Have you ever wondered how to maintain service consistency, how to retain happy customers and give them steady services? ICS Kenya members were privileged to discover the secret to this success during a study tour held on 3rd May at Nairobi Serena Hotel.
As a specific benefit for members, ICS Kenya organized the study tour to Nairobi Serena Hotel that has been benchmarked globally for delivering service excellence consistency. ICS has been curious about this excellent rating; and what better way to find out than to take members to the Hotel to receive firsthand information.
A service is provision of something needed, your customers need your services and products; and how you deliver the service will make them stay or go. Junia O’kubasu , Rooms Division Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel engaged the members in a well thought out and thorough presentation on how Serena Hotel has remained the apple of the eyes of many global citizens.
Consistent training has been one of the ways Serena has managed to maintain high standards of service delivery. The entire staff are trained consistently and expected to deliver nothing but the best as they interact with their customers daily.
Deliver beyond your guest expectations. When customers visit your premises they expect good service. The service that you give should leave them breathless; it should be a WOW experience that is unforgettable.
Re-invent yourself. Continuous improvement of products and services to meet guest’s expectations should be a way of life. Avoid giving the same service and products. Talk to your customers to find out what they need other than what you bring to the table. This will enable you give them services that will not only be satisfactory but also bring a new experience to them.
Conducive employee working environment. Creating a working environment that encourages maximum productivity for employees will greatly boost the kind of services they give to your customers. Looking after their wellbeing should be a continuous process. If it involves getting into their personal lives and offering help when needed, organizations should do so to ensure everyone meets their expectations.
Cross cutting business objectives. Every staff objective should be married to the main objective of the hotel. Every single thing each employee does should be entwined with the main objective of the organization. They should work as a team towards achieving their objectives so as to meet the main objective of the company. This will then reflect on what the customers will receive in return.
Well defined standard operating procedures (SOPs). These should be non-negotiable. Everyone in the organization should operate within the organization’s set standards. If one is not meeting the standard then they should be offered the necessary help needed to match up.
Benchmarking. Serena Hotel benchmarks with Lead Quality Assurance. This body visits their premises and inspects the quality of the services given to customers. The employees are then evaluated and marks awarded. Each person should meet a certain mark to as to continue offering their services.
Participatory management. Management should always participate in the operations of the organization. This will make things run smoothly and effectively from the top.
Behavior and decisions anchored on core values. Behavior and decision making should be anchored on the organization’s core values. This will in turn reflect on the services received by the customers.
In conclusion, every organization should have their own 10 commandments of customer service; every employee should obey the commandments to the letter. Nairobi Serena has their own, what are yours?
