Understand the Role of Customer Service
in the Hospitality Industry
Table of Contents
- jaro Education
- 18, March 2023
- 10:16 am
What does the hospitality industry mean? What does the hospitality industry refer to? Where and how did the whole thing originate? This, indeed, is the question, and along the lines of past, present, and future about hospitality, one will discover how it is relevant to employers, employees, economies, consumers, the environment, and so much more. Would it be so interesting if one could explore what the industry has to offer? Just learn about the different types of businesses that come under the said industry, what services these provide, or, of course, how to start a career in hospitality. You are at the right place.
This blog post aims to educate and inform hospitality management professionals and students pursuing a hospitality management course about the vital role of customer service in the hospitality industry and the importance of the hospitality industry.
The History Of Hospitality And Tourism
Hospitality is the oldest business in the world, dating back to biblical innkeepers and taverns. Tourism, by contrast, is one of the recent inventions, originating in Japan.
In the late 1800s, leisure tourism and hospitality became established all over Europe, thus attracting wealthy travelers to Switzerland. It all started when these travelers sought cultural and natural exposures through guided tours in the Swiss Alps, train rides, and wellness tourism. The palatial hotels, thermal baths, and ski resorts became icons in the luxury tourism industry of Switzerland.
With the new generation of wealthy guests setting a new set of higher expectations, whether about comfort in accommodations, convenience in service, or fine restaurants. The leisure travel phenomenon persuaded the establishment of schools for hospitality management; the first was EHL in 1893 in Lausanne, which has since pioneered hospitality management education.
What Is The Hospitality Industry
The hospitality industry is a massive business field. It casts a wide net, covering all economic and business activities that either depend upon or contribute to travel and tourism.
Travelers in hotels and agencies providing direct services for tourism and the travel industry. Suppliers, transportation services, and catering services may be seen as indirect contributions to the extent that they provide goods and services that help the industry run without having hospitality as their sole revenue.Â
The hospitality industry encompasses a wide range of businesses and professionals. Despite this diversity, most hospitality businesses fall into four main categories.
Providing Quality Service to Guests
One of the primary roles of customer service in the hospitality industry is to provide guests with high-quality services that meet their needs and expectations. This includes activities such as checking in guests, providing recommendations for local attractions and dining options, and ensuring that their stay is comfortable and enjoyable.
Handling Guest Complaints and Resolving Issues: Another important aspect of customer service in the hospitality industry is handling guest complaints and resolving issues. Hospitality businesses must be equipped to handle any challenges during a guest’s stay, such as room problems, dissatisfaction with service, or other issues. Effective customer service involves quickly addressing and resolving issues to maintain the guest’s satisfaction and loyalty, given the importance of the hospitality industry.
The last decade has seen the considerable expansion of the hospitality industry in Asia. A study conducted by Statista states that the Asian hotel industry should reach a revenue of $165.40 billion in 2024. Revenue per user is expected to be an average of $294.80 in 2024.
The number of users in the Asian hotel market is expected to reach 0.62 billion by the year 2028. The user penetration rate is expected to sit at 12.3% and subsequently rise to 13.4% by the year 2028.
It is also expected that by the year 2028, 80% of the total hotel market revenue worldwide will be generated through online channels. Among other countries across the globe, the US is expected to generate the highest revenue in the hotel sector.
Maintaining Positive Customer Relations
Customer service in the hospitality industry means maintaining positive customer relations. This means creating a welcoming atmosphere, being responsive to guests’ needs and requests, and providing excellent service that exceeds their expectations. A positive customer experience can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Hospitality businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing quality service, handling guest complaints, and maintaining positive customer relations. Satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend the business to others, leading to increased success and growth for the company.
Key Components of Excellent Customer Service in the Hospitality Industry
1. Communication Skills
Effective communication is critical to excellent customer service in the hospitality industry. Hospitality employees must be able to communicate effectively with guests to understand their needs, provide relevant information, and resolve any issues that may arise. Good communication skills also involve active listening, clear and concise language, and the ability to handle difficult or angry guests with professionalism.
2. Empathy and Friendliness
Empathy and friendliness are essential qualities for hospitality employees providing customer service. Employees should be able to understand the guest’s perspective and respond with a friendly and positive attitude, even in challenging situations. This can help to create a welcoming atmosphere and enhance the guest’s overall experience.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability
Flexibility and adaptability are important traits for customer service employees in the hospitality industry, meaning that as guests often have unique needs and requests. Hospitality employees should be able to adapt to changing circumstances, provide innovative solutions, and be willing to go above and beyond to meet guests’ needs.
4. Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is crucial for providing excellent customer service in the hospitality industry. This includes being aware of guests’ preferences, ensuring that rooms and amenities are properly prepared, and ensuring that all aspects of the guest’s stay are executed seamlessly.
