Guest Reviews Mention Staff Appearance More Than You Think
When a four-property hotel group in the Midlands reviewed their TripAdvisor feedback over a 12-month period, something surprised them. Staff appearance featured in 23% of positive reviews and 18% of negative ones. “Smartly dressed and professional” and “the staff were a bit scruffy” were both recurring phrases. Nobody had realised that uniform quality was generating that level of guest comment.
The guest experience manager commissioned a uniform audit. What she found: garments varied in condition across the four properties, a mix of two different uniform suppliers had created inconsistent logo sizes and colours, and the polo shirts in use had been in service in some cases for three or four years and were visibly tired.
The Full Uniform Refresh
We developed a new uniform specification for all four hotels covering three key roles: front desk staff, housekeeping teams, and restaurant staff. The front desk uniform — the most guest-visible role — received the most premium treatment: a performance stretch polo in midnight navy with an embroidered hotel group logo in gold thread on the left chest, and an individual hotel name below in smaller embroidery.
Housekeeping teams received a practical polo in dark grey, embroidered with both the group logo and a “Housekeeping” role identifier. Restaurant staff received black polos with embroidered logos and a small embroidered monogram denoting the individual restaurant brand within each hotel.
Total supply: 120 garments across 4 hotels, delivered within 14 business days.
The Results in the Following Quarter
The guest experience manager tracked TripAdvisor reviews for the six months following the uniform launch. Positive staff appearance mentions increased by 34%. Negative staff appearance mentions dropped to near zero. Overall property scores improved marginally across all four hotels — not a dramatic shift, but a consistent one that correlated with the period of uniform change.
“Uniforms alone didn’t change our scores. But they were part of a visible signal to guests that standards were being raised. Guests noticed and they said so.”
Build Your Hotel’s Uniform Programme
Whether you run one boutique property or a multi-site hotel group, Customised Workwear can build a uniform programme that delivers consistency, quality, and brand impact. Browse our hospitality workwear bundles or contact us today.