The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
The Art of a Great Arrival for Luxury Hotels
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | May 22, 2024
Guest Experience
Five Ways to Make OTA Customers Yours Again
Larry Mogelonsky | June 29, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) If you've been following my writing over the years, you're well aware that I'm not a fan of the OTAs. They are strong marketers, and exceptionally well run. Now that the 'book direct' war cry has caught on with some of the major chains such as Hilton and Marriott, it's time to reinvestigate what actions you can take. In a way, I'm awed by the OTAs' clout. But, nothing personal, I see their business model as contrary to many hospitality organization's long-term goals. Three key arguments I've inculcated are margin erosion, commoditization and brand dilution. To sum them all up in a neat bow:...
GuestTek and Bulk TV Forge Relationship to Deliver Converged Solutions in Hotels
Bulk TV & Internet | June 22, 2016
Calgary, Alberta & Raleigh, North Carolina – June 22, 2016 – Combining GuestTek's OneView Managed Video Platform (MVP), a scalable platform, giving guests a true in-home entertainment experience with Bulk TV & Internet's top-notch execution of delivering DIRECTV programming services brings hotels a truly world class guest room experience. Complying with Marriott's GRE (Guestroom Entertainment) services, MVP offers a feature-rich, cost-effective solution to hotels with Coax only, wired or wireless infrastructure. With an interactive program guide, guests are able to utilize functionality including future channel listi...
Sometimes Guest Satisfaction is as Easy as Saying Hello
Larry Mogelonsky | June 22, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Buongiorno. Ni hao. As salam Alaykom. A basic greeting from hotel staffer to hotel guest can never go wrong. It's easy; it's fast; it's a sign that you are always welcome. Even better would be to follow-up the salutation with a simple, "How are you?" or "Can I help you with anything?" And yet, at many establishments outside of the five-star or ultra-luxury snack bracket, the only hello I get is the perfunctory one at check-in – an instance where I approach the front desk and not the other way around where an employee goes out of his or her way to offer assistance...
Infor Enhances Hotel Management in the Cloud
Infor | June 20, 2016
Infor HMS with Advanced Mobility Helps Speed Daily Operations and Improve Guest Experience for Hotels and Casinos NEW YORK - Jun 20, 2016 - Infor, a leading provider of beautiful business applications specialized by industry and built for the cloud, today announced the availability of Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) version 3.7.4 to help hospitality customers promote a superior guest experience with enhanced industry-specific features. In today's competitive market, utilizing an integrated suite of industry-tailored applications such as Infor HMS can be a critical function to help drive brand loyalty and facilitate measu...
NYC’s Hôtel Americano Partners with ALICE
ALICE | June 16, 2016
Chelsea Hotel's Uniquely Rich Guest Experience Delivered through a Single Operations Platform, Which Also Realizes Cost Savings NEW YORK, June 16, 2016 – ALICE, a SaaS platform that completely connects the guest to the hotel, and connects all service departments within a hotel, announced that NYC's Hôtel Americano has adopted its ALICE SUITE solution. ALICE SUITE supports hotels in providing guests with "end-to-end" superior and efficient service, seamlessly, increasing guest satisfaction and realizing significant cost savings at the same time. "We are delighted to announce our partnership with Hôtel Americano, one of ...
Never Look to Fast Food for Culinary Inspiration
Larry Mogelonsky | June 15, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) During a recent Saturday afternoon trip to the mall in my hometown of Toronto, I found myself cruising through the food court looking for some grub when I came across a burger joint flaunting its new burger with 'Fiery Srirachup Sauce', using that clever portmanteau of sriracha and ketchup to make it seem as though adding hot sauce is anything new. For those of you still strictly in the meat and potatoes camp, sriracha is a tangy Southeast Asian chili sauce that has only recently become a table name, largely due to the highly adept marketing and distribution tactics of a Huy Fong Foods, Los...
Don’t Be The Weakest Link In Your Flag
Larry Mogelonsky | June 8, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Recently, I had an unfortunate experience while staying at a branded property that was clearly well past its best before date. Despite its prime location in its market and good promotional efforts, it was obvious that this chain outlet was not meeting any of the defined standards outlined by the corporate website. I won't go into details, but let's just say that this economy-plus level hotel wasn't meeting some of the most basic criteria that characterize 'a good night's stay'. Being part of a group booking, it was apparent that I was not the only one who took notice of the property's blata...
Successful Selling: Use Differentiation to Capture More Customers
Katie Scheer | June 1, 2016
By Katie Scheer For hotels, the competition for securing sales and catering business is at a high. This record-breaking level of competitive demand is not forecasted to stop any time soon, so what can hotels do to maximize the amount of business that they reel in? Differentiation is key. Differentiation can take form in many different ways. Here are the top ways to get noticed and to intrigue every prospect so much that they secure business with you: Customer Service Practices - To set yourself apart, you must be the fastest and most helpful, genuine, and proactive prospective vendor. You must exceed deadline expectations and deliver...