5. Time Management and Organization
Effective time management and organisation are also important components of excellent customer service in the hospitality industry. Hospitality employees must be able to prioritise tasks, manage their time effectively, and maintain a high level of organisation to provide efficient and effective service to guests.
Has The Hospitality Industry Seen Any Growth?
The hospitality industry is an allied sector, surely in a post-pandemic world. The sector added 22 million jobs in 2022, which is an increase of nearly 8% from 2021. In 2023, one out of every ten jobs created in the country was hospitality-related.
The hospitality sector is one of the largest employers in the world, while many businesses services to hospitality hotels to restaurants, grapple with understaffing. The value of the international hospitality industry grew at a compound annual rate of 7% from 2022-2023. What’s been coming back is consumers wanting to travel again and attend in-person events after all the restrictions were removed.Â
In parallel to the rising demand, the World Travel and Tourism Council further estimates that tourism will create 126 million new jobs by 2032 in the hospitality industry.
The Impact of Customer Service on the Success of Hospitality Businesses
Let us take a moment to look into the success story of a great hotel, the Taj.
*Booking.com
Case Study: The Taj Hotels (India) Brand that is Famously Known For: Indian Hospitality” Devo Bhava” (Guest is God)Â
What They Did Right: Customized Experience for Guests. Taj staff are trained to go above and beyond. For example, they have been trained to remember guest preferences for food, room setup, and even pillow type during repeat stays.Â
The Service during Crisis: The 2008 Mumbai Attack. Some examples include: During the terrorist attacks in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, employees put their lives on the line against personal safety to protect the guests. Some even led them to safety before themselves. This activity of selfless service under pressure left a lifetime imprint emotionally, worldwide, and became a case study on service culture at Harvard and Stanford.Â
Culture of Service: Internal philosophy “Tajness” of the brand is rooted in serving guests well with grace, warmth, and sincere benevolence. Staff are empowered to take immediate on-the-spot decisions to resolve guests’ problems instantly.Â
Results: Taj consistently ranks among the world’s top luxury hotel brands. High repeat international clientele. Strong brand loyalty and emotional connection with guests. Awards for excellence in hospitality and service.
Now, here are some impacts on customer service listed below:
Building a Positive Reputation
Excellent customer service can help build a positive reputation for a hospitality business. Satisfied guests are more likely to recommend the business to others, and positive word-of-mouth can significantly impact the business’s success.
Increasing Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Good customer service can also lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Satisfied guests are more likely to return and recommend the business to others, which can result in increased revenue and growth for the company.
Attracting New Customers
A positive reputation and high customer satisfaction can also attract new customers to a hospitality business. Customers are more likely to choose a business with a good reputation for customer service over one without.
Improving Financial Performance
Excellent customer service can also improve the financial performance of a hospitality business. Gaining the satisfaction of guests will lead to increased revenue and growth. In addition, effective customer service can help to reduce costs by minimizing the number of customer complaints and issues that need to be addressed.
Best Practices for Providing Exceptional Customer Service in the Hospitality Industry
Train Employees on Customer Service Skills
Training employees on customer service skills is crucial for providing exceptional service in the hospitality industry. This includes training on effective communication, handling guest complaints, and maintaining a customer-focused attitude. Ongoing training and development can also help employees to stay current on industry trends and best practices.
Encourage a Customer-Centric Culture
Creating a customer-centric culture is important for providing exceptional customer service in the hospitality industry. This involves putting the needs of guests first and ensuring that all employees understand the importance of customer service. A customer-centric culture can also help to foster a positive and welcoming atmosphere for guests.
Implement Feedback Mechanisms for Guests
Implementing feedback mechanisms, such as guest surveys or comment cards, can help to gather valuable insights into customer satisfaction and areas for improvement. This information can be used to make changes that enhance the guest experience and improve customer service practices.
Monitor and Measure Customer Service Performance
Monitoring and measuring customer service performance is important for ensuring that customer service practices are effective and meet guests’ needs. This can include tracking customer satisfaction levels, monitoring employee performance, and regularly reviewing customer service processes to identify areas for improvement.
Why Go For Hospitality?
So if you like seeing other people happy, hospitality is for you. It is a business wherein the employees join forces to create an environment conducive to the welfare of customers and, in so doing, put guests in hotels, making very special visitor experiences. With a wide range of hotels, events, dining, planning, travel, customer service, and a variety of others, there is a position for every worker and every character in hospitality.Â
Hospitality is also a great deal alive, dynamic, and ever-changing. In the same manner that every guest is different. Whether you work in a hotel or a nightclub, you will meet many people from all traditions and backgrounds, people from all corners of the world. As you engage with the guests and try to meet their expectations, you will learn about their culture and broaden your life experience.
