Do you ever wonder why you hit home runs with guests and strike out with employees? It may be because the same skill set that makes you so successful in winning guest loyalty is not being applied with your team members.
Excellent service comes down to consistently executing on a few fundamentals that people care about deeply, regardless of whether they are guests or employees. While it may seem to be overly simplistic, concentrating on basics can make for a winning approach.
Ask yourself: Would you want to work for you?
Chances are the reasons for your answer relate to the five fundamentals listed below. Whenever people interact with you, they consciously or sub-consciously run through a mental scorecard, asking themselves questions about you. Imagine what your score would be for each fundamental from employees if you were the manager in the scenarios.
1. Image
Jamal stops by his manager’s office and politely knocks on the door. The manager looks up with a scowl on his face and says, “What do you want?” Jamal says, “Nothing, sorry I bothered you.” The manager looks relieved and goes back to his paperwork. STRIKE OR FOUL?
Employees ask:
2. Technical ability/knowledge
Tierney is interested in becoming a concierge. Her manager asks her if she is aware of the special tour of the city that the Chamber of Commerce is hosting. The manager says that when she read about the tour, she thought of Tierney and that she might like to go. STRIKE OR FOUL?
Employees ask:
3. Timeliness/responsiveness
Ben submits a request for time off to go to a close friend’s wedding two months in advance, and his manager says he thinks it will be fine. One week prior to the wedding, the manager tells Ben that he needs Ben to cover for him while he goes on vacation for a few days. The wedding falls in the middle of those days. STRIKE OR FOUL?
Employees ask:
4. Confidence/reliability
Lara handled a difficult situation with a guest that resulted in the guest submitting a complaint to the manager. The manager asks to speak with Lara about the situation and says, “I know how dedicated you are to serving our guests well. Please tell me what happened from your perspective.” STRIKE OR FOUL?
Employees ask:
5. Warmth/personalized attention.
Raul mentioned in the housekeeping standup meeting that he was excited about his son’s first performance in a school concert that evening. The next day the manager asks Raul how it went. STRIKE OR FOUL?
Employees ask:
If you are consistently 5 for 5 on these fundamentals, you are the type of manager people will want to follow, regardless of where you work. If you are 0 for 5, people will literally leave you. Or worse, they will stay and are remain emotionally detached or even lead a campaign against you.
Your reputation with guests and employees is built on interactions. Choosing to provide excellent service to your employees protects home plate.