By John Hendrie
Wow, just look at that magnificent sunset! My, that was a super ride on Flicka! Zowie, I cannot take any more of the chef’s creation! All memorable experiences one would say. However, how about these comments. Ugh – there is hair in the tub! Egad, there is lipstick on this glass! Does anyone want this condom I found in the bureau? Which series of comments would prevail in your memory?
Hospitality starts with a blank tableau and we, as practitioners, apply the shapes and colors. If we do not provide for the basic expectations, we devalue the experience for our guest. Beyond the aspects of service and facility presentation (exterior and interior), cleanliness is paramount, no matter the wonderful and extraordinary “gifts” you provide your guest. Memories will be impacted by the simple presentation of something being clean, which should be a given in our business. But, it is not.
An interesting report was prepared by commingle:engage, as they drew conclusions from a sampling of some 50,000 guest reviews posted online last year, 2019. CEO and President of Lodging Interactive and commingle:engage, D.J. Vallauri, saw a trend of negative sentiment, wrapped around room quality and cleanliness. The issues were very much related to cleanliness in the bathroom, hair and mold issues.
We pack authenticity, uniqueness, and value into our brands. We want the guest experience to be memorable, but for all the right reasons. Take another look at your guest rooms; do your own audit or call in a professional quality review group. I, as your guest, want to remember the sunset, the horse ride and the chef’s concoctions.
