Customer service in hotels is more than a nice touch — it’s essential for keeping guests coming back and increasing on-property spending. An Ameniti post finds hotels have a 60–70% chance of selling services to returning guests, while the chance with new guests drops to only 5–20%. Happy guests are more likely to return and spend more during their stay.
This article explains how customer service drives guest satisfaction and business success, and outlines the main roles and qualities that make it effective.
What is the Role of Customer Service?
The role of customer service in hotel management is to ensure guests feel valued and cared for, enhancing their overall experience and encouraging repeat visits and positive reviews.
Customer service bridges guests’ expectations and the hotel’s offerings. It’s about more than problem-solving — it’s about ensuring every guest feels recognized and supported from reservation to check-out. Staff should handle every interaction, from answering questions to addressing concerns, with care and attention.
A Deloitte report notes that about 3 in 10 guests who receive top-notch service are inclined to leave positive reviews. Those reviews boost a hotel’s reputation, attract more guests, and build loyalty. In that way, customer service becomes a fundamental aspect of a hotel’s success.
Why is Customer Service Important for Hotels?
Excellent customer service directly influences guest satisfaction, loyalty, and the likelihood of repeat business. It also generates positive word-of-mouth referrals, which are crucial for success.
Many guest issues go unreported: a Zingle report shows only about a quarter of guests report problems during their stay, and fewer than 20% of Gen Z and millennial guests report issues. This lack of feedback makes proactive service essential. Hotels must anticipate and address potential problems before they affect the guest experience.
Focusing on excellent customer service helps hotels create positive impressions even when guests remain silent, leading to higher satisfaction, better reviews, and increased repeat visits.
Key Roles of Customer Service
The key roles of customer service in hotel management involve enhancing guest experiences through personalized interactions, providing information, gathering feedback, and ensuring safety and security. Core responsibilities include:
- Guest Interaction: Deliver welcoming, professional service from check-in to check-out. Staff should be knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive.
- Problem Solving: Quickly address and resolve issues, from room preferences to special requests or complaints.
- Information Provision: Offer accurate, helpful information about hotel services, amenities, and local attractions.
- Feedback Collection: Actively seek and respond to guest feedback to improve services and address shortcomings.
- Upselling and Cross-Selling: Identify opportunities to enhance the guest experience (e.g., spa treatments, dining, room upgrades) in a way that feels helpful rather than pushy.
These roles collectively foster satisfaction and loyalty, and are fundamental to a hotel’s operational success.
The 5 Most Important Qualities of Customer Service
The five most important qualities are persuasiveness, empathy, adaptability, positivity, and effective communication.
- Persuasiveness
Persuasiveness helps staff influence guests positively and encourage relevant add-ons. One study found 74% of customers are likely to spend more after positive service experiences. - Empathy
Empathy enables staff to understand and respond to guests’ feelings and needs. Around 70% of buying experiences are influenced by how customers feel they’re treated. - Adaptability
Guests’ preferences and communication methods change with circumstances; about 60% of customers shift preferred communication methods depending on context. Staff must adapt accordingly. - Positivity
A positive attitude contributes to pleasant interactions and improves guests’ overall perception of the hotel. - Effective Communication
Clear, timely communication ensures guests have the information they need and feel comfortable during their stay, boosting satisfaction.
Closing Thoughts
Customer service in hotel management is vital for guest satisfaction and loyalty. Effective service blends personal attention with technological support to meet modern guest expectations.
Digital tools can enhance responsiveness and coordination. For example, platforms like HelloShift enable efficient communication between staff and guests, support guest messaging and contactless check-in, and provide staff collaboration and housekeeping management tools. These technologies combine the warmth of human interaction with digital efficiency to improve the guest experience.
Properties using HelloShift report 30% reduction in guest complaints, 2x faster issue resolution, and 40% fewer front desk calls thanks to AI Assistant and digital guidebooks.
Stop losing revenue to missed calls and voicemails. HelloShift AI answers when staff is busy, guests enjoy mobile check-in and digital guidebooks, and your team coordinates seamlessly with real-time room status updates.
See why properties using HelloShift report 30% fewer guest complaints and 2x faster issue resolution. Book a personalized demo or start your free trial.
