In a previous post, “Hospitality Mentality”, I outlined the importance of hospitality and its relevance to good business practices. Being nice and striving for excellence is just the beginning. Start by incorporating these 5 hospitality SOPs to increase revenue, improve employee morale, and present your consistent brand for your customer experience.

Learn these 5 Simple Hospitality SOPs:

 1. Going above and beyond.

Anticipate the needs of your customer before the customer brings it to your attention. This must be a cornerstone of your corporate values.  Ensure all management levels demonstrate this to their customers and employees. Do you have employee recognition programs that your employees appreciate and look forward to each month or quarter/year? Your employees want to know that you go above and beyond for them. It makes it easier for them to do the same for your customers.

2. Exceed expectations.

Walk this talk because it is easy to say it and not always easy to do it. Exceeding the expectation requires good listening skills. It can be a small simple gesture for both your customer and employees. There are ways to offer benefits to your employees that won’t break the bank.   Be creative with employee benefits – you’ll be surprised how far it goes in good-will with your team.

 3. Handle problems & complaints with respect, efficiency, & diplomacy.

Customer complaints, problems, and returns are a fact of doing business. It is how we resolve the issues that the customer will remember along with any other people observing.  Employee issues need to follow your HR policies and corresponding laws. Addressing the situation/incident in a timely manner is crucial for both employee and customer issues. Take employee complaints of harassment and inappropriate behavior seriously. This will demonstrate your commitment to protecting your staff which is crucial for your credibility and for setting precedents.

 4. Establish written policy & procedures that provide structure and safety.

Change is inevitable and all business must stay in touch with technology and trends in their industries. Evaluate what changes might need to be made and get employee feedback.

5. Create a clean, safe and pleasant environment.

Customers want to spend their money with a company that provides an efficient transaction with a pleasant experience. Employees are motivated to work in a pleasant and safe environment that will foster an efficient and fun working environment.

Fostering hospitality SOPs in your business is a crucial component of good business. It is the simple civilities and etiquette that we sometimes forget in our modern word of quick text and email with instant transactions occurring every minute. I believe that being nice and hospitable towards our customers, employees and other people encountered during your working day makes for a more enjoyable, pleasant and productive day which leads to better employee productivity, better customer experiences, and referrals.

Lastly,

All of this builds brand loyalty. Lastly, incorporate ways to periodically evaluate your SOPs to ensure they are still working for your organization and customer experience which will improve your bottom line.

 

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