In the hospitality industry, providing guests with a comfortable, safe environment is essential. But what do you do when one of your guests isn’t feeling well? It can be challenging to know how to care for them properly and efficiently while still ensuring that their stay is as pleasant as possible. Here are a few tips on how to best care for sickly guests in the hospitality industry:
Listen and respond respectfully
The first thing you should do when a guest notifies you that they are feeling ill is listen carefully and respond respectfully. Acknowledge their condition, validate their feelings, and look into what needs to be done to make them feel better. Showing empathy and concern will help put your guest at ease and show that you genuinely care about their well-being.
Additionally, remember to maintain a professional demeanor and offer a personal touch. Do your best to ensure that their requests are taken care of as quickly and efficiently as possible, even if it isn’t something you usually do. And make sure to provide your best customer service, even if you feel overwhelmed.
Offer appropriate assistance
Depending on the severity of the illness, specific tasks or services may need to be performed quickly to ensure your guest’s safety and other people staying at your hotel or resort. For example, if someone is suffering from food poisoning or dehydration, it would be wise to have an emergency medical professional on call who could come tend to them immediately. You should also consider offering complimentary items such as medication or special drinks that can help alleviate symptoms like nausea or headaches.
Additionally, you should consider investing in items that can help you better care for sickly guests. For example, a TENS unit can help provide comfort and reduce pain or congestion. This equipment can help you quickly address any medical issues that may arise. This is especially helpful for guests who are in significant discomfort. With specialized devices like this, your guests will surely thank you for providing such effective care.
Follow health and safety guidelines
When caring for a sickly guest, you must adhere to health and safety guidelines to protect yourself and others from potential harm or contamination. Wear protective gear such as gloves or face masks when necessary, wash your hands frequently with soap and water, avoid contact with bodily fluids where possible, dispose of contaminated items according to regulations, etc.
Additionally, keep a record of all interactions with the guest to track any medical treatments or changes in their condition. These records should include any medications administered, meals served, and other services provided throughout their stay. This will help ensure that every aspect of their care is appropriately accounted for and monitored.
Stay updated on communicable diseases and infections
Those in hospitality must remain up-to-date on communicable diseases such as Influenza (the Flu), Norovirus (stomach flu), MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B/C, etc., so that you can best prepare yourself if faced with any health crises involving a guest at your establishment.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of these illnesses will help allow you time enough time to act accordingly if one of your guests starts showing signs of being infected with something potentially dangerous or contagious, such as fever blisters or flu-like symptoms so that further spread can be prevented by isolating them until medical attention arrives if needed.
Provide resources and referrals
Not every illness requires professional medical assistance but having resources available at hand can still prove invaluable in helping a sickly guest recover faster without having to leave the property if they don’t have access to outside healthcare coverage, local doctors, pharmacies nearby, etc. Having this information ready beforehand will make it much easier for someone feeling unwell since they won’t have to waste precious time trying to locate these resources themselves during their stay with you – which could potentially exacerbate their condition even more.
Additionally, you should consider partnering with local healthcare providers to provide discounts, special packages, or even complimentary treatments if needed. This will give your guests an easy way to get the care they need without having to worry about additional costs that may be involved.
Providing an exceptional experience for all guests is essential when running any hospitality business – especially when one of those guests falls ill while staying with you! By following these tips on how best to care for sickly guests in the hospitality industry – including listening attentively, offering appropriate assistance, following health and safety guidelines, staying updated on infectious diseases, and providing resources and referrals – you can rest assured knowing that your establishment has taken every precaution necessary, so its patrons can relax comfortably during their stay without worrying about anything going wrong.