Hotels Must Be Better Than Home
Larry Mogelonsky | June 1, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) 'Feels just like home' or 'Make yourself at home' or any other iteration on this phrase is a common copywriting tool for hotels to create an inviting feeling for prospective travelers. While the intentions are all well and good, there is an underlying problem with this language. Namely, what does the average home actually look and feel like? Cramped spaces. Old furniture. Hodgepodges of mismatched art. No cohesive design or vision. Kids toys scattered everywhere. Messy kitchen. Bedsheets changed at a minimum of once a week. Grime in the washrooms. Mediocre garden. Nosy neighbors. Repairs up...
The Go Go Boomer Generation
Larry Mogelonsky | May 25, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) A recent newspaper articled dedicated to the financial requirements of retirees proposed a treatise on the matter with three key phases: The first was defined as 'Go Go' where the individual, as if making up for lost time, was perpetually traveling to compensate for all those years raising a family and building a career. The middle phase was called 'Go Slow' with said individual still traveling, but typically at a more reserved pace and on a localized basis. With a profound sense of melancholy, the last stage, the 'No Go' travel era, characterized those who were restricted or unable to ...
Kennedy Training Network Helps Bartell Hotels’ Private Call Center Improve Direct Bookings
Kennedy Training Network | May 23, 2016
Call Conversions, ADR and Direct Booking Revenues All Increase After Implementation of KTN's Training Hollywood, Florida – May 23, 2016 – Like all hotel companies, Bartell Hotels was looking for ways to increase direct bookings as part of an overall strategy to reduce its distribution costs and to recapture market share from other channels such as OTA's. As the owner and operator of 8 fine hotels in the San Diego area, Bartell maintains its own centralized reservations call center to provide the personalized service and local area knowledge that today's callers are seeking. In early 2015, Bartell Hotels contracted with KTN t...
10 Targeted Ways to Help Your Customers Fall in Love with Your Business
Jana Love | May 20, 2016
By Jana Love How do you make your customers fall in love with your business? A crucial part of any business is building and nurturing the relationship. However, today an unhappy customer has a very powerful weapon to voice their opinion- it's called social media and the web. This is why it's even more critical to create memorable experiences so that they can fall in love with your business. Focusing on creating excellent and memorable experiences for your customers is a business opportunity every day. Too many businesses today fall short of this, which gives you the perfect opportunity to court and nab new customers. I recently ...
The Year of the Pulse
Larry Mogelonsky | May 18, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) At the beginning of the calendar year, the General Assembly of the United Nations proudly declared that 2016 would be the 'International Year of Pulses'. Before your mind wonders onto thoughts of impending electromagnetic pulses and what not, know that a pulse is simply another, more encompassing term for a bean. And the timing couldn't be better to bring these powerhouse foods back into the limelight. As the saying goes, beans are good for your heart; the more you eat them, the more you…like them! And this is without-a-doubt true. Beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas are all fibrous c...
Where Are the STRONG Leaders?
Bryan K. Williams | May 16, 2016
By Bryan K. Williams What does it mean to lead? At least two conditions must be met. First, you must have a clear destination in mind. Secondly, at least one other person has to be following. If no one is following, then you are not leading. As John Maxwell once wrote, "if you think you are leading, but no one is following, then you are just taking a walk." However, strong leaders do more than just influence others to follow. Strong leaders are lifters. They encourage, inspire, challenge and recognize performance on a regular basis. Count yourself as blessed if you have ever been led by a strong leader. You may or may not have liked bei...
In A Digital World, Voice Is Everything
Larry Mogelonsky | May 11, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) As more and more of our regular communications shift to email, text messages, WhatsApp, social media and other digitally typed channels, there are two profound behavioral shifts occurring. If it isn't obvious from the title, you should know that I am a staunch proponent of talking to clients and customers over the phone. Yes, email and text messages are often significantly faster, but the written word (outside of novelistic expressions) will always fail to grasp the full inflection, subtle cues, mannerisms and hidden desires of the opposite party. Importantly, the 21st century has seen the ...
Add WhatsApp to Your Hotel Engagement Strategy and Why You Should
Guestfolio | May 10, 2016
As of February 2016, WhatsApp surpassed the 1 billion users mark. That means 1 in 7 people in the world now use it and what's more, 42 billion messages are sent daily using the app (compared with a mere 20 billion by SMS). Even more recently, you may have read (or seen in the app) that WhatsApp has made data and communications as secure as possible using end-to-end encryption. I think it's safe to say 2016 has been a big year for WhatsApp so far, but why is this so important for us in the travel industry? Speaking from personal experience, I know that WhatsApp is one of the few apps on my phone that's worthy of sitting on it's own outsi...
