123. Service Bank: Hotel Phone Reservation

When the call is dreary, the customer heaves a sigh of relief when he finally hangs up. It's like he's been released and now he's free. He feels as if he needs to open the window and take in some deep breaths of fresh air...

On the other hand, when the call is handled well, the customer puts down the phone with a big smile and seems to walk with a spring in his step. He is full of positive anticipation for the upcoming stay. 

Here are some "withdrawals" and "deposits" examples of phone reservation encounters with various hotels worldwide:

Withdrawals of Service Bank:

  1. Sounding bored from greeting till farewell
  2. Being totally scripted and coming across as robotic or/and ungenuine
  3. Heavy breathing into the mouthpiece
  4. Asking caller questions one after another without acknowledging any of the response. It makes us feel like we are being interrogated by a strict immigration officer.
  5. Caller having to prompt several times for basic information such as the difference of the two proposed room categories, the price inclusions, etc.
  6. A non-apple to apple comparison: for example, the employee gives the size of Room A and view of Room B, without sharing the size of Room B and view of Room A.
  7. When the employee overwhelms caller with too much information, without pausing or asking about the caller's needs.
  8. Interrupting the caller 
  9. Giving irrelevant information. (Once, an auditor was enquiring for a couple's stay and the reservation agent told him about the cost of extra bed in that particular room.)
  10. Excruciatingly slow and repetitive when providing personal details such as full name, email address and telephone number. 
  11. When confirming the stay details towards the end of the call, it was realised that employee had checked the wrong dates in the first place. After re-checking the availability (of the correct stay period), the agent then informed that the hotel was fully booked, without offering alternatives.

Deposits of Service Bank:

  1. Upbeat, happy-sounding tone right from the get-go
  2. Making the caller feel cared for 
  3. Sharing insider's knowledge or recommendation (e.g. best place for sunset, to book early for the spa as there are only 4 treatment rooms, suggest room categories that truly suit the needs - not just to upsell, etc.)
  4. Closing the loop - when employee remembers something from a much earlier part of the conversation, and makes reference to it towards end of the conversation. If necessary, offer further assistance regarding this point. 
  5. Efficient and knowledgable
  6. Speaks well and demonstrates strong listening and anticipatory skills
  7. Light-hearted conversation that makes it a delight 

Reflective thoughts: How many withdrawals would you give to each of the 11 points? As for the deposits, what else would make a difference?

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