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Improve your Hospitality Business with Hotel Mystery Calls

by

Antony Shaw

Most people are familiar with the concepts of the written or on-line survey and the hotel mystery shopper as great instruments for garnering information from their customers. However, hotel mystery calls are yet another excellent and efficient way for hoteliers to ensure that they are getting all the information that they can to assist them in providing a premium service for their valuable clientele.

The mystery shopper

A mystery shopper within the hotel context operates as a guest who stays at the establishment and checks on all facets of it, including its service. In a sense the customer has already qualified, the initial sale or booking has been taken, and the hotel s job is to now live up to its promises.

The mystery caller

Hotel mystery calls on the other hand, focus more on the very first impression and experience a potential client receives upon their first human contact with the hotel, which is often over the telephone. The intention to stay at your establishment has already been made, influenced by such factors as location and price, information gleaned from your website or brochures; however, turning the intention into a decision is often reliant upon the prospective client s first telephone experience. At this vital point of contact, a sale may be closed, or sadly, as is sometimes the case, lost.

The professional making hotel mystery calls evaluates the telephone reception they receive according to predefined and agreed criteria which is devised bespoke for your particular context and area of concern or focus.

Another realm of hotel mystery calls is to address the clerk s attention to your establishment s particular sales focus. This may include up-selling techniques, also known as add-ons. Profitable add-ons can include the purchase of in-house meals, the use of hotel facilities such as gyms or tennis courts, in-house films, internet connection or spa treatments. Many businesses also receive extra revenue from alliances with particular companies dealing in rental cars, restaurants, entertainment venues, guided tours, sporting activities and shopping trips.

A successful hospitality business is never remiss in ensuring that their staff is fully trained in the art of telephone manner and sales. The staff s immediate intention must be to get as much information about their prospective clients as possible – in a courteous and expedient manner – for it is when armed with this information that they can begin to work towards providing for their prospect s every whim. The manner in which an establishment handles objections is a particularly crucial element of staff training. As well, the potential mine-field of events and conferences needs particularly well trained staff to ensure it all runs smoothly. There is often a lot of telephone communication involved in the successful launch of such affairs.

The mystery approach to getting invaluable information back to hotel managers is currently developing beyond guests and hotel mystery calls and there are new ideas in the pipeline. Cutting edge professional agencies in the field are bringing on board yet a new tool; emotional checks. The emotional check will have less of a focus on an establishment s tangible matters and turn their attention to focus on visitors feelings while at their establishment.

Antony Shaw, Vice President of Global People Development at IFH Institute for Hospitality Management, is a leading expert in the field of

hotel mystery calls

. IFH provides high-level quality control for the worldwide hospitality industry through its renowned

hotel mystery calls

program.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com