How Can MasterCorp Help You Build a Customer-Centric Housekeeping Team Through Training and Empowerment?
A key aspect of delivering exceptional customer service in the hospitality industry is having a customer-centric approach throughout all departments. While front-line staff often receive the most attention in this regard, it is equally important to empower and train your housekeeping team to prioritize customer satisfaction. Your housekeeping team is front and center in one of the most important hotel and resort interactions a guest can have: the first impression! They are also the team most likely to field guest requests and maintain the overall quality of your guest’s stay through room quality maintenance and amenity requests. The latest industry trends show that a positive interaction with hotel staff, especially housekeepers, can go a long way in determining whether or not a customer stays loyal to your brand.
As a trusted name in the hospitality service industry, MasterCorp has perfected our approach to customer-focused housekeeping processes! In this article, we will explore what it means to have a “customer-centric approach”, give you tips and tricks on how MasterCorp can help you improve your processes, and finally, show you the advantage you get when you partner with an expert like us!
What is a “Customer-Centric Mindset”?
A customer-centric mindset means that you are training your housekeeping team to focus on details and clean in a way that caters specifically to the guest and their needs. This means teaching your cleaning team to look out for small details, like scratches on appliances or dust underneath couches.
You are putting the housekeeper in the customers’ shoes and letting them see the room from their perspective. At MasterCorp, we find this approach leads to quicker turns and more high-quality cleans.
Tips for Making Your Housekeeping Team More Customer-Friendly
- Customer-focused training: Implementing comprehensive training programs will ensure that your housekeeping staff possesses the skills and knowledge required to deliver outstanding customer service. Train them on effective cleaning techniques, professional etiquette, and problem-solving skills. Teach them to anticipate and respond promptly to guest needs, even when they are not explicitly expressed. Emphasize the importance of attention to detail, cleanliness, and efficiency in their work.
At MasterCorp, we train all of our Associates in our proprietary 7 Steps to Clean process, which focuses above all on cleaning from a guest’s perspective. This helps us spot things other housekeeping teams might miss. This training is completed during every Associate’s first two weeks with MasterCorp; however, it is ongoing with near-daily refresher courses. We also have a dedicated team of inspectors and supervisors that clean alongside our team members, correcting issues on the spot for quicker, more efficient turn times.
- Personalized Interactions: Empower your housekeeping team to engage in personalized interactions with guests while still maintaining a professional guest or staff mindset. Encourage them to greet guests with warmth and genuine smiles, establishing a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Train them to actively listen to guests’ requests and concerns, ensuring that they feel heard and valued.
At MasterCorp, we have a dedicated Learning and Development team that creates soft-skills courses for our Associates and managers to go through before they set foot on the property. This not only teaches them proper etiquette for navigating guest interactions but also teaches them how to handle delicate situations, such as finding lost or stolen items, contraband, and other scenarios.
- Empowerment and autonomy: Empower your housekeeping staff to make decisions and take ownership of guest satisfaction. Give them the authority to address minor issues or requests without having to seek approval at every step. This autonomy will not only improve response times but also empower your team to handle situations proactively, making guests feel well taken care of and enhancing their overall satisfaction.
We believe above all in having trust in our Associates. We train them in accordance with the MasterCorp values of integrity, pride, quality, dependability, and respect. This is the foundation on which all of our team members operate, and it is what makes us a dedicated, efficient team. We always deliver and train our Associates to look for solutions rather than simply report problems.
- Give Feedback and Recognition: Establish a feedback system where housekeeping staff can share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improvement. Regularly recognize and appreciate exceptional efforts or instances where team members have gone above and beyond to ensure guest satisfaction. This recognition reinforces a customer-centric mindset and motivates the team to consistently deliver exceptional service.
Our quality assurance team knows the importance of responding to guest feedback. That’s why we offer guest feedback assessments to assure that we are consistently improving our processes and refocusing our efforts on maintaining a positive experience. On top of that, we have regular quality inspections and update our MSI reports in real-time so that we have the latest and greatest quality data to analyze. Our main goal is always to succeed in what we do, so you can have more time to focus on growing your business.
- Establish clear communication: promote collaboration between housekeeping and other departments, such as the front desk, concierge, and guest services. Encourage open lines of communication by sharing guest feedback and insights to ensure a seamless experience. This collaboration allows the housekeeping team to better understand the guests’ needs and tailor their services accordingly.
At MasterCorp, we believe in a streamlined approach to housekeeping operations. We have clear and consistent lines of communication and oversight at each of our housekeeping locations to ensure guest requests and maintenance issues are reported in a timely manner. We have also developed our own award-winning application, MasterMind Mobile, to make these processes more efficient. We can track progress, adjust schedules, and field maintenance requests all with just a few clicks from an Associate’s phone. The MasterMind Mobile App also integrates with your hotel management software, so you have full transparency as to what is going on.
The MasterCorp Advantage
MasterCorp has always been a people-focused company. We work not just to clean but to understand the importance of that clean. We put our time, energy, and most of our resources into training our Associates because we know that when we take care of our People, they will take care of our clients!
Partner with a team that cares! Request a proposal today!