Clear Communication, Better Results: A Hospitality Employer’s Guide to Feedback
Let’s face it: in hospitality today, what sets you apart isn’t just your property or your menu—it’s your people and how they treat your guests.
Psychological safety—when your team feels safe to speak up without fear of being shut down or embarrassed—isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for success.
With today’s labour shortages, demanding guests, and tight profit margins, psychological safety becomes even more important.
When your staff feels comfortable speaking up, they catch problems before they happen, suggest money-saving ideas, and create the kind of memorable experiences that keep guests coming back.
We have created a supporting resource to accompany this article, it can be used as a handy printable resource for your workplace.
The Connection Between Psychological Safety and Feedback
When team members feel psychologically safe, our feedback system can function at its best: team members feel they can speak up when they have suggestions and feedback, they can learn from mistakes without shame, they believe their ideas matter, and they can question “how we’ve always done things” without fear.
Just as we encourage feedback from our guests so that we can improve our service, it’s helpful to internalize this within our teams, encouraging feedback and creating the conditions for our staff to voice both what’s working well and areas for improvement.
But let’s be honest about the challenges: with strict hierarchies and time pressures, staff might fear their input will be dismissed or that speaking up could hurt their job security.
Watch for warning signs of an unsafe culture: staff who stay silent in meetings, high turnover, inconsistent handling of guest complaints, and managers who “protect” staff from guest issues rather than using them as teaching moments.
Creating Feedback Systems That Actually Work
Feedback systems in hospitality and tourism need to work with your operational reality, not against it. Try these approaches:
- Create short “feedback windows” during natural breaks like shift changes
- Use simple digital tools for feedback when face-to-face isn’t possible
- Build 2-3 minute feedback check-ins into pre-shift and post-shift routines
Different settings need different approaches. Hotels can use quick department huddles, restaurants can incorporate feedback into pre-meal lineup, and event companies can add brief check-ins between phases of an event.
Making Space and Time for Feedback
Finding space for private conversations is tough but crucial. Even in tight quarters, you can:
- Request a quick meeting before or after a shift
- Use quiet corners or storage areas during non-peak hours
- Book small meeting rooms typically reserved for guests
- Take a “feedback walk” around the property
- Hold discussions in break rooms during slower periods
- Create “feedback office hours” when managers are available for conversations
Leaders can normalize using these spaces by holding some of their own check-ins there, demonstrating that feedback is a priority.
In round-the-clock operations, thoughtful scheduling is key—set aside specific feedback times that don’t clash with your busiest periods and make sure you have enough staff to cover when people step away for feedback conversations.
Balancing Formal and Casual Feedback
Both formal feedback (reviews, written reports) and casual feedback (daily coaching, quick tips) serve important purposes.
Train your managers to notice patterns rather than just one-off incidents and be clear about when a recurring issue needs to move from casual conversations to formal documentation.
Create simple ways for managers to log quick feedback conversations so they can spot trends and refer to them during formal reviews.
Regular check-ins with staff are a great opportunity for casual feedback – check out Cooking Up Connection: 5 Minute Check-in Recipe on People Working Well.
Feedback Frameworks: SBI and CEDAR
Effective feedback requires a clear structure. Here are two powerful frameworks to help your team deliver feedback that improves performance:
The SBI Framework for Day-to-Day Feedback
SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) works perfectly for quick, in-the-moment feedback:
- Situation: Describe when and where the behaviour occurred (“Yesterday during the conference check-in”)
- Behaviour: State exactly what you observed (“You greeted each guest by name and remembered their preferences”)
- Impact: Explain the effect this had (“This made guests feel valued and we received three compliments about it”)
This framework is ideal for daily coaching, peer feedback, and reinforcing positive behaviours. It’s quick, specific, and focuses on observable actions rather than assumptions.
The CEDAR Framework for Formal Feedback
For more significant performance discussions or formal reviews, use the CEDAR approach:
- Context: Set the stage and explain why you’re having this conversation (“Let’s discuss recent guest feedback about the breakfast service”)
- Examples: Provide specific instances (“Last Tuesday, three tables waited over 10 minutes for coffee refills”)
- Diagnosis: Explore root causes together (“What factors do you think contributed to this?”)
- Action: Create clear next steps (“Let’s adjust the server station layout and add a second coffee station”)
- Review: Set a specific time to follow up (“We’ll check how these changes are working next Friday”)
CEDAR creates a more comprehensive feedback conversation that involves the employee in problem-solving rather than just receiving criticism.
Train your leaders to replace general comments (“Your service needs work”) with these structured approaches that include specific examples and clear action plans.
Effective Alternatives
Be aware of what phrases and words you’re using. Here are some examples of common pitfalls, and what to say instead.
Absolutes → Specific Observations
- Instead of: “You always forget to restock the minibar”
- Say: “I noticed the minibars in rooms 203 and 215 weren’t fully stocked during yesterday’s inspection”
“But” statements → Additive Language
- Instead of: “Your check-in process is efficient, but guests seem confused”
- Say: “Your check-in process is efficient, and adding a brief explanation of our amenities would enhance the guest experience”
“Why” questions → Solution-Focused Inquiries
- Instead of: “Why did you charge the guest incorrectly?”
- Say: “What process could we implement to ensure billing accuracy in the future?”
Judgmental labels → Behaviour-Based Feedback
- Instead of: “That was unprofessional how you spoke to that guest”
- Say: “When addressing guest complaints, speaking in a softer tone helps them feel heard and valued”
“You should” statements → Collaborative Suggestions
- Instead of: “You should be more attentive to VIP guests”
- Say: “What if we created a checklist for VIP arrivals to ensure consistent service?”
Vague terms → Specific Examples
- Instead of: “Your customer service needs improvement”
- Say: “Making eye contact and using the guest’s name creates a more personalized check-in experience”
Comparisons to others → Individual Focus
- Instead of: “Why can’t you be more like Jamie in handling reservations?”
- Say: “I’ve noticed you have a talent for detail. Using our reservation system’s note feature would help capture guest preferences effectively”
Criticism signals → Direct, Constructive Feedback
- Instead of: “No offense, but your tour guiding needs work”
- Say: “Adding local stories and historical facts would make your tours even more engaging for our guests”
Following Up: The Missing Link
Without follow-through, even the best feedback falls flat. Staff may stop taking feedback seriously, leading to disengagement and a lack of improvement.
Set the expectation that all feedback conversations must include a plan to check in later, and let the employee know when you’ll be following up.
Use simple tracking tools where managers log when they gave feedback and when they need to follow up, and be sure to follow-through.
Measure how well your follow-up system works by tracking completion rates, whether changes happened, and how staff feel about the feedback process.
Leading by Example
As a leader, you need to show the vulnerability you want to see. Share your own mistakes and what you’ve learned. When service goes wrong, turn towards reflection rather than reaction—building a growth mindset for constructive feedback that centre discussions around improving processes and relationships without blame. After difficult situations, focus your team discussions on improving processes rather than criticizing individuals.
With this approach, even challenging guest situations become chances to strengthen psychological safety while improving service—creating a positive cycle that benefits your staff, your guests, and your business results.