Different Sectors of the Travel and Tourism Industries

Within the hospitality industry, there are four major sectors which will be covered: Food and Beverages, Travel and Tourism, Lodging, and Recreation.

Food and Beverages

 
The food and beverage industry.

Definition: Food and Beverages are the process of preparing, presenting and serving food and beverages to customers on or off premises.

This crucial sector of hospitality intensifies guests’ overall experience through superb food and magnificent customer service. This is especially true when part of an accommodation component and includes many varieties of businesses such as fine dining restaurants, corner cafes, coffee shops, high-end cocktail bars, pubs, and bistros. Local cuisine and food experiences open a door into a whole new world of flavours. Food can connect people and open hearts. Different types of establishments each serve a unique purpose within the sector and are briefly discussed below.

Types of Establishments:

• Quick-Service: Known as a fast food restaurant whose target audience would be customers looking for a quick meal.
• Catering: A service offered for special occasions such as conferences or weddings
• Full-Service Restaurants: Offers A La Carte or set menu with an array of starters, main courses, and desserts. Customers are received by a maître d at the door and escorted to a table where an assigned waitron would be at their service.

Food and Beverage services worldwide have grown in popularity, and many consider full-service restaurants to be a category on their own in the hospitality industry. As basic human needs, food and beverages also provide opportunities for tourists and travellers to socialise with friends or meet new people.

 

Lodging

Within the industry, there are different types of lodges and accommodations. 

Definition: Lodging refers to accommodation establishments offering overnight accommodation for travellers and tourists. There are a variety of accommodation options available that cater for different types of travellers, budgets and needs as well as different lengths of time.

Characteristics of the Hospitality Industry:

• Hospitality establishments are open all year around, 24 hours a day, making it one of the industries that have the longest working hours a day and is also considered one of the most stressful industries to be in.
• Staff work in shifts since hospitality is a 365 days/24 hours a day business.
• There are 4 shifts namely the morning shift, middle shift, evening shift and night shift.
• Weekends, evenings, and public holidays are considered normal working days thus when others are enjoying leisure time hospitality staff are working.
• The Hospitality product is a service and is not tangible, you pay for the service not a tangible possession.
• The product is perishable, for example, we have room availability for 200 rooms but we only sell 100 thus we lost the room nights and revenue for 100 room nights.
• The goal is to gain guests who become loyal brand ambassadors through a commitment to excellence and provide guest satisfaction.

Types of Accommodation:

1. Hotels:

 
The luxury Palazzo Montecasino Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg.

The most popular form of accommodation for tourists is establishments that offer overnight stays on a short-term basis. They provide guests with private rooms, which will typically include an en suite bathroom and other facilities. Additionally, most hotels provide services like housekeeping, room service and laundry.

2. Shared accommodation:

• Airbnb is a perfect example of a shared accommodation. Owners market their house or a part of it or a space they do not use all year around such as a holiday home online for people who are looking for accommodation to rent. The accommodation can have communal areas such as a kitchen or lounge area shared with the owners or other guests at the same time, or it can consist of private rooms.

 
Airbnb is a form of shared accommodation which have become increasingly popular for travellers and offers an affordable option.

Another form of shared accommodation is in hostels or backpackers. This is a very budget-orientated type of accommodation working on a self-catering basis and where you rent a bed. The room set up is in the typical dormitory style with multiple beds per room and communal facilities such as a kitchen and bathrooms. This type of accommodation is usually for young people travelling individually or in small groups and for short periods.

 
Backpacker’s type of accommodation.

Game lodges:

 
A game lodge is a luxury form of accommodation found within a game reserve.

Most reserves offer accommodation. Game Lodges are usually situated in established game reserves or wildlife areas and can range from 5-star luxury to rustic. The whole experience is sold as a package, especially at your more exclusive private reserves and includes private accommodation, meals, and game drive activities. Normally at your Private Game Lodges guests are also assigned a dedicated field guide and tracker who will be with them throughout their stay. The dining experience varies between butler-serviced, white linen and the very best wines and champagnes, to a self-service buffet and good wines. An average stay of 3 to 4 days is recommended.

