Globalization and further achievements in the field of transportation have lead to something new for all service providers – millions of traveling foreigners as potential clients. The hotel industry is one of the most competitive markets, where the battle for clients is always in full swing. Nowadays, hotels have to be really competitive for their foreign clients and the easiest way to do so is to simply offer them the best.
Whether we are talking about hotel web pages, guest check-in forms, hotel restaurant menus, signs, terms & conditions or recreational activities brochures, it is always good to offer guests services and information in their own language, so they can fully understand. But bad translations can actually do more harm than good, so it is always best to invest in hiring professional translation services. Here’s why:
Bad translations cause customer confusion and dissatisfaction
If you have ever travelled abroad and was offered a Mixed sea food Iraq government office surface or Chicken rude and unreasonable, you already know that bad translations cause a lot of confusion. Examples like the ones above can be funny at first, sure, but how many guests would actually decide to use such a service?
By itself, confusion isn’t the worst thing that could happen to hotel’s guests. The actual problem is that guest confusion could turn into guest dissatisfaction – something every hotel owner probably wants to avoid. In a world full of so many options even the smallest complaint could lead to a guest’s decision never to return.
Bad translations drive customers away from spending more money
It is not just the revenue from accommodation that foreign customers bring in, it is also the revenue from all the additional paid services such as meals at the hotel’s restaurant, laundry services, parking, Internet, bicycle rentals, printing services, beauty treatments, room service, pet services, transfers to/from the hotel, conference rooms and similar. The potential for additional earnings is huge, but foreign guests are often reluctant to use these services if they cannot fully understand them and are not professionally presented.
Investing in documents professionally translated is a better option than to use cheaper or downright free alternatives. After all, doing so will lead to better credibility of the hotel. That’s why such an investment has such and incredible potential of return of investments – much bigger than its original cost. On the other hand, a bad translation usually has the opposite effect.
Bad translations hurt the reputation of hotels
There are two types of guests: Guests who are extremely price sensitive and always choose the cheapest hotels, and guests who are ready to spend more money to get additional comfort. The latter are usually hotel’s favorites, but if hotel owners want to attract this type of guests, they can’t afford to have poor translation of their documents. Bad translations could severely hurt the hotel’s reputation. And once this has happened, it takes a lot of effort and investment to make it better again.
Bad translations cause conflicts
Poor translations can lead to misunderstanding about what guests expect during their stay. Misunderstandings like these often lead to conflict between guests and the hotel staff, and conflicts are always bad for business. Not only do they hurt those who are directly involved, but they can also hurt others who aren’t. Conflict demoralizes the personnel and it creates tension, with a potential for future problems.
Bad translations work well, but for the competition
Bad translations are just like advertising. Too bad it only works for the competition. Such translations thus have two negative sides: they make all the effort futile and they even drive potential customers to other hotels.
Bad translations of hotel documents can severely hurt a hotel’s position on the market, so it rarely pays off to be cheap in this area.
Source: inboxtranslation.com