A successful hospitality venue understands that prioritising the Guest Experience is essential practice. A hospitality brand relies heavily on its reputation and it is your guests that have the power to spread the word about your organisation - for better or for worse.
Our recent research demonstrated the guests' views on hosting; particularly which areas are most important to them when it comes to getting it right.
The statistics showed that guests no longer subscribe to the traditional outlook that a singular host is responsible for their experience. In fact, only 11% stated the singular host was a necessity whilst 87% agreed that this provision is either unnecessary or dependent on the type of site, suggesting that hosting is now viewed as a team-wide responsibility.
In terms of what equates to great hosting; over half of diners (57%) selected 'ongoing (but appropriate) engagement with you throughout your visit' as the most important factor in making guests feel welcome and looked after, whilst 19% chose 'staff awareness of their environment and of guests' moods/needs'.
Of course, even a tightly run ship can encounter problems; dealing with any issues that might arise can make all the difference to guests. Our research discovered that 69% of diners prefer to communicate with their allocated serving person if there is an issue that needs dealing with, rather than a team leader or manager - a figure which rises to 73% in the 36-45 year old age bracket. However, a third of guests aged over 65 showed a preference for speaking directly with the manager if an issue arose. These results highlight the trend towards a more informal dining environment, particularly amongst younger generations.
When asked to recall a time when they felt exceptionally welcome in a pub, restaurant or hotel, respondents described times when they felt a personal, genuine approach where they were made to feel "less like customers and more like guests".
