Imagine the bustling lobby of a city hotel. Marissa, a keen-eyed housekeeper, notices a family of 3 checking in. Their young child seems restless, fidgeting in her mother's arms.
Marissa thinks quickly. In the storage room, she finds unused, child-safe items. She transforms a corner of the family's room into a play area.
She arranges colourful linens into a makeshift tent. Safe, plastic kitchen items became imaginative toys for the little guest. She finishes up leaving a friendly note with a cartoon drawing, welcoming the child to their play corner.
As the family enters the room, the child's face lights up with joy and wonder at the sight.
Marissa’s thoughtful gesture instantly helped the family regulate their child’s mood and indulge into experiencing the comfort of their room.
Marissa’s creativity at the moment shows the impact housekeeping staff can have on the guest experience.
There are 2 areas of work + support any housekeeping team needs to have people behave more like Marissa —
- Identify guest needs
- Have the Creativity and autonomy to improve a guest’s experience.
Identifying Guest Needs
Observation and communication are 2 ways to understand what your guests need.
If a guest arrives with children, they may need extra bedding or child-friendly amenities. Observing someone wearing a business suit could imply a need for a quiet room, their need for using meeting rooms or de-stressing spa options (read offers).
Training your staff to engage in brief, friendly conversations can also reveal guest preferences. For instance, a guest mentioning a sore back might appreciate extra pillows.
Now, with the busy schedule that housekeeping teams are on, spending time communicating with guests might not always be an option.
That is where team communication could come to help.
If the front office or guest experience teams learn about a guest's special needs or reason for travel, they should be able to relay this information to housekeeping or F&B teams, who can then amplify the guest experience accordingly.
Fostering Creativity And Autonomy
Fostering creativity and autonomy in housekeeping staff plays a crucial role in improving guest experiences. This empowerment starts with encouraging staff to make on-the-spot decisions that can positively impact a guest's stay.
For instance, if a housekeeper notices that a guest might appreciate extra coffee supplies or toiletries, they should feel empowered to provide these without needing approval.
Encouraging creativity is also useful. This might involve a staff personalizing room arrangements or adding unique touches, like artistically folding towels to setup play areas or leaving handwritten welcome notes.
Such personal gestures can make a guest's stay memorable.
Regular team meetings could provide a platform for sharing creative ideas. Staff members could use these meetings as brainstorming sessions, proposing new ways to delight guests. Ideas can range from special room setups for returning guests to quick responses to unexpected needs.
Additionally, autonomy and creativity should be recognized and rewarded.
Celebrating these efforts can motivate the entire team, leading to a culture where going above and beyond for guests becomes the norm.
Such an environment not only improves guest satisfaction but also enhances staff morale, leading to a more engaged and committed housekeeping team.
What Motivates Housekeeping Teams To Care About Guest Experience
Motivation in the workplace, especially for hotel housekeeping teams, stems from both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic motivation is fueled by internal desires like personal satisfaction, growth, and a sense of achievement. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is driven by external rewards such as recognition and financial incentives. Understanding and leveraging both types are crucial in keeping your housekeeping staff engaged and motivated, which directly impacts the quality of service they provide to guests.
Intrinsically, housekeeping staff find motivation in the pride and satisfaction of delivering exceptional service and contributing positively to guest experiences. Opportunities for personal growth, such as learning new skills and professional development, also play a significant role. Being part of a supportive and collaborative team environment can boost morale and enhance the overall job satisfaction of your staff.
Extrinsically, acknowledging and praising your staff regularly for their hard work can be a significant motivator. This can be through verbal recognition or formal programs. Financial rewards, like bonuses and incentives for meeting or exceeding service standards, also provide motivation. Additionally, offering clear pathways for career advancement within the hotel not only motivates staff but also fosters a sense of loyalty and long-term commitment to the hotel.
Following are some strategies you could adopt to foster both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in housekeeping teams –
- Create a Recognition Program: Set up monthly or quarterly awards for outstanding service. Use staff meetings to highlight individual achievements and incorporate peer nominations to foster a team-focused environment.
- Offer Professional Development: Organize in-house training sessions, and collaborate with external trainers for specialized skills. Provide opportunities for staff to attend relevant hospitality conferences or workshops.
- Foster a Positive Work Environment: Regular team-building activities and open forums for staff to voice concerns can create a supportive atmosphere. Encourage managers to lead by example in promoting a collaborative culture.
- Implement a Rewards System: Develop a system where staff earn points for positive guest feedback, which can be redeemed for bonuses, additional time off, or other rewards. This system should be transparent and consistently applied.
- Promote from Within: Clearly outline the criteria and process for internal promotions. Encourage staff to apply for higher positions and provide mentorship programs to prepare them for these roles.
The guest experience is the sum of all interactions your guests have with your hotel's staff and amenities.
Dedication in nurturing your staff's understanding and empathy towards guest needs is pivotal. It's this investment in your team that elevates the guest experience from average to exceptional.
By focusing on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, you not only enhance your team's performance but also create an environment where exceptional guest service is the norm, not the exception.
Remember, a truly memorable guest experience is crafted by a team that feels valued, empowered, and motivated.
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Relaying the right information one team learn about a guest to another that could fulfill an unsaid need, goes miles to ensure guest delight. Haven makes it easy for your hotel teams to do all of this.
Our mission is to help hotels build a remarkable guest experience – and we build technology to help you your teams do this, effectively.
Book a free demo to see how Haven can help improve guest experience at your hotel.
