Heath Court Hotel Customer Service RESEARCH
Background:
1. Is this a small, medium or large organisation? 40-50 employees, working both full and part time
2. What type of organisation is this, for example; independent, integrated, private or public? Members of the public can buy shares; it is a PLC.
Policies
3. Do you have a customer service policy? Not officially but staff training sets out the hotel’s expectations to staff
4. Do you have a customer complaint policy? The Policy is that the General Manager, Robert Nobbs, deals with serious complaints. Best Western will return any complaints they receive to him to deal with locally. All complaints are recorded by the staff member dealing with. The manager files and reviews them regularly.
5. Do you have a mission statement? No, to be introduced with the new owners this month.
Customer Service Processes
6. Are you mainly interacting face to face or remotely between the customer and yourselves? Staff on site do both. Face to face is the main contact with staff but remote contact by telephone crucial too. First impressions over the phone must be good to secure bookings and a good reputation. This is especially important for conferences and banqueting.
7. How do you react to customer feedback? General Manager responds to all contact, both compliments and complaints. Negative feedback must be dealt with within 72 hours to avoid fines from the Best Western group.
8. How do you try to increase customer loyalty? (Do you have customer rewards?) ‘Best Western Rewards’ scheme builds points from repeat visits that can go towards a free night, air miles or products like cases of wine. In the restaurant every 6th meal is given free.
9. What sort of records do you keep on customers? (e.g. customer details, bookings and reservations, invoicing) guest history including number of stays, at which hotel branch, what their needs were (number of rooms, type of room), how...