Hotel reservations reconfirmation calls present opportunities to build the brand, upsell and cross-sell
Much of a guest's booking process is automated, so use phone calls to show hospitality
As online bookings increase, the number of reservations inquiry calls decreases over time.
How to be a lightning rod and truly 'ground' guest negativity
Not every guest interaction will be positive, so be prepared to diffuse tense situations
As part of our pre-training preparations, I get to look at the various service recovery training that our clients have in place, and I find they nearly always focus on showing empa...
Only true hospitality encounters create Kama Muta
Do your hotel employees deliver that warm, fuzzy feeling?
As my frequent readers know, I have often encouraged hotel industry leaders to train their frontline staff on the differences between “guest service” and “hospitality.”
Customer Hospitality Is Bigger Than Guest Service
Colleagues, Suppliers Are Vital Customers Too
In the lodging industry, we tend to think of our customers as “guests,” reflecting the foundational concept of, “treat our guests as you would those visiting your own home.” Howeve...
Are Guests Getting More Difficult These Days? Or Is It Just Rosy Retrospection?
Training Should Focus on Empathy, Putting Encounters Into Perspective
As I make the rounds as a conference speaker and lodging industry trainer — and monitor lodging industry groups on social media — I often hear and read people commenting that today...
The Characteristics of a Truly Punctilious Hotel
Attention to Detail Is a Hallmark of Hospitality
One thing I love about reading online these days is how you can just touch a word to find the definition.
What Personalized Hospitality Is and What It Isn't
Acknowledgements From Hotel Employees Mean Much More Than Technology Solutions
As a hotel conference speaker and opinion writer, I always try to stay up on the very latest innovations and tech solutions, and so I start each day by reading at least a half doze...
It's Time To Eliminate Generationalism in the Hotel Workplace
Myth of Generational Differences Has Been Busted by Research
As my frequent readers know, I have been bemoaning the myths that are thrown out as facts at conferences, by podcasts and in books and blogs that at best mislead hospitality leader...
Don’t Let Voice Be the Forgotten Distribution Channel at Your Hotel
It's Not Just the Older Guests Who Want To Call To Book a Hotel Room
Everyone knows that online hotel bookings have grown significantly in recent years. Voice reservations have declined, but there are still significant opportunities for all hotels r...
Train Your Team To Deliver ‘Ordinarily Extraordinary’ Guest Service
Empower Front-Line Workers To Enhance Experience
As a conference speaker and hotel trainer, whenever I see the title of an article, book or blog post that has anything to do with guest service, hospitality or customer service in ...
The Tricycle: A Perfect Model To Represent the Components of Guest Excellence
People Represent the Front Wheel, Which Drives All Hospitality
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 intan...
12 Steps To Recharging Your Hospitality Spirit for 2024
Abandon Cynicism, Focus on What You Can Control
As the final days of 2023 are crossed off our calendars, let us pause to reflect on the past and to imagine a better year soon beginning. While 2024 will surely hold its ups and do...
Guest Loyalty Is Created By People, Not Points or Perks
Front-Desk Clerks, Housekeepers, Others Who Go the Extra Mile Are What Bring Guests Back
As most readers will probably recall, Delta Airlines created what some might call a “PR Nightmare” earlier this year when it changed the qualifications for achieving premier status...
Upselling at Registration Is Best Accomplished With Authentic, Human Conversations
Pre-Arrival Emails Certainly Help, but Personalization Requires a Human Touch
Despite what digital marketing and tech providers may say, I believe upselling can best be accomplished when welcoming front-desk colleagues have authentic, human conversations.
Fewer Interactions With Guests Mean Hotel Staff Must Make the Most of Each One
Opportunities for Conversations Have Diminished With Evolution of Tech
As technology has crept into the cycle of guest service experiences in recent years, today’s guests have far fewer conversations with hotel staff. In the past, the hotel staff had ...
Generic Apologies That Lack Empathy Are Meaningless, Even From Hotels
Train Hotel Associates To Say Sorry With Meaning
As a frequent traveler who has spent approximately 1 out of every 3 nights on the road for decades, I have certainly encountered my share of bad experiences as a guest, passenger a...
To Make Guests Stay, Make Each Guest’s Stay Special
Hotel Staff Focused on Repeat Business, but It Often Feels Scripted
As an attendee at this year’s HITEC conference, I heard a lot talk about the importance of maximizing direct bookings.
Generic Drip Email and LinkedIn Message Campaigns Are Not Hotel Sales Prospecting
Here’s What To Do Instead
In the latest bid to automate outbound sales in the hotel industry, I’m seeing an increasing use of automated drip campaigns, pretending to be personalized but which are obviously ...
AI Can Deliver Guest