You are celebrating your anniversary in a nice restaurant, you order your favorite food, it is going to be a wonderful night… but the waiter is in a bad mood, the order is late and the food is not what you wanted. you can hear an argument in the kitchen… You will never go to that restaurant again, and you will also tell all your friends.

Bad communication is bad news anywhere, and in the hospitality industry in particular. So how can we prevent hospitality communication calamities?

1. Have well-trained staff. If you can’t hire well-trained staff, find people who are hard workers and willing to learn, and train them yourself. In fact, some employers prefer to train their own staff, rather than retrain experienced staff to meet their standards. Well-trained staff is the key to providing professional service.

2. Hospitality is all about service; emphasize that to your staff. Hospitality staff often cater to people who are on vacation; They may have saved all year for this vacation, they are paying good money, and they deserve the best service you can give them and nothing less. They expect friendly, professional service and you and your staff are there to make sure they receive it.

3. Good two-way communication between all levels of staff in any hospitality business is essential to the smooth and profitable running of your operation. When the serving staff at your cafe inform management that they are constantly running out of certain items on the menu and nothing is done about it, it is miscommunication in hospitality and bad for business. Take action as soon as possible and your staff will know that you value their work and share your goal to provide the best service they can.

4. Meet the expectations of your guests. Good hospitality communication between staff and guests starts with good office work: you, as a manager, need to provide your staff with the best tools they need to offer guests the service they expect. When guests arrive at their hotel room expecting free Internet service, as advertised on the hotel’s website, and find they have to pay for it, they express their dissatisfaction with the front desk staff, who are not to blame in this case. . At some point, someone provided incorrect information. A typical case of bad communication and bad feelings, that could have easily been avoided.

Make sure that all the correct information is passed between the different levels and departments. Make sure your marketing people are well informed and only advertise what you know you can offer. Building unrealistic expectations results in untold disputes, which is not good for business.

5. As the world becomes more and more digitized, “computerizing” your business has become a necessity. Good hotel management software is an essential tool these days. With the wide range on offer, you’re sure to find one to suit your needs and budget. From the basic handheld PDA system for communication between kitchen and service staff, to a comprehensive management package that covers everything from hotel room inventory and reservations to an online reservation service for guests. The initial investment will streamline all communication channels and pay off in the long run.

6. Communicating with Foreign Tourists – You can’t expect your staff to be fluent in every foreign language they might encounter on the job, but they should be aware of and respect different cultures. Ignorance of cultural practices can unnecessarily upset guests, and we all want to avoid that.

Training your front desk staff and servers in a few foreign language greetings will do your business a lot of good by making your foreign guests feel a bit like home in your hotel or restaurant. It doesn’t take that much, really.

7. Knowledgeable Staff: Make sure all your restaurant staff know the menu inside out and can answer any questions about the daily specials. You won’t impress your customers with waiters who have to run around and ask the chef about the menu. Reception staff should be knowledgeable about the region and able to give advice and information on local attractions, transport, entertainment, etc. It’s part of the service your hotel guests expect, and you don’t want to let them down with ignorant staff.

8. Quick response: If you have a take-out kitchen, your customers will come to you for the food, not to sit and wait for it. The service has to be fast. The same is true of almost every other service in the hospitality industry, and a big part of good communication is quick response. Whether it be answering emails about reservations or other inquiries, providing service at the reception desk or getting that food on the table without delay. It is vital to the good reputation of your business.

9. Listen to your guests. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference in customer satisfaction, and they can easily be overlooked in the busy hospitality environment. This is where your guests or clients can help, if you let them. Make it easy for them to tell you about the things they think can make your business serve you better. You may not agree with them, but it never hurts to listen. Some guests are happy for everyone to know about their complaints, and it’s your job to ensure that all guest responses are passed on to the supervisor or management (by ensuring proper hospitality communication channels). But others prefer to voice their complaints or suggestions anonymously, so make it easy for them by posting service rating/suggestion cards in hotel rooms and at service desks. Let your guests know that you value their feedback.

10. Listen to your staff: Your staff is your hospitality line of communication with your customers. Listen to what they have to say. They will know that you value their opinion, and the changes you make will make them feel good about their work environment and proud of their work. You can be sure that your customers will feel like they are being served by happy staff who want happy guests. And happy guests will return for more positive experiences and spread the word to friends and family. And that is what good hotel communication is all about.