On March 16, 2004 I submitted my first hotel training article to 4Hoteliers and have continued to contribute monthly for the 20 years now.

I save all the original drafts of my submissions in folders labeled by year, and as this milestone approached, I paused to look back on the archives. How interesting it was to see how changes in technology, distribution, and the consolidation of brands have influenced my writing.

When I worked back in time to the 2004 folder, it was one of my earliest articles that caught my eye, and I instantly knew what I wanted to write about on this anniversary. The article was entitled: 'It's time to 'think strawberries' once again - Everybody Sells!'

As the lodging industry has experienced disruption, just like virtually every industry, my monthly topics and training tips have evolved. Yet in re-reading this article from two decades ago, I realized that the fundamentals of hospitality excellence never really change. Therefore, rather than writing something new, I decided to share the original article as it was written back then.

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At its very core, the hospitality business is such a simple business. All our staff has to do employ some fundamental guest service principles when interacting with guests, and they are virtually assured of creating positive experiences that result in repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising.

Simple, yes, but easy? no. It has been said that “The longest journey is from the head to the heart.” Perhaps this is why hotel companies that have spent countless hours training their staff still find their service levels falling short.

The real problem is that most training today focuses on operational, product knowledge, and systems training. In other words the first thing a new front desk staffer learns is to work the property management system or the switchboard; “day one” at the hotel restaurant starts with learning the POS system.

Training of this nature is of course critically important and necessary to maintain service efficiency. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many times the front desk clerk smiles at you and uses your name, if it takes you 7minutes to get your room key during check-in.

So while many hotel companies have very effective “systems” and “operational” training, the vast majority either neglect training specific to the subject of hospitality altogether, or reference it casually as in “Oh, by the way, remember to smile at the guest because they pay our salary,” or “An unhappy guest will tell 9-10 others about their experience,” or “The customer is always right.” For far too many hotel companies, that is the full extent of hospitality training, if it is covered at all.

Maybe it seems silly to have to train folks on things they should have learned in Kindergarten and from their parents, such as courtesy, respect, empathy, and just plain politeness.

Should we have to train our staff? No. Our schools, families, religious institutions, and other pillars of our society should provide us with a steady stream of qualified applicants for any open jobs we have. All we really should have to do is to put that little ad in the Sunday Classified’s and they should come lining up to work for us on Monday morning. After all, the hotel industry is known for good pay and attractive work schedules, right???

Perhaps the real question is not “should” we have to provide hospitality training, but rather do we have to train our staff? If most of us take an honest look at the real-world service levels at our hotels right here and now, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

So here are some training tips to help your staff Do “The Basics” EXTREMELY Well.

Always Initiate Eye Contact and Acknowledge The Guest First. Be the first to look up as guests approach you and be the first to initiate the interaction. The mark of a truly great hotel is when you pass a bellman in the hallway who was not the one who checked you in and they look up, smile, and greet you as they pass by. (Versus most hotels where that bellman turns into a carpet inspector when he gets about 10 feet away.)

Welcome Guests Before Offering Assistance. There is no more de-humanizing experience for a hotel guest than to walk up to a front desk and to be greeted with a raised eyebrow and nod and “Checking in?” Except perhaps to walk up to a hostess stand alone for dinner and to hear “Just one?” Make sure this never happens at your hotel by training guests to always welcome guests before getting down to executing the service transaction at hand.

Think Ahead From The Guest’s Perspective. Be pro-active in anticipating what the guest needs, going beyond just giving him or her what they have asked for. Voluntarily offer more than what was requested or required. Be sensitive to any unique situations or circumstances in which the guest finds themselves at that point in their travel experience.

Guests Are People, Not Room Numbers. Make sure your staff doesn’t de-humanize your guests by referring to them even internally as “the guest out front,” “Table 7,” or “Room 701.” Instead, influence your company culture by referring to guests by name when referencing them internally. And it goes without saying that using the guest’s name during each and every encounter is a fundamental hospitality principle.

Own The Problem When Things Go Wrong. Even if it wasn’t your fault, be receptive to all guest complaints that are brought to you. Think of it as the guest giving you the gift of a second chance. Take the lead in resolving the guest’s problem or quandary they are in, but don’t forget to give guests what they really want when they complain, which is empathy and a sincere apology.

So, when you hold your next monthly departmental meeting, be sure to revisit fundamental hospitality principles such as these that are so simple at their core, but so profoundly difficult to accomplish consistency with zero-defect.

Just like mastering seemingly-simple yoga positions, dance steps, or gymnastic routines, practicing basics is the key to mastery. Get your team practicing these basics every day, every interaction, and your hotel will soon be making it look easy too.

'Hi Doug, what a great milestone! Time flies and congratulations. You were indeed one of our earliest regular contributors and with your articles / educational materials & opinion pieces, you have greatly contributed to our mission: ''Supply freely accessible news and articles to the global hospitality industry for informed decision-making. Thank you! - Team 4Hoteliers.com

Visit KTN at www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com or email him directly doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com. Doug is the author of “So You REALLY Like Working With People? - Five Principles for Hospitality Excellence.”