Siegel Sez: Not Your Father’s Power Socket
September 3rd, 2021
The Most Important Hotel “Salesperson” Right Now Is Working Behind Your Front Desk
Doug Kennedy | July 22nd, 2020
Global DMC Partners Shares Insights From Virtual Industry Panel on the ‘New Normal’ for Meetings and Incentives
Global DMC Partners | July 6, 2020
Washington, D.C. – July 6, 2020 – Global DMC Partners (GDP), the leading global network of independently owned destination management companies (DMCs) and creative event experts, held a virtual open forum on Wednesday, June 24. Facilitated by GDP President and CEO Catherine Chaulet, the panel discussion, The Meeting Planner’s New Reality in the “New Normal,” addressed the new challenges that planners face due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s short- and long-term effects on the meetings and events industry. The featured panelists included Becky Cavanaugh, Associate Director, Medical Meetings and Events, Syneos Health; Elliott Grant, Dire...
Rethinking Fitness, Food, Fresh Air and Floor Plans for the Post-Pandemic Guest
Stephanie Quilligan | July 2, 2020
By Stephanie Quilligan While would-be travelers have sheltered at home, hotels and resorts have been putting protocols in place to keep guests safe when travel resumes. Now that doors are starting to open, what other factors will determine where travelers choose to stay? A greater emphasis on healthy living, open air and personal space, brought about by COVID-19 concerns, will influence travel decisions going forward. And while certain hotels and resorts will have a natural advantage in this area, there are easy-to-implement changes any property can make to enhance their appeal to post-pandemic travelers. Here are four: Fitness on th...
Tourism Tidbits: Fundamental Questions to Ask When Developing a Tourism Business Plan in an Age of Pandemics
Dr. Peter Tarlow | July 2, 2020
By Dr. Peter Tarlow Traditionally, the summer months are a great time to see where one’s business is headed and what future challenges it will have. In this period of rebuilding after so much of the tourism has closed down, the need for a new and updated business plan is more important than ever. Perhaps the number one reason why a tourism business fails be that business a place of lodging, an attraction, a place of dinning, or a form of transportation, is the lack of a well thought through business plan. All business ventures are risky, but as we have seen in this period of pandemics, tourism businesses often have special challeng...
Leading Hoteliers Share Their Strategies for Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic
David Berger | July 1, 2020
Hotel operators from coast to coast discuss how they’re employing new procedures and cutting-edge technologies to serve their guests safely during the COVID-19 pandemic By David Berger As I’ve reviewed the “Commitment to Cleanliness” tomes released by major hotel brands and management groups over the past month, I’ve been impressed by the dedication and attention to detail from the teams’ that put each together. Operating under extreme pressure as many of their colleagues faced furlough, they’ve outlined cleaning solutions and processes that will indeed make their guests feel more comfortable and mitigate risks to the heal...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: Chapter 8 – The Trial
David Lund | June 29, 2020
By David Lund The chapter below is an excerpt from my new book. It’s fiction but some of the characters and story lines are based on people I have worked with and events that have taken place in the hotels I have worked in. The book is a fable about a hotel manager who has some very bad habits. He must change in order to survive and the book takes him and you through the lessons needed to be a great hospitality financial leader. I’m writing ahead each month so I’m not sure how the book will end. I hope you enjoy it and if you missed any earlier chapters you can find them on my website blog tab. I arrived home that evening a li...
How to Show the Welcoming Smiles Behind the Masks of Your Hotel Staff
Doug Kennedy | June 25, 2020
By Doug Kennedy As part of the hotel and lodging industry’s effort to help guests feel safe about traveling during the current COVID-19 pandemic era, nearly all are requiring hotel staff to wear facemasks. However, one down-side is of course the fact that our colleagues can no longer share their warm and welcoming smiles as they greet guests at the front entrance, pass by them in hallways and corridors or when serving them in dining and recreational outlets. Lately, as our KTN trainers have been conducting our “Heart of Hospitality” Certification webcam coaching sessions, many of our participating candidates are expressing that wh...
How to Measure Customer Retention
Shep Hyken | June 24, 2020
By Shep Hyken Get ready to do a little math. While not my typical lesson, this is very important. It’s about customer retention—which can lead to customer loyalty. Loyal customers are important to all businesses regardless of industry or size—large, small, B2B or B2C. Most businesses know their numbers, but do they know the right numbers? It’s easy to measure customer satisfaction at different levels. We find out how they liked our experience. We know that if they liked the experience, that is the first step in getting them to come back. The “getting them to come back” number is different than the “were you happy with us?...
