NEWS

The Gold Standard: Customer Service in Hospitality and Beyond

In the past 12 months, the city of Birmingham has been in the spotlight like never before. The 2022 Commonwealth Games shared with the world the very best of our city and for almost two weeks of competition last summer, Birmingham was filled with the expectant buzz, nail-biting excitement and sheer jubilation that only a major sporting tournament can bring.

For Switch Hospitality Management Ltd, we were able to play our own small part in this. Our flagship hotel, Park Regis was one of two venues in the region to host competing athletes, and more than 32,000 meals from our specially designed menu, which celebrated all the flavours of the Commonwealth, were served to competitors and international dignitaries.

Over those 11 days, we saw first hand what a unique opportunity there was to shine alight on the best of Brum. For us, what made that time so special is quite simple. It was all about people.

From the sporting superstars on the track, to the local volunteers working hard behind the scenes, the Games was a true celebration of people from across the globe coming together to share a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

This is something we strive to do every day. By placing our people at the very heart of what we do, we can ensure that every single visitor has a truly memorable experience.

Since opening in 2016, the team at Park Regis - Birmingham’s only major independent hotel - has continued to provide guests with exceptional service, premium facilities and a home away from home. And last year saw us win our own ‘gold medal’, with Park Regis picking up the prestigious ‘Best UK Hotel’ accolade at the national Meetings & Incentive Travel awards for the second year running, as voted for by clients and event planners who had experienced the Switch-standard service first hand.

When it comes to maintaining customer loyalty and delivering exceptional service, we believe that the hospitality sector can set the gold standard for others. To secure the top spot on the podium, we follow our four guiding principles:

Integrity

It is a responsibility and a privilege to work in the hospitality sector and we will always put the needs of our customers and employees first. We’re committed to acting with integrity and using our position to make a difference, with an active CSR programme that supports local community initiatives and charities as well as a partnership with University College Birmingham which helps to invest in the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Agility

No two customers are the same, and therefore our service has to follow suit. At Park Regis, being an independent hotel means that, no matter how unique or complex the request, we can be flexible, responsive and agile in our decision-making on the ground, allowing us to find individual solutions and exceed the expectations of every single guest.

Excellence

At the heart of our success is our people. With every employee trained in-house, we take pride in creating a truly inclusive and diverse team culture that prioritises personal learning and development. As a result, every colleague delivers an exceptional, personal and professional service to ensure client satisfaction remains consistently high.

We also celebrate employee achievements through our ‘Heroes of Hospitality’ initiative, which recognises individuals who are striving for excellence at every level of the business.

Collaboration

We believe that working collaboratively can help to drive higher service standards. Our team is committed to going the extra mile for our customers, with a 24/7 service that aims to surpass expectations and ensure our visitors return again and again.  

At Switch, we are a people-driven and values-led business. By following our four core values, we can continue to deliver industry-leading levels of service and maintain customer loyalty in an increasingly crowded market.

Hitting the gold standard of service is something that every business - no matter the sector - can achieve. And by placing people at the heart of what you do, that top spot on the podium is yours for the taking.