The importance of making hotel employees part of your brand

"Happy staff is proud staff, and proud staff delivers excellent customer service, which drives business success." - is a belief of Virgin Airlines. This is an amazing quote that leads us to the topic of this blog post. Hotel employees - how important are they? How to ensure that they represent your business and therefore brand, properly.

What is employee advocacy in hospitality?

Employee advocacy in hospitality refers to the practice of empowering and encouraging employees to actively promote and represent the brand they work for, both within and outside of the workplace. This can involve sharing positive experiences, advocating for the brand's values and offerings, and engaging with customers and potential customers in a way that reflects positively on the brand.

Employee advocacy is beneficial in hospitality for several reasons:

1. Authenticity: When employees advocate for the brand, their enthusiasm and genuine belief in the brand's values and offerings come across as authentic to customers. This authenticity can enhance trust and credibility, making customers more likely to engage with the brand.

2. Expanded Reach: Employees often have their own networks of friends, family, and social media followers. By advocating for the brand, they can reach audiences that the brand might not otherwise have access to, thereby expanding its reach and potential customer base.

3. Positive Reputation: Positive word-of-mouth from employees can contribute to building a positive reputation for the brand. When employees speak highly of their workplace and the experiences they provide, it reflects positively on the brand's image and can attract more customers.

4. Employee Engagement: Encouraging employees to advocate for the brand can boost their morale and engagement. When employees feel proud of the brand they work for and actively participate in promoting it, they are more likely to be motivated and committed to delivering excellent service.

Why it is important to have hotel employees as part of your business?

Various researches show, that happy employees lead to 12% profitability and positive culture at work leads to 24% less turnover. Which is great information, knowing that big employee rotation means not only financial loss but also a bad reputation.
In the tourism industry, a good reputation means a lot. Guests will pay attention not only to nice scenery around the hotel but also will read comments about the hotel staff behaviour. During the trip, people expect to gather only positive emotions. They have high expectations for the hotel employees way before they arrive at the hotel.

The hospitality business is a service-based business. It's slightly different with the product-based business because lifecycle of the product ends once it is purchased. Of course, the way of how a product is being sold is important, but it doesn't have that big influence afterward. It is different from services, because people will evaluate and purchase services based on the performance of the people, who sell it. In this case, receptionists and reservation managers are the key people when talking about good service at the hotel. People can't touch or see the service before purchasing it. So they heavily rely on the experience while communicating with hotel staff. Service of the hotel does not end with the room booking. In hospitality business services can go up to the guest's departure and even after it. Meaning, that hotel staff should go beyond of guests' expectations.

Hotel employees play a crucial role in shaping guests' perceptions of the brand as they are the primary point of contact. Their behaviour, professionalism, and level of service directly influence guests' experiences and impressions. Positive interactions with well-trained and motivated employees can enhance the brand's reputation and encourage repeat business, while negative experiences can tarnish the brand's image and deter potential customers. Therefore, investing in employee training and ensuring alignment with the brand's values is essential for maintaining a positive brand image.

Moreover, happy hotel employees contribute to profitability by enhancing customer satisfaction, which in turn, leads to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Research suggests that happy employees can lead to a 12% increase in profitability and a 24% reduction in turnover. This is because satisfied employees are more likely to provide excellent customer service, resulting in higher guest satisfaction and loyalty.

How to achieve hotel employees becoming brand spokespeople?

When talking about service-based business, especially hospitality, it is very important, how employees interact with the brand. How they stand by the brand's values and goals. In the end, the person who represents the brand is actually the brand. So how to make sure that your employees are on the same page with your hotel's culture?

➣ First of all, make sure to hire the right people from the very beginning. Already during the recruitment process, you can see, whose values align with your brand. Tell the candidates about your brand values during the interview and let them choose if your requirements will meet their expectations. During the recruitment process, you can ensure alignment with the brand's values and culture by transparently communicating these values to potential candidates. Incorporate questions and scenarios during interviews to assess candidates' alignment with these values. Additionally, provide a detailed introduction to new hires about the company's culture and brand values, along with internal branding rules and guidelines, to reinforce alignment from the outset.

➣ Once you hire people, have a very detailed introduction to newbies. Not just about daily operations at the hotel, but also about the company's culture and brand values. Make sure you have internal branding rules and guidelines so your employees know what to follow. You might think, that your hotel is too small to be as a recognised brand. However, even smallest accommodations can become well known for certain points. Maybe even being small hotel can be a recognition point of your brand.

➣ Organize training and workshops for your employees about the excellence of customer service. Hotel employees "should live the brand", they must be excited to be a part of your team! The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts state this "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen", meaning, that employees are treated with the same respect as their guests.

What is employee advocacy in hospitality?

Employee advocacy in hospitality refers to the practice of empowering and encouraging employees to actively promote and represent the brand they work for, both within and outside of the workplace. This can involve sharing positive experiences, advocating for the brand's values and offerings, and engaging with customers and potential customers in a way that reflects positively on the brand.

Keep your employees happy

Keep your hotel employees happy and they will be the best spokespeople of your brand. Let the promises of your brand to be delivered through receptionists, housekeepers, front desk managers and every other employee who is facing the guest. Let your guests have the best experience at your hotel so they would like to come back again. People become loyal to brands if they feel that the brand aligns with their values and expectations. 

"The key to getting customers who want to undertake repeat business with you is by building a strong employee focus first." - Justworks