Uplifting the Leisure and Hospitality Workforce Through Education
Vivek Sharma | June 23, 2020
By Vivek Sharma Arguably one of the industries in the U.S. that has encountered the deepest impact from the COVID-19 pandemic is the leisure and hospitality sector. In March and April of this year, the industry laid off more than 8 million people, then rebounded and continued to increase in July, adding 592,000 jobs. As more states open again for business and companies ask employees to return, some workers formerly employed in these service industries may reconsider whether to use their valuable skills in another line of work. While it will take time for the economy to completely rebound and attain pre-pandemic business levels, American...
You May Not Know It, But You’re in the Subscription Business
Shep Hyken | June 18, 2020
By Shep Hyken I have an idea about renewals. Most people think that a renewal applies to some type of subscription. You renew your subscription to a magazine, a maintenance contract or a software program. But what if renewal had a broader meaning? What if renewal simply meant that the customer comes back—again and again? While repeat business may not be as steady as a subscription renewal, it can still be tracked in a similar way. A business with a true subscription model can predict renewals. Over time, any business can track return customers who, in a sense, are renewing their trust in the business to purchase from them again. ...
The Benefits of Service Design
June 18, 2020
On a global scale, the tourism industry impacts over 284 million jobs. These jobs comprise an enormous sector of the global economy, with these organizations focusing on providing customers with outstanding experiences. Rather than selling their customers and clients particular products to fulfill pain points, these businesses instead focus on providing customers with a promised experience. It is through these emotion-driven interactions that customers determine if their needs have been met and their view of this particular business. Within this sector, therefore, the idea of service design has a tremendous impact. Through service design,...
Creativity and Flexibility Become Key for the Hotel Sector’s New Normal
HVS | June 17, 2020
17 June 2020, London: An international hotel webinar held last week [10th June] to discuss the hotel industry’s journey out of lockdown, warned of the long road ahead for hotel operators to reach full recovery, and the likelihood that the hotel sector and the way it operates will be forever changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The webinar, organized by global hotel consultancy HVS, legal firm Bird & Bird and EP Hospitality, attracted nearly 700 industry executives from across the world, with 18 senior industry experts presenting as speakers, panellists and moderators. A session addressing post-lockdown re-opening strateg...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Separation of Duties – Part 2
David Lund | June 15, 2020
By David Lund In the business world protecting your assets is a critical strategy. Without it you are open to “things” happening that can cost you a fortune. I was trained with the concept of the separation of duties as a foundation so in some respects I take it that everyone else has the same perspective. Recently I worked with a client that showed me just how far things can go awry when you put your trust in someone and you fail to have the proper separation and oversight. Now I know you’re thinking two or three things right now. David is very distrusting, and he has no idea who I have looking after my affairs and besides that w...
The Future of IoT Is at the Edge
Ian Millar | June 12, 2020
By Ian Millar One of the most prevalent trends in almost every industry is the internet of things or otherwise known as IoT. What a few years ago seemed futuristic; it is now becoming a reality. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the inclusion of connectivity in everyday devices that do not usually count with those capabilities; it allows us to turn appliances “smart” by enabling them to receive, send data and communicate with each other. This will significantly increase the quantity of data available to us as well as levels of automation. It will also enhance the control and monitoring we can exert on such devices. IoT will ultima...
Creativity Comes From Challenge
Michael Buono | June 11, 2020
By Michael Buono COVID-19 has challenged us personally and professionally to reevaluate how we interact and transact. Collectively as an industry, we are examining hospitality concepts and redefining experiences in the immediate, short- and long-term. Good concepts will carry over and areas that were not thriving pre-pandemic are unlikely to reemerge. This is a time of refinement and cleanse. Balancing the bottom line Balancing the bottom line is now a two-part equation. Existing projects must adjust through a comprehensive review; a deal initially showing x, is now x minus one. Initial underwriting requires a specified output and...
It’s Time to Invest in Your Employees’ Safety
Jay Reed | June 9, 2020
Ensuring a safe and confident workforce sets the table for a successful reopening; Hoteliers must do everything possible to reduce staff risk, so they want to return By Jay Reed It’s a dangerous world out there. New threats are making it challenging to reduce risks facing hotel employees. Even with heightened cleaning standards and sanitizing technology, it may be difficult to lure frontline workers – especially housekeepers – back to work. Think about it. There is no Coronavirus vaccine; those who return to work are doing so knowing that conditions are unsafe and that they can potentially get sick. As an industry, we need to rall...
The First 100 Days
Adam Knight | June 3, 2020
By Adam Knight As we start looking at a post-coronavirus world, there’s an opportunity for savvy managers and business owners to outline an action plan that will launch them out of their current situation and provide the momentum needed to be successful in our new normal. It wasn’t until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933 that a president’s first 100 days became a topic of discussion. After inauguration he moved quickly to pass 15 major pieces of legislation. This level of productivity was unheard of at the time and lead to enormous popularity. Roosevelt actually coined the term "first 100 days" during a radio address in Ju...
