Case Study
Adding the wow factor
How staff training can give an affordable wow factor to a small independent guest house
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The Project A small independent, family-run 3* guest house in Bournemouth had a limited budget to make improvements to their offer. The owner wanted advice on how they could deliver a ‘wow’ factor that would exceed the expectations of their customers, helping the establishment to stand out and be different.
The Background After a business consultation with the owner of an independent guest house seeking hospitality advice on improving thier product, the NCTA appointed a hospitality consultant. The consultant had experience as a Hotel General Manager, and brought local expertise as well as from a broader geographical area – in this case London and the US. The NCTA agreed to fund 50% of the consultant’s fee.
The Client The 12 bedroom 3* guest house is located in Boscombe, Bournemouth. A short distance from the sea and within easy driving distance of the Jurassic Coast, New Forest and Dorset countryside. It positions itself as a smart, friendly, family B&B, ideally situated to take advantage of Bournemouth’s beaches and attractions. The current owner/manager has over fifteen years’ experience, and manages three staff members in addition, to the family. The building is not attractive, but is in an excellent location. Following an initial meeting, site visit, and discussion with the owner, the consultant advised that while some physical improvements were advisable, it was enhancing customer service through training that would make the biggest difference to the offer, ‘wowing’ guests, and overcoming the accepted physical limitations of the building. The owner accepted this recommendation. 1
Case Study : Denewood Hotel
The Action A review of the whole guest experience from time of booking to staying in touch post-visit was undertaken as a starting point. The consultant then divided actions into two areas – improving the exterior and interior public areas; and training staff to offer excellent service. Public Areas Small changes were made to the exterior of the building in order to present a more modern feel, including decluttering the outside to improve curb appeal and first impression to guests; improving landscaping (with a future planting plan drawn up), and clearing away out of date signs and information. Inside, the public areas were also decluttered and reworked through changes to furniture layout, new pictures and new cushions. For the future, a complete maintenance and proposed refurbishment survey was made of every bedroom, with clear recommendations and actions to be made on a prioritised basis, whenever funds became available. Both the above were achieved with minimum cost. Service It was agreed that the consultant’s time would be best used raising the standard of service offered by staff. As a starting point he designed and undertook a bespoke training programme to raise the standard of both cooking and serving breakfast. By changing behaviours to ensure all staff members were aware of issues and in control – for example emphasising that all staff should cultivate a 360 degree of awareness of the dining room when working within it - the impact of service was immediately improved. To add value to the breakfast offered, a new emphasis was put on the availability of freshly cooked local produce. To address staff training going forward, the consultant put in place a staff induction process, and held several customer care training sessions. A complaints handling strategy was put in place to ensure consistency. To embed the learning, staff were asked to role play the part of customers, discuss their reactions to being on the ‘other side’, and find ways to address concerns. This gave staff more confidence when serving customers and gave breakfast service a feeling of relaxed efficiency. Daily staff meetings with the manager were implemented, to discuss current issues, actions for the day, issues from the night before, upcoming events in the area, complaints and compliments, and any training issues. This additional communication was welcomed by the staff. The consultant worked on staff training with the owner and his staff over four months, ensuring that changes were successfully implemented and ensuring staff had the understanding and skills to offer the best customer service that they could.
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Case Study : Denewood Hotel
Results The owner has operated a customer feedback system for some years and by the end of the process it reported an improvement in reviews from all customers. All Trip Advisor reviews are now Good or Very Good (save one who had misunderstood the type of hotel, and was dealt with courteously). Significant improvements have been noted at a total cost of about £600. A comprehensive training and induction plan for new staff is now in place, with an existing member of staff now promoted to the new role of Team Leader, to supervise at weekends and allow the owner to step back from being constantly present. Improving the guest house together, the owner and the consultant have drawn up an action plan for refurbishment in the short term as funds are available; as well as a works schedule that can be implemented over the next 3 - 5 years. The guest house is looking at creating its own data capture system going forward, to help with marketing to existing guests and a new customer base. The improvements have led to its revenue strategy being reviewed - with location and service reputation now a selling point, there is room to increase rates and profits at key points in high season. The owner has now retained the consultant for a further year to ensure standards are maintained.
Conclusion Family-owned and smaller independent guest houses and hotels may, as a result of the economic downturn lack both funds and the vision to offer guests a ‘wow’ factor, essential in encouraging repeat visits and attracting new customers. The vision of this B&B, and its desire to make change was the starting point for the success of the project, with its willingness to invest in its staff to improve its offer (and therefore its bottom line) helping the process. The consultant was keen to show that even though money is lacking, a positive change in terms of guest experience can be made for a relatively small amount of money. Investment in people should be the starting point, with a capital project run alongside if appropriate and funds allow. Staff training was vital to this, with an increase in confidence levels leading to staff’s optimum performance, ensuring that customers were ‘wowed’ at all touch points. The relationship between the consultant and the owner was also key, as the owner trusted the consultant, was receptive to suggestions and prepared to implement recommendations, and to ensure his staff were committed to making change. The future looks bright; with a new way of working, a new eye for detail and a structured induction and staff training programme to ensure standards are maintained at a high level.
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