4. Bed and Breakfast:

 
Bed and breakfast is a type of overnight accommodation where people rent a room in a guest house.

Most bed and breakfast accommodation is situated in a converted private house or pub and will provide guests with a private room for the night and breakfast in the morning. In many cases, the owner of the B&B will live in the building too. Guests may be offered en suite bathroom facilities, or they may need to share them.

 

Travel and Tourism

 
Different modes of transport which can be utilised to reach your destination.

Definition: Travel and Tourism is the act of travelling via air, road, rail and water-based methods to a different location or environment, spending money on food, accommodation, and recreation for either business or pleasure purposes for at least 24 hours, but for no longer than one year.

This sector enables tourism in the first place, but also provides tourists with a means of getting around after they arrive at their destination.

 

Types of Travel Industries:

1. Airline travel:

 
Aeroplane travel is the most common method of travel especially for international travellers.

The main way that tourists and travellers reach their chosen destination is via plane whether it is domestic or international, scheduled or chartered. Without airline travel, most remote resorts would never have been built. Air travel has become an important factor in the travel and tourism industry. Hotels, car rentals, and even cruise lines depend heavily on aeroplanes for profits. For example, lower airfares result in more passengers which leads to higher occupancy at hotels, lodges, and resorts. Whole countries benefit from this as they receive more taxes from tourists, which leads to better public facilities, better schools, and even lower local and property taxes.

2. Car hire:

 
Many travellers opt to rent a vehicle once they have reached their new destination to get around better.

Hiring a car provides customers with temporary access to transportation but also when on vacation in another country or other location it grants them the freedom to explore the sights in their own time rather than relying on public transport. Travel by car is by far the largest of all segments in the ground transportation sector of the travel and tourism industry. The advantage of car travel is that the car brings you to places that are otherwise inaccessible.

3. Travel by water:

 
A luxury cruise liner which travellers can use to travel or get to another location.

Travelling by Boat, ferry or cruise liner, the latter being a part of the travel experience. Cruises are classed as both a form of transportation and a form of accommodation. The reason for this is that those on the cruise are allocated their cabin, where they can rest, relax, and sleep, and passengers spend the vast majority of the cruise actually on the cruise ship, benefiting from classic accommodation services. Examples of famous international cruise lines include Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Disney Cruises. Cruise ships sail under foreign flags (called flags of convenience) because registering these ships in countries such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Mauritius means hardly any and more lenient rules and little or no taxation.

4. Bus services:

 
Busses can be a more affordable method of travel which can be used to get from one destination to another.

The most cost-effective and affordable way to travel is via busses or luxury coach services for tourists or travellers to reach their chosen destination, and they are especially popular for day trips, although coach travel does cater for international travel too. Routes between towns and cities can be done by bus travel which includes local route service, charter service, tour service, special services, commuter service, airport service, and urban and rapid transit service.

5. Train:

 
The Blue Train is a luxury train which has different routes in South Africa.

Railways are another popular transportation method, helping passengers to easily get from one location to another. It is less affected by adverse weather conditions. It is a convenient way of travel for domestic travellers because of its regularity. Worldwide many major cities such as London and New York make use of subway-style rail services, facilitating quick and easy movement as well as high-speed networks that are already well developed, often drawing most of the traffic that formerly went by air. Three good examples are the Eurostar connecting the United Kingdom with mainland Europe via fifty kilometres underwater Channel Tunnel, France’s TGV trains serving more than 150 cities in France and Europe and travelling at about 300 km/h (although they have the capacity of running at 402 km/h), Japan’s Shinkansen, the bullet train system, makes the 885-kilometre run between Tokyo and Osaka in 3 hours and 10 minutes.

 

Recreation

 
Recreational activities keep people entertained and help them relax.

Definition: Any leisure activity people do for enjoyment, and relaxation to refresh the mind.

Recreational activities include both active and passive activities. Active activities include all kinds of sports. Passive recreational activities include reading, fishing, playing, and listening to music, gardening, playing computer games, and watching television or movies.

