The hotel savoir-être
Savoir-être in the hotel industry is the magnificent icing on the cake that envelops know-how... Like two sides of a coin, know-how and savoir-être mean success and longevity for the hotel.
Savoir-être definition
In the hotel industry, the savoir-êtrel skills of every member of staff in contact with guests are the major and essential factor in transforming an ordinary customer experience into an extraordinary experience that they will remember, share with others and seek to repeat when they return to the hotel.
In other words, more than the luxurious facilities that can be found in hotels of the same standard, people skills (savoir-être) are the most effective way of building loyalty. We always remember the teams, but not so much the facilities! Savoir-être skills are a human, individual quality, intrinsic to each employee who chooses whether or not to radiate them, to distil them, to develop them...
Savoir-être skills in the hotel industry depend on a number of factors:
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A passion for service, which is always and everywhere relentless and radiated with pleasure
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Good manners, which include many qualities (courtesy, friendliness, diplomacy, etc.)
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Personal presentation (body and clothing), which must be beyond reproach
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Appropriate behaviour
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Emotional intelligence, to develop self-control, empathy, adaptability, etc.
Know-how and savoir-être
Know-how and savoir-être skills are inextricably linked, and the customer experience will be outstanding when the two are perfectly combined. Imagine a chambermaid who cleans her rooms perfectly, but doesn't know how to greet a customer in the corridors, ignoring him completely. Imagine a waiter whose know-how is remarkable, but who doesn't smile or say a word when on duty... Imagine a receptionist who is a pro at check-in techniques, but who treats the guest as a mere room number... Imagine a security guard who carries out his check-in duties very well, but who wears sloppy clothes and behaves in an unfriendly manner...
The savoir-être of a hotel employee in contact with customers is a sublimating element of know-how. It is the icing on the cake of the customer experience... Savoir-être transforms and crystallises all the "customer moments" (moments between the employee and the customer that can last from five seconds to much longer) into extraordinary moments in which the customer feels unique, known and recognised...
What's more, relevant savoir-être soft skills can help compensate for a lack of know-how... In conclusion, know-how is no less important than savoir-être skills. Together, they create the magic that is essential if the hotel wants to stand out from its competitors.
Beyond ordinary kindness
Ordinary kindness (an important element of good manners, but...) is absolutely not enough in the context of hotel excellence... It in no way transcends the customer experience! Customers can find kindness everywhere... Ordinary kindness implies, of course, a simple smile, but absolutely not a passion for service, for meeting customer expectations and, above all, for going beyond the customer's needs.
This is where savoir-être skills come in, because they will crystallise this experience, transforming every customer moment into extraordinary moments that the customer will remember. These customer moments can last ten seconds (passing a customer in the hallway), or two hours (the time it takes to enjoy a meal in a restaurant).
Don't be satisfied with the friendliness of your employees; strive for excellence by making them aware of the importance of this savoir-être, which they must radiate everywhere and at all times. Teach them to go the extra mile to satisfy your customers, and instill in them the joy of innovation, empathy and going beyond the simple kindness that makes each customer moment unforgettable...
Hotel Savoir-être examples
Hotels and restaurants, floors, spas and security services are all fertile ground for planting the seeds of savoir-être in your staff or developing them in others. Savoir-être skills must be present in every corner of your hotel and in the behaviour of each of your employees. For example :
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At check-in, so that the customer is more than just a room number
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At check-out, where 'savoir-être' makes the most of every moment of this last impression
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At room service, when orders are taken, to make this moment so much more enjoyable for the customer
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At reception, when the customer just needs to be given some basic information On the floors, so that a chambermaid knows how to enter a room with tact and savoir-être
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On the telephone, to make every conversation an extraordinary moment,
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In the security department, so that the customer's first impression is the best it can be
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In the restaurant, so that the employee's savoir-être skills are immediately apparent to the customer
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In room service, when the employee enters the room and delivers the tray
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In every item of clothing and on every employee's body...
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At reception, when a sick guest asks for our compassion
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Anywhere in the hotel, even when we just pass by a guest
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At the spa, when a client waiting to be cooed appreciates our discreet but reassuring bedside manner ...
