Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a time when excellent service was the hallmark of a luxurious experience, one that was desired by people and delivered by the best companies. Today, it is an aspect of the service sector that customers expect. Companies in the service industry have adhered to the words ‘service excellence’ since time immemorial, with brands like The Ritz Carlton leading the way with their famous $ 2,000 rule, but how many of us really know what? does ‘service excellence’ really mean? ? What is service excellence and why is it important? Excellence in service is not just about providing luxury service.
By definition, service excellence refers to the ability of service providers to consistently meet and sometimes even exceed customer expectations. This implies that the true meaning of excellent service is related to the service itself and customer expectations of it, which also means that the burden of providing excellent customer service falls on even the cheapest brands. At the same time, 72% of customers would share a good experience with 6 or more people. In the world of word of mouth marketing, this is a huge figure, with 74% of consumers considering word of mouth to be a key influencing factor in their purchasing decisions.
So, as online reviews and recommendations from friends and family reign in this age of conversation, proper service design and customer experience delivery have become more crucial than ever to long-term profitability. from a service company. However, unlike getting a double cappuccino with soy milk and two bombs of vanilla syrup, providing excellent service is like rocket science, because the answer to all questions in hospitality too often seems to start with the omniscient: depends.
The changing faces of service excellence When the concept of bed and breakfast began to flourish in the 1980s, hospitality may have been about providing a “home away from home”. Today, however, the industry is defined by its ability to create a more luxurious experience than the comforts of home. As hotel companies continue in their rat race to prove that their brands represent the best, they are beginning to offer more and guests are learning to expect more. While sleek and original designs may have been a trademark of upscale hotels, the rise of brands like JO & JOE and CitizenM illustrates that hotel brands can no longer be placed on traditional chain ladders: Guests no longer walk on a “mid-scale” Mama Refugio expecting a mid-scale service; they expect service in keeping with the hotel’s image, which may seem anything but mid-scale.
However, rising customer expectations is not the only pressure hotel companies face. As hotels turn to technology to automate processes and drive operational efficiencies, the number of physical contact points between guests and employees is decreasing. This means that each touchpoint carries additional weight in defining guests’ perception of their experience, and that each interaction must deliver a service experience beyond what a machine could do. Additionally, increased awareness of privacy issues means that consumers are less willing to share their data and even less believe in the data narrative for personalization.
In other words, guests want you to know about them, but not too much, and especially not about the personal data they share with you; they want the right level of service, although how would you know what that means? (hint: they probably couldn’t tell you either) The future is near The service sector seems to be becoming a victim of its own success – as more companies seek to offer hyper-personalized services and provide excellent service, what used to be a unique selling proposition it is fast becoming a non-differentiating factor. what guests expect, rather than appreciate.
With options plentiful and profits dwindling, it will remain crucial for service companies to understand what their customers want and also what they don’t care about. In other words, where should you invest your money, and where can you offer mediocre service without hurting the top line? The hospitality industry has been and will be measured by its ability to deliver excellence in e
