BME 1

OPERATION MANAGEMENT IN TOURISM

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

CARMELITA PAGUYO - SERRANO

Customer Service Operations in the
Hospitality Industry
 How to give Great Customer Service using E-Mail
Steps
Hi Mark,
1. Give each customer a personal response.
When a customer sists down to e-mail your
company, it’s because he needs help. He/she
choose e-mail because it’s quick, but his
request still warrants a satisfying and
personal response.
2. Be clear but sincere. When responding to
customers’ e-mail, be sincere to the point. Hi Mark,

I would like to inform you that your

inquiry is in process but it will be
delayed a little.
3. Offer live customer support.
Email has become an acceptable
form of communication.
4. Make sure your support reps have
all the answers. The presence of
phone support will do nothing good
if your staff doesn’t know your
product.
Hi Mark,
I would like to inform you that your
inquiry is in process but it will be delayed
a little. I you have questions, please don’t
hesitate to contact us for direct chat.
Hi Mark,
I would like to inform you that your
inquiry is in process but it will be delayed
a little. I you have questions, please don’t
hesitate to contact us for direct chat. You
have asked the new offers. Here is the
link: https://www……com
How to Handle Customers

Method 1
Developing Good Service Habits
1. Take pride in your ability. Employers often talk
about taking pride in your work, but a service
worker’s work isn’t all that exciting, per se. Instead
take pride in your own ability to do that work.
There’s no better way to encourage yourself to do
even better than to let yourself believe that you’re
capable of doing better.
2. Put your best foot forward. The best way to handle
customers is to never give them a chance to dislike you.
A big part of that is making a positive physical
impression on them.
3. Start with a smile. If you’re leaving your own worries,
fears, annoyances, and insecurities at home each day, it’s
an easy next step to teach yourself to smile and be
genuinely glad to greet every new customer.
4. Leave your self at home. This is one of the most
important skills a customer service worker can learn, as
it’s often what separates the happy workers from the
miserable ones.
5. Don’t take things personally. Customers don’t really
have much invested in what they say about you;
they’re just reacting in the heat of the moment, for
better or for worse.
6. Take your customers seriously. Many young or
inexperienced service employee has gotten chewed out
by a manager (or even fired) for scoffing at a bizarre or
rude customer request.
7. Be humble. A humble worker embodies all the qualities
outlined above.
8. Don’t rush customers. You should always be in a rush
to help them, but they can take all the time they need.
Method 2

Problem Customers and Customer Complaints

1. Learn more than just the rules. Most service businesses
have a clear set of rules for their workers.
2. Skip a beat. Sometimes, customers drop all pretense of
politeness and say something rude or mean. Nine times out
of ten, if you let it slide without even acknowledging that it
was said, the customer will immediately feel guilty about
crossing the line and become much more peaceful for the
rest of the conversation.
3. Kill them with kindness. Many customers who will heckle
you are only trying to get a rise out of you so they have
even more to complaint about. Don’t give them the
satisfaction. Just keep providing service with a smile and a
can-do attitude.
4. Talk to management. When there’s a recurring
problem customer, it’s up to your store’s
management team to set a policy for dealing with
him or her. Let them know there’s a customer
who’s become a real problem for you and your
fellow workers, and ask for advice on what to do
about it.
5. Know your limit. “the customers is always right” is a
guideline for service, not a decree allowing customers to
walk over you. Doing everything you can reasonably
do to make your customers happy is very different from
enduring humiliation and abuse in the name of your
job.
6. Stand your ground. Tell the customer to wait while you
get a manager; if they don’t want a manager, tell them
there’s nothing more you can do for them.
Method 3

Fostering a Positive Coworker Environment

1. Understand why coworkers are important to you.

2. Treat coworkers similarly to customers
3. Be outgoing
4. Work hard.
5. Don’t gossip
6. Communicate clearly
How to Handle Angry Customers
Part 1

Understanding the Customer’s Complaint

1. Remain calm and adjust your mindset.
2. Listen actively to what the customer is saying.
3. Separate your feelings from the situation.
4. Repeat the customer’s concerns.
5. Actively sympathize.
6. Apologize
7. Call your manager over if the customer ask you to.
Part 2

Moving Forward

1. Offer a possible solution (or solutions).

2. Ask the customer for feedback.
3. Take action immediately
4. Take several minutes to yourself after the ordeal.
5. Follow up with the customer
How to Deal with Rude Customers
Part 1

Holding Back your Emotions

1. Remain calm.
2. Don’t take insults personally.
3. Listen and learn what the real issue is.
4. Speak low and slow.
Part 2

Assessing the Situation

1. Empathize with the customer.

2. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes
3. Apologize politely to the customer.
4. Don’t back down.
5. Admit if there’s nothing you can do.
Part 3

Resolving the Issue

1. If there is a simple solution, take it.

2. Look for written statements.
3. Consult with a manager.
4. Take a breather once it’s over.
5. Work on letting things go.
6. Work to prevent future problems.
How to Deal with Aggressive Customers
Part 1

