Front Office: Exceeding Guest Expectations

1.            List five positive guest contact techniques.

-       Professional Appearance.

-       Consistent eye contact.

-       Friendliness.

-       Show courtesy.

-       Empathy: treat guests as individuals and understand their needs.

2.            List the three steps involved in anticipating guests' needs.

-       Read the Guest: fast or slow service?

-       Determine What Needs the Guest Has – pool, lounge, wake up calls.

-       Meet the Need Before the Guest Asks.

3.            To anticipate a guest's needs you must be able to "read" the guest.  What behaviours should you look for in reading guests? (list at least 3)

-       Hurried gestures, room accommodations, wake up calls, mannerisms, questions they ask and tone of voice.

4.            When serving seniors, it is best to speak distinctly and clearly.

5.            Guests from another country should be referred to by their nationality or as an international traveller.  Speak slowly and clearly and don’t use first names when assisting a guest from another country that may speak some English.

6.            What adjustments should you make when communicating with a deaf guest? (list at least 4 points)

-       Speak clearly, slow (but not too slow) and expressively.

-       Address the person with the disability not the interpreter.

-       Get their attention by raising your hands or taping them on the shoulder lightly.

-       When there isn’t an interpreter use pen and paper.

7.            Give an example of the directions you would give to a blind person, when directing them to the elevators. (make up the directions and be specific)

-       You would say something like continue straight for about 10 feet and turn left.  They will be right there and the button should be along the wall in front of you.

8.            What is the correct procedure for giving change to a blind guest?

-       Separate money into denominations and count them out into their hand or on the counter.  If you count them out on the country be sure to tell them where there located in reference to their right hand for example.

9.            What is the best way to address a guest with a disability when you feel they may require assistance?

-       Ask them if they want help.

Extra Questions

10.         Give an example of how a restaurant server would familiarize a blind guest with the items on the table. (e.g. where the salt and pepper are etc.)

-       They could either tell them that it’s at 1:00 to your right or that it’s right in front of your right hand.

11.         How would you assist a blind person when climbing stairs?

-       Let them take your hand and start at the bottom and walk up the stairs a half step faster than them.