I have just had the pleasure of experiencing a rather relaxing stay at a desert resort (Yes! Almost like the one you saw in Sex and The City 2, minus the penthouse and butlers). Though I must quickly add that it was not the best time of the year – in the scorching heat of 48 Degrees Celsius and in the middle of Ramadan (it is prohibited by law in the Middle East to eat and drink in public) – I was not about to give up an opportunity to indulge in an Arabian escapade.
Those 22 hours of luxury obviously cost an arm and a leg. However, I have observed a major service faux par that ails even the most expensive of establishments such as this one. In my humble opinion, it was definitely not worth the mileage points on my credit card and I will justify my sentiments.
Luxury establishments are constantly being developed as we speak. Developers and owners go through great lengths in search of the perfect infrastructure to match breath-taking views for their establishments. However, hardware is easily replicated. Hoteliers and service providers know that they need a differentiator – Service – the software that will match the incredible hardware.
If an organisation were to promote itself as an establishment which provides personalised service, one would expect nothing less. My expectation of personalised service would be one where the establishment would at every opportunity use their guests’ names. Addressing guests by their names is the single most basic factor in providing a personalised service. To miss this basic element is like serving chicken rice without the chicken. Perhaps the establishment thought otherwise about this basic rule of thumb.
I will not be overly indulgent in pointing out the flaws for there were elements during the stay that were personalised, from the temperature of the water for the outdoor pool, to my preferred pillow stuffings, the choice of having breakfast in my room instead of at the restaurant, and a couple other personalised touches. Staff were friendly and approachable, and the establishment was magnificent but there is no doubt that my experience could be further enhanced by paying attention to one tiny detail – addressing its guests by their names.
The satisfaction derived from the simple act of being addressed by name can be immensely pleasurable. This form of recognition communicates sincerity, warmth and most of all, trust. To any guest, the trust of being looked after, cared for and being remembered is the very reason to return for that service. A simple gesture of recognition yields multiple possibilities of customer loyalty.
When a guest presents his or her passport at the check-in process, that should be an opportune time to start addressing the guest by his or her name. From then on, the guest’s name ought to be used at any appropriate time during their stay – over the phone, at the restaurant, in the spa, when sending requested items to the room, along the corridors, during check out, and at farewell.
Hospitality establishments today have sophisticated, state-of-the-art centralised systems to connect all its departments. Guests' names could be obtained with a single touch of a button. For those short of this technical advantage, guest’s names could be obtained through a simple phone call to the front desk or telephone operator.
The correct salutation must be used at all times, accompanied with the guest’s last name of course. With that said, sometimes it is indeed a challenge to determine guests’ last names and that topic alone would require a whole separate blog entry. In a nutshell, the position of Chinese last names differs from that of our Western and some Asian friends. Yes, it does get more confusing when Asians have Christian names or middle names for Catholics, and don't get me started on pronunciation. At the end of the day, if in doubt, always best to check with guests so that you could avoid the embarrassment of addressing them incorrectly during the course of their stay.
“Sir” and “Miss”, even “Madam” or “M'am” can be used when one has already addressed guests by their names. With that simple rule of thumb ironed out, there will always be guests who choose to abandon the formality and wish to be addressed by their first names. It will only be appropriate to do so when the guests inform you personally. To these liberal guests, they are more comfortable with the casual first name basis, use it but never abuse that privilege!
For me, perhaps I am a little more conventional and appreciate that bit of formality but “sir” just does not do it for me especially in a professional establishment and setting. Please don’t get me wrong, addressing your guests as “sir” or “miss” is not wrong, but only after you have used the guests' names at least once in the same conversation.
Conclusively, the lack of that simple gesture was the exact flaw that stood out to me as a guest in this beautiful establishment (amongst others). Was it the organisation? Or the individual service provider? Or was I just being too demanding? I accept that opinions will vary. Inevitably, there will always be pluses and minuses in evaluating a service experience as I have yet to experience one that is perfect. We can only hope that the pluses outweigh the minuses and not the other way round. Sadly, in this instance I was faced with the latter. Afterall, I am a little more critical than normal individuals (can't you already tell?).
Do not underestimate the power of a simple smile, a simple greeting (of "good morning, afternoon or evening") accompanied with the guest's name, for that may just be the sweetest sound to one's ears for that day. So before you go about impressing your guests with a whole service repertoire, remember to start by knowing your guests – BY THEIR NAMES.
