Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008 - (Page 16)

customer servIce (continued from previous page) right employees performing the right duties and having them work together and understand the contributions each member brings to the team is very helpful,” says Bunnell. “It is my job to coach them to understand how important their roles are in the customer care experience. It is important for them to be the eyes and ears of the facility. If something is broken, they have been empowered to report it, fix it, or replace it. The end result is improved customer satisfaction that is evidenced by high scores for cleaning and courtesy within our benchmarking tool.” In addition, when realizing your guests expectations, you must first identify who they are and then identify their mood in order to formulate an idea of what they want out of their visit at your facility. “Handfuls of the most successful industries that stand out from the rest all have one common concept: They understand the guest—their customer,” says Henning. “For this to occur, much research, training, and practice must become the ingredients in the recipe for repeated successes.” meaningful and insightful information that is beyond expectations,” says Henning. “Create simple acts of kindness that are voluntary, unscripted, and spontaneous. Empower your staff to take liberties without hesitation to create memorable guest experiences from the start. Take advantage of opportunities to add exceptional individual special touches.” It is important to remember that your guests and their satisfaction are your number one priority if you want your facility to be a successful one. “Your customers are even more than just a mere guest,” says Darby. “They are the people paying for your rent, monthly mortgage payments, car loans, your children’s education, family vacations, and even your retirement.” W 3. Going Above and Beyond in Satisfying Your Customers Once you have the basics of doing the job correctly, consistently, and efficiently; hiring the right people; and realizing your guests’ expectations, the next step is to go above and beyond in satisfying your guests. Anything they need to make their stay at your facility more enjoyable or comfortable should be provided to them in a timely manner and with a positive, happy attitude. Furthermore, doing things that will make their stay more enjoyable without them even having to ask is even better. Doing this will ensure that they will be a returning customer. “Create a memorable experience for your customers by providing We would like to thank our I.E.H.A. member experts for contributing their thoughts for this article. Colleen Bunnell, C.E.H., Manager of Environmental Services at Exeter Healthcare, Inc. in Exeter, NH, may be reached at cbunnell@ehr.org; Percival Darby, R.E.H., Professor at Florida International University in Miami, FL, may be reached at darbyp@fiu.edu; and Louanna Henning, R.E.H., Director of Housekeeping at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, TX, may be reached at louannahenning@sbcglobal.net. Congratulations to Cindi Carnes, Executive Housekeeper at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, CA, and member of the Oakland Bay Area Chapter—winner of the 2008 Salary Sur vey drawing for a FREE Convention Registration! *Please note that the results of the 2008 Salary Survey will appear in the September 2008 issue of Executive Housekeeping Today. Recognize your Past Chapter Presidents! Purchase the Past Chapter President’s pin pictured above for the exclusive price of $10.00! (includes shipping & handling) Contact excel@ieha.org, or call (800) 200-6342 TODAY! 6 Executive Housekeeping Today/July 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008 Contents Executive Corner Inspecting a Different Way Quality in the 21st Century Frugal Housekeeper How Eliminating Nuisance Animals Can Increase Quality Healthcare Goes Green Feature Article IHW Product Information The Green Scene 2008 Call to Convention 2008 Convention Information Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members CEH/REH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008

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