Defusing the Situation

1. Stay calm.
2. Control your own body language.
3. Don’t enter the customer’s physical space.
4. Listen to customer’s grievance.
5. Ask questions to better understand the problem.
6. Try to find a solution to the problem.
Part 2

Rejecting a Customer
1. Lay out the repercussions for their behavior.
2. Explain why you’re asking them to leave
3. Escort the customer out of the establishment.
4. Don’t put your hands on the customer.
5. Call security or the police if necessary
6. Use discretion when asking a drunk customer to leave.
How to Handle Customer Complaints Quickly
Part 1

Understanding the Problem

1. Listen to the customer concerns.

2. Give the customer an opportunity to explain the problem
without interruptions.
3. Don’t challenge their complaint.
4. Ask questions to clarify the problems and the cause.
5. Transfer the customer to someone else if necessary.
Part 2

Resolving the Issue

1. Apologize sincerely.
2. Empathize with their problems
3. Find out how the customer wants the issue resolved.
4. Reassure them that the problem will be taken care of.
5. Thanks the customer.
6. Do your best to remedy the complaint.
7. Follow up with them
8. Record the customer interaction
Part 3

Following General Guidelines

1. Know what not to say to the customer.

2. Don’t take it personally.
How to Handle Customer Complaints about Food
Part 1

Identifying the Problem

1. Listen to the guest.
-Keep an open mind when listening to the customer.
-Don’t contradict or argue with what the customer says.
-Do not minimize the customer’s complaint.
2. Try to picture the problem as the customer explains it.
3. Clarify what the customer says.
4. Stay calm and show you’re concerned.
Part 2

Acting on the Complaint

1. Apologize to the customer.
2. Act quickly when handling a complaint.
3. Solve the problem
4. Share information about the customer’s complaint with your
teammates.
5. Thank the guest for bringing the issue to your attention.
How to Develop Relationship with a Customer
Part 1

Building a Relationship with a Customer

1. Get to know your customers in person.
2. Create a database for customer phone numbers, mail, email
addresses.
3. Use survey, polls, and questionnaires to learn about customer
preferences and needs.
4. Research your customers.
Part 2

Communicating with a Customer

1. Communicate with the customer.
2. Send out a monthly newsletter
3. Develop a social media presence.
4. Hold special events, parties, and contest.
5. Encourage customer feedback.
Part 3

Maintaining Relationship with a Customer

1. Be honest with the customer at all times.
2. Be transparent in your business dealings.
3. Always acknowledge mistakes, problems and delays.
4. Say thank you to your customers.
5. Develop a real relationship.
 Responsibilities of Managers and Supervisors
A. TO THE COMPANY – TOP MANAGEMENT
1. Meeting sales/production targets.
2. Disseminating company policies and standard to the staff.
3. Bringing management concerns to employees and ensuring their cooperation.
4. Safeguarding company properties.
5. Safeguarding the company image
6. Maximizing profit through effective control systems
7. Ensuring compliance to company policies, standards and procedures.
8. Making an account of their unit’s performance through reports.
B. TO THE STAFF - SUBORDINATES
1. Protecting employees against abuses and violations of human rights.
2. Providing for safe working conditions to ensure employees’ safety.
3. Creating opportunities for the professional advancement of staff.
4. Maintaining staff discipline
5. Building employees’ morale.
6. Intervening for the welfare of employees.
7. Providing moral support when needed.
8. Building the goodwill and respect of employees.
C. TO THE CUSTOMERS
1. Ensuring the delivery of quality products and services.
2. Ensuring prompt and timely delivery of service.
3. Attending to the customers complaints
4. Checking and maintaining customer satisfaction
5. Responding to customers’ needs and requests.
6. Ensuring customers; safety.
7. Keeping customers informed of company policies, new
products, etc.
8. Maintaining customers’ goodwill.
WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER?

1. Technical expertise on hotel and restaurant operations

▪ Knowledge of standards in hotel and food service operations.
▪ Mastery of skills in executing operational procedures according to
industry standards.
▪ Knowledge of market trends and latest technology in hospitality
operations
2. Human Relations Skills
� Ability to maintain the goodwill of customers, superiors, staff, co-
employees.
� Ability to cope with difficult people, difficult customers and work
situations.
3. Planning and Organizing Skills
▪ Ability to make forecasts and budgets, to conduct internal and external
analysis, analyzing problems and identifying remedies.
▪ Knowledge of strategic planning
▪ Proficiency in effectively using organizing tools
▪ Ability to design work systems that are conducive to efficient
operations.
4. Leadership and Monitoring Skills
� Ability to lead and influence people and to win their cooperation; to
motivate staff and deal with morale problems; to monitor staff
performance and to identify and correct deviations.
� Mastery of the use of situational leadership
� Ability to handle meetings effectively, settle internal conflicts and
differences.
� Ability to delegate and communicate orally and in writing.
� Ability to document observations and write reports.
� Ability to coordinate with other units and departments.