Most guest complaints can easily be prevented by managing expectations. I remember working the overnight shift as a butler being responsible for the guest and housekeeping services in the entire hotel all by myself during a sold out night receiving one guest request after another within only a few minutes… and of course everything was an emergency and had to happen right NOW.

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Having to wait ten minutes for a an extra pillow or blanket during the day can still be considered prompt service, but at 2 am in the morning when you are tired and have to get up early in the morning for an important meeting ten minutes can feel like an eternity… and it’s even worse when you don’t even know how long you have to wait.

So the first thing I learned trying to cope with the stress that comes with such a high volume of requests was to give an approximate time frame, if I tell the guest it’s going to take only ten minutes the waiting time does not feel that long anymore. If I had too many requests at the same time and I knew it would take longer, I would tell the guest the actual time it would take me, and if the guest was not happy I could still re-prioritize my tasks or ask an employee from another department for help. While I could not make everyone entirely happy, it probably would have been a lot worse if I would not have managed my guests’ expectations.

If your hotel company has a loyalty program with benefits such as upgrades and late check-outs it’s important to communicate those clearly and explain what your guests are entitled to and what not. If your hotel offers value added services such as complimentary fruits upon arrival or other amenities, it’s important to communicate prior to arrival or with the greeting what is included in the service. If the guest is asking you about a certain service you need to be realistic and specific, don’t promise something, and set expectations that you cannot live up to later.

Important to remember when setting guest expectations:

1. Clearly explain the service provided! When a guest is checking in at your hotel with certain membership program benefits, it’s important to go over those benefits upon arrival, and not to wait for the guest to wrongly assume benefits that are not part of the program and then complain afterwards.
2. Give an estimate of the cost involved! If a guest is asking you for additional flowers for the room, or a bathtub full of champagne, you need to state the approximate cost as well to avoid any surprises or frustration at the end when asking for a signature on the bill.
3. Give an estimate of how long it will take to deliver the service. It doesn’t matter if it takes you five minutes or 45 minutes, communicate the time. If I order room service and you tell me it will take 45 minutes, I know I have time for a shower before breakfast, if you tell me it’s five minutes, I’ll wait… but one way or the other I can better manage my time.

If you manage your guests’ expectations effectively chances are good that your guests will enjoy your service and the stay at your hotel (check out my post on how to handle guest complaints).

Question: What’s your experience with managing guest expectations and the power of it?