For the hospitality industry, guest services is critical. Without quality and consistent customer service, hotels and resorts cannot guarantee return customers, referrals for new customers, or positive online ratings and testimonials. And although a crucial component of achieving quality guest services is through front desk interactions and individual guest service representatives, the most important player of all is the Guest Services Coordinator. Not only is this position responsible for ensuring guests have quality stays, but Guest Services Coordinators also ensure that other guest service personnel follow quality control standards, such as implementing the hotel’s best practices for guest interactions. At larger hotels, Guest Service Coordinators may even take on more managerial tasks, but regardless of the hotel’s size, there’s no question that Guest Service Coordinators are essential to a hotel’s continued success.
Job Responsibilities and Future Prospects for Guest Services Coordinator
The job of a Guest Services Coordinator is to ensure that all hotel guests’ needs, questions, or concerns are met. Often Guest Services Coordinators work to alleviate customer complaints or other problems during their hotel stays. Depending on the size and location of the hotel, those job responsibilities vary widely. Some Coordinators will take on more front desk activities, or handle day-to-day procedures, whereas other Coordinators might oversee routine activities performed by other employees. Regardless of size of the hotel, most Guest Service Coordinators have a core set of responsibilities that include the following:
- Builds and maintains business relationship with hotel guests through service that promotes guest loyalty
- Ensures delivery of excellent customer service through fast and accurate processing of orders, communication, and coordinating with other departments to resolve inquires.
- Work with dissatisfied guests to make amends, offer compensation, and reassurance.
- Oversee cross functional work areas that target guest relations
- Coordinates guest service operations as the first contact point for hotel guests
- Develops, tracks, and reports key guest services performance measurements
- Collaborates on and implements processes and procedures to improve guest services efficiency
- Effectively communicate with hotel guests about their concerns, as well as hotel policies and procedures
The size of hotel will greatly affect the median salary of a Guest Services Coordinator. Coordinators at larger hotel chains that take on more managerial roles have a median salary of $55K per year, whereas Coordinators at smaller hotels with more front office tasks and less managerial work will have a median salary close to $35K per year. Both of those median salaries depend heavily on location, with urban, hospitality centers like New York or Chicago seeing major increases in median salary. At larger hotels and resorts, many Guest Services Coordinators advance into positions like Guest Service Manager, Operations Manager, Director, Customer Service, or Executive Assistant. At smaller hotels and motels, Guest Service Coordinators may be synonymous with either Guest Service Representatives or Guest Service Managers depending on the amount of managerial tasks they take on.
Types of Guest Services Coordinator Positions
At larger hotels Guest Service Coordinators might oversee other Guest Service Representatives to ensure every team member complies with hotel policies and provide excellent customer service. In such establishments, Guest Service Coordinators might take on more managerial roles or report to a Guest Services Manager. In contrast, at smaller hotels or even travel-focused hotels, Guest Service Coordinators might take on more front-office tasks including checking guests in, accepting payment for services, and dealing with day-to-day guest concerns in addition to taking on managerial roles and be synonymous with a Guest Services Manager.
Using Your Education to Become a Guest Services Coordinator
For many Guest Services Coordinators, a college degree is not required. Instead most employers want to see experience with guest services or general customer service experience. This is true at smaller hotels, as well as large chains. To take on more managerial roles, Guest Service Coordinators who already work full-time could take advantage of the ever-growing number of online hospitality degree programs at the associate’s or bachelor’s level. To move up into Guest Services Manager or Operations Manager positions, Guest Service Coordinators should also have a master’s in hospitiality management, especially if they are looking to move up in global hotel chains.
Using Your Experience to Become a Guest Services Coordinator
Many Guest Service Coordinators enter their positions through experience only or sometimes with an associate’s degree. More important to the position are the years of experience in general customer service, and more specifically in hotel guest services. Typically, Guest Services Coordinators receive initial on-the-job training, in addition to their existing experience of 1-2 years in guest services. Other relevant experience like in food service, retail, or telecommunications could all easily translate for people looking to shift careers into the hospitality industry. Such lateral moves are most possible for people with the following skills: customer relations, leadership, problem solving, and sales.
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