CUSTOMER SERVICE IN HOTELS

According to (Ward 2014), customer service refers to a practice of providing people with a positive helpful experience before, during and after buying or utilizing the services. Continued revenue and success of hospitality is based on customer satisfaction.

Customers are looking for a memorable experience and unique service where it counts. Customers feel good when treated like they are important and ongly sales or revenue generators, so hotel operators need to deliver as promised to keep their customers happy,( Moutry 2014).

Alluding to customer service, Muller (2007) identified types of service as follows;

•          Low touch customer service

A customer is not given any assistant unless when he/she returned something then the service provider just take the item and give back the money. Service is usually provided by vending machines or self-service counters.

•         High touch customer service

High touch is characterized by high level of personal contact with customers, for example meeting and greeting.

•          Transparent customer service

Customers see exactly how things are working and even welcomed to manage things at the level of their preference, foristance in restaurant trolley kind of service.

•        Clueless Customer Service

In this type service providers are not trained ongly given scripts to refer to. It is common in call centers.

•         Evil customer service

The goal for the type of service is to trick customers into paying more or convince to something. Rather than doing what customers ask for, they bully them into what the company wants.

Customer service may seem easy from the surface but it requires certain skills that no one may have.

Hotels operators need to keep up with the new current communication methods, medias to be in contact or interact with customers so they get feedback of the service and should quickly act on those areas of improvements highlighted by customers. This will be vital also on new products, and on improvement updates, (Hotel cluster 2013).

The researcher recommend hotels to train all their employees on customer service and ensure that every employee has information about the hotel in their fingertips so they are able to provide service every time.

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

Hotel Cluster Blog (2013) 8 emerging hospitality Industry trends in 2013 http://www.hotelcluster.com/blog/8-emerging-hospitality-industry-trends-in-2013/html.

Muller T. (2007).8 Types of customer service [Online]. Available at:http://blog.gestsatisfaction.com/2007/0214/8-types-o-customer-service/html. Accessed on 14 April 2014.

Moutry L. (2014) Customer service in Hospitality Industry: Demand Media [online].Available on:http://smallbusiness.chron.com/customer-satisfaction-hospitality-industry-15722.html.Accessed date 14 April 2014.

Ward S. (2014).Customer service [Online].Available at: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/g/custserv.html.Canada.About.com.smallbusiness. Accessed date 14/14/201