ACCOR has implemented an Optimum Service Standards programme for its hotels to better cater to the growing number of Russian and Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.
These service standard training programmes educate front-line hotel staff about the cultural backgrounds of visitors and therefore helps them to meet customer expectations. The training includes basic information about the countries, basic greetings, and cultural dos and don’ts.
They also integrate changes in some of the hotels’ hardware, such as offering Russian and Chinese welcome booklets and translated menus, as well as providing lists of common questions and phrases at the front office, concierge and other areas to help staff assist guests with their requests.
Patrick Basset, senior vice president of Accor Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines said: “Accor hotels in Thailand have experienced significant growth in Russian and Chinese business, especially in Pattaya and Phuket, where the Russian market has nearly doubled in just two years.”
He added that all hotels with at least 10 per cent of guests from Russia or China in a given month are encouraged to send all front-line staff for training.
Currently, all 18 hotels in Thailand eligible for the Chinese Service Standards training have participated in the programme, whereas three hotels have gone through the Russian Service Standards training, with another 10 hotels scheduled.
