I am currently working on a customization for a really fantastic client who has an incredible energy and passion for the teams and is really a breath of fresh air!

As a trainer, this was the ideal situation.  We were able to get on site to do a true on site evaluation, conduct several quality assurance calls and get an intimate view of what we needed to achieve in order to take the teams to the next level.

There are so many training programs out there, and in essence they do the same thing but the key is engaging the team.   To do that is far more than mini sessions or telling them they have to participate.   It is connecting with them in the same way we want them to connect with our guests.   Make it personal.

This particular client has a great foundation to start with and I always credit management when walking into those situations – it always starts at the top.   So in this particular case, we are focusing on refining, taking them to the next level and really having them be the best  they can be.  When I say the best – I mean right up there with a leading hotel or five diamond resort.  They have the team, they have the personalities and the best part, they have the desire.

So where do there challenges lie?  It’s not in the ‘service’,  not in the aesthetics or amenities; but it is in an area that all hotels can work on.

Acknowledgment.

When I first developed the service connection program, acknowledgment was part of the service module – As of today , acknowledgment is a module on its own.  As I was working on the customization, I recognized that its importance is equal to service and has earned an independent place in training.

Acknowledgment isn’t about doing your job; it is about welcoming your guest into your home, making it personal and it is critical that it is seen as exactly that.  Acknowledgment is where people feel special, it is where the emotional component comes in and where loyalty is breed.   The bonus, it also breeds the feeling of luxury.

One of my auditors was doing a significant round of audits throughout the Interior of BC and the Canadian Rockies.  Beautiful properties that kept her busy for almost two weeks.  I realize that many think on site inspections are glorified vacations, but a true auditor spends their time making notes and ensuring nothing gets by them.    They often  have pages and pages of notes and writing each day and while it may look relaxing, there is a great deal that goes into providing a true overview to our clients.   To thank my auditor; I sent her one of my favourite hotels, perhaps a biased opinion as it was my first love and the reason I am sitting here today.  Regardless, I set her up and was excited that she would get to experience my old stomping grounds.  I expected the best, and nothing short of that would have satisfied me.  I also had no concern that she would be treated to a fantastic experience.

They didn’t disappoint and when she returned I was debriefing her and I was really interested in how taken she was by the hotel.  We talked about the aesthetics and she admitted they were great but so the properties that she had audited.  The meals were good, but again so were meals at the audited hotels.  So, what was it?

It was acknowledgment.  Everywhere she went, in the halls, outside, the lobby, restaurant,  the lounge.  Everywhere she went she was greeted and it didn’t matter if it was a housekeeper, a front office member or management they were all welcoming and clear that they were proud of being able to greet her to their hotel.

So acknowledgment has moved up a notch for us here and we now have entire module.   For many hotels, including the client the client I was referring too – it is simply connecting with our teams and giving the tools and presenting them in a manner that they can understand and embrace.  For other properties, the challenge is the number of staff  – perhaps a difficult challenge but we believe by engaging the teams, having them understand and embrace the true sense of hospitality – they will perhaps appear a little ‘larger’ and welcome their guests with confidence and a genuine smile.

Provide the service your guest expects and for many that is good enough, but the truth as I see it – Acknowledge them like you would in your home, take pride and show it off… .that isn’t service – that is truly making the connection.

For more information regarding AG Custom Hospitality and our wide range of Service Training tools including Service Connection please visit our website at AG Custom Hospitality