SITXCOM010 Manage conflict Costumer Service Policy and Procedures

Customer Service Policy and Procedures –

Bridge Hotel
Policy
All members of staff provide services to customers either directly or indirectly and must meet the
needs of customers in a professional and ethical manner with courteous and efficient service.
Bridge Hotel is committed to:

 Politeness: the use of good manners in all interactions

 Responsiveness: meet agreed timeframes and follow up on all queries

 Professionalism: being objective and knowledgeable and demonstrating integrity

 Understanding: customers and their business, including acknowledging any mistakes the Hotel
has inadvertently made in any aspect of their services

 Confidentiality: respecting the confidentiality of customer information

 Transparency: processes are clear, consistent, easy to access and documented.

General Principles
Staff will:

 demonstrate to the customer at all times respect, courtesy, patience, attentiveness, consideration
and sensitivity that is appropriate to the age, culture and linguistic background of the individual or
group

 listen to what customers have to say and determine the exact nature of the request

 respond to customer enquiries promptly and efficiently in a timely manner

 act with integrity and honesty when dealing with customers

 make every effort to approach customers in a timely fashion

 advise customers where delays are apparent, and provide realistic timeframes

 maintain ongoing communication with customers where delays are occurring to keep them
informed

 provide the customer with advice and other information that is accurate, clear, concise, reliable
and in plain language

 take appropriate action and respond in accordance with organisational policies and procedures
with minimal inconvenience to the customer

 adopt fair, lawful and appropriate procedures when making decisions, carrying out activities and
performing services

 be sensitive to any language or other communication difficulties experienced by customers when

providing advice and other information

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 be sensitive to any customers with disabilities or special dietary requirements when providing
advice and other information

 present a positive image of Bridge Hotel to the public.

Managing Personal Enquiries

All customer communication will be conducted in a professional, courteous and concise manner.
Personal dress is seen as important, and should adhere to the following dress code:

 Smart casual in all circumstances; if your role involves a uniform then this needs to be worn.

 Jewellery should be kept to a minimum. Single loop or stud earrings only.

 Covered footwear should be worn at all times.

 Hair should be clean and neat. If it reaches the shoulders, it should be held up in a pony tail.

 Visible tattoos are not permitted.

 If you work in the kitchen, hands should be washed before meeting and greeting customers and
all hygiene and food safety procedures must be followed in regards to personal presentation.
The following procedure should be followed for customer interactions.

 Acknowledge and greet the customer with your name.

 Shake hands with the customer.

 Introduce yourself and give your position in the organisation, and how you will be assisting them
during their visit.

 Ask the customer to give any relevant details that will help you to define what Bridge Hotel
services and products would be most appropriate.

 Work to establish a rapport with the customer.

 Maintain, and express a genuine interest in each customer’s needs.

During every customer interaction, you are required to demonstrate effective interpersonal and
communication skills including:

 speaking clearly and concisely

 using effective non-verbal communication skills

 responding to questions

 asking questions to seek feedback

 use of active listening techniques to confirm and clarify understanding.

Throughout every interaction, maintain sensitivity to any specific needs and any cultural, family and
individual differences that the customer may have, and incorporate these into your service delivery.
Assess whether the customer’s needs are urgent to identify priorities.

Booking

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The Hotel is a very popular venue and is always busy. When liaising with customers, assume the
following lead times:
Bookings for weddings and conferences – at least 6 months in advance
Booking for special event breakfasts, lunch and dinners (such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc) – at
least two weeks in advance.
If the customer is pushing for an earlier date, advise them that while this may not be possible, you will
certainly try your best. Liaise with reception on this and put the customer’s name on the wait list.
Any problems with bookings should be addressed immediately the supervisor so that appropriate
action can be taken.

Feedback
Bridge Hotel welcomes feedback from its customers.
Feedback can be provided via email or by letter, or by completing our online feedback from.
Bridge Hotel is also committed to actively seeking feedback from customers. When a service has
been delivered to a customer, we will send an email to the customer thanking them for using our
services and asking them their experience with us.
On receipt of feedback from any source, all feedback is recorded in our Feedback Register. The
feedback register is reviewed at regular management meeting and evaluated for any action to be
taken.
Where the feedback includes unmet needs, the customer should be contacted directly within 48 hours
of the feedback being received, and the suitability of other products or services should be discussed.
Customers should be supported to contact other services if appropriate.

Managing anonymous customer feedback

Customers can provide anonymous feedback to Bridge Hotel via the website. This feedback,
however, can be difficult to investigate (often staff need to obtain more information from the person
providing the feedback) and for obvious reasons it can be impossible to contact the person making
the complaint and communicate the findings Bridge Hotel.
Bridge Hotel will not normally investigate anonymous feedback unless the issue places public safety
at risk or raises a serious/legal matter and there is sufficient information in the feedback to carry out
an investigation.

Dealing with difficult customers

Bridge Hotel staff are expected to treat customers with courtesy and respect at all times and to make
every reasonable effort to address the customer’s needs even when the customer is rude or difficult.
Staff must try and put themselves in the customer’s shoes and be empathetic.
Actively listen to what the customer is saying and repeat their concerns to make sure you are
addressing the right issue.
Use calm, objective wording. For example, ‘As I understand, you are quite rightly upset because your
booking was logged incorrectly by our staff.’

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Apologise to the customer and present a solution. For example, you could offer a discount on a future
service. Supervisor approval must be gained before this occurs.
Where the customer indicates they wish to lodge a formal complaint, outline the complaint procedure
as in the company’s Complaints Policy and Procedure.
Bridge Hotel does not condone violent, aggressive or bullying behaviour from anyone on its premises.
Security must be contacted immediately if there are signs that interactions are escalating and could
lead to risk of harm to others in the environment. Security will escort those demonstrating
inappropriate behaviour from the venue.

Confidentiality and privacy

Bridge Hotel is committed to the protection of customer personal information. All dealings with
customers must abide by the Privacy Act 1998 and the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the
Privacy Act 1998 (CTH) except when qualified by any relevant Codes of Practice and will underpin all
matters related to personal information at Bridge Hotel. Bridge Hotel also has a Privacy Policy in
accordance with that Act.

Privacy complaints
Individuals who feel that Bridge Hotel may have breached their privacy or our Privacy Policy, are
welcome to contact Bridge Hotel in writing either by email, fax or letter.
This policy and procedure should be read in conjunction with the Complaints Policy and Procedure.

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