Guest house | Service please! Is that a question or is it a request?

By Corine van Dyk

If you are interested in this topic, take a look at our University of Cape Town Guest House Management course

The Hospitality and Tourism industry, both the flavour of the day in South Africa right now, are, without many people realising it, primarily about meeting the expectations that you have set for your customers through your marketing efforts, and ensuring that your customers are satisfied that their money has been well spent. As a business partner at CACCT (Chambers Accommodation and Tourism), over the recent festive season I received numerous phone calls and e-mails from unhappy guests regarding the service they received at various guest house establishments. In this article I would like to share some of the information as it was received, in order for you to see the kind of actions that leave guests feeling unsatisfied:

No Wine?
At an award winning restaurant in Knysna, a table of guests requested to see the wine list and were promptly told by their waitress that the restaurant was hosting a tour group that had consumed most of their wine, therefore the restaurant had very little wine left for other patrons. The guests eventually received a bottle of wine after they requested if there was any other wine available. Upon enquiring about what kind of wine it was, the guest was told to have a look at the back of the bottle as the waitress on duty had no idea herself. Based on letter from CH
No Sea View?
“We respect your privacy, come and experience a scenic view, service and hospitality are our priority”. Do these words sound familiar to you? On arrival and after paying a 50% deposit to secure our accommodation during the festive season, a shock awaited my family and me. There was no scenic view and the establishment was very far from the sea, although the advert that made me book there in the first place informed me that it was only walking distance from the sea. Hospitality was non-existent. There were no tea/coffee facilities in the rooms and another guest I met in the dining room was still wearing pajamas. The lady of the house watched our every move and her grownup children passed our room constantly both day and night. We were having lunch in our room when our hostess knocked on the door, informing us that we are not allowed to eat in our rooms. We left two days earlier than planned. Letter from AB

Now some people say that in order to avoid this sort of treatment from guest house establishments, you have to stay at Star Graded establishments. Some people believe that staying at a Star Graded establishment will ensure that you receive the appropriate level of service for the money that you spend. Well I’m sorry to say that in my opinion this does not mean anything. In fact, I have found that more and more existing establishments refrain from re-grading. Does that say something about the system?

And what about World Cup 2010?
The 2010 Fifa world cup is on everybody’s lips and minds. Dollar and pound bills are flashing in front of many hospitality establishment owners’ eyes. Instead of charging a touch more to cover the increased electricity and water bill, as it will be winter over the world cup period, many establishment owners would like to make their fortunes overnight. I have seen what some establishments will be charging visiting soccer fans, and being in the industry myself, I would like to see this soccer event as a wonderful marketing opportunity to make my money over the next few months and years, instead of charging excessive rates during one month, leaving guests feeling that their money has not been well spent and paying an enormous amount of tax all at once.

If you are an award-winning restaurant, people will expect award-winning service. If you advertise your hospitality establishment as having scenic views, your guests will be disappointed if there is no view to speak of. If you charge foreigners exorbitant rates over the 2010 World Cup period, you can be sure that they will not return anytime soon, and they certainly won’t recommend the destination to their friends.

Remember, in any area of hospitality, customer satisfaction is based primarily on meeting the expectations that you have set for your customers, and ensuring that your customers feel that their money has been well spent. Keep the long-term vision in mind; this is not an industry where fortunes are made overnight.

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - January 2010 Edition
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

Comments

#1 2010-01-26 22:27

As a guesthouse owner, I have had numerous varying comments and "advise" on what I should charge for the Fifa period.Varying from 2 to 5 times our present rates! This has left me extremely confused. I definatley do not want to overcharge our prosepective guests but on the other hand .... I am concerned of undercharging and attracting "riff raff" or undesirable guests. There are so many rumours of establishments being trashed and huge costs being incurred for repairs etc. I have opted for between 2 - 3 times my present rates and was considering asking for a deposit. Can someone assist me with this decision? Joan Hostess. 4 Stars. Henley on Klip.Gauteng

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#2 2010-01-27 09:31

It is a peak period so why not charge your normal peak rate. There is no reason to over charge. What your charge has very little to do with the behaviour of the guests as very often money can cover up the result of bad behaviour.

I am in the industry and find proceedure often hinders service delivery. Staff are not allowed to assess each situation on its merits because there is a proceedure!

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#3 2010-01-27 11:34

Hi Joan

Thanks for your comment. The UCT Guest House Management Course has a module dedicated to 'The FIFA World Cup'. I believe you will find this most useful. Please see the tab on the left hand side of this page.

Kind regards,
Deborah

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#4 2010-01-27 16:22

Thanks for the article.

From my experience, the Portfolio grading is a far more accurate, albeit much more expensive, representation of the guest's likely experience than the star rating BUT the star rating is still surely an important factor in the actual buying decision ... as are decent customer reviews.

As for World Cup rates; I hate being ripped off when I travel so we're offering our normal winter rates but probably won't offer our winter specials during the six weeks. I would rather have 500 happy customers who really feel they got a good deal.

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#5 2010-01-30 19:23

Hi Joan

You asked about what rates to charge during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. My advice would be to research the establishments close to you to find out what they are thinking of charging. Do they have June/July bookings at these prices, and if so - then they are pricing their accommodation correctly.

A deposit is an excellent idea, even if you just pre-approve the deposit so that it doesn't dig into the client's holiday budget. It is unlikely that you will have a typical football hooligan staying with you, but "insurance" in the form of a pre-approved deposit is always a good idea.

How are you advertising your establishment for the World Cup period?

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#6 2010-02-03 11:19

At this stage hundreds of requests came in for accommodation, only two deposits received. Where are these people going to? A cheaper option provided by the unregistered non guesthouse option? No idea. Working through booking agents doesn't help much as the commission adds on the rate charged. Are you fully booked at this stage, and in which area are you situated. Please let us know to determine what area the potential guests prefer, and it will be interested to know why. Are they all spectators or are they just fans?

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Guest house | Service please! Is that a question or is it a request?

Comments

#1 2010-01-26 22:27

#2 2010-01-27 09:31

#3 2010-01-27 11:34

#4 2010-01-27 16:22

#5 2010-01-30 19:23

#6 2010-02-03 11:19

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