Mr. Nijhawan

Guest Service / Customer Experience Mgmt

Delivering a Great Guest Experience

By Sanjay Nijhawan, COO, Guoman Hotels (UK)

The demands of guests have changed over the years, as travel for both business and leisure becomes more commonplace, our visitors are exposed to different experiences, quality and insights.

The internet and other new media channels have opened up the opportunity for people to share these insights so customers and potential guests have more information about hotels than simply the website, brochure and possibly a media review.

'Citizen Journalists' are the new influencers of consumer choice and they are continually looking beyond the expected for a memorable and different experience, either for business or leisure.

Therefore it is more important than ever that hotels consistently exceed expectations and ensure a quality stay.

1. Unique Service

As those of us in the hotel industry are only too keenly aware, good service should underpin the mission statement of all hotels. Getting it right, however, can be altogether more of a challenge and can mean the difference between success and failure.

Basic service standards are a given but in my opinion the key to providing excellent service is in encouraging employees not to leave their personality at the door. All too often I have encountered hotel staff, who demonstrate perfect manners, but stop short of giving that little extra. What is that little extra? Guests don't want to be greeted by an automaton with a fixed smile; too much emphasis on hierarchy can leave the guest feeling slightly uncomfortable and makes for a dry, unmemorable experience.

Through our extensive research at Guoman Hotels we found that the modern guest actually responds well and appreciates personal interaction with the staff. After all it's often those incidental conversations we have with a pavement host or waiter which create a lasting impression on us.

Don't ignore the basics either; one of the most simple things your employees can do to create a more personal approach is to welcome the guests by name upon arrival.

This personal approach shouldn't start when the customer walks through the door, it should begin with the booking process itself. This is the point at which we have a valuable opportunity to really begin to glean information in order to understand an individual and anticipate their needs.

Try to encourage staff not to make decisions based on a generic notion of the guest and their needs but to acknowledge the guest as an individual. Sometimes this involves thinking outside the box for imaginative ways in which to engage a guest. That's why, for any hotel aiming to establish an excellent reputation, from manager to cleaner you should seek to employ only those individuals who display character, aptitude and discernment.

2. Anticipation

Another undervalued and often altogether ignored practice is the ability of staff to use their foresight to pre-empt a customer's needs. When used effectively, this tool can create an air of polished efficiency.

It doesn't require ESP or any great sleuth work; simply starting with the retrieval of data from previous stays, staff can determine needs and preferences and surprise the customer by pre-empting them. A case in point, during my second stay at a leading five star hotel in London the bar steward was quite confidently heard to utter the phrase "the usual Sir?"

These days, getting a handle on excellent service is only the tip of the iceberg, however. In a digital age where we are surrounded by comforts that come easily at the press of a button, we as market leaders are bound by a bare necessity to stay ahead of the game when it comes to technology.

So many hotels are now offering services such as Wi-Fi as standard, however, how many of these that invest in a reliable service is another matter. Slow or unreliable connection will go down as a faux pas rather than a selling point and can result in embarrassing complaints. My advice is to invest in a solid, reliable service provider. It is paramount to recognise early on the importance of providing a reliable, secure, fast wireless internet connection which is not restricted to certain parts of the building. This means that guests have the freedom to enjoy the internet in the bar or bedroom, creating that all important home-from-home feel.

So if you want to market your hotel as a luxury brand why should your customers expect anything less than the kind of entertainment and technology they could find in their own home? That means pulling out all the stops to invest in the latest trends. To satiate our savvy clientele, we introduced the next-generation bed which has a unique double layer of open coil springs that will provide comfort to all guests, regardless of bodyweight or size.

Equip your rooms with the latest gadgets and you'll ensure your guest never wants for entertainment. That means investing in such high-tech furnishings as iPod docking stations, plasma TVs and laptop docking stations.

A great way to give your hotel notoriety is to create a tailored atmosphere. The latest research is very telling, revealing that travellers value consistency of service standards but are generally less complimentary about the notion that big brand hotels must display uniformity. Don't enter the trap of assuming homogeneity will give your brand the right kind of recognition. Moving away from the middle-of-the-road and assuming an individual identity for each hotel will help ensure a memorable guest experience. For example the pavement host at one hotel could be found looking sharp in Armani in contrast to the sister hotel where you could generate a more Dickensian feel by dressing the host in Top Hat and tails to match the architecture and location of the individual hotels.

3. Amenities and Extras

Going the extra mile for client is what an exceptional hotel should be about, so, while we're at it, let's not forget the complimentary items.

Let's face it - the days of the awful plastic hairbrush and mini shower cream in the bathroom of a hotel are numbered in upmarket hotels. Guests want to find something reliable and substantial that they'll actually want to use after their hotel experience. The association of a recognisable brand is a must with such items. In a typical British upmarket guestroom the guest should be able to enjoy such refreshments as Twinings of England and find the bathroom kitted-out with a selection of luxury branded toiletries. Complimentary extras can be a great way of showing you are attentive to detail by considering even the minor needs of the guest.

4. Location and Property

Well, you've heard the phrase 'Location, location, location', don't knock it. Though physically moving might be out of the question a lot can be said for making the most of your building and surroundings.

If your building overlooks a point of interest be sure to make a feature of this with your executive lounge well-placed to benefit from the views. I've heard of hotels whose back of house areas have some of the best views in the city, while some key guest areas are windowless or have simple street views. This should be reversed for the guests' benefit.

Capture people's attention by exploiting any distinctive features of your building. If your building has an interesting heritage or grand architecture, follow that theme through to the details of the interior furnishings.

To summarise, hotels need to focus on delivering a great guest experience so they are advocates for your brand, rather than 'badvocates'

With extensive experience oin working for some of the biggest brands in the business, including Hilton, Holiday Inn, Marriott and Forte, Sanjay Nijhawan has been in the hospitality industry for over 17 years. Mr. Nijhawan joined Thistle Hotels in 2004 as general manager for The Tower in central London. Earlier this year Mr. Nijhawan was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Guoman Hotels (UK) overseeing the development of a collection of six international deluxe properties in central London. Mr. Nijhawan graduated from Thames Valley University in 1992 with a degree in hotel management. Mr. Nijhawan can be contacted at 0870 333 9280 or Sanjay.nijhawan@guoman.co.uk Extended Bio...

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