Caring at the Time of Pandemic 2022 – Booth Lodge
‘If we solve the guests’ problems first, they would feel reassured and relieved, and have the trust in staying with us at the Lodge.’
—Alex, Booth Lodge Guest Service Officer
In the lobby of The Salvation Army Booth Lodge, there is a board full of thank you messages from the guests, reflecting the exceptional services from the Lodge. During the fifth wave of pandemic, there was a great demand of rooms from citizens who needed to quarantine. Despite the serious pandemic situation, the Lodge’s staff were fully committed to maintain their quality services. They took the initiative to understand the needs of their guests and tried the best to fulfil them, providing comfort to their guests through services. It is never just accommodation that the Lodge provides – with just one phone call, guests can get assistance from the staff who serve with heart.
Alex, Guest Service Officer who works at front desk, helps different guests every day. He admitted that the stress during the pandemic was greater, but he always performed his work as usual. ‘The guests won’t have confidence in us if we get too worried ourselves. The best way to maintain quality services is to work just as usual.’ As more guests chose to have a long stay during the pandemic, the Lodge responded by providing butler service to assist guests in different aspects of the daily lives.
At the peak of the pandemic, a couple checked into the Lodge, but sadly the husband was tested positive during their stay. ‘The husband was anxious,’ Alex recalled. ‘He was worried that he would affect his wife and other guests. We first followed the anti-pandemic procedures required by the government, then we brought him some basic necessity products, and we moved his wife to another room and moved other guests to other floors. The swift actions reassured guests and made them feel safe.’
Alex added that, when they moved other guests to another floor, they informed the guests the reason in person one by one, hoping it could reduce their confusion by giving them more details face to face. At the peak of the fifth wave, the Lodge always informed guests immediately about the latest arrangement, making sure they could know what was going on in the Lodge at the beginning rather than knowing the arrangement afterwards.
After the couple started quarantining separately, the Lodge brought them the supplies their family sent them, and delivered the messages from the couple to their family so they knew how the two were doing. The husband was gradually reassured after receiving the series of services from the Lodge, and the couple expressed their gratitude to staff when they finished their quarantine and checked out.
Alex said, during the pandemic, many guests had questions and concerns, and it was not possible to ease their worries by sending them simple notices or repeating rigid guidelines to them. It is more important to treat them like friends and families, and try the best to solve their concerns. ‘If we solve their problems first, they will feel reassured and relieved, and have the trust in staying with us at the Lodge.’
