To do or not to do. Servicing a hotel guest room with a “Do Not Disturb”—or DND—sign is often a confusing topic among hospitality employees. On one hand, you need to respect the guest’s privacy, but on the other, you need to provide all necessary services too.
Previously we published another tutorial covering how to handle do not disturb (dnd) room in hotel. Check that as well.
In this blog post, we’ve made it easier to understand. Getting to know what to do in which situation and the best practices to follow beforehand can make it simple and even efficient for hotels. Let’s know it all.
How to Service Hotel Guest Rooms with DND Sign
DND signs outside hotel rooms tell hotel staff and visitors that the guest does not want any disturbance. Hence, the service attendants must avoid knocking or entering the room until the sign is removed.
Since the purpose of the DND sign is to protect guests’ privacy and calm, this general protocol is not limited to the service attendants. All hotel staff must refrain from interacting with guests displaying this sign.
However, there are some instances where this rule might not be fully applicable. Guests’ health and security concerns, for instance, are prioritized over DND customs. When customers don’t remove the DND sign long enough to generate legitimate safety concerns, the hotel staff ignores no-disturbance calls. Similarly, some hotel cultures are also known not to respect DND signs at all. This happens particularly in routine tasks such as housekeeping and room service.
Nevertheless, room service staff should not knock or open a DND door even in these circumstances without informing the security department. The ultimate authority belongs to the higher management. Any entry into a DND room risks the hotel’s reputation and may even increase its liability as guests can potentially allege missing possessions.
Here’s the complete step-by-step protocol for the service staff to deal with a DND room:
- Upon approaching a room for service, check if it has displayed a DND sign on the door.
- The sign could be found on a card saying “Do Not Disturb”, hung on the doorknob.
- Many modern hotels also have DND lights installed beside each room door. Guests can turn them on from inside their room. These lights might also be integrated with the hotel’s computer network. The service staff can, thus, also know the DND status of every room remotely.
- If a room’s DND light is on, the staff must respectfully honor the guest’s privacy and leave without servicing.
- If the DND status remains in place for much longer than usual, the staff should continue to refrain from disturbing the guests and notify the higher management instead.
If the Guest Is About to Check-Out
- If a guest’s expected check-out time has passed but their room’s DND status is still on, the service staff should still not knock on the door.
- The staff might assume the room is vacant and try to knock or open it. However, instead, they should inform the service supervisor or the higher management about the situation.
- The supervisor should then confirm if the guests have already checked out. S/he can contact the front desk to do so.
- If they don’t confirm, the supervisor should call the guests directly and ask if any service is required.
- On the other hand, if the front desk confirms the check-out, the supervisor should give the service team a go-ahead despite the room having a DND sign displayed.
- The service team should also write the whole process in detail in their daily log.
If the Guest Stays Long
- If a guest has a stay-over and still displays the DND sign, the hotel staff must refrain from making any disturbances.
- However, if the sign persists till 2 PM in the evening, the supervisor must contact the guest and ask if they need any service.
- If the service is refused, the staff may enter the room after 3 PM for all necessary services.
- Alternatively, the staff can slip into the DND room saying that the services were not provided to honor the guest’s privacy.
Card Format
Generally, the card only states the reason for no service and the procedure to get service in the future. It’s a polite way to tell the guests that the room service was not provided because of the DND sign hanging on the door. It further states that contact the room service department to get it.
The card begins with greetings and ends with thank you. The hotel can also add its logo and other graphics to give it a friendly look. The staff should slip it inside the room very gently and without knocking at the door.
Tips for Managing DND Guests
Here are some useful tips for dealing with the situations discussed above proactively:
- Discussions With Guests: During check-in, it is reasonable to discuss their preferred room service times with the guests. The staff should make sure to explain to the guests about the DND feature upon showing the room. If the guests do not know about this feature, they might turn it on accidentally and interrupt the work of room service. Thus, discussing such things with the guests beforehand can avoid any inconvenience.
- Train the Staff: Not just the service staff, but all hotel employees must know about the DND sign and the protocols to follow if this sign is displayed. Not to mention, respecting the DND status can lead to increased customer satisfaction and hence, customer retention. According to an estimate, about a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits by 25 to 95%.
Conclusion
Hotel rooms with DND signs must not be serviced and the staff must be careful regarding the guests’ privacy. However, the safety and well-being of the guests stand above anything else. In case of any suspiciously prolonged DND status, the service staff must notify the higher management to take necessary actions.
If a guest’s expected check-out time has passed, the hotel staff must still refrain from knocking at the door. Instead, they must contact the higher management. Best practices must be followed in all cases to make sure no inconvenience occurs with a DND customer.