 

How the Economy Benefits from the Tourism Industry

Tourism is vital for the success of many economies around the world and tourism remains a key driver of South Africa’s national economy because:

1. Improves revenue:

 
The tourism industry helps to improve the revenue of the country.

Countries like South Africa, with a weaker economy, rely on Tourism from first-world countries with stronger currencies to spend and improve our revenue here. Tourists bring new money into the economy of the place they are visiting, and this has effects beyond the original expenditures. When a tourist spends money to travel, stay in local hotels, or eat in a restaurant, that money is reused by those businesses to purchase more goods, thereby generating further use of the money.

2. Job creation:

 
The tourism industry plays a vital role in job creation opportunities in South Africa.

As the demand increases so does the opportunity to create more jobs. People start their businesses and they hire locally. With tourism comes accommodation, restaurants, tour operators, curio shops, equipment rentals, and therefore a variety of job opportunities. If tourism-related businesses spend more money on locally produced goods and services, it benefits the local economy.

3. Infrastructure development:

 
Infrastructure development of schools in the local communities improves the overall community.

Revenue generated through tourism enables the government to invest in our country’s infrastructure by improving roads, airports, hospitals, and schools. The local communities surrounding big tourism hot spots in the country are uplifted and an influx of capital allows for the community to be improved and developed.

4. Cultivates social benefits and attracts tourists to heritage sites:

 
Tourists are attracted to heritage sites which in turn helps protect the authenticity of the country as the focus is placed on protecting these areas.

Foreigners want to experience a country’s authenticity, cuisine and traditions thus heritage sites have become a great motivator for tourists to travel to. Heritage tourism provides an opportunity for tourists and local communities to engage in each other’s traditions and in doing so add to the local economy and also the guests’ experience. Tourism creates a source of pride for local communities and therefore heritage sites and cultures must be protected.

 

Types of Tourism

1. Cultural tourism:

 
Tourists want to experience.

These visits are motivated by a fascination with cultural events such as feasts or festivals, history, arts and sciences, museums, architecture, and religion. An example of cultural tourism is a visit to Soweto in Johannesburg, South Africa where you will find information on the uprising over the Apartheid government’s policy to enforce Afrikaans as the language of education and visit the former homes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Nelson Mandela Museum.

2. Heritage tourism:

 
Robben Island is a popular heritage tourist attraction in the Western Cape.

This type of tourism is motivated by historic preservation — a combination of the natural, cultural, and architectural environment. An example of heritage tourism is a visit to Robben Island, Western Cape, where South African President Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison and where he formulated the notion of forgiveness and dreamed of a nation free of oppression.

3. Nature tourism:

 
South Africa has amazing scenery which tourists love to come and explore.

South Africa is known for its diverse and gorgeous scenery as well as the richness of the plant and animal communities. It is therefore a popular tourist attraction which is motivated by nature. Some of the most commonly visited locations in South Africa and southern Africa include:

• Bourke’s Luck potholes of the Blyde River Canyon.
• Table Mountain – Located in the western Cape amid the unique fynbos biome.
• Golden Gate National Park – is located in the eastern Free State and is a typical representation of the exquisite Grassland biome.
• Addo Elephant Park – in the Eastern Cape is the country’s third biggest park and has all of the Big 7 animals.
• Kruger National Park
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – the majority lies within Botswana, while the remainder of the park falls within the SA borders.
• Etosha National Park – found in Namibia is concentrated around a huge salt pan and grassy plains.
• Okavango Delta – in Botswana with vast wetland regions.

4. Culinary tourism:

 
Wine routes in the Western Cape have been a major culinary attraction for both locals and internationals.

If not the main reason for a trip, culinary adventures are certainly a contributing reason. For example, cooking your way through Tuscany, cooking and savouring Italian culture, cuisine and wine. Food is a great way for people to experience and fall in love with a country as most countries have some or all of their cuisine unique to the country. It is an excellent way to introduce people to different cultures and nationalities. The Western Cape is very popular for its wine or wine pairing and has become quite popular among both locals and internationals.

