What is more important – quality of customer service or profit?

We recently had the opportunity to spend a few nights away from home in a couple of hotels in very different locations.

When booking our rooms the hotel website advised that there may be limited services due to COVID restrictions. However, it was only when we arrived at the hotel was it made clear just what these restrictions would be. Our stays were less than five nights so our rooms would not be serviced, cleaned, etc. Also breakfast service in one of the hotels was extremely poor in many respects.

The room rate for both hotels was comparable with those pre COVID yet there was obvious cost reductions in place.

Profit can be immediate, the benefits of customer service will be more long term.

I sympathise with the difficulties and challenges faced by the hospitality industry but proprietors need to decide whether quality of customer service or profit is more important.