The Proper Usage of RevPAG
Larry Mogelonsky | May 5, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Any specialty, and hospitality is no exclusion, comes with its own set of technical jargon and acronyms. We hoteliers are bombarded daily with ADR and RevPAR as well as, to a lesser extent, the latter's two smaller siblings, RevPOR and RevPAG. Even though they are less common, they are still quite handy in certain situations, and today our focus will be on RevPAG. Let's get the acronyms out of the way so there's no confusion: RevPAR = Revenue Per Available Room RevPOR = Revenue Per Occupied Room RevPAG = Revenue Per Available Guest The first term, RevPAR, is the most commonly used thes...
Everyone Eats in Five Maxims
Larry Mogelonsky | April 27, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) "Everyone eats!" is the banner I so readily employ to draw attention to the importance of having a stellar F&B program. Some golf, some attend meetings, and most of us only get married less than five times. But everyone eats; even anthropomorphic robots need gasoline, fresh lithium batteries or some groovy infrared sun rays to recharge their photovoltaic cells. "Everyone eats" is also the impetus for me to constantly seek out the best and brightest in this department so that we might all improve our operations. And one crucial position to this end is the Executive Chef. Fairmont Le...
An Uber Point of View on Airbnb
Larry Mogelonsky | April 20, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) As of this writing, my home city of Toronto has been locked in a bitter, years-long feud between the established taxi companies and Uber, with legislation moving back and forth through the halls of municipal government. The taxis' position is that Uber drivers don't have to go through anywhere near the same number of legal hoops (read: upfront expenses) in order to serve customers, all while Uber drivers simply keep on driving. Putting aside personal judgments on this case or any preceding one, I can't help but think of the parallels this has with Airbnb and its disruptive impact on the hos...
Restaurants and Wi-Fi Don’t Mix
Larry Mogelonsky | April 13, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Read the title carefully. I've been a longstanding backer of offering WiFi to hotel guests for free as a means of increasing guest satisfaction (or, at the very least, meeting the modern expectation of complimentary WiFi services). But restaurants are different. This is a specific instance where promoting complimentary wireless internet access may not be the prudent method of garnering consumer advocacy. Unlike hotels, where the primary components amounting to profitability are ADR and occupancy, many eateries live and die on the number of turns per day. And what we are seeing now is that d...
Kennedy Training Network Announces Advanced Level Reservations Sales Training
Kennedy Training Network | April 7, 2016
New Program Helps Reservations and Front Desk Agents Overcome Objections and Maximize Rates Hollywood, Florida - April 7, 2016 - KTN announced today the launch of a new advanced-level training program for reservations sales agents and for front desk colleagues that take reservations. The new course, which is available as an on-site training workshop and also as a private webinar series, can be scheduled as a follow-up to KTN's Hotel Reservations QUEST sales training program or scheduled as a stand-alone event. "Today's agents already have to deal with questions from over-informed callers who have read guest reviews and surf...
Everything Is Up For Review
Larry Mogelonsky | April 6, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) TripAdvisor, Yelp, Uber, Airbnb, Amazon.com, Expedia, Priceline – all are examples of online services where reviews weigh heavily in consumer purchasing decisions. Indeed, we now inhabit a literal 'Review Age' where everything and everyone under the sun can be given an online user evaluation in some way, shape or form. Moreover, when it comes to hospitality, guests will also pass judgment on you, as a hotel operator, for how well you curate your property's online criticisms across all digital channels. It's now the expectation that you not only reply constructively, but that you also ...
Customer Service: Say This, Not That
Jana Love | April 6, 2016
By Jana Love In an economy where the customer is becoming increasingly more demanding and competition is all around you, what can you do to stand out and give your customers what most are missing and many don't have? There are a million pages of research that shows that the customer values good customer service, even more than the quality of the products and services themselves. So getting it "right" seems more compelling than ever. Should you get it "wrong," any efforts made for improving your service are for nothing. I am a tough customer, I will admit it. Nothing frustrates me more than spending money for a su...
Upgrade Your Digital Presentation With Cinemagraphs
Larry Mogelonsky | March 30, 2016
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.lma.ca) Let's talk tech. It's 2016 and we all know that visual content for your digital channel mix is essential – even more so now for streamed videos. To update an old adage: if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures. But embedded videos can be a pain in the donkey because they slow down page load times. Good thing there's a happy medium in the form of cinemagraphs… For our purposes as hoteliers, cinemagraphs are essentially a form of animated GIF with a short, repetitive action to give the appearance of continuous movement. With smartphone cam...
