1. Excellent Communication Skills:When you’re communicating with a guest, keep it simple and to the point. There should be no doubt what is expected and what will be received so there can be no misunderstanding. Telling a customer that a charge or expense is “included” in the bill may make them think it’s “free” and you could be setting yourself up for conflict later. Be specific and communicate clearly with your guests.
2. Be Patient:Everyone says this – and with good reason. It’s critically important to take the time to fully understand what the customer is telling you and how best to solve a problem. Make sure you understand what they truly want so you can give them the solution that best serves their needs.
3. Be Positive:Instead of saying “can’t” or “won’t,” you can turn around most statements to say the same thing starting with “will” or “can.” For example, if your customer is asking for a special room accommodation, instead of saying you “can’t” do that or it “won’t” be available, you can tell them what “will” be possible and what you “can” do instead.
4. Stay Cool: Customer-facing employees have to be able to exercise self-control. Even if a guest is angry and demanding, you must remember it’s not personal, stay cool and solve the problem at hand. This goes hand in hand with being adept at “reading” people and understanding their emotional state. This article from Physiology today, will give you some insights into how to interpret what you’re observing.
5. Think on your Feet: There are always going to be surprises you didn’t expect. You need to be able to think quickly and have some idea ahead of time what you can do when you run into something you haven’t seen before. For example, who is your “go-to” person when you have no idea what to do and how do you contact the right person to address the issue? If you have this information ready for when you may need it, you’ll be able to solve problems and satisfy your guests more efficiently and quickly.
6. Follow Through: Be the person who sticks with it until the problem is solved. Your work ethic should motivate you to do whatever it takes, however long it takes. When you follow the problem through to the end, the customer knows you went the extra mile and it will come back to you ten-fold. 7. Active Listening: This is critical for building relationships and solving problems. It’s the only possible way to truly understand what you’re dealing with, since you’re listening to what is said, as well as observing the overall tone and unspoken expectations of the guest. Simply “hearing” is not actively listening. Check out this article fro forbes for tips to improve your listening skills.