Whether it is a bed and breakfast in Vermont or an overnight stay with a continental meal somewhere else, good customer service has always been an ingredient guests look for. For example, many people assume that a Jay Peak bed and breakfast will be just another stay in a rustic hotel or lodge in Vermont.
For a bed and breakfast, however, customer service and hospitality to guests is a key ingredient to ensure a guest’s satisfaction. Regardless whether guests prefer to stay at a Vermont bed and breakfast or some posh hotel down the road, guests deserve the best customer service possible.
Good customer service has always been the lifeline of any hotel, inn, bed and breakfast, or other business establishment for that matter. The best customer service, however, is more than just a comfortable bed or a gourmet breakfast or the additional amenities that go with the usual Vermont bed and breakfast package.
Though the quality of a service or a product is essential, the best customer experiences revolve around delivery and approach. One can easily advertise that staying at a beautiful Jay Peak bed and breakfast entitles a guest to a day of horseback riding in Vermont’s woodlands; but, making the right pitch to persuade the customer to make a reservation in the first place is an entirely different story.
The whole point of excellent customer service is two-pronged — bring them in and send them away happy and satisfied. While both aspects of customer service can be challenging, the latter presents a greater challenge. A guest who opted to stay at a bed and breakfast in Vermont should leave happy — happy enough to pass the word of his stay in the establishment to his associates, friends, and loved ones, who in turn will want to stay at the same Vermont bed and breakfast.
Here are some of the best customer service practices every Vermont bed and breakfast must apply:
1. Politely answer the phone – a good business establishment, whether a posh hotel in a big city or a bed and breakfast in Vermont, should have someone to answer the phone in a friendly, polite manner. Hire an extra person if you have to. The important thing is that customers should have a real person on the other end of the line and not a recorded message with instructions to wait for the next 25 minutes or so.
2. Deliver the goods – simply put, keep your establishment’s promises. If a two-night stay at your bed and breakfast includes a 50% discount on the guest’s next stay, then it is best to stay true and deliver the promise should the same guest reserve another stay.
3. Listen to your guests – whether they are babbling about their rooms’ mismatching colors or simply want to engage you in a dialogue, be attentive. If there’s a complaint, do not interrupt. Let your guests finish talking and offer to make solutions. If it’s just a warm, friendly conversation they desire, then show you are interested by listening intently and contribute to the conversation as best as possible.
4. Always have a helping hand ready – when a guest requires assistance, immediately offer it, even if you do not profit from it. Offering a sincere helping hand will guarantee you land a great impression with your first time guests as well as those who are returning. With impeccable service from your Vermont bed and breakfast, your guests will be inclined to stay with you time after time.
The bottom line remains the same — excellent customer service creates customer loyalty.
