���˿���

Body language - eye contact/facial expressions/posture/gestures

Eye contact and a smile are important to make a customer feel welcome. Before they reach the front desk or reception, they may meet a porter or a staff member cleaning the entrance.

A smile makes them feel welcome and creates a good impression. When arriving at reception, staff should stop whatever they are doing look up, make eye contact and smile.

Attitude and behaviour

The receptionist’s attitude and behaviour are very important in creating a positive impression. The customer should be greeted immediately and not kept waiting while other tasks are completed.

It is essential to maintain interest in the customer at all times so that they feel valued.

Greeting

Depending on the time of day the greeting should be “good morning, sir/madam”. Once the person gives their name it should be used throughout the rest of the conversation.

The guest should be asked a general question to show interest such as “Have you had a pleasant journey?” before the actual process of checking the booking begins.

The greeting can set the tone for how the customer feels about the quality of service they are likely to receive.

Listening

If the customer has a query the staff member should listen carefully until the person has finished speaking and not interrupt, to show that full attention is being given to what is said.

This helps to make the customer feel you are interested in them and are willing to help.

Speaking

A staff member should speak loud enough to be heard without shouting. If information of a private nature is being shared, then you should move closer to the customer and lower your voice so that others do not hear.

By doing so the customer will feel respected as consideration is shown to prevent personal information being overheard. This shows you are respecting the customer’s need for privacy.

Manners

Good manners set a very good impression. This includes opening doors, stepping aside to let the customer move easily, checking if help is required, acknowledging a person with a smile or greeting, and speaking politely.

It also involves not yawning when dealing with customers as this could be seen as boredom or a lack of interest.

Examples of bad manners include eating or drinking when interacting with a guest, using bad language, ignoring someone or looking at your mobile phone. All of these create a very bad impression for customers and display a lack of interest.

Empathy

Showing empathy is a difficult skill to understand. It means putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and trying to understand how they are feeling. Some customers may be unsure of themselves for a number of reasons such as:

• They may not understand the language
• They may lack confidence if they have not been in the type of hospitality outlet before
• They may have a disability
• They may not feel knowledgeable about how to eat a particular food
• They be feeling overawed or are exhausted

Staff who are aware of these feelings and treat the person with understanding will help to make them feel valued so they relax and enjoy their experience.