The hospitality industry is experiencing rapid growth accompanied by a heightened demand, for superior customer service and a stronger need for process optimization.

Research and Consulting firm Best Practices, LLC benchmarked recently published a comprehensive study including insights and guiding practices for hotel managers who seek to improve or redesign internal operations with the goal of gaining and retaining customers; building a stable, service-oriented workforce; and optimizing overall hotel profitability.

Best Practices, LLC conducted in-depth interviews with more than 15 key functional leaders at 10 hotels to evaluate multiple fronts of hotel operations that have greatest impact on customer service excellence. Some areas are directly related, such as training staff for attentiveness and courteousness in guest interactions, and effectively managing complaints. Other areas are indirectly related, but no less important. Incentives and recognition programs, for example, help sustain staff energy and morale so that customer service levels are maintained over the long-term.

The following are three sample key findings from the report. In total, the study includes more than 150 best practices, data charts, narratives and performance metrics. Access additional findings in the complimentary report excerpt at best-in-class.com/rr651.htm.

• Well-planned, yield-management systems help managers maximize profit in high and low seasons, anticipate swings in business and plan for staff and resources accordingly, so that the customer experience remains consistent. Fully realized marketing plans help managers define the customer segments most important to their financial and strategic goals and enable them to plan accordingly.
• Formalize and codify processes for customer service to establish specific quality standards for staff behavior and guest expectation. To create a clear value proposition for guests and manage expectations, hotels should provide training on standard practices; establish systems that allow for a fast resolution of complaints; and actively monitor customer satisfaction.
• The hotel managers that have the most success in guiding their employees to desired performance levels conduct intensive, personal coaching and set specific behavioral requirements that are easily understood and monitored. For example, one general manager actively coaches all staff on an ongoing basis. He probes for elements of their life situations and personalities that drive them -- "motivational triggers" in the general manager's words. With this information the manager can discuss job requirements that speak to each employee's most personal needs and ambitions, and helps them set out to realize those goals through their current jobs.