Can you spot the moment of truth?
Picture the following. You are entering a hotel, possibly for the first time. You made a booking for a single room yourself and provided a credit card guarantee, so you know the hotel is expecting you.
The receptionist is busy and, despite only the two of you present, it's 15 or 20 seconds before the receptionist acknowledges you with a cursory, "Hang on, I'll be with you in a minute." Another 20 seconds (which feel like an eternity) go by before the receptionist says, "OK, what do you want?"
This is the first time the receptionist has looked up at you. You say your name and that you have a booking.
The receptionist slides a blank form on to the counter and tells you, "Fill this in." When you have finished, the receptionist takes the form, gets a key and puts it on to the desk saying, "Room 222 on the second floor."
She or he looks down again and continues working.
Irrespective of whether the hotel is small, medium or large, most owners or managers will recognise the bad impression that you will have received about their hotel from this encounter.
Creating a positive impression when the guest first enters the hotel and registers is widely acknowledged as vital. Most managers, in my experience, are keen to know what impressions have been conveyed.
What are less sought, less acknowledged and less understood are what are known as "moments of truth". These are seemingly obscure incidents in which customers come into contact with some aspect of the hotel operation and provide an opportunity to form a perception of the service in that hotel.
The idea, put forward some years ago by writers in the USA, is that every time the guest comes into contact with one or more of these aspects, a perception of the level of hospitality provided by the hotel will be gained.
The importance of customer contact encounters like that described above is obvious, but many other opportunities to shape guests' perceptions during their stay are ignored, or more likely, not seen by management as presenting opportunities. Here are some common failed "moments of truth":
The check-in is very friendly and efficient, but the route to the bedroom is littered with used linen and wet towels. I've seen heaps of used linen and towels that have had to be negotiated to get to the breakfast room in the morning.
Room service trays left outside the bedroom door in the early evening that are still there at 11am the next morning.
Walking along a corridor past bedrooms that are being serviced and hearing radios blaring.
Razor sockets in bathrooms that do not work, something which, of course, is not discovered until the morning.
Lightbulbs that either do not work, are of incorrect wattage or need to be switched on individually before the master switch can operate.
Staff overheard by guests complaining about the chef, the restaurant manager or other colleagues.
Having ordered a drink at the hotel bar and requesting that the charge be added to a room bill, the member of staff returning to the point of sale equipment or perhaps obtaining a duplicate docket pad shouts across the busy bar, "What's your room number, then?"
All these examples of "moments of truth" and many others besides can have a cumulative effect on the guest by giving the impression that service either lacks attention to detail or is just downright poor. They are the sort of incidents that are often completely overlooked by many managers and owners. Contrast the impressions that are created by those incidents with some of the following:
Being offered an upgrade from a single to a double room or a standard to an executive room at check-in.
Being offered express check-out when, as part of hotel policy, a credit card imprint has already been taken at registration.
Being asked whether a taxi is required as you check out.
When receiving room service, the waiter asks if it would be convenient to return in an hour to remove the tray. And then this actually happens.
Arriving on a wet and wintry night in February, entering your bedroom to find it warm, the curtains already drawn and side lamp switched on.
Receiving your early-morning call on time and hearing a cheery voice (rather than a pre-programmed bleep or taped message) enquire whether you'd also like a pot of tea delivered.
In some companies, recognising "moments of truth" has formed part of their staff service training for a long time.
Becoming aware of the less obvious opportunities to form positive impressions can make all the difference to the guests' perceptions of service in hotels.