Ridiculous Interpretation of Rules
Shep Hyken | June 3, 2020
By Shep Hyken This is one of those unbelievable customer service stories that borders on the ridiculous. I actually thought I was in the middle of a Seinfeld episode—or maybe there was a hidden camera hoping to get a crazy reaction to the interaction I’m about to share with you. I was at an airport and wanted some breakfast. There was just one person ahead of me in line. I heard her order a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, hash browns and an orange juice. After placing her order, she stepped aside. The woman behind the counter asked what I’d like. I responded, “I’ll have exactly what that customer in front of me just ordered....
Hospitality Financial Leadership – The Death of Lord Mountbatten
David Lund | June 1, 2020
By David Lund In the hotel business we are always welcoming guests that have a variety of different needs and stories. In my first summer working at The Algonquin Resort I had the adventure of a lifetime living in the staff residence with my new friends and co-workers while my parents’ house was but a few blocks away. It wasn’t until three or four years later that I learned who was sleeping in my bed at my parents’ house that summer. Someone who needed a place to hide. Someone who had a secret to keep. The town of St. Andrews N.B. is a special place. I grew up there and I have many fond memories. Many local characters seemed bi...
The Myth of ‘Crisis Leadership’
Keith Kefgen | May 27, 2020
By: Keith Kefgen Google the phrase “crisis leadership,” and you get over half a billion (yes, with a “b”) entries. It is one of the hot topics on social media now, with new entries appearing daily. Everyone in the business world is talking about it, and they all seem to characterize it the same way: that crisis leadership reflects a highly specialized skill set or psychometric profile that is significantly different than “everyday” leadership. The spirit or intent of these articles is certainly commendable. Indeed, leadership development remains as much an art as a science, and so data-driven guidance is critically important...
Hospitality Financial Leadership: The Consultants
David Lund | May 26, 2020
By David Lund That’s enough detail. I already have a good understanding of the requirements.” – Jeff Haden, New York Times Inside of the hotel company I worked for there has always been a constant movement to increase efficiency, especially inside the financial function. Not surprising, right? That’s what all businesses have done and continue to do, to evolve and ultimately outsource or eliminate seemingly needless, value lacking work. I was heavily involved in such a project that took me all the way to England. The “Consultants” were hired to come up with a solution to centralize our complete accounting function. In our comp...
Coronavirus Restrictions Are Easing, but Cautionary Measures Should Not
Linchi Kwok | May 21, 2020
By Linchi Kwok People are eager to get back to their normal routines. Businesses are preparing for post-pandemic travel. Governments begin easing coronavirus restrictions. Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel already? Possibly, but the pandemic is not over yet. So, please remain cautious even though the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. U.S. states are easing coronavirus restrictions Travel restrictions and stay-at-home order were imposed to fight against the coronavirus outbreak, where non-essential businesses were paused, and residents were urged not to go out. There is a price for such measures, however. The wee...
The Peace of Mind Call
Shep Hyken | May 20, 2020
By Shep Hyken My friend Stacy Sherman, head of customer experience at Schindler Elevator Corporation, is personally dedicated to “humanizing business.” She is not only “in the trenches,” working in the customer service and experience world, she has also been recognized as a customer experience thought leader. She recently responded to one of my tweets, which was the creative spark for this post. I tweeted, “Amazing customer service isn’t an over-the-top WOW level of service. Here’s the real secret. Amazing customer service is just a little better than average.” Her response was, “There are many #CX techniques t...
Will Hotels Become Faceless, Hands-off, Sterile Environments?
DANIEL CRAIG | May 19, 2020
By Daniel Craig Hoteliers, are you ready for the Covid-19 recovery traveler? In this time of struggle for the travel industry, we can’t help but acknowledge the irony. Are hotels, after working so hard to build reputations as high-touch, warm and intimate, going to become faceless, hands-off, sterile environments? How will hoteliers uphold guest satisfaction while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of guests and staff? In my next webinar with ReviewPro, From High Touch to No Touch: Transforming the Guest Experience Post Covid-19, we’ll discuss how hotels around the world are implementing new health, safety and social-distancing...
Hospitality Financial Leadership – Pivot, Adapt and Implement Video
David Lund | May 18, 2020
By David Lund Learn more about what David teaches by watching this feature rich video, including: Flying By the Seat of Your Pants Investing in Financial Leadership Failure Leads to Success The Three Pillars of Hospitality The How to vs. The Want To Perfection is Bad The System for Hospitality Financial Leadership My Training Return on Investment Model ...