Applying For Jobs In Hospitality Can Occur In Several Ways
Some employees begin their hospitality careers in entry-level positions and continue to work their way up the business. Others use previous professional experience to transition into hospitality. To improve your chances of successfully building your career in the hospitality industry:
1. Determine which hospitality sector best fits you
The hospitality industry has many different types of careers and professions within it, thus making it an excellent industry for all types of people with varied skills and personalities. Whether shy and wanting to work alone or friendly and loving to talk to people, hospitality has something to offer for everybody. Consider which department or position interests you if you’re looking at working in hotels.Â
- Front desk: This is a customer-focused, really outgoing personality type that fits here
- Housekeeping: Back-of-house roles were for task-oriented or meticulous typesÂ
- F&B: This offers scenarios for front and back of the house, often busy and stressfulÂ
- Maintenance: The set of skills and end-goal-oriented positions for a big-picture thinker with great task management ability.
- Meetings and events: A plethora of largely forward-facing positions for event planners, organizers, coordinators, etc.
2. Have a good idea of where job opportunities can be found
Since guest service is a foundational element in hospitality, it becomes common for hospitality professionals to contact fellow professionals in their neighborhood for references, recommendations, and referrals. Most entry-level hospitality jobs are disseminated among local and employee referrals, the hiring manager’s professional contact list, or an individual’s social media.
If you know where you want to work, meet the people there. Introduce yourself to the management level at hotels, restaurants, and venues you are interested in. If you cannot figure out how to go about it, there are a lot of hospitality job resources, such as:
1. Online ads. Online job ads are great if you are an entry-level worker or new to the industry or seeking a specific destination. Getting first-hand recommendations could help, and given that no such references are coming your way, it might be intimidating to break into your local industry. Keep a lookout for online job ads, local news sites, and search engines for ads that could assist you in this very specific field.
2. Social media: This includes following the venue’s Facebook pages, joining local hospitality groups, and constantly keeping an eye on the Instagram pages of hotels or destinations you wish to work for. Check social media regularly for links to external job sites or brand listings.
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3. Hospitality sites: A myriad of online hospitality job boards have connected workers with jobs in the industry. Explore different sites to see which jobs catch your interest or are available in your area, such as:Â
- HCareers
- Hospitality Online
- Betterteam
- iHireHospitalityÂ
- Hosco
- Hospitality Crossing
- Hospitality Confidential
- Brand job boards plus
3. Expanding your hospitality knowledge
Become an all-rounder in hospitality, from trends in the industry to marketing techniques. Stay on top of the latest to stay in the game in an ever-competitive arena.
4. Doing your best to achieve certification in your industry
Your credentials can highly influence how fast you get your dream job in traveling. Show yourself as serious about a career in hospitality through a variety of certifications.
5. Finding a career path
After you have seen the wide and wonderful world of hospitality, select a career path that you are passionate about. Instead of worrying about where to start, think of where you would like to go within the industry. Envisioning where you want to end up will provide the very steps you ought to follow to advance your career down a path that appeals to you.
Get in touch with Jaro Education for the best career counseling.
Why Jaro Education?
It provides career counseling for students and professionals so that they can make good decisions regarding their academic and career choices. Here are the core reasons that make Jaro Education Career Counseling so reputed:Â
- AI Skill Gap Calculator
Jaro Education has developed an AI-enabled Skill Gap Calculator that helps people or organizations identify their skill deficiencies and provides them with customized advice for their career growth. It uses input data to help individuals provide insight into the growth in their careers and hence makes job satisfaction increases relatively easier to increase job satisfaction.
- Free and Personalized Online Career Advice
For this stressful time of their lives, Jaro Education offers structured online career counseling, where they accept the assessment of in-demand skills, recommend courses for them, and extend support for job placements, resume preparation, and interview practice.Â
- Jaro Connect
The Jaro Connect platform is an almost entirely self-sufficient mechanism in career support that offers boot camps, webinars, and training programs. Free application service for jobs is inclusive of example resumes and LinkedIn conversion, accompanied by exposure to over 500 companies looking to hire.
Summary
Customer service is a critical component of success in the hospitality industry. Providing quality service to guests can enhance customer satisfaction, build a positive reputation, and increase financial performance.
Hospitality businesses can enhance their customer service practices by training employees on customer service skills, creating a customer-centric culture, implementing feedback mechanisms for guests, and monitoring and measuring customer service performance. By focusing on providing exceptional customer service, hospitality businesses can differentiate themselves in a competitive market and achieve long-term success.
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This insightful blog on the role of customer service in the hospitality industry highlights how exceptional service can transform guest experiences. The detailed analysis and real-world examples effectively illustrate the impact of customer service on business success. A must-read for anyone in the hospitality field!