Hospitality 2.0

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5 Things

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What are you doing to move your organization forward? What are the people around you doing? What about the candidate being considered to join your company...what did she do at her last company to get them ahead? No matter when or how often you ask, it's always the most important thing to know....what are we doing?

Try implementing a 5 things report to get everyone focused on the idea of measurable progress. List the 5 things you're doing right now that will measurably move the organization forward...to get it a step closer to achieving overarching objectives like building an audience of loyal raving fans, reducing waste by 5% or improving employee retention. Release a new list regularly, on whatever schedule feels right...weekly seems to work well for most. Start handing yours out to your boss, peers and subordinates. Don't ask for theirs. After awhile, you'll get some in return. Hopefully, you'll start a shift in the culture of participation and measuring progress.

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Style Points

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They count in college football. They count in the Olympics. They count in politics. They also count when selling products and services. Style points matter for anything that's intended to be out of the ordinary...and they have tremendous value. Who's coffee has more style points...Starbucks or McDonalds? Which notebook computer has more...Macbook Air or Inspiron? Which car...Mini Cooper or Monte Carlo? Which greeting card...hand drawn with crayons or Hallmark?

Some style costs a lot...physical design, technical advances, comfort, etc. Some doesn't...a smile, music, eye contact and saying thank you. Interestingly, when we think about improving style, we often focus on the more expensive,  physical part. We work on making it look, taste or feel better...making it work faster...making nicer looking packaging. It's a shame we don't put equal time into the intangibles, the delivery and the relationship.

Style points separate you. They move you away from average, from sameness...and in the process make price less of an issue. It's not a matter of cheap or expensive, it's a matter of caring how people feel and showing it through careful design and delivery. Style points give you something real to brag about, and they give  your audience  a story to tell.

Most of the airlines don't get any style points...Southwest is an exception. Same planes, same airspace, same weather problems. But, more smiles and lightheartedness.

Most car dealerships get negative style points...Carmax seems to defy the odds. Same cars, but a different sales approach and a different system.

One of the smartest things you can do to improve your chances against the competition is to add style to what you're doing. Yes, look at the what...the physical elements. But, don't get bogged down there. Spend more time on the how...the delivery and the relationship...how you're answering the phone, the words in your thank you letters, how you handle complaints or unusual requests, etc.

How you do something is more important than what you do...and more and more, it's what people pay for. Style matters...a lot.



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How to Reach Out and Join a Conversation

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One of the many benefits of internet technology is the ability to see and join conversations...to interact with people who have a demonstrated interest in what you're doing, and to show them that you care. This is especially important to people who have a passion for making themselves and their companies better...those humble enough to know that customers are often smarter about what's right and wrong with their business. Here are four keys to joining the social community...

Tune in- be good at sniffing and snooping to see what's being said, typed, photographed or in some way digitally memorialized. There are a host of companies who will do this on your behalf. Google Alerts is a good first step if you're constrained by budget, boss or both. And, if you have an iPhone, try the Exposure app. It has an option to search for photo's uploaded to Flickr which are near your current position (requires 3g iPhone gps). I stood in the lobby of a hotel today and showed the concierge a photo that had been taken of her giving a prospective guest a tour...scary isn't it.

Reach Out and Ask- Once you've sniffed out something interesting, a rant or rave, make contact and ask for permission to join. Don't leave drive by comments , initiate rebuttal or make sarcastic remarks. Do politely engage and ask if you can help.

Meaningful, genuine dialog-  No form letters or canned responses allowed. Be personal, polite, apologetic (if applicable) and provide whatever information or action is requested. If you don't have the answer, find someone who does. Offer to follow-up. But, don't pester people.

No Control- Don't do anything that gives the impression you want to control the outcome of your exchange. If you do, you lose trust and probably a customer, ten, or maybe a thousand. Remember, you're on a stage, and it's not yours.

Today, I experienced a perfect example of how to reach out and join a conversation. It follows on the heels of my rant earlier this week about a less than stellar experience with the Wilife call center.

It turns out the customer service folks at Logitech (they own Wilife) do a nice job of keeping their ear to the ground for stories like mine. Yesterday, I received an email from Jon Mitchell, Director of Worldwide Customer Support for Logitech. The note was personal, genuinely written, asked for additional details of my encounter and included an offer to follow up by phone. We spoke today, where he and Brad, a call center manager, listened to my story, apologized, told me what happened, offered some recourse and most importantly did not ask me to write a follow-up to my original post. Bravo...nice recovery.

