As anyone who has ever attended a convention or taken a class knows, conference speakers and hospitality trainers such as me often use tangible, physical objects to represent intangible concepts. While most use some geographic form or image, I use a tricycle as a model to represent the components that must work together for a guest to have an overall excellent stay.
A tricycle has three wheels, just like the three components of a memorable guest stay. The back wheels represent “Technology and Systems” and a quality “Physical Product,” while the front wheel, which is the largest and leads the way, represents guest hospitality that can only be delivered by human interactions.
The Physical Product wheel symbolizes the “bricks and mortar” components of a guest’s stay. This of course includes the guest room itself, but also the public areas such as the lobby, porte cochère and corridors. At full-service hotels, it also includes meeting rooms, restaurants and bars. At resorts, this includes recreational areas such as the pool, spa, beach, ski lifts, golf or tennis courts.
The Technology and Systems wheel represents the processes, tech and operational procedures in place to enable staff to deliver the Physical Product to guests. This includes websites, property management system, in-house guest tech and communications systems. This wheel also represents processes such as preventative maintenance, housekeeping procedures and accounting systems. These days, systems also include self-service apps for checking in and text messaging to field special requests.
Together, these two back wheels of the tricycle provide stability and are essential for moving forward. Can you imagine how hard it would be to pedal a tricycle that was missing a back wheel?
Let’s say a guest arrives at reception and is promptly greeted by name with a warm, genuine and authentic welcoming statement, delivered with eye contact and a genuine smile. (Hospitality wheel, check!) Within minutes, efficient systems allow for staff to quickly finalize registration and send them on their way to their guest room or suite. (Technology and Systems Efficiency wheel, check!) Yet when they walk in, the furnishings are tired and worn down. The HVAC is slow to cool or heat or is noisy or the remote control is smudged or has a dead battery. Under the comforter, they find wrinkles in the sheets on a bed they have not yet slept on, or during their shower they find hair of a different color than their own. Surely not a good experience.
Alternatively, can you see in your mind what would happen if the “Systems” wheel was missing on a tricycle? That same guest arrives and is greeted with the same authentic and genuine hospitality, and an impeccable accommodation is readily awaiting their arrival, but there was a breakdown in systems so that reception thought it was still being cleaned, delaying their access. Or the key provided was not correctly activated. Or the guest was to be billed to master but their credit card was charged for room and tax, tying up their available credit. Most certainly not a good experience.
The reality is that most of today’s hotel operators are highly focused on the back wheels and too often neglect the “people parts.”
In my opinion, it’s the front wheel, which is largest, that leads the way; the front wheel that steers the tricycle in the right direction; and therefore, the front wheel that represents Guest Hospitality. Some may believe that having an automated welcome message on the TV when a guest enters their room or a “personalized” text greeting is delivering “hospitality.” I have yet to meet anyone who ever got that “warm, fuzzy feeling” from a digital greeting. Therefore, the front wheel requires human engagement.
This is not to say that “product” and “process” are not important, but rather a tricycle requires all three wheels.
The front wheel is the biggest “differentiator” between any hotel and the one across the street or down the road. These days, it feels to me that there’s very little difference in guest room design, amenities and services offered by one hotel vs. another within the same market segment and classification.
To stand out from the competition, secure more market share and be a rate leader versus the competitive set, be sure to also obsess on the front wheel of the tricycle. In the end, it’s truly the people that make the difference. It’s the people that the guest will remember — not the logo on their free pen or water bottle, nor the “personalized” welcome text delivered precisely 10 minutes after they walk in.
It’s the people that answer phone calls from those who booked online but call afterwards with questions, or those who are shopping online but call with special needs. It’s the reception staff who welcome guests upon arrival, even if they checked in on their app, and who field calls when they need more towels or a new battery for the TV’s remote control. It’s the maintenance staff who fix what’s broken, and the housekeeper who makes eye contact and extends welcoming gestures as they pass guests in the hallways. For midmarket hotels, it’s the breakfast attendant greeting early risers with a smile that’s warmer than the coffee, or the fine-dining server offering personal recommendations for a picky eater. It’s all of the people on your team who are literally the face of your company.
Finally, the Tricycle of Guest Service makes a terrific model because it is a reminder that to make all these wheels roll in unison, a human must sit down, grab the handlebars and start pumping those pedals in order to drive excellent guest experiences.
Doug Kennedy is president of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc. Contact him at doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.
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