Few things represent efficiency more than being able to instantly assign a guest request to the most qualified member of staff, and preferably one who is most ideally situated to respond quickly. By implementing an effective runner profile management system, properties can be assured that any task is always automatically assigned to an employee based on a preferred skill set, location coverage, and work shift. This drastically minimizes the time spent on completing a request, yet at the same time greatly improving end result quality. To preserve staff resources and allow team members to better focus their efforts where needed, properties should consider providing a framework where dispatch runners can notify each other when a task has been taken on.

A request or complaint left unresolved can spell disaster for a hotel’s reputation. Hoteliers wanting to ensure that no guest leaves unhappy should take advantage of automated job escalation protocols that bring an issue to the attention of higher-level staff if left unresolved for a pre-determined length of time. Using a system capable of ensuring that each stage of escalation conforms to a hotel’s set policies and procedures can also further guarantee that a guest request is always handled in the most professional manner possible.

Employees that have the ability to access real-time information are always in a better position to ensure that guest services retain a high standard of operation. When equipped with the ability to remotely view guest details in a property’s PMS, such staff can far more adequately address particular needs. This can be accomplished via a solution that allows staff to easily view VIP codes, room change information, or preferences listed under a particular guest’s profile, for instance.

Running out of an amenity item due to high demand is hardly an excuse for a paying guest who wishes to get the most out of their hotel stay experience. By providing staff with a system capable of alerting them when the stock of a particular item is beginning to run low, hotels can safeguard the ability to ensure that each guest’s need is adequately catered to regardless of property occupancy levels or time of year.

With guest demands continuously raising the bar on what is considered a satisfactory experience, today’s hotel staff are more than ever in need of a tool capable of comprehensively measuring performance. In order to judge service quality level, hoteliers must be able to view reports detailing critical factors such as the speed of request completion, the number of unfulfilled or dissatisfactory requests, and performance by individual staff members. Armed with such information, properties, and their staff can determine what areas are performing effectively as well as which aspects require immediate attention for improvement. By quickly identifying root causes behind ongoing issues, such hoteliers can readily change course and ensure that their property only delivers the highest level of service during the coming year and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-defined the delivery of regular hotel services and standards. The essential tips mentioned above will always be important considerations when looking to provide the best guest experience possible. But what was previously about creating highly personalized encounters now has been impeded by touch-free exchanges. And while contactless may be the new normal for the time being, and a smile behind a mask may not exactly spell hospitality,  there are things hotels can do that make guests feel safe and welcome.

It is critical to look for a hospitality technology solution that will not only support your hotel’s mandatory contactless and sanitization efforts without any added complicated processes. The solution that is adopted should also help minimize physical interactions wherever possible – from fulfilling guest requests to handing off ad-hoc tasks to other departments. Making the guest experience priority will be key for getting guests to stay repeatedly post-Covid.