Service

Question 1

What is service?

Answer 1

“A valuable action, deed, or effort performed to satisfy and fulfill a demand”

Question 2

What do guests want?

Answer 2

o First, they want a product or service with NO defects (check the rooms after housekeeping)
o Second, they want timeliness
o Third, they want the person with whom they’re dealing to be nice to them

Question 3

Service is perishable, what does this mean?

Answer 3

No inventory of service

Question 4

What are types of service?

Answer 4

• Assistance service
• Repair service
• Value-added service• Say goodbye when they check-out, ask them how their stay was and if they are not satisfied, fix the problem right away
  • Connect with your guest be real, make effort, be personal, guests who you feel connected with, will remember you
  • Guests’ expectations: most guests do not ask anything unreasonable, but it depends on their level of expectations

Question 5

What is Assistence Service?

Answer 5

help, assist; host/hostess (exceeds expectations by: overhear/see details); concierge (get table, tickets); bellboy (introducing guest to hotel, interaction with the guest – name, birthday and tell that to FO)

Question 6

What is Repair Service?

Answer 6

keeping what you promised, maintenance (fixing and replacing), repairing a leaky faucet in a guest room

Question 7

What is Value-added Service?

Answer 7

exceeding customer expectations

Question 8

What is the 3 steps rule?

Answer 8

o Offer a great welcome to the guest, if you are within 3 meters of the guest
o If the first 4 contacts go well there will be virtually no complaints thereafter

Question 9

Serving VS Caring

Answer 9

Service: you do what is asked
Caring: you do what is right for the guest, one step ahead

Question 10

What is the result of happy guests?

Answer 10

• Happy guests => loyal customers => positive word of mouth => revenue increases

Question 11

What does exceeding expectations intale?

Answer 11

If you have a basic product, customers are looking for basic attributes. If you have a premium product, it is not enough to cover the basics. Excitement features have to be added continuously

Question 12

What are interpersonal skills?

Answer 12

Putting yourself in the shoes of the guests

Question 13

‘Advantages’ for complaints:

Answer 13

you have an opportunity to save the day, learn from mistakes and become better, create an environment where people feel comfortable giving feedback, ask power question, always thanking

Question 14

Level of customer satisfaction:

Answer 14

• Perceived service / expected service
• Perceived higher than expected: Delighted
• Perceived as expected: satisfied
• Perceived worse than expected: dissatisfied

Question 15

True or False: The GM sets the tone and creates a structure.

Answer 15

TRUE

Question 16

True or False: As General Manager, it is important to be visible and make the stay of the guest as personal as possible.

Answer 16

TRUE

Question 17

What are sustainable Lodging Operations?

Answer 17

• Creating more goods and services while using less resources and causing less waste and emissions
• 3 P approach: people, planet, profit
• Operational changes and building operation strategies
• Lower operating costs by saving water and energy and reducing waste, eliminating toxic chemicals  healthier environment

Question 18

How do you save water, reduce waste and eliminate toxic chemicals?

Answer 18

Energy efficient lighting (dimmers and timers), building insulation, using natural daylight, eliminating leaks (replacing windows);
Low-flow toilets, low-flow showerheads, reuse towels and linen program;
Recycling opportunities for guests and staff, reusable napkins and tableware, refillable toiletries, recycling furniture (charity), minimize packaging, rechargeable batteries, energy-efficient transport, environmentally friendly cleaning products, organic and locally sourced products, using technology instead of paper

Question 19

Example of trends and developments:

Answer 19

• Safety and Security
• Private and governmental capital
• Technology and artificial intelligence, SOPs online, smart hotel room
• Management that deals with rapid change
• Globalization, investors from different continents
• Classifications
• Vacation ownership increases
• Multi-use hotels
• Culinary selectiveness: rise in appearance, ambience and quality of food  increased revenue chances, experience becomes more interactive, focus on sustainability, organic and local, allergies, low-calorie, culinary trends

Question 20

Examples of sustainable cruising?

Answer 20

• Hydrogen-powered ships
• Recycling, processing waste on board, environmental standards for wastewater and recycling, additional eco-amenities and conservation practices
• Use of seawater
• Carbon-neutral cruises
• STI (Sustainable Travel International) that assists and gives certificates
• Prevention of diseases and outbreaks, strict hygiene regulations

Question 21

Examples of trends in the cruising industry:

Answer 21

• Number of ships increases
• New accommodations and entertainment
• Adding capacity on ships: new design and architecture
• Different types of cruises offered
• Job opportunities increase
• Sustainability

Question 22

Examples of classifications of restaurants:

Answer 22

• Steakhouse: attract more customers with fish and chicken but steak is heart of business
• Family restaurants: located with easy access to the suburbs, informal setting and design, simple menu and service for the whole family
• Ethnic restaurants: mostly independently owned and operated, “taste of home”, traditionally opened to cater the taste of immigrant groups
• Quick-Service/Fast-Food: delivery services, drive-throughs, fast food restaurants, location strategy result in increasing popularity: limited, bright lit and colourful menu, cheaper ingredients  lower price, including self-service facilities, unskilled labour as well as skilled, highway plaza and shopping centres

Question 23

True or False: Guest room problems make up the biggest category at nearly 60% of reported problems but have the lowest impact on guest loyalty. That may be surprising because ultimately what guests are paying for is a place to sleep.

Answer 23

FALSE, it is 42%.

Question 24

True or False: Service problems make up a much smaller portion of reported problems but have a much more dramatic impact on guest loyalty.

Answer 24

TRUE

Question 25

True or False: Staff-related problems represent 9.5% of all reported problems. But staff problems punch way above their weight causing loyalty to plummet by over 26 points when they do occur.

Answer 25

FALSE, it is 4.7%

Question 26

Why is it important to respond quickly?

Answer 26

Quick resolutions boosts customer confidence

Question 27

Why should you treat customers fairly?

Answer 27

Customers want justice and fairness in handling their complaint, including getting a reasonable resolution of their complaint.

Question 28

What is Appropriate Communication?

Answer 28

Even if a problem can’t be resolved, adequate explanation can reduce the guest’s dissatisfaction. Managers should also communicate the recovery process to customers and keep them updated of the current status. It’s important to follow up with guests to let them know when the problem is fixed, and to make sure they’re satisfied with the result.

Question 29

Why should you cultivate relationships with customers?

Answer 29

Service recovery is easier if the company has established a relationship with the guest. Strong customer relationships can help shield the company from the negative impact of service failure. Customers who intend on continuing a relationship with a company will have lower expectations for service recovery and may demand less compensation. Cultivation of strong customer relationship can provide an important buffer to hospitality companies when failures occur.