Staff training is key to success for any business, and hospitality is no different. When your team is not 100% clear on what they need to be doing, they can’t perform at their best. This is why leaders need to focus on comprehensive training for staff. You might not feel like you have the time and resources, but it’s worth the investment.
Comprehensive team training results in improved job performance, higher productivity, and better customer service. Training helps employees become more knowledgeable about the products and services you offer, which makes them better equipped to answer customer questions and make recommendations. Training can improve job satisfaction and help employees feel more confident in their abilities, which reduces turnover and the associated costs. And well-trained employees are better able to provide excellent customer service, which increases customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising.
All of these things will boost your bottom line.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) reportedly found that companies who invest in formalized training had a 24% higher profit margin and 218% higher income per employee than those that did not. It’s also reportedly been found that 94% of employees will stay longer at a company that invests in learning and development. And, if you want to be an award winning hospitality business, training is key to providing that top notch service those inspectors are looking for.
Here are three areas where training and educating your team can make a big difference to your hotel, resort, and/or spa’s bottom line.
Educate your team about your vendors and retail products
If your practitioners are educated about your products, they will effortlessly drive new revenue. When staff can provide detailed information about a product’s usage and benefits, it helps customers make informed decisions about what to buy, increasing the likelihood of upselling and encouraging customer loyalty.
It’s also essential to educate staff about the product vendors. Understanding where a product comes from, where and how ingredients are sourced, and a vendor’s business practices can enhance a story and increase appeal – for both the team member and the guest. When a staff member really loves a product (a massage therapist loves an oil or a facialist loves a moisturizer or toner) they will be passionate about sharing that and customers will pick up on it. Vendor education also helps staff offer alternative products if a particular item is unsuitable or out of stock.
When introducing a new product, invite a vendor to do a demonstration on technique. This will create a better relationship with the product and vendor and boost staff confidence.
Train your team to use your CRM
Staff that truly knows how to use your software will make everything easier and more profitable. Take, for instance, your system’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality.
Training your hotel team to use your CRM software is essential for improving customer service, increasing efficiency, ensuring data security, and driving success. This training can help streamline communication and improve customer service. Logging all customer information, interactions and preferences can provide important insights into customer behavior, allowing your team to personalize and enhance the customer experience.
Research has found that:
- 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.
- Customers who believe a company is doing very well on offering personalized experiences shop more than three times more often.
- 55% of hotel guests would exchange personal details in exchange for a personalized offer or promotion.
Training your hotel team to use the CRM software can also improve data security. A properly trained team will know how to handle customer data safely and avoid any potential breaches, reducing the risk of data loss or theft.
And a team that is familiar with the system’s CRM can help ensure that the software is used consistently throughout your property, increasing efficiency and allowing for more accurate reporting, which can help management make informed decisions and drive success.
Educate your team on the brand’s goals and standards
Sharing your goals and KPIs with your team, setting standards, and communicating those standards ensures that everyone is aligned and working together to achieve these goals.
Service providers and salespeople should know what revenue targets and numbers they are individually responsible for. How many upsells they should be making and what their conversion rate from new clients to return customers should be, for example. Having goals and targets, being aligned with your colleagues, and knowing what is expected of you are empowering things, and knowing that you’re an integral part of the success of something makes a person feel invested in that success.
All of these things serve to increase employee engagement, which improves operations and increases revenue. A 2023 report from Gallup found that companies with the highest levels of employee engagement have:
- 81% lower absenteeism,
- 28% less shrinkage (theft),
- 10% higher customer loyalty/engagement,
- 18% more sales productivity,
- 23% more profitability,
- And significantly lower turnover than companies with the lowest levels of employee engagement.
These are just a few examples of the ways employee training and education can boost your hotel, resort, and spa’s profits. Be sure to track improvements and celebrate everyone’s achievements. You should all feel pretty good about yourselves!
Feature image: Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik
