Running a business in the hospitality sector can sometimes be a challenge. However, there’s one way to make things easier. Understanding your customers and knowing what your staff want is a key formula to success — you just need to know how to strike a balance with both. Let’s take a look at you can do to improve customer service and boost your brand image in a bid to reap financial benefits.
Firstly, you want to make your brand a household name. You want to make a great first impression that will last if you have aims to increase your consumer base and become a thought-leader in your sector.
Whether this is by investing in properly tailored uniforms or intensifying the training courses for your employees, there are many ways that you can enhance the customer experience to drive remarkable results.
Stepping into the mind of your customer
When it comes to purchasing a product, customers value the customer service they receive. Although you should also be prioritising the quality of your products (to reduce negative reviews), you should be constantly reviewing your current customer service methods and continually think of ways that you can improve the overall service.
Did you know that 80% of brands think they deliver a ‘superior experience’ for their customers? This highlights that it’s important that businesses don’t become blinded with their current delivery of customer service, seeing as only 8% of customers actually agree.
More customers will become loyal if you offer a good service. Not only that, but if you’re looking to increase your consumer acquisition rates – this is a good avenue to go down. 84% of people make a purchase because of a referral; so if your first impression is worthwhile, it could lead to additional business.
The next steps for your business
There are some crucial steps to follow to ensure that your hotel is ahead of the competitors in terms of customer service delivery. Firstly, you need to ensure that your employees are identifiable to customers and this can only be achieved by designing a uniform that stands out; while catering to each type of individual that works for you (considering religions etc).
General dress codes mean more time monitoring your staff’s relaxed workwear. However, uniforms represent the message of your business – so you must design them in the correct way and prioritise employee comfort to ensure you receive the best delivery from them.
Your staff must be trained to the highest standards if you want the customer experience to stand out. This should cover ways that they interact with consumers of all kind (race, religion, disability) and offer the most efficient service possible to show that you’re a reputable brand. On top of this training, you should also make your staff aware of any new products or services that you begin to offer so that they can give customers all of the information that they require.
