Picture this: an upset customer or guest reaches out and proclaims a negative experience, demanding something be done. It becomes all too easy for our front-line team members to sit back and think, “This is not my fault.” Unfortunately, this does nothing to assist with the service recovery process. Instead, that team member will focus on pointing fingers and feel less motivated to actually solve the problem in front of them. In hotels that pride themselves on their service, team members should be encouraged to skip past the idea of “who is to blame?” and move directly to “what can I do to help?” In the end, it doesn’t matter who messed up. If the customer is unhappy, then the team made an error and the team needs to fix it. But how do we encourage team-level responsibility and a solution-focused mindset?

Breathe life back into the post-mortem

Negative customer experiences will happen from time to time—it’s an unfortunate part of hospitality. We do our best to catch feedback in the moment and provide service recovery, but in the end, negative reviews or surveys are hard to avoid. When they do occur, take time at the end of the week to review the experience with the team. Instead of focusing on what went wrong, focus most of the time and energy on what should have gone right. There are studies that show the more times you picture behaving in a certain way, the more likely you are to behave that way in the future. If you spend too much time thinking about the mistakes, those behaviors will (consciously or not) start to embed in the team’s mind. Focus on the right behavior and there’s a better chance those solution-focused thoughts will appear next time a situation arises.

There is no I, you, Bob, or Judy in “team”

When talking about customer experiences that have gone awry, encourage team members to talk in the collective. Instead of “You didn’t cook the burger correctly” or “Bob sent them in the wrong direction” or “Judy and the valet team dented the car” or whatever it might be, encourage team members instead to say “We didn’t cook the burger correctly,”or “We didn’t serve our customer correctly.” No matter who did it, we all did it. Nobody gets a pass, nobody gets blamed, but we all take responsibility for our customers and each other.

Build confidence to build ownership

More often than not, people will avoid responsibility when they are self-conscious or uncertain in their job ability. Think about it: if you are confident in your job aptitude, then the mistakes you inevitably make seem less impactful. However, if you feel doubtful about your job performance, you are more likely to fret about making an error. To build team confidence, take a moment to focus on their wins. In team meetings, make sure to highlight as many good customer experiences as bad (if not more). Take time to acknowledge team members that are doing well and don’t wait for some extraordinary act of above-the-call-of-duty behavior. Just showing up and doing their best is enough reason for a high five or a simple “Thanks!” The more positive service interactions are acknowledged, the less someone will feel the need to shirk the negative ones.

A tool for employee growth and service enhancement

There are many instances where having documented conversations can be beneficial. Keeping records of these conversations can help pinpoint pain spots and highlight great moments in your service to help boost your employees' work. It’s also a great way to reflect on trends that you see happening. 

Keeping conversations documented and all in one place, like through a guest messaging system, can significantly benefit your operations in multiple ways. Beyond pinpointing pain spots and highlighting great service moments, these records serve as a valuable resource for reflecting on trends over time. By regularly capturing interactions with guests, you not only track customer feedback but also gain insights into recurring issues or successes. This proactive approach enables your team to anticipate and address concerns before they escalate, while also reinforcing positive practices that contribute to exceptional guest experiences. Furthermore, documenting these instances fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where employees learn from both challenges and triumphs, enhancing their skills and effectiveness in delivering outstanding service. 

In the realm of customer service, challenges are inevitable, but how we respond to them defines our success. By fostering a culture of collective responsibility and a solution-oriented mindset, we empower our teams to rise above individual blame and focus on meaningful resolutions. Regular post-mortems that emphasize learning from successes and focusing on desired outcomes not only strengthen team cohesion, but also build confidence in handling future situations. Additionally, enabling guests to offer in-the-moment feedback through a guest messaging platform enables your team to intercept potential problems before they become negative reviews. This proactive approach will help with team cohesion, and will often lead to even more positive reviews via the service recovery paradox.

Ultimately, every member plays a crucial role in delivering exceptional service. By celebrating achievements and learning from setbacks together, we cultivate an environment where proactive service recovery and continuous improvement thrive. 

Want to learn more about how Kipsu can help your property with service recovery? Schedule a conversation today with the Kipsu team!

‍