5 Common Mistakes by Hotels During Check-in and How to Avoid Them
The first in-person interaction at the property is what makes or breaks a customer’s valuable opinion about your hotel. Any mistake you make during the check-in process at hotels will have a ripple effect on the rest of guest stay. Here are 5 common mistakes by hotels during check-in and how to avoid them:
1. A Poor Welcome at hotel during check-in
The first few minutes at hotels are crucial to create that long-lasting good impression on your guest. A poor welcome during check-in, such as not looking up from your computer, not offering a warm smile or friendly eye contact instantly makes the guests put their guards up.
How can you avoid this?
It’s always ideal to have more than one staff member available to handle the volume of guests. Even if you’re busy at the time the guest walks in – make sure to acknowledge them through meaningful eye contact and a warm smile. Complimentary refreshments in the lobby are always a hit, too! Additionally, make sure your hotel reception is easy to navigate and doesn’t leave a first time guest feeling disoriented and scrambling for direction.
Discover here Why hotels must offer online check-in by 2022.
2. Failing to Innovate at hotels check-in process
Still using spreadsheets to maintain guest information? Or worse…are you using actual registers? While old school may be considered charming in many ways, it is definitely a no-no in the hospitality industry. Travelers are constantly looking to maximize their time and they would hate to lose out just because you’re stuck in your old ways.
How can you avoid this?
Innovate by embracing a digital transformation at your hotel! Keep an eye on what’s trending in the industry and how to improve your business processes to make them more efficient – both in terms of time and money. Set yourself up for success by implementing valuable Hotels software solutions and automations during the check-in process.
Find here our article on Smart Technology in Hospitality: NOT the End of Customer Interaction!
3. Not Prioritizing Guest Information
So you extended a warm welcome to your guest, used tech to speed up the check-in process and happily showed the guests to their room. They walk in and see a welcome note on the TV screen. They’re about to take a photo for Instagram – except you spelled their name incorrectly and now they’re judging your professionalism.
How can you avoid this?
Everyone makes mistakes, but being in the hospitality business, it is important you put in that extra effort to prioritize guest information. Automated check-in wherein hotels guests get to type in their own details is a great way to ensure there’s no broken telephone inconsistencies in the information.
Learn more about online check-in solutions for hotels.
4. Rigid Check-in Policies at hotel
Your guests are likely exhausted and would just like access to their room so they can freshen up, get rest and then get going with their planned activities. A most common guest grievance is being made to wait to get access to a room or being forced to check-out at a fixed time when they could really use some extra hours (especially if they have checked in less than 24 hours ago). This grievance often translates as poor customer reviews.
How can you avoid this?
Once again, avoid canned responses and address the individual needs of the guest. Offering flexibility on check-in and check-out policies goes a long way in delivering a remarkable guest experience.
Check our article on Top 3 Reasons Why 90% of Positive Reviews Stem from a Good Check-In.
5. Offering Canned Responses
This one is applicable to hotel’s customer service at all times – before check-in, at check-in, during the stay and after check-out. Regurgitating the same standard response to every guest is not only going to make your staff sound like robots/broken record players but it is also going to make your guests feel unheard and unseen.
How can you avoid this?
Every guest is unique in their needs and it’s high time hotels treated them as such. Instead of offering ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of answers, it’s vital that hotels truly listen to the guest, acknowledge their individual situation and needs, and offer a custom solution/response to it. Personalization of guest experience is the key!
You may be interested in 12 Super Simple Ways to Improve the Guest Experience.
