10 minute read
HOTEL OF THE MONTH
GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
Famous for their ‘Black Book’ curated by their concierge team, we share London’s The Ned as our Hotel of the Month as they pave the way for making a lasting impression through the use of their exquisite customer service.
The Ned is a 250-bedroom hotel with ten restaurants, a spa, gym and members’ club. Hotel Manager at The Ned, Jessica Tapfar, said: “We keep our target audience engaged by continuing to adapt. Since opening in 2017 we’ve changed the restaurant offering, moved the spa down a floor and opened two new bars. Even during the lockdown, we opened a new jazz and cabaret bar called The Parlour.” The team is continuously to keep up with the demands of consumers.
In a time where guests are relying on venues to suggest places to visit during their stay, concierge is a huge focus for The Ned, and the team are dedicated to giving visitors the best personalised experience possible. The staff pride themselves on taking the time to speak to guests and find out what interests them. This way they can give tailored recommendations – from personalised tours of hotels around the city to niche restaurant bookings.
“Our staff take the time to get to know London’s hidden gems so they can recommend places many visitors won’t have heard of or discovered themselves.
“Everyone in the building is here for one common goal- to look after our guests and members.” Added Jessica.
So, what is it that makes The Ned stand out in such
a competitive market? Jessica revealed that The Ned’s entertainment offering is the thing they’re most proud of. The Nickel Stage, which sits in the centre of the ground floor, has a daily programme of music from 4pm until midnight. The stage sees 120 acts perform every month - from Sophie Ellis Bextor and Nick Grimshaw, to upcoming bands like Masego and Paradisia - and upon arrival to the hotel, staff members will inform guests who will be gracing the stage during their stay.
As we know, an exceptional concierge service could be the difference between a guest returning or not. The team at The Ned is outstandingly creative and to make them stand out in what’s a competitive industry, they come up with weekly suggestions for the marketing team’s Tips from The Concierge story series on Instagram, and work with the designer to create a monthly ‘Black Book’ of recommendations in the City.
@thenedlondon
THE GUIDE TO…
Providing a great concierge service.
For some guests, hotel stays can be rare and a particularly special occasion, whereas others may be used to living out of a suitcase whilst working in different locations. Whoever the visitor is, they should all be offered the same level of accommodation during their time at your venue.
The French word concierge is likely derived from the Old French cumcerges, itself related to the Medieval Latin consergius or the Latin conservus (“fellow slave”). Another possibility, suggested by French authors as early as the 19th century, is that “concierge” is a contraction of comte des cierges (“count of candles”), a servant responsible for maintaining the lighting and cleanliness of medieval palaces.
The idea of a concierge service has been around for many years, but only fairly recently have we appreciated the importance of the concept and exactly how to capitalise on it. Not only does a concierge service offer a more upperclass feel to a venue, but it is pivotal in contributing to client retention rates due to the effort being so apparent in the facility.
Concierge services include informational requests, setting dinner reservations, making telephone calls, researching travel arrangements, offering recommendations and more. Whilst offering your personal references for a local cocktail bar or Italian restaurant, we can’t stress the importance of testing and trying. Guests will be hugely appreciative that you’ve done the leg work for them, allowing them to relax further, but ultimately if the place you’ve suggested is merely average; this will reflect negatively on your venue.
Some visitors to your establishment may not even be aware that you offer a concierge service, which is why it’s important to make it clear at the earliest opportunity. We’d be kicking ourselves if we spent hours researching for the best art gallery for it to be mildly disappointing, to then find out that the concierge team have an abundance of knowledge on the most prestigious local attractions.
Whilst making it apparent about the services you offer is essential, being overbearing is not. Guests will arrive at their overnight stay venue no-doubt ready to unwind and relax, so getting the balance right of being helpful and welcoming, but not exasperating is vital.
The initial greeting will go a long way. Gauge whether your guest is happy to engage in a conversation and then go from there in getting to know them. Why are they here? Business trip? Anniversary? Are they a couple? Whilst intrusive questions are not permitted, building
a relationship during a guest’s stay will make a huge difference to their experience. After gaining an insight, you can then go back and share your findings with the team and from then, you can work out if you need to make a special occasion extra special. If your guests are here for a celebration, make a fuss of it. Free champagne at dinner… why not? This will be what leads them to tell their friends and it’s called ‘going the extra mile’.
