Training front desk staff effectively is one of the most frequently asked questions among hotel leaders striving to elevate guest service and boost revenue.The answer starts with one powerful, often overlooked method: role play. Tom Diaz from Frontline Performance Group breaks down the real-world value of role playing in hotel front desk training and how it transforms teams from passive order-takers to confident, proactive sellers.
Why Role Play Matters in Hotel Front Desk Training
According to Diaz, role play builds two essential strengths in front desk agents:
- Confidence with dialogue
- Comfort with procedures and making offers
What to Role Play with Your Front Desk Team
There’s no limit to the scenarios worth practicing. But Diaz highlights a few core focus areas:- Upsell offers – eg., upgrading into a suite
- Top-down selling – knowing how to move from premium to standard
- Pricing conversations – learning how to talk about price confidently
- Overcoming objections – a critical skill in any sales setting
These are everyday situations at the front desk. Practicing them regularly helps agents handle them naturally with real guests.
When and Where to Practice
Role play should be woven into all aspects of the daily operation:
- At the front desk during downtime
- During one-on-one coaching sessions
- As part of your pre-shift meetings
“This is probably one of the best ways to do a role play,” says Diaz of pre-shift meetings. “You're kind of gearing everybody up, tuning everybody up for the remainder of the day.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Role play is most effective when it’s based on real performance insights.
Personalizing Role Play for Each Agent
To make role play impactful, listen to your team in action. Identify what each agent needs to work on and tailor their role play sessions accordingly.
Diaz explains, “Let's say that I have an agent, Johnny, and he's having a hard time with the pricing dialogue... when I do the role play with Johnny, it's going to be specifically around pricing.”
This keeps the sessions focused, saves time, and builds confidence exactly where it’s needed.
The Power of Small Shifts in Front Desk Dialogue
"Small changes in dialogue can make a big difference at the front desk," says Diaz. When it comes to engaging guests, the words we choose—and when we use them—can be the difference between losing a sale and making one. A seemingly simple response can either shut down interest or open the door to greater value perception and stronger brand loyalty.
Let’s look at a common deal breaker that might be holding your team back—and how a simple tweak can transform it into a sales maker.
The Scenario: A Guest Asks, “How Much is That Room?”
Too often, front desk agents reply with a straightforward price:
"It's $50 per night."
Diaz explains why this is problematic:
"We haven't explained any of the benefits or gone through anything else as why that price is worth the value. Remember, price is what people give, value is what they receive."
Without highlighting the features or advantages of the offer, the guest is left to weigh the price alone—and that rarely works in your favor.
The Fix: "For the king suite, you'll have additional privacy with more space. It's only a difference of $50 per night."
Why this works? It shifts the guest’s focus from what they're paying to what they're getting. Diaz puts it simply:
“Only a difference of” is much better than saying it’s ‘$50 more,’ ‘additional,’ or ‘extra.’ ‘Only a difference of’ makes that number seem so much smaller in comparison to your very first offer."
By making this small yet strategic adjustment in your language, you elevate the guest experience, reinforce your property's value, and drive more confident bookings at the front desk.
How to Turn Free Upgrade Requests into Paid Upsells
Think about what common pain points your front desk often faces and how this could be addressed through role play practice. For example, many front desk teams encounter elite loyalty members who expect complimentary upgrades as a perk of their status, often without engaging in any conversation. According to Diaz, these high-tier guests are sometimes seen as a missed opportunity, with staff assuming there's no potential for upselling.
However, Diaz encourages a shift in mindset—these guests have already demonstrated a willingness to invest in your brand. By warmly acknowledging their loyalty and skillfully presenting enhanced upgrade options, hotels can transform routine upgrade requests into valuable revenue opportunities, often prompting the guest to inquire about prices themselves. Read more about this topic and learn the recommended dialogue in this blog post: How to Turn Free Upgrade Requests into Paid Upsell Opportunities.
Coaching Without Being a Sales Expert
One of the most reassuring insights Diaz shares is this: “You don't have to be the best seller in the world to coach and teach selling. What you do have to do, you have to know the process. You have to know the dialogs.”By leading with clarity and consistency, managers create an environment where the team mirrors the behaviors they see.
Tools That Make Role Play Fun and Effective
From flashcards to group scenarios, there are several ways to bring energy into role play:- Use flashcards with objections on one side and responses on the other
- Create role-play rounds in group settings to hear multiple approaches
- Make the setting realistic—practice at the front desk itself
“Practice the same way you're going to play,” says Diaz. “If you're an athlete, you want to practice on the same field where you get to play the big game. Same situation.”
Involving Top Performers
Another key strategy? Leverage the knowledge of your best people. Diaz shares a story of a top performer named Jenny. Before a pre-shift, he asked her what single tip she’d give a new agent. Then during the team meeting, she shared that same tip with the group.
“They're not just hearing it from me,” Diaz explains. “They're hearing it from a top performer, from one of their colleagues.”
This reinforces a culture of peer learning and shows that excellence is already within reach.
Final Thought: Consistency is Key
Role play works because it builds muscle memory. It creates a safe space to practice and learn, so the real moments with guests feel natural, not forced. “The key to role play is consistency,” Diaz reminds us. “It’s staying calm, but also creating a scenario as close as possible to their actual situation.”
Ready to Improve Your Hotel Front Desk Training?
If you're serious about increasing upsell revenue, improving service delivery and empowering your front desk team, start with role play.
For more insights, tools, and ready-to-use dialog strategies, explore Frontline Performance Group’s blog.
If you'd like to join 2,500+ hotels worldwide using our program, or to learn more about our virtual and on-site development programs, find out more by requesting a free demo here—we’d love to hear from you!