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Conversation Value

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Email is a reasonable snapshot of how most of us communicate...who we connect with, how often, how much time we spend internal vs. external, etc. Look over your last 50-100 work related email conversations. How many were with customers, prospective customers or front line employees? 1%? 10%? If you work outside of sales, I bet it's pretty low (I must admit, mine is in the single digits). Beyond the front linesMost of our conversations are internal, with colleagues, bosses, vendors or sales people. Or, if you're at the line level, you might not even have access to email. If customers and line staff are inarguably the most important people to the company, why aren't we spending more time (at least half) communicating directly with them? Email, blogs, twitter, etc., are fantastic inventions for relationship building. So, why not use them more effectively with the people that matter most?

1. You (your company) haven't made building a loyal raving fan base your #1 priority.
2. You haven't given people numerous and easy ways to connect with you.
3. It's easier not to
4. We have sales people to do that
5. People don't like receiving e-mail and don't read blogs

Before you can tackle the big hairy obstacles at the top, everyone in your organization needs to come to some realizations about the sub roadblocks:

It's easier today to stand on the sidelines and watch. It will be harder next week, month or year to deal with lay-offs, job elimination, low morale, etc., when you don't have enough business.
It's everyone's job to make connections with strangers and turn them into friends. Everyone should be trained on the basics of professional, courteous and permission based communication. Everyone should have business cards. Everyone should hand them out liberally and ask people (guests as well as employees if you're a supervisor) if they can keep in touch and to call or write if they need anything.
People like hearing from people that they trust and for those that they believe care about them and put their interests ahead of the organization's.
Unless you are way out of touch, you know more and more people are turning to the internet for research, communication, and socializing. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Blackberry, iPhone and a host of online email solutions are the proof in the pudding.

Now, give everyone a reason to make the relationship side of their job a top priority. Give them training, tools and incentives. Develop measurable goals, whether it's email analysis or lead referrals or whatever.



Marketers or Managers?

I gave a talk last week to a group of high school teachers on the subject of attracting students to hospitality (download the powerpoint presentation or view it at the end of this post) . The main point I wanted to get across to the group was that success in our business is 110% relationship driven. Therefore, we need people who think more like marketers, not managers. We need people who can engage, converse, adapt, make people smile, care, and act like they're doing something they really believe in. Less and less, we need people who can follow scripts, manage a process, and develop spreadsheets...technology and friends in places like Bangladesh are taking care of that part.

Here's the most important slide...

Essential hospitality skills

•    Passion (Robin Williams, Steve Irwin)
•    Passion for caring for people
•    Passion for being remarkable- See Jeff Widman Effect (jeffwidman.com)
•    Ability to seek and develop relationships
•    Improv- what can you do with a curve ball (when things don’t go as planned), two or three at  time?
•    Trustworthy and transparent
•    Sense of humor

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
 

How Many

How many arrivals did you have today? Departures? What was your occupancy last night? Last Week? How many covers did you have in the restaurant last night? What about beverage sales?

I bet you know the answers to all or most of these questions.  Not surprising since we operate in a culture of measurement...uber measurement in fact. But, what about who? As buying habits continue to move from mass to niche, do you really know your customer? Who is arriving? Who is having dinner? Who stayed last night.? Ar they repeat guests? Where did they come from? Why are they here? What do they like? What clues have we collected to enable us to surprise them? What time are they leaving? Where are they going from here?

Here's a test...if you or a member of your staff meets a guest in the lobby, could you hold a meaningful conversation with them?

Do you focus on how many, or who?...quite an important question.

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People Don't Want to Stop at a Front Desk Upon Arrival

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...they're just conditioned to.

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People don't go to a desk when showing up at a friend's house. They don't go to a desk when going to nice B&B or small inn. For some reason, as hotels grew larger, (and needed to find some staff efficiencies), we made people "check-in" at a desk. It's far easier to have people stand in line and come to us than to create a dynamic system to welcome guests  and escort them to their room, the bar or restaurant. It's easier to get people to conform to an operation that saves money, than to figure out a new way to give them what they want in an efficient way. It doesn't need to be formal, scripted or overdone...it just needs to be genuine.

For the past six months, I've been involved in the overhaul and recreation of a new welcome for a mid-size property with 100 years of front desk history behind it. Some said it couldn't be done...they were wrong. Still work to be done, but the first impressions have been beyond favorable.

Don't get bogged down in improving old systems just because they seemed to have worked. Instead, begin with the experience every guest should have and build your operation around that.

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Hostess and PBX Operator jobs should be replaced

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with positions designed to care, build relationships and to do something remarkable...not to hand-out menus and answer the phone.