5. Volunteer tourism:

 
Student volunteer assisting a veterinarian with data collection on a cheetah.

Volunteer tourism provides travellers with an alternative to standard commercial vacation options. It is the opportunity to travel safely and cheaply and provide their services to their host in exchange for housing and food. An example would be The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in the Limpopo Province, South Africa where “students” live and work for 1 – 3 weeks and work closely with the curators and local vet to help with the daily tasks of rehabilitating Rhinos who were victims of poaching, feeding cheetah, elephants and many other animals that were injured or orphaned, cleaning enclosures, and so on. These students pay the reserve or place where they are staying a certain amount of money and in return, the reserve gives them the first-hand opportunity to experience wildlife and nature for themselves. The reserve receives an inflow of money which helps them to cover the expenses for research and other situations as well as gain students willing to assist with manual labour.

 

National Heritage Sites of South Africa

South Africa has eight World Heritage Sites proclaimed by UNESCO, namely:

• Robben Island (Western Cape). Most famous for the incarceration of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected President of South Africa, who was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years in jail. This island is in Table Bay and is about 12 km from the Cape Town coast. The entire island has a 13 km² land area and used to be a common stopping point for ships in the 16^th and 17^th Today, tourists can endure a one-hour ferry ride to the island with a tour group and explore the historically important site.

 
Aerial view of Robben Island in the Western Cape.

• iSimangaliso Wetland Park (KwaZulu-Natal). Formerly called the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, it has both one of the largest estuary systems in Africa and the continent’s southernmost coral reefs. This park is a large, protected area along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. The park is centred around the vast lake St. Lucia which is home to numerous large animals such as hippos, crocodiles, flamingos, and pelicans to name a few.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

 

• Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng). It includes the hominid fossil sites at Swartkrans, Sterkfontein and Kromdraai.

 
Cradle of Humankind located in Gauteng.

• Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal). The park has outstanding natural beauty, Africa’s highest mountain range south of Kilimanjaro, and the largest and most concentrated series of rock art paintings in Africa. This park is classified as a World Heritage site due to the rock art and endemic flora found within. It has a rich diversity of wildlife species and a diverse range of habitats along with the unique plants and animals found within these areas.

 
Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal. (Source: Roger de la Harpe)

• Mapungubwe Heritage Site (Limpopo). A “place of the stone of wisdom”, was South Africa’s first kingdom and developed into the subcontinent’s largest realm, lasting for 400 years before it was abandoned in the 14th century. Its highly sophisticated people traded gold and ivory with China, India, and Egypt. The untouched remains of the palace area along with the entire settlement area portray a picture of the social development and political structures seen in the heritage site.

 
Mapungubwe Heritage Site is a world heritage site rich with cultural landscape.

• Cape Floral Kingdom (Western Cape). It makes up only 0.04% of the world’s land area, yet contains an astonishing 3% of its plant species, making it one of the richest areas for plants in the world and one of the globe’s 18 biodiversity hotspots. The protected areas include:
  • Table Mountain
  • De Hoop Nature Reserve
  • Boland mountain complex
  • Groot Winterhoek wilderness area
  • Swartberg mountains
  • Boosmansbos wilderness area
  • Cederberg wilderness area
  • Baviaanskloof
  • Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

 
The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the richest areas for plants in the world.

• Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape(Northern Cape). It covers 160 000 hectares of dramatic mountainous desert in the northwest part of South Africa. You can explore the Richtersveld National Park and experience the beauty for yourself.

 
The mountainous desert landscape of the Richtersveld.

• Vredefort Dome (Free State). Some two billion years ago, a meteorite 10 km in diameter hit the earth about 100 km southwest of Johannesburg, creating an enormous impact crater.

 
A massive crater in the Free State caused by a meteorite.

 

Circumstances Negatively Impacting the Travel and Tourism Industry

There are a variety of circumstances that can affect the hospitality and tourism industry. They all affect how establishments conduct their day-to-day business. The financial success and reputation of an establishment can also be influenced by these circumstances.