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EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
In a time where guests pine for a complete experience during an overnight stay, customer service is pivotal. We’re looking into how a venue can improve client relations through staff training.
Within the hotel industry, staff can be seen as the making of a business; which is why offering great customer service at your overnight venue is so fundamental. Whether it’s by providing information, advice, recommendations or helping guests feel comfortable, the role of a customer service department is to provide a positive experience to your visitors. In doing so, they will be able to associate excellent customer service with your property and therefore become loyal clients.
Not only is your customer service used to solve any problems or complaints your guests may have, it is also the reflection of your business. It is thus the main contributor to your guests’ first impression and continues to be available and present for guests before, during and after their stay.
Lonny Hunt, Head Concierge at COMO Metropolitan London, thinks that the first and most important thing needed to provide an excellent concierge and customer service job is to build a personal relationship with guests.
Lonny said: “We ultimately want them to trust us and lean on us for tips and suggestions. If we do this brilliantly, then the guests will return to our property and will recommend our hotel to their friends and family.
“Secondly, being up-to-date and ‘in the know’ is key for us: 5-star hotel guests always want to try the newest and hottest bars and restaurants and visit the latest exhibitions. Due to their popularity, these are usually the most difficult
All imagery courtesy of COMO Metropolitan London
places to make reservations for. Guests really appreciate it and are truly impressed if we are able to secure a booking for them. Of course, we try and test what we suggest to our guests, so the team go out and visit restaurants, bars and exhibitions.”
At COMO Metropolitan London Hotel, they require all new team members to attend their New Hire Orientation Programme. This is the fundamental starting point to learn about COMO Hotels and Resorts’ ethos and unique point of difference, as well as their approach to guest service. A complimentary overnight stay is offered to all new starters and they are strongly encouraged to enjoy this within the first two months of employment. This allows them to experience the COMO Metropolitan London’s guest experience first-hand and to have a better understanding of the bedroom types and overall facilities, which include a state-of-the-art COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa.
The COMO family strongly believes that to be able to provide top-notch guest service, one needs to have excellent product knowledge as well as soft skills around the delivery of the guest experience. All team members are trained on and required to learn the COMO service standards, as this is key to consistency.
Lonny believes that when working in the hotel industry, the learning should never stop; revealing there are multiple training procedures that the COMO team is taught to follow to give outstanding service. COMO Metropolitan London prides itself on investing in its employees with training and development opportunities provided to all of them.
Lonny added: “I give my team of concierge, porters and doormen training four times a year, whether it’s practical or theoretical.
“A doorman theory training would be a one-on-one with myself, going through COMO’s ‘standard operating procedures’ on guests arriving/checking out at our front door and car parking procedures.
“A practical luggage porter training would include oneon-one training with myself in a role-playing scenario. I would play the role of the guests just arriving at their room, and I would have the porter deliver the luggage and present the unique aspects of the room.”
Customer service training is an ongoing process, it never ends. The more effectively service standards and
All imagery courtesy of COMO Metropolitan London
product knowledge can be unconsciously accessed, the easier it is for hotel team members to be able to focus their attention on developing the relationship with individual guests, learning about them and being able to deliver a truly personalised service that will create memorable experiences.
Hospitality in general really is all about building relationships. Having genuine conversations with guests will ensure they feel valued and not just another ‘bum on a seat’ as the saying goes.
Often, visitors don’t want a lengthy chat on arrival if they’ve travelled far and wide to reach their overnight destination, so introducing yourself to begin with can suffice. Once the introduction is complete, for those who aren’t feeling talkative, you can point them in the direction of more information in the sense of a book, leaflet or web link.
One venue which has capitalised on the importance of concierge and customer service, and is therefore an extremely reputable hotel, is The Ned. The Ned’s central city location means that museums, markets and galleries are just a stroll away from the front door. The hotel’s concierge team has curated the ultimate tips for a guest’s trip, from outdoor dining and local culture to activities around town. The Little Black Book can be picked up from reception or found in a guest’s bedroom, and makes the perfect guide for invitees who are staying and leaves a magnificent lasting impression.
Ultimately, providing responsive, efficient and quality customer service has become a necessity for properties. Satisfied guests are more likely to come back and be loyal to your hotel, as they will become true brand ambassadors.
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