What happens when the small things in a hotel start to go wrong?
A crooked light fitting. A scuffed chair. A chipped tile. A broken handle. A clock that has stopped. A mark on the wall. A piece of paper left on the floor.
None of these things, on their own, is a disaster. But together, they can completely change the way a guest feels about a hotel.
In this episode of Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox, Stephen Hickmore explores the often-overlooked world of micro-maintenance — the small repairs, cleaning tasks and details that can make the difference between a property that feels cared for and one that begins to feel neglected.
We talk about guest experience, hotel management, preventative maintenance, staff training and accountability, and ask a simple question:
Whose responsibility is it to notice the small things?
Is it housekeeping? Maintenance? Management? Or should every member of a hotel team take ownership of what they see?
Stephen also explores the idea that one small negative detail can influence how a guest sees everything else — almost the opposite of the traditional “halo effect.”
Most importantly, we look at how hotels can empower their teams with the training, tools and authority to fix small problems before they become big ones.
Because in hospitality, perhaps the guest should be the last person to notice a problem — not the first.
A practical and thought-provoking conversation for hoteliers, hospitality managers, hotel staff, students and anyone interested in creating better guest experiences.
Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox
Stephen Hickmore | Hospitality | Hotel Management | Guest Experience | Leadership
Stephen is a hospitality professional from Johannesburg South Africa. His career started with THF hotels in the UK and subsequently with the Southern Sun Hotel group in Johannesburg. Stephen’s first steps into entrepreneurship was Hickmore Recruitment / CareerMap, a leading supplier of Senior and Exec recruitment services. Stephen was a founder of Pple Hospitality (formerly HSC) the largest Hospitality Industry full-service outsourced staffing company in South Africa. In March 2020 Stephen became a director and owner of the Swiss Hotel School South Africa, which is now his full time passion.
SHS – Institute of Hospitality Management
SHS – Institute of Culinary Arts
Stephen writes for a number of publications on food and hospitality industry matters, trends and opinions. He also hosts a Podcast on Spotify “Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox”
Share this:
Discover more from Hotel and Hospitality News and Resources - South Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