 

Types of circumstances:

1. Media:

 
Although media and all the different platforms can have a positive impact on spreading the good news, negative publicity spreads like wildfire.

This includes all types of media; electronic, print, broadcast, and social media.

News is an ongoing cycle 24/7 and consists of events happening while the media is constantly reporting on them. Because reporting happens so quickly because around-the-clock news is such a competitive industry among broadcasting companies, there is often no time to establish the validity and the context of the story. This can lead to negative public perceptions of a brand or a location. In this instance the travel and tourism industry.

2. Social media and blog reviews:

Hospitality brands can be affected, both negatively and positively, by social media and blog reviews where customers are provided with a freedom of speech platform that is uncensored and forthcoming where they can voice their opinions.

3. Comparison shopping:

The customer is enabled by Hospitality websites to compare rates of a variety of hotels by entering their planned travel itinerary dates and preferred locations. This keeps hotels on their toes and to find ways to remain competitive in an increasingly transparent market.

4. Shared accommodation:

Another threat to the industry due to ever-evolving technology is sharing accommodation options which insist on renting accommodations directly from the owner, sidestepping the traditional hospitality options completely. The industry is now competing against individuals and entrepreneurs who rent out rooms in their homes at low prices while not being burdened with traditional hotel rates or regulations.

5. Weather and climate:

The local climate and weather is often major deciding factor when choosing a destination for a vacation. South Africa has a lovely, temperate climate with plenty of sunny, dry days. The east coast is on the Indian Ocean, which has a warm current. The west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with a cold current.

In many areas, weather patterns are reasonably consistent. This is why many people visit warm areas, such as the Kruger Park area in the winter while opting for coastal vacations during the summer months. Hospitality industry leaders understand these seasonal differences and price their rooms accordingly.

Extreme weather and weather events also have an impact on tourism and the hotel business. Consumers who are concerned about hurricanes or extreme cold and snow may opt to travel during different parts of the year or avoid an area entirely. In addition, the aftermath of the weather disaster may force hotels and other businesses in an area to close or offer limited services during the recovery period.

Environmental factors may also affect the hospitality industry. For example, air pollution can be a serious concern in some areas. Travellers with asthma or other respiratory issues may opt to avoid these locations entirely for health reasons.

6. Crime:

Safety is a huge concern for both local travellers and international tourists. International tourists are often easy targets for muggings and robberies as they carry travel documents and costly personal effects such as cameras while sightseeing. Tourists are also very vigilant about travelling to locations and countries should there be civil unrest in an area, despite the cause particularly since they may be targets for violence.

Hospitality establishments operating in a sector or community where there are staggering levels of crime might have a problem attracting business due to street crime. That forces hotels to incur costs beyond what they have budgeted for on costly security measures to protect guests and ensure their safety.

 

Supporting Industries and Services

A. Travel Agents and Tour Operators

 
Travel agents assist travellers in making reservations and bookings for flights, accommodation, and even events and excursions.

Definition of Tour Operator: Responsible for doing the research and then designing and planning holiday packages which include the contracting and booking of accommodation, transportation, meals, guides and any extras. They can either sell the package directly to a customer or use travel agents to do so. They also take responsibility for the package they created and are liable for reimbursing the customer should they fail to deliver.

Definition of Travel Agent: Responsible for selling a range of holiday packages put together by a tour operator or various tour operators but they are rarely involved in designing holiday packages.

B. Transport

Transport supports the industry by bringing guests to their door and employees to work. These include transport options such as Airlines, Railway trains, Cruise liners, Busses, and so on.

C. Banks

Banks provide the start-up capital for new business ventures as well as the expansion of current ones. They provide overdraft facilities as well as financial advisors and insurance. Most guests do not exchange money before they travel to another country on holiday and the bank enables a hotel to exchange foreign currencies as an extra service. Most hotels, usually the larger ones will have a few currencies on hand, while others would only provide the more popular ones such as dollars, euros, and sterling.