Consider these are the first and last people your guests encounter. Consider they (and other front liners like them) have more face time with your customers than anyone else. So, why do we spend the least amount of time hiring and training them, why do we spend so little time cultivating them and why do we worry about an additional 25 cents per hour? Most importantly though, why do we teach them to function first and to care second? I guess we don't understand or don't want to believe that it's at this function-oriented, front-line level that we have the greatest opportunity to surprise people. This is where customers least expect someone to know the answer or take care of problems, let alone create any magic. This is also the place that gets remembered the most...the first and last impression. All in all, it's your sweet spot, the place where you can hit it the farthest, and the longest.

Answering the phone efficiently doesn't improve occupancy. Smiles and intelligence do. Greeters handing out menus while placing callers on hold doesn't increase the average check. Recognizing and engaging repeat clientèle do.

Caring always wins out over speed, systems and programs. Having someone at post is meaningless if there's no smile, hello, thank you or thoughtfulness attached. 

Job descriptions are incomplete if they don't include:

  • smile
  • hello
  • recognize
  • care
  • build relationships
  • pick-up clues and hand-off
  • thank you
  • do something remarkable

Replace function with care at all costs.

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The Jeff Widman Effect

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Back in March, after a long recruiting stretch, I wrote about re-engineering the resume. My attempt was to nudge people to rethink the way they present themselves, especially when looking for a new career opportunity. Seth Godin  wrote about it too...and, as usual, explained it perfectly.

Job search, like any other marketing activity, takes one of three paths:

1. You're remarkable- sure to land you the best job with the best people. Or,

2. You're average- rarely gets you noticed, almost never lands you an interview for the job you really want and makes you forgettable if you happen to get past initial screening. Or,

3. You're lucky- what you need copious amounts of if you're average.

Notwithstanding it's almost certain outcome, most people don't choose remarkable...because it's too hard. It requires too much time, too much thought, too much risk, too much energy, too much money...just too much. Contrarily, most people are willing to gamble by doing the easy, average thing, the thing that feels safe and then hope (and pray) for the best outcome.

Jeff Widman is clearly not average. I've never met him. Chances are, you haven't either. Good news, you don't need to...take a quick look at his website and handy work and you'll understand his brand almost immediately. He's a thinker, and a thought provoker. He's imaginative, humble and passionate. He knows exactly what he wants, understands what it takes to get there and works hard at it. And, best of all, he gets results. Interestingly, I learned all this without a resume, no boring intro letter, no phone interview and no reference checks. Just a quick e-mail thanking me for my post and inviting me to take a closer look. That's marketing. Great content, personally delivered in a meaningful way. I learned more about Jeff with a few clicks than I could have with a folder full of paperwork.

Jeff's last job application took fifty hours to develop...that in itself is remarkable. If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend you contact Jeff. Personally, I hope I get the chance to meet him someday.

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If You Approached Every New Customer With The Hope They Might Become a Friend...

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  • You would take the time to learn things about them, treat them like individuals and show that you care
  • You would ask permission to keep in touch, and only with relevant information
  • You would personally ask for their feedback...and you would do something with their ideas
  • You would make sure everyone in  your organization understood the importance of making them feel special, and you would train everyone how to do it

And, after you made a new friend, you wouldn't do anything to lose their trust, knowing that would lead to the death of your organization.

Now apply all of the above to your employees...they're more important than your customer.

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Personal Notes

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One of the most powerful things you can do to show someone you care is to write them a personal note. Not a form letter with their name dropped in, but an honest to goodness personalized message...relevant, friendly and timely communication.

Doing this takes extra time, attention and thought. But, in our fast paced, electronic world, that's exactly what makes it so special.

Doing this in a small inn is normal. Doing this in a large hotel is completely unexpected and a really nice way to say both "hello" and "thank you". I urge you to give it a try.

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Following Instructions

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I've been going to the same dry cleaner for quite some time. They should know I don't like starch in my shirts.  On my ticket, there's a box that I've always checked "no". My shirts have always come back with no starch, just as instructed. Yesterday, I forgot to check the box. I'll give you one guess what happened...my shirts were loaded with starch.

Yes, the cleaner was right. Yes, it was my fault for being in a hurry and not checking the box. But, my loyalty isn't based on who's right. It's based on which company pays attention (to me)...one who demonstrates that I actually matter to them.

They could have phoned, sent a quick e-mail or attached a personal note, "Mr. Chaffin, we noticed you didn't check a box today. Based on your service history, we went with no starch. Let us know if that's not what you prefer." That would have taken a few extra minutes, cost a few pennies, and maybe felt a little risky. But, it would have proven that they actually take the time to listen...and to learn. That's remarkable.

Blindly following directions is the safe thing to do. But, it isn't going to get people to become raving fans. Safe is average.

