In Focus: Hotel Golden Tulip Hail

Q: In your opinion, what sets Hotel Golden Tulip Hail apart from other hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

Mohammed: I believe the following sets us apart from other hotels:

• The hotel’s excellent location. It is close to the airport and most of the vital installations of Hail city.
• As travelers seek new adventures and experiences, we introduce services that satisfy their desires.
• Our hotel’s management focuses on delivering genuine hospitality and creating memorable experiences for our guests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• We assure that the service provided by our side is unmatched for other hospitality providers.
• Our guest experience begins prior to the arrival of our guests and continues after they check-out.
• We make every decision keeping our guests in mind. This strategy has helped us design our hotel management system in an efficient way. This system is used to keep a track of hotel supplies, helps the operators to streamline their daily tasks, and automates critical functions. It also reduces the time which was previously spent on the front desk and in the back office. It helps in increasing opportunities to build relationships with our guests and creates memorable experiences that nurture long-term loyalty.

Q: Tell us about the customer journey at Hotel Golden Tulip Hail from the moment guests enter till they check-out. How do you take care of them and ensure they get great customer service?

Mohammed: Let me start by saying that we believe excellent customer service is the key to increasing revenue. It is also very helpful for brand development and customer retention. We create unforgettable customer experiences which earn customer loyalty and trust. Services include post-booking communication, freebies and complimentary services. We ensure great customer service by being proactive and by rewarding our loyal guests.

Q: What is your hotel’s brand philosophy when it comes to Customer Happiness?

Mohammed: The concept of customer experience uses the perspective of the consumer, whereas the term brand experience draws on the perspective of the brand. Our hotel managers try to stimulate customers’ senses with prompt service, careful employee behaviour, facilities and rooms that are aligned with customer preferences.

Q:  In your opinion, what is the best way to gather feedback from guests staying at your hotel?

Mohammed: Guest feedback is one of the major things leading us to always be on the right track. We get their feedback about our services through many channels which include distributing comment cards, talking to them directly, scheduling phone calls with them, encouraging direct discussion among our current and past guests, online review sites, sending survey forms and creating auto-responders.

Q:  How is negative feedback handled by Hotel Golden Tulip Hail?

Mohammed:  We always work on turning the negative feedback to positive feedback as we believe it will help us retain our customers and turn them into our loyal customers. The online review and our response is visible to a large pool of our customer base and website visitors.

Q: How often do you conduct trainings for your frontline staff and what are the key soft skills that you focus on?

Mohammed: Training for frontline staff takes place every month. Trainings are focused on improving:

• Productivity
• Communication
• Guest Relations
• Reservations Handling

Q:  Can you tell us a bit about your online customer support process and is this available 24/7?

Mohammed: We offer a customer service portal which is basically a helpdesk on our website, where existing and prospective customers can go to get the answers they are looking for. Our social media platforms are also integrated with our CRM which brings our social feeds directly into our CRM. Round the clock phone and email support is also available.

About Mohammed AL Shawwa

A Jordan national, Mr. Mohammed Al Shawwa graduated from the Trinity College & University Malaga – Spain in Food & Beverage Management. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Mohammed Al Shawwa has spent most of his professional career working for brands around the KSA like Intercontinental, Ramada by Wyndham, Coral Intl, Swiss Intl & Golden Tulip holding various leadership positions.