These services may be divided into two major categories according to the environment associated with them.
1 - Guest's micro-environment: all the services available to the guest during his/her stay at the hotel.
2 - Guest's macro-environment: all the services associated with activities taking place outside the hotel, e.g. restaurant reservations, concert tickets, excursions, etc.
By establishing the guest's profile before his/her arrival at the hotel, it is possible to anticipate the type of services that shall be offered within each category, verifying that they are provided as requested and assuring the desired level of quality. Once the service has been provided, the butler verifies the guest's degree of satisfaction in connection with it.
Let's analyze some examples of services falling within each category and the way in which the butler, through his personalized assistance, guarantees the quality with which they are provided.
Services within the guest's micro-environment:
Upon arrival, a guest expects to find the room properly cleaned, nicely scented, with all the appliances in operating condition and prepared according to his/her particular needs. For example, if the guest is allergic, the bed shall be made with hard pillows and covers, unscented cleaning products shall be used, etc. If the guest is on a diet, he/she shall find only natural and low-fat products in the mini bar. The butler is in charge of preparing the room according to the specific requirements of each individual guest profile, and of updating the profile after each stay.
Within this category we also find the services offered by the butler department which, by adding greater value, exceed the guest's expectations and, therefore, the guest's degree of satisfaction.
Services within the guest's macro-environment:
In this category, the prior analysis of the guest's profile and of the guest's behavior and preferences during his/her stay is essential when suggesting activities outside the hotel's facilities in order to guarantee the guest's satisfaction. Through daily personalized assistance, the butler can anticipate the preferences and possible needs of each guest and choose the best alternative to satisfy them. For example, according to the type of clothes worn by the guest, which the butler is familiar with as he has assisted the guest unpacking his luggage and is in charge of ironing them, he can recommend the best places to shop, or, if the butler sees that the guest has opera CDs, he may suggest attending a performance at the local Opera House. This information must be shared with all the departments involved in serving the guest, which in turn must provide information to the butlers' department.
Follow-up of the guest's degree of satisfaction in connection with the services provided outside the hotel is vital to ensure their quality.
The resulting information from both categories of services shall be recorded in a Final Profile for each guest that will serve as a reference for future stays.
The combination of the quality of the services offered within the guest's micro- and macro-environments affect the guest's overall satisfaction with the particular destination, generating a sense of well-being and the desire to return.
Osvaldo Torres Cruz
Hotel Butler
Alvear Palace Hotel
kirios37@yahoo.com
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