 Organize Unclaimed Items Suitable for Borrowing Many times clothing, belts, etc. are left in lost and found.
If the items remain unclaimed, they can be used for guests to borrow if forgotten to pack. A closet, or part of a closet, can be dedicated to these items. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #147 183 #148 Technique #148 Be Informed About Guest Assistance Information Guests continue to have more special needs as it relates to medical and dietary. Ensure that desk and restaurant staffs have the basic knowledge to assist the guests with these concerns.
The key is where to direct them so they can get the information they need, such as what restaurant serves the needed food; pharmacy information; dentist information; or medical emergency information. To have information ahead of time will help when the need arises so the situation can be dealt with immediately. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 184 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #148 #149 Technique #149 Have a List of Languages Spoken by Staff Many hotel personnel speak multiple languages. Have a list of any employee that speaks different languages.
When there is a guest who needs additional interpretation it will be helpful to know who the employees are that can help them. With foreign travel getting stronger, this is very valuable to the hotel. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #149 185 #150 Technique #150 Have a System for Handling Verbal Communication Barriers If an associate does not speak English, then s/he should carry cards to give to the guest so when they ask a question, they can explain this and direct them to someone who can help immediately. The staff member can also have a pen and paper readily available to help facilitate communication; be sure there is a system in place for this sort of communication.
To ignore the guest is a failure in guest service. We already practice this technique This technique would not be suitable for our operation We practiced this in the past and need to jumpstart We should implement this technique Assigned to: ________________________ Projected Date of Implementation: ___________ 186 A Hotel Manager’s Handbook: Technique #150 #151 Technique #151 Recognize Employees for Exceptional Service Failure Recovery Efforts If an associate goes the extra-mile to solve a guest’s prob- lem, take a digital photo of the associate and write a few sen- tence narrative about what s/he did in the situation. Use the narrative and photo to make a small poster that can be hung in the employee break room.