D. Technology Systems and Technicians

Whether on holiday or a business trip, the first thing guests ask when checking into a hotel is how they connect to the Wi-Fi or internet. This is usually succeeded by the question of how strong the signal is. Especially if they are in a remote area such as the Kruger National Park. Internet and Wi-Fi are crucial for all businesses, and having extra Wi-Fi boosters on hand to extend the network further might minimise the opportunity for complaints.

Hotels and restaurants are operating on online booking systems which have phased out the manual way of running a business, the same with restaurants and bars using electronic or computerised tills. Should these fail, specialised IT technicians are sent to rectify the problem.

E. Waste Removal and Recycling

Waste can be defined as anything that is no longer useful and needs to be disposed of. In the waste management process, waste is considered to be any material that has been discarded and, as such, needs to be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner. The hospitality industry is one of the specialised markets that generate the most garbage daily therefore specialised garbage removal services provide hotels with a variety of bins in all shapes and sizes and bins get removed once a week. These days with the “going green” initiative recycle bins with sorting instructions for glass, paper, cans, and plastic are provided. Conscious awareness about the resources used and wasted is becoming ever more popular. Certain locals and internationals and even some businesses or resources are working towards creating a smaller footprint on the environment.

F. Suppliers

There are a variety of suppliers needed in the hospitality industry to operate properly and at optimal levels. The kitchen needs food delivered, the bar needs wine and liquor delivery, and housekeeping needs cleaning supplies and amenities for rooms. This could happen on a daily, weekly or monthly basis depending on the location, size and occupancy of the hotel, lodge or resort. For these delivery trucks and delivery vans are used thus another way the transport sector supports the industry.

 

Constantly Improving Service Standards within the Travel and Tourism Industry

 
It is important to treat ALL guests with respect and give them the best service possible.

Customer service and tourism go hand in hand. The whole industry revolves around money and customers are the main provider of that money. Consistency is key; it is the one factor that divides good service from outstanding service.

A. ALL Guests Deserve VIP Treatment

All guests no matter what their social standing in society, deserves to be treated like VIP. Treat guests like royalty by teaching staff how to be attentive and respond when guests need them and to have a sense of urgency. In return, guests will show their loyalty to your establishment by returning regularly as well as referring your establishment to family, friends, and colleagues. When guests feel special any other query or issue, they might encounter during their stay becomes minor.

B. Keep Staff Training up to Date

The hospitality industry is extremely competitive thus staying competitive and providing staff with knowledge on how to exceed in customer service and staying focused on the customer is vital to stay ahead of the competition. It shows staff that they are seen as valuable and appreciated assets and that they play an integral part in retaining customers. The overall working environment improves, and staff feels empowered in their capability to handle any situation as regular staff training provides them with the tools they need to comply with regulations such as food and safety and protect the integrity of the guests.

C. Keep it Personal

As mentioned before, it is important to treat every guest as a VIP, however, the service they will require will differ from guest to guest as not all guest needs are the same. Providing a more personalised service to the guests will make them feel less like just another number that needs to be dealt with and more like they are the most important person there. Reception staff using a guest’s name shows that they are invested in their query and that they are eager to help solve the problem. It creates a personal connection which leads to trust and again to customer loyalty.

D. Positive Induction and Onboarding Process for New Staff

Induction is where the job and organisation are introduced to new staff.

Onboarding is the process where new staff learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed to efficiently do the job.

Making a good first impression can set a new member of staff up for success and create a positive outlook on your establishment which will also result in lower costs and lower turnover rates. Being a new member of staff can be quite intimidating but having a well-established onboarding process where they are made to feel welcome and empowered to succeed in their new role can set a new staff member’s mind at ease. Before the new member arrives current members of staff should be made aware of new staff joining their team and what their role will be in the company via email or in person. This will encourage current staff to assist new members on their first day for example they will need assistance with uniforms, access cards and access to any programs they might use.

