Sandra is our friendly Customer Care Manager who leads a team of 26 people and has always a smile on. She always knew that she wanted a career in hospitality and eventually found her passion in creating positive guests experiences. In this interview, she shares what it’s like to manage an international Customer Care team, some of the funniest guest requests her department has received, and the lessons she’s learned from nearly eight years at MEININGER Hotels.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you found your way into hospitality and customer care?
It was always my wish to work for hospitality even though my parents did not really agree. They always said: “Do you really always want to work when others are off?” Nevertheless, after school I started my “Ausbildung” as “Hotelfachfrau” in a 5* Superior hotel, in which I learned everything from scratch. During this time, I recognized that servicing in a restaurant was not what I wanted, but I found my passion while working at the reception and reservation department.
What were you doing before joining MEININGER Hotels, and what attracted you to this role?
I was working for different hotels in Berlin starting as a receptionist, then changing to the Group Sales department where I handled 2 hotels on my own. The hotels I worked for were mainly business travel orientated.
How does your job actually look like on a day-to-day basis?
I have two recurring daily meetings to distribute the tasks and plan the day; one is with my assistant Antonella and the second with the supervisors. Besides these, my days look very different. I have many meetings with other departments, 1on1s sessions with supervisors, interviews in case we are hiring, create the monthly schedule by trying to take all wishes into consideration, do quality checks and many more…
How is the Customer Care team structured, and how do you stay connected while supporting guests from so many different countries?
The Customer Care Team consists of 26 people including myself plus my manager Valentino. We have 20 agents who are taking care of all guest requests and we’re available 365 days per year from 8am to 8pm in 5 different languages. The agents are supported by 4 supervisors who are responsible for developing the team even further and leading the shifts. On top, I also have an Assistant Manager that supports the supervisors and me with many tasks.
What makes the team special is that we are divided into two different locations: Berlin and Milan. The main tool to stay connected is MS Teams. Moreover, supervisors, Assistant Manager and I are flying regularly to the different locations.
What do you personally enjoy most about working so closely with guests and helping solve their problems?
I personally don’t work closely with guests as my main task is to develop and support the team. But sometimes I also jump into the daily business, and I love to speak to different characters. I love when guests are calling and maybe are a bit angry because something did not go as they were expecting. I always do my best to find a suitable solution, and, in the end, guests are happy and appreciate my work.
How would your colleagues describe you? What’s something they would say you’re famous for in the office?
I think they would describe me as empathic, helpful, always smiling and supportive. I always have an open ear for my team members and together we also always try to find solutions.
However, I’m most famous for my dog, whom everyone in the office loves to cuddle and play with.
Are there any funny “classic guest questions” that your team hears all the time?
One of my supervisors, Giulio reported to me some very funny requests:
1. “Could we book a twin room and bring an inflatable mattress for the rest of the 4 guests?”
2. “We are two skinny girls, can we just sleep in one single bed?”
3. Another memorable case involved a guest who seemed to mistake MEININGER Hotels for a dating service. He contacted us asking if we could help him reconnect with a woman he had met at a trade fair and believed was staying at one of our hotels. While we appreciated the romantic gesture, we had to explain that, for privacy reasons, we could neither share guest information nor deliver personal messages.
Customer Care requires a lot of patience. What helps you keep a positive mindset on difficult days?
That is true. I think you need passion to work within a customer care environment. Without passion, it is difficult to keep a positive mindset. Personally, I take every guest as if it would be the first call I ever took, even though I might have answered the same question already 5 times this day. Moreover, I think the most important is to not take things personally even if a guest might raise a complaint.
What do you think makes someone really good at working in Customer Care?
You need to be a good listener and at the same time able to lead the call. You need to be able to find suitable solutions for guests that are within MEININGER policy. Moreover, you need to be very adaptable because you are replying to questions about all operating hotels in different languages.
What’s the sweetest message or feedback a guest has ever sent your team?
One of our team members was invited to some cannoli whenever he is in Palermo and another guest called us “angels from heaven” because we were able to cancel a non-refundable rate as the guest contacted us within grace period.
Looking back, what has been one of your proudest moments or achievements at MEININGER so far?
When I started back in April 2018, we did not have any processes and the retention of colleagues in my team was quite low. Throughout the 8 years I am now working here, we have been able to automize many things and set clear processes that make our life so much easier. This is also reflected in our retention, which has significantly increased over time.
And finally, who are you outside of work? What helps you switch off and recharge after busy days helping guests?
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and friends. I love taking long walks with my dog and spending time outside. I do horseback ride and yoga regularly. In general, I gain a lot of energy from nature: being it a lake, the sea, or a forest. I love this silence in a world that turned very loud and hectic.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Sandra!
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