If you would like to arrange a free demonstration on how the SABAGuest solution can transform your housekeeping operations, click https://www.sabahospitality.com/contact and enter the code ‘HSK2019’ into the message field.
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How Chatbots Help Solve Your Housekeeping Frustrations
Each and every role within a hotel should recognise service as the core principle. From the General Manager, to housekeeping, the concierge, or maintenance. Each role should be defined by a common goal: to provide a level of service that exceeds the expectations of guests. To ‘wow’ visitors in a manner that creates repeat visits and customer loyalty.
While not every position in a property is guest facing, it’s important to remember that each and every task, performed by each and every employee, forms part of a chain that ultimately contributes to the guest experience. Any breakdown in this chain can be detrimental to the guest journey and their overall perception of a property.
For housekeeping, room cleanliness, provision of amenities and responsiveness to guest requests form key service elements that contribute strongly to a guest’s enjoyment of their stay. A quick scan of any online review forum and you’ll see the impact each of these elements has on a property’s reputation.
So how do housekeeping departments continue to innovate? To develop processes which ensure they don’t simply meet a guest’s service expectation, but exceed it?
One approach is to search for small enhancements to existing services. Those small touches that provide guests that ‘wow’ moment. Towel origami is just one example that comes to mind. And everybody will agree: it is impressive. But unfortunately those little ‘surprises’ only truly provide impact if the rest of the stay experience is seamless. It’s an unfortunate truth that those moments mean little if a room is not clean, or a guest struggles to get additional shower gel when they require it. We as humans, are quick to exaggerate ‘the negative’ and dismiss ‘the positive’.
As such, an alternative approach may be to adopt processes that strengthen those ‘fail points’ in existing systems. Those links in the chain that are vulnerable to fracture and can result in service failures. Often for housekeeping, these vulnerabilities are not within the department’s control. A call to reception or operators for additional towels may go unanswered. Requests are simply not passed on. Or language barriers result in incorrect service fulfilment.
No doubt the majority of housekeeping staff have encountered agitated guests searching for assistance when requests have gone unanswered or unfulfilled. And with international travel continually expanding, communication difficulties can make these conversations more challenging than they already are.
And the answer? How about providing guests an alternative means to communicate their housekeeping requirements. One that doesn’t require a call to reception or being placed on hold. A platform that allows guests to make requests in their native language and be viewed in the language of property employees. A messaging solution that automates guest communication, freeing up staff to get on with the important task of fulfilling service requirements. Would that help reduce fail points in housekeeping processes?
The SABAGuest chatbot solution provides an easy and effective means to strengthen the links in the chain. It can even be integrated with dispatch systems to eliminate links all together. Imagine a guest having the capability to request more shampoo, their room be cleaned, or their bed turned down. Via a quick message, in their own language. And the system then recognises and dispatches the request directly to housekeeping. Without the need for reception or operator intervention. Remember Chinese whispers when you were younger. The more times a message is relayed, the less accurate it becomes. Well this message is direct from guest to housekeeping. Service in an instant. No more he said she said.
And while nothing will eliminate service failures altogether, improvements can and should be made. And if an error were to occur, wouldn’t it be better if it were within our control. So we can ultimately improve. Because we are not just in the business of providing service, but providing outstanding experiences.
If you would like to arrange a free demonstration on how the SABAGuest solution can transform your housekeeping operations, click https://www.sabahospitality.com/contact and enter the code ‘HSK2019’ into the message field.