Build strong BOH communication at your hotel with these tips

Implement these communication practices with your back-of-house staff to boost your guest satisfaction

By:

Sonja Swanson

Published:

December 12, 2024

Many guests don’t know how many people at your hotel actually help make their stay exceptional. They often see the front desk staff, or maybe they see the work of housekeeping staff when their room has been tidied up, but there is a bigger team behind the curtain that ensures all their requests are fulfilled and everything meets their expectations. That is all thanks to the back-of-house staff. 

A guest experience can truly be determined by your BOH team communication. If communication falls apart, the guests will feel it. Keep your guest satisfaction high with these team communication tips!

Use checklists as a guide

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest solution. Checklists are an easy way to keep hotel staff efficient with their daily tasks. With good checklists, you eliminate the risk of repeating tasks because you are unsure if it was completed from the previous shift. Cross off your to-dos and to make it clear what still needs to be done. Even better, make your checklists digital, so they won’t get lost amongst other documents you have around, and everyone can find them in the same place. 

In addition to increasing efficiency, implementing checklists is a great way to set expectations for your staff. A simple checklist makes it clear what the necessary tasks are that should be handled when they are on the clock. You can even categorize them for each shift or for each department. This is especially useful for newer employees who are still learning the ropes. A checklist is an easy guide for them to remember everything thatl needs to be done. 

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to have strong communication. Checklists have been a tried and true practice for BOH teams for many, many years.

Pass information with pass down notes

Guest requests, ongoing issues, and other relevant information can easily get lost in the shuffle when transitioning between shifts. That’s why BOH teams continue to use pass down notes. Pass down notes are a great way to log all of this information so the staff know what to expect on their shift. Your staff will be thankful no surprises came up, and guests will be happy that their requests haven’t been forgotten.

While post-it notes have been a handy tool for pass down notes, they easily can fall off and get tossed, or forget to be updated. That’s why creating a digital hotel log is a great idea for hotel staff. You can even make it the first to-do on your checklist to ensure that your staff are taking a look at the logs their teammates entered for them. 

Eliminate language barriers with accessible resources

A big communication challenge BOH teams can face are language barriers. It’s common for hotels to have multilingual staff, which can lead to miscommunication and frustration. So it’s important to find resources that are accessible to all of your staff.

Eliminate language barriers by implementing communication software with translation capabilities. This makes all of your logging, chats, and checklists work seamlessly between your staff. When you have translation capabilities, it helps your staff feel more confident since they are able to communicate in their own language. This is huge when it comes to team morale and employee retention. 

Communication will always be the answer to strong, efficient hotel teams. Implement these tips with your BOH team that will leave your staff feeling confident and your guests feeling satisfied.

Improve your hotel’s team communication and schedule a conversation with us today!

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