Issue No. 2 | September 18, 2026
Practical lessons for the people running hotels, one shift at a time.

Preview text: “You need to do better” gives an employee very little to work with. A useful correction makes the next step clear.

Consider a familiar front-desk moment. A guest approaches while an agent is finishing something on the computer. The agent keeps typing, says nothing, and leaves the guest standing there wondering whether anyone has noticed them.

You see it happen. You step in, greet the guest, and help move things along. Later, you tell the agent, “You need to pay more attention to the guests.”

The agent nods. You return to your work, reasonably expecting an improvement.

But what, exactly, have you asked the employee to do differently? Stop every task immediately? Make eye contact? Explain the wait? Call for assistance?

You know what good service looks like. The person you are correcting may need you to make it more specific.

A correction is easy to deliver when you’re frustrated. Making it useful takes a little more thought.

“Be more professional.” “Show some initiative.” “Have a better attitude.” These phrases express dissatisfaction, but they leave considerable room for interpretation. An employee can agree with every word and still be unsure what you expect on the next shift.

There is also a difference between an employee who hasn’t been taught, one who is struggling with competing demands, and one who understands the expectation but chooses to disregard it. You need to establish which situation you are dealing with.

That requires a conversation. If you begin with a verdict about someone’s character, you may never get to the information that helps you correct the problem.

1. Address the specific behavior, preferably in private.

Help the guest first. Then, as soon as practical, speak with the employee away from guests and coworkers.

Try: “When the guest approached, you continued typing without acknowledging them. They stood there unsure whether you were going to help.”

That describes something observable. “You don’t care about service” assigns a motive you may not know.

Some situations require an immediate intervention. You can give a brief, neutral direction in the moment and have the fuller conversation privately afterward.

2. Ask what was happening, and listen to the answer.

A simple question is enough: “Walk me through what you were working on.”

Perhaps the agent was resolving a payment error and was afraid of losing their place. Perhaps nobody explained how to acknowledge a guest while completing another task. Or perhaps this is an expectation you have already discussed several times.

Listening does not remove the standard. It helps you choose an appropriate response. A training gap needs instruction. Conflicting priorities need clarification. Repeated disregard needs accountability consistent with the property’s procedures.

3. Show what the right response looks like.

Make the expectation something the employee can actually do.

“In that situation, look up and acknowledge the guest. You can say, ‘Good afternoon. I’ll be with you shortly.’ If the task is going to take longer, explain that and ask for assistance.”

Then have the employee talk through how they would handle a similar situation. “Do you understand?” usually produces a yes. “What would you do if two guests arrived while you were on the telephone?” tells you much more.

Keep the coaching focused. One missed greeting does not need to become a review of everything the employee has done wrong this month.

4. Return to the behavior and notice improvement.

On the next shift, observe whether the employee applies the direction. If they do, acknowledge it specifically: “You greeted that guest while finishing the reservation. That’s what we discussed.”

If the behavior continues, revisit the expectation and establish the next step. Do not keep delivering the same vague reminder while quietly becoming more resentful.

Follow-up gives the conversation meaning. It shows that the expectation matters and that improvement receives attention, too.

Being approachable and maintaining standards belong together. An employee should be able to ask for help without humiliation, while understanding that the work still has to meet the required standard.

Managers sometimes postpone small corrections because they want to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. The frustration builds until a minor incident receives a much larger reaction than it deserves. Timely, proportionate coaching gives both people a better chance of handling the matter well.

The purpose is to leave the employee knowing what happened, why it mattered, and what to do next. Your delivery should support that purpose.

Try this on your next shift: Take one phrase you regularly use, such as “be more proactive,” and translate it into a specific action. Explain when you expect that action and what support the employee can request. Then look for it during the shift.

Developing department leaders is one reason I write The Art of Hospitality Leadership Series. For readers managing a front-desk team, The Art of Hotel & Resort Front Office Manager is a relevant place to begin.

This week’s reflection: when you correct someone, could they explain the expected behavior clearly to another employee? If they couldn’t, your instruction may need another minute.

For the broader owner and operator perspective on hotel performance, profitability, and management decisions, subscribe to the paid Node Hospitality Newsletter, published weekly for $7.99 a month.

What is one expectation you find yourself repeating to your team? Reply and share it, without identifying individual employees. It may be a useful subject for a future issue.

John Canavan
Founder, Node Hospitality