Service levels suffer as staff morale falls

Poor staff morale has caused a significant drop in service standards at UK hotels since the 11 September atrocities, according to new research.

Independent marketing group Taylor Nelson Sofres examined all aspects of a typical hotel visit, using the British Hospitality Association/Scher benchmark. Service standards were linked to key factors such as friendliness and warmth.

Anonymous inspections were made at 650 hotels across the country, from budget to luxury. The research showed a general decline in service in the three months following 11 September compared with the previous three months. The number of guests who would recommend a hotel fell by 7.5%, and the number who felt they had received value for money fell by 7%.

Stuart Scher, chairman of TNS Hospitality and Leisure, said: "We were surprised how quickly there was a decline after 11 September. It was almost like a light being switched off. The biggest decline in service standards was seen in the mid-scale sector - three-star more than four-star hotels - and, overall, London seemed to perform slightly worse than the rest of the UK."

Inspectors observed that many staff seemed lethargic, depressed and unsmiling.

Scher commented: "The most probable explanation for such a dramatic drop in service performance is that hotels have shed many staff in the post-11 September period and, as a result, morale has been low and customer service has suffered. The results would suggest that hotel managers need to ensure they retain a well trained and happy workforce in order to achieve good customer-service levels. Clearly, maintaining the right staffing levels is a key to ensuring guest satisfaction."

In previous years, since the survey started in 1998, standards had always risen by about 5% in the last quarter, following the summer lull.