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Microbrand Fanatics

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Successful companies have a very strong connection with their customers...their brand resonates clearly, and there is little ambiguity about the values they represent and the benefits of doing business with them. And, in large part, what makes up an organization's brand are bunches of microbrands...one for each person associated with the company. Microbrands define each of us through our actions, our stories, what we wear, how we handle pressure, whether we smile or frown. Some people understand the importance of building their own brand...how even the slightest change in behavior, presentation or approach can alter life in a big way. Others don't...they either don't understand how important they are to the system, or they simply don't care what people think about them. If they're lost, show them the way. If they don't care, get them off the bus.

One way to move your organization forward is to get people excited about their microbrands...get them consumed with the idea that they can make a difference....both for themselves, as well as your team. The best way to to do this is to get some examples, some microbrand fanatics, on the bus...so, they can evangelize for you. You need to find people who act like this...

They ask people (bosses, subordinates, customers, etc.) how they're doing?
They smile a lot
They communicate well
They experiment
They dress nicely
They're on-time
They help others
They're kind
They teach
They are committed to learning
They read
They don't whine
They solve problems
They take initiative
They take risks
They say "we" a lot
They say "I" very little
They're humble
They look to take blame
They offer others the credit
They're focused

Of course, there's more...but, you get the picture. Find people you're proud to be with...under all circumstances

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Hospitality 2.0

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Just read this quite interesting and comprehensive article about hotel internet marketing...A Hotelier's Guide to Budget Planning in '08 (Max Starkov and Jason Price). It's aimed at getting you to think about shifting more resources to your own website and directly engaging with your audience as opposed to print, third party deals, etc.

My brief thoughts on what to do with your website...call it Hospitality 2.0:

  1. Experience Harmony- Just as the initial impression with your PBX or reservations agent is so important, your website must be aligned with the other aspects of the guest visit. I've seen too many four-star hotels with a two or three-star web experience.
  2. Easy- The right audience should be able to easily find your site as well as the information they are looking for. If you can't begin the reservation process, find a menu or a read a guest comment within one click, the site needs work.  Also, don't get stuck with the idea that everyone should come to the "home" page. This is one of the biggest mis-steps I see. Try using multiple landing pages for different audiences looking to do different things.
  3. Trust- Everything on the site should have a common objective...to move the guest relationship forward...to close the sale. And, building relationships is based on trust. So, remove anything that erodes trust (opt-out e-mail campaigns, advertising-like text that attempts to convince someone to buy, anything that risks over promising and under delivery, etc.), and add things that make you more transparent (guest commentary, employee blogs, etc.).

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Keys to Remarkable Service

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Put this up on the white board while discussing the keys to remarkable service with a group of hotel new hires...

A- Acknowledge (connect with anyone within a 10 foot range, invite a conversation with body language, eye contact, etc.)
E- Engage (greet and talk with anyone that gets close, 5 feet)
S-Surprise everyone by taking an extra step, doing something unexpected, asking a question to take the experience to a higher level, etc.

Have any to share?

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Negative Feedback...What To Do?

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Comment cards are dying. So are letters to the GM or corporate office. People don't have faith in that system anymore, mainly because they don't trust anything will happen...that no good will come of it. On-line is where it's at. Guests are turning to sites like Tripadvisor, VibeAgent, epinions, etc., to air their issues and concerns. It makes perfect sense...it's immediate and unfiltered (no interference from the hotel or restaurant). Tripadvisor allows hoteliers to post a public response to reviews. But, this can be very dangerous because there's a natural tendency to defend the actions and offer "reasons"  for problems in order to control the damage. And, that's bad. A better strategy is to reach out to individuals personally, apologize and solve the problem. Hopefully, trust is regained and with any luck, the offended party becomes a loyal fan. They might even add a follow-up review describing your turnaround. If you're compelled to post a public reply, keep it focused on an apology, your appreciation for feedback and your efforts to reach the party personally. And, as I've mentioned before, add some links to these reviews on your website to demonstrate how important they are to you...both good and bad.

Another option is for the hotelier to create a separate conversation and invite these guests to join-in and offer their comments and perhaps even share in the corrective process. Vibeagent's Adam Healey discusses this very scenario in an exchange on Chris Clarke's Vacant Ready blog. Looks like VibeAgent is heading in the right direction by encouraging hoteliers to use this platform. 

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Diva Marketing Talks

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This week's indieHotelier podcast is up...Toby Bloomberg, president of Atlanta-based Bloomberg Marketing and author of the Diva Marketing Blog, gives us further insight into the world of social media. Some of the subjects we explored in this episode....

  1. Trends...use of video, reviews and other user generated content as marketing tools. How important is this...and why?
  2. How do we measure social networking results? Justification, ROI and the use of traditional metrics and measurement systems.
  3. How can a hotelier monitor social networks?

Click on the logo to go to the indieHotelier website. Or, on the podcast button to download the MP3 and listen now.

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