Introductions to relevant staff members and departments will give new staff an overview of how the company operates and what their role will entail in the bigger picture. Ample time for training should be allowed in the first two weeks for new staff members to find their feet, even if the employee performed the same tasks at previous employment, not all hotels and lodges have the same operating procedures. Assigning a mentor from the same department to a new staff member to shadow him or her in their daily duties is a quick way of getting new staff to adapt to their new role. Following up on new staff’s progress is important as it will give the employer an idea of the new staff member’s perspective on how well the onboarding process of the company is working.

E. Connect Staff’s Actions to Overall Performance

Showing staff that their actions in the workplace every day affect the guest experience as well as the hotel or lodge revenue. By doing that you are giving staff an idea of how important it is to provide good, consistent service daily.

F. Situations Where Poor Service Affects the Hospitality, Travel, or Tourism Industry

 
Bad customer service can harm the hospitality and tourism industry.

Arguing with guests:

By being arrogant and arguing with the guest, you risk losing a potentially loyal guest, negative social media reviews and a bad reputation among colleagues and management. Remember the guest is always right, (even when they are not) but nothing good can come from arguing with a guest. If a guest is upset or unhappy about the service they are receiving and disputes it, and if the dispute is found valid the employee should try and diffuse their anger and calm them down as quickly and effectively as possible. Validate their frustration and find a solution. If the situation requires someone with more seniority escalate it to a manager. If a guest is simply being overly aggressive and hostile with staff an assertive response is justified. Staff have the right to feel empowered to stand their ground and act in self-defence and I don’t expect anything but loyalty from the employer to his employee in such a situation. The way you treat your staff is the way they will treat your guests.

2. Being unavailable:

If the guest issues a complaint, make sure there is someone who has the authority to solve the issue or who can make decisions when you are not in a position to do so. Don’t distance yourself from day-to-day problems, as this could display an inability to think on your feet and that you are not able to handle tough situations with guests. It could also cause the guests to feel that they are not getting the service they are paying for and ignite further conflict situations. If you do not have the authority to solve the problem, make sure you can quickly reach the appropriate manager to solve the problem to the customer’s satisfaction. Mistakes happen, but being available to work them out at the moment can mean the difference between a happy guest and a failed customer service moment.

3. Not delivering on promises:

Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep but at the same time be realistic. If you’ve promised guests a discount rate, a special event, a room upgrade, or something else, you must deliver on that promise. Guests are not interested in excuses thus if for some reason (that is out of your control) you are unable to deliver on your promise, find a solution that will leave the customer satisfied. To remedy the situation, you have to apologise for any inconvenience caused and find an alternative that will make the guest happy. Rather under-promise and over-deliver.

4. Not listening:

Paying attention to what your guests have to say is key to improving the hotel’s reputation. Empathy begins with active listening when a guest has a complaint. Actively listen while taking notes to make sure you understand the problem and are taking the right steps to address it. Documenting the complaint can also be helpful for future training or if the solution needs to be escalated to a higher level of management. If guests don’t believe you are trying to understand them, they can become disloyal to the brand in a matter of seconds.

5. Failure to follow up:

After the problem has been solved, be sure to follow up to ensure the guest is completely satisfied with the solution and how the situation was handled. The most important benefit to following up is removing that negative feeling and replacing it with a positive one. It can make the difference between losing guests and winning a brand ambassador. We all tend to remember the last thing that happened to us – you want to be sure your customer’s last experience with you stands out and makes a great lasting impression.

6. Forgetting basic manners:

Some internationally renowned resorts and hotels follow the “10 and 5 rule“ which suggests that anytime a guest is within ten feet of a staff member, the staff member should make eye contact and warmly smile to acknowledge the guest. When a staff member is within 5 feet of a guest a sincere greeting or friendly gesture of acknowledgement should accompany the eye contact and smile. Not greeting guests or saying “thank you,” “please,” “we’re sorry for any inconvenience,” and so on, or even something as simple as not making eye contact or smiling is a big problem. It costs you nothing and goes a long way toward making your guests feel appreciated. The little attempts of social interaction win you big points and show that you are service-oriented. No matter how hectic the front desk or restaurant is, make sure you always take the time to be polite, and respectful and to show appreciation for the customer’s business.