Strong guest communication should be a top priority at your hotel if you want high satisfaction scores and guest loyalty. Nothing can elevate the guest experience like prompt, personalized communication from your staff. Similarly, nothing can derail the guest experience like the lack thereof. If you are looking to keep your guests happy and wanting to come back, great communication and service should be your focus. 

One of the most crucial aspects of that communication that guests will notice is your responsiveness. Are you responding to your guests quickly and appropriately? If guests feel ignored, they are going to leave negative reviews and look elsewhere for their next trip. Their first impression of your communication is your response time, so it’s important to make it count. 

If you want guests to be satisfied, you need to address their issues quickly. Let’s look at a few reasons why front desk agents should reply quickly to guests.‍

Guests want to feel heard

Nobody likes to be left on read. If a guest has a complaint, the last thing they want is to be left guessing when their complaint will finally be addressed. A prompt response, even if you don’t have all of the answers yet, lets them know you’ve seen their complaint and you are working on fixing their issue. This is the reassurance they need and will give them a little more patience, giving you more time to handle their complaint the best way possible. Sometimes this can be tricky if you have a busier shift with four or five guests coming to the front desk at the same time. That’s why hotels have been adding tools like guest messaging to create a channel for communication that is convenient for both guests and staff.

Guests expect 24/7 service

In hospitality, 24/7 service is expected. There is always at least one front desk agent working around the clock, and guests are aware of that. Especially with more hotels implementing technology to communicate with guests at their convenience, it shouldn’t matter when they reach out to the front desk because there should always be somebody there to serve guests. If they have issues in the middle of the night, chances are they want them to be addressed right away so they can go back to bed. They don’t want to be left waiting until breakfast time on a pressing issue they had hours earlier. 

Guest survey scores increase

One of the biggest factors in overall satisfaction scores is the quality of service. You see it time and time again on surveys, both good and bad. Just think of reviews you’ve read before for any business. There are several negative reviews out there sharing their grievances about poor customer service, and often they mention slow response times. Now on the flipside, there are several positive reviews that point out how quick responses to guests made their stay that much better. Just read these Tripadvisor reviews saying how they appreciated that the front desk staff were able to send text messages to resolve their issues so quickly.

Tips to sending a great response

It’s not only about WHEN you respond but HOW you respond to guests. Here are a few extra tips to make sure you have stellar responses.

Go above and beyond: Taking the time to go above and beyond is key to getting great guest reviews and boosting your ITR scores. Thank your guests when they come to you about their concerns. Engage in the conversation and get to know your guests so they feel valued and heard. Ask questions that are going to help you resolve any problems. These conversations can also help your team find little details about your guests. These little details can spark ideas of ways you can create memorable moments during their stay and are sure to leave them wow’ed! Though it may seem like a lot of work going above and beyond, teams that utilize guest messaging and other communication tools can provide top-notch service with minimal effort, making it a win-win for everyone.

Follow up: A quick follow up is low effort on your part, but makes a world of a difference. Even if you already resolved a guest’s problem, by checking in with them later, you are letting them know that you still care after their problems are addressed. It also gives you the assurance that their issues are completely resolved. If not, you now know that you still have time to solve the problem before they check out.

Make it personal: The demand for personalized service continues to increase, which means you should respond as such. Address them by their name so they know they are valued and not just any other guest walking in. If they are looking for recommendations, ask follow-up questions to better understand the guest. That way, you are able to bring them to the right restaurant or event that will cater to their preferences. These little details add up to a stand-out experience for your guests.

Be proactive: Instead of waiting for a guest to complain, seek feedback so you can render any troubles before they leave the hotel. A great way to do this is with a mid-stay check-in! Send a text in the middle of their stay to see how things are going and if there is anything you can do to make their stay better. Not only will they appreciate the effort you put in to ensure a great experience, you will also be able to find the opportunities for service recovery if needed.

Overall, guests expect quick and appropriate responses to their questions and concerns. If you are looking to step up your team's communication with technology like hotel texting, Kipsu’s guest messaging is the tool to set you up for success. See how teams are leveraging Kipsu - schedule a conversation with us today!

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