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Whether you run a hotel, bar, restaurant or café, timings are everything in the hospitality business. The pace of service is a crucial part of the overall guest experience but this isn't to say that your team ought to adopt a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. To truly make an impact, it's important to pay close attention to each guest on an individual basis, picking up on the subtle signs and signals that will convey whether they want the pace to pick up or slow down.
Hospitality is a reactive industry and guests can be unpredictable. Every guest will have different requirements and it's down to your team to communicate effectively between front-of-house and back-of-house, make a judgement call and adjust their pace of service to suit. For example, a group enjoying a business lunch may be short on time, therefore offering both coffee and dessert at the same time, even if it isn't the usual practice of your business, could ensure they have a positive and relaxing experience.
Whilst timings must be flexible according to guest preference, there is an element that all guest experiences with impeccable timings will have in common: guests feel valued right from the moment they arrive.
Whether a guest has entered a bustling coffee shop behind a queue of customers or has reached a hotel after a long, tiring drive, remember that first impressions count. Eye contact and a warm greeting at the right time serves to offer reassurance that their presence has been noted and the wait shouldn't be too long - this goes for busy restaurants and bars as well as coffee shops. Additionally, a hotel that offers well-thought-out services on arrival, such as valet parking, demonstrates that guest comfort takes priority and can't fail to make a good impression.
