Another hostel reviews topic :)
I think guests are less likely to give bad reviews if they feel like they have made a personal connection with the staff. I think one thing that makes guests feel like you're paying attention to them is to remember their names.
I have a lot of trouble remembering names, but I try to associate their names with something else to help remember it.
Examples: someone named Maria mentioned surfing (association: "mar" = sea), or someone named Bud is wearing a tie-dye shirt. Easier to remember.
Does anyone have techniques for remembering guests' names? Do you think it matters?
15 years
Oh yes, it does. Ask tour guides. A few of our receptionists in Munich worked as tour guides, they are able to memorize the names of 30 persons in a matter of minutes. One guy´s standard check-in spiel always ended with "my name is Leif and if there´s something I could possibly help you with come to me". His name was mentioned in a lot of reviews all the time.
15 years
That's one of the many reason i think it's easier to be a good receptionist in small hostels :)
But it's a great tip, I think, something i have to do more than i'm doing now. For me it's very difficult sometimes even to rembember a name of a person checked in 30 minutes before, if you don't use any technique, and it's frustrating.
But, yes, there are some technique, and for me the best one is to associate a name with some images, like the example above Maria-Sea. But it's not easy to memorize 400 persons.
Sometimes it's very easy.. Names like 'Michael Schumacher' or 'Yoko Ino' are very easy to remember. But all those 'chen cho' or 'yu park lee' are almost impossible :)
c.
15 years
Sometimes it's very easy.. Names like 'Michael Schumacher' or 'Yoko Ino' are very easy to remember. But all those 'chen cho' or 'yu park lee' are almost impossible :)
Another tip to break the ice, when you compare a guest to a famous person... are you sure you are not related to Bruce Lee? Just call him Bruce and he'll be proud of it! ;) It is good to be easygoing instead of a poker face...
15 years
Another tip to break the ice, when you compare a guest to a famous person... are you sure you are not related to Bruce Lee? Just call him Bruce and he'll be proud of it! ;) It is good to be easygoing instead of a poker face...
A few days ago, we had a Michael Moore and a Tom James Bond in Munich - in the same room! Fernando Alonso will come round to our hostel in Berlin in two weeks.
I think you don´t have 400 guests now, not even in the most popular hostel in Florence. Winter is a good time to have a chat with the guests, especially in the evening/nightshift.
15 years
Yes, winter is very good. Less people (sometimes much less) so it's easier to 'know' them a little. And cheaper prices, so you know that your place totally worth its price and you're a honest seller :-)
But it's strange that for me and some other colleagues it's sometimes easier to work in high season, without any free-time. In low season sometimes you relaxe a little, and you lose your will to work or to help guests.
c.
15 years
In low season sometimes you relaxe a little, and you lose your will to work or to help guests.
Interesting. Apparently, I´m not the onle one who notices this. It is exactly the same here. Everybody starts slacking in winter and when spring comes with the first wave of guests nobody is used to the stress and everything ends in chaos.
And cheaper prices, so you know that your place totally worth its price and you're a honest seller :-)
Don´t worry about the price. When somebody makes a booking he has already decided the price is all right and won´t complain about it - as long as the service is all right, too!
I know how expensive rooms are in Florence, and they have to be because the real estate prices are horrendous. I have been in Florence two years ago because somebody offered us a property to open a hostel in it. The price they asked for was ridiculous.
15 years
Another hostel reviews topic :)
I think guests are less likely to give bad reviews if they feel like they have made a personal connection with the staff. I think one thing that makes guests feel like you're paying attention to them is to remember their names.
I understand what you're saying but for me it's the other way around. I give higher ratings to those hostel whose staffers' names I remembered. See I only remember names of people who make a positive impression on me, put a smile on my face, provide great service and made themselves available. Regardless, of whether they remembered my name if I couldn't recall any of theirs no connection was made. It's their job to try to remember my name, it's not mine to remember theirs - that's the difference for me. :D
15 years
Interesting. Apparently, I´m not the onle one who notices this. It is exactly the same here. Everybody starts slacking in winter and when spring comes with the first wave of guests nobody is used to the stress and everything ends in chaos.
ive noticed that too. but ive also noticed that the more i get my staff to do, they more extra stuff they do. ive got receptionists asking for 'extra shifts' to organise cook ups, pub crawls, do some painting. all because jan was DEAD, so i started giving people little projects. without putting too fine a point on it, its been brilliant... and reduced my hours per week too!
I understand what you're saying but for me it's the other way around. I give higher ratings to those hostel whose staffers' names I remembered.
we just had a situation tonight where beds were mixed up and somebody had a bed, but no clean sheets... at 11.30pm... after ive found out my emergency night cleaner had apparently said he couldnt work to my housekeeping manager... she knows nothing of this... but she is stoned... so who knows?!
anyway, while i found someone to be the night cleaner and make this guys bed, i bought him a pint and we had a chat etc. yes, we have 276 guests in house tonight (100% full) but tehres no way in hell i would do that in summer when i'll be runnin my ass off. but now, when its busy enough to be fun, but quiet enough to meet everyone, its perfect. all the staff are hanging around (except the HJK manager... who's stoned) and chatting with guests. ive even got them trying to ask (subliminaly ;)) what sort of suggestions our guests may have. i hear the results on monday!
oh... and im drunk - we managed to get everyone in for a rugby weekend without any major fuckups... so im in a good mood!
15 years
I have a very good memory for names but not for faces so what i do is remember the name and remember the room and a pecularity on their way of dressing or attitude.
Like Jonna 61 who slept with the brazilian in a dorm.
Hans 11 who browsed all argentina in a week.
D´Arcy 44 the crazy australian.
You know...
15 years
I believe it matters, excellent guest service can be a real issue in any hospitalty operation. It starts with Good Human Resources mgmt. Hire people who want to serve others and see the job as a career and not just an A-B job. I worked for a Hotel chain here in The States and our "standard" was to use the guests name three times during the check in process, this helps you remember. Also greet them by name every time they walk by the front desk or you see them in the Common room, Kitchen, etc.
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