Despite how technology continues to replace the need for routine human conversations during a guest’s “cycle of service,” we as hoteliers still have plenty of opportunities to have meaningful connections with our guests. These connections truly matter and strongly impact guest loyalty.
Sure, many guests book at our websites or an online travel agent, but plenty still call with questions prior to or following doing so. Most guests use maps or a transportation app like Uber, Lyft or Waymo, but plenty still ask about local travel tips. Even still, some guests use self-check-in such as on a smartphone, but according to J.D. Power’s 2023 North American Guest Satisfaction Index Study, 75% of those who do still contact the front desk.
Whether it’s a brief conversation during an elevator ride or a chat in the lobby as they await rideshare pickup, these micro encounters present fantastic opportunities to share a heartfelt hospitality vibe. Of course, they need to be meaningful and sincere; obsequious encounters are worse than passing by a guest without any acknowledgement.
On the other hand, the sincere use of conversation-starting questions can lead to some momentous moments that will truly make a hotel stay meaningful:
- Good evening! Heading out to somewhere fun tonight?
- (To a small child.) Hi there! What’s your name? How old are you?
- Ah, a Steelers fan! I’m from Baltimore, but I like you anyway.
- Hi puppy! What’s your name?
- Greetings! So, are you having an excellent stay with us?
- (A female speaking to a female.) Hello, can I just say I love your necklace?
- Sir, that’s a really nice tie you are wearing!
- Are you here on business? (Assuming it is an obvious yes.) Are you scheduling any free time to enjoy the (city/area/attractions) too? If you’d like, I can offer a suggestion or two.
Similarly, micro encounters matter to your staff, especially those from other departments, or if you are a department head, executive committee member or general manager, to the frontline staff you rarely see, who are truly the face of your business. If you want your staff to remember guests’ names, make it a point to know and remember their names. If you want them to ask how guests’ stays are going, ask them how their day is going. When you hear that someone has a new baby or dog, has lost a parent or pet or is just back from vacation or medical leave, make mention of it.
The same is true with vendor partners. The stronger the connection we have with key suppliers, the more likely they will come through when you truly need them in an emergency.
In the daily course of modern life, we often move about with such anonymity. So many of us moved away long ago from our family and childhood friends. It has been estimated that 27% of USA residents live alone. Most of us drive a vehicle with one person in it to and from work, or if we take public transportation, our earbuds send the message that we want to be left alone. Most people avoid eye contact with the strangers we pass, whether out of fear or just habit.
It’s a lonely world out there for many of your staff. If you work at a hotel serving the business travelers, think about how many hours they are spend alone during day on the road for work. A momentary micro encounter can lift their spirits.
If your hotel guests skew towards leisure, chances are good the small group you pass in the corridors, ride elevators with or see in the lobby, are enjoying one of the most important experiences of their entire calendar year. Be it a weekend away from the kids, a visit to the grandparents or a badly needed family vacation, odds are it is a memory maker, so acknowledge it during micro encounters.
Some guests travel for sad, somber and solemn occasions such as hospital stays, funerals and memorial services. Don’t shy away from sorrow. In times of loss, it can be the unexpected empathy and compassion of a stranger during a micro encounter moment that touches a heart as much (or more) than the expected embrace of blood relatives.
Think of micro encounters like the Lego blocks that create in the foundation of whatever relationship you are building.
That being said, it is also important to train your staff on how to truly connect during these micro encounters. Here are some tips for your next meeting or pre-shift stand-up:
Eye contact
Practice holding it for at least 3 seconds when you encounter the strangers we call our guests, allowing time for a smile to break out.
Smile
If you hold eye contact long enough, this is a natural reaction. Be the first to initiate one and it is almost always returned. Even if you are in a dark mood emotionally, the simple act of smiling will trick your brain into releasing feel-good hormones.
Practice 'loop-it-back listening'
When someone makes a statement or answers your question, rather than reacting instinctually and moving the conversation onward, loop it back to them. Only then will you get the full story. Example: “What brings you the hotel?” “Just getting away for the weekend.” “Oh, that sounds fun!” “Well actually, it’s our first time being away without the kids since our oldest was born 12 years ago!”
Be fully present
Train your mind to shut out all the noise and distractions and just slow down and focus on the fellow human with whom you are sharing this tiny space on this huge blue planet, for this brief moment in all of human history.
As the oft-quoted Maya Angelou once said so well: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Heartfelt micro encounters with guests will do more to create loyalty than any frequent stay program. Micro encounters with staff will do more to encourage your associates to extend heartfelt hospitality to guests more so than any corporate training video or a nifty slogan they are forced to wear as a lapel pin.
Doug Kennedy is president of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. Contact him at doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.
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