GUEST TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION

Purpose: All guests experience polite, efficient and modern communications.

1. In telephone contact with guests, the hotel must ensure it follows these requirements: (a) The phone is answered within three rings. (b) The appropriate greeting is offered and either the hotel is identified (in the case of external calls) or the hotel employee is identified by first name (in the event of internal calls): (i) External calls example: Thank you for calling the Hilton (hotels name). (ii) Internal calls example: Good Morning/Evening, (hotel department name) this is (hotel employees name). How may I help you?" (c) Assistance is offered. (d) The callers name is obtained and used twice during the call. (e) Before placing a caller on hold, permission is asked and a response is obtained. (f) If a call is placed on hold, the caller should be contacted every thirty seconds, offering the caller the choice of remaining on hold, leaving a message or receiving a call back. (g) For administrative calls, a caller is never connected to voice mail unless they have agreed. All voice mail messages must include an option to return to the operator. (h) Callers who are transferred to a different department are advised of the department to which they are being connected. (i) Administrative calls are not screened. (j) Guest names or room numbers are never given out. (k) Calls are not transferred to guestrooms without the caller identifying correctly the last name of a registered guest.

(Source Global Operating Manual Section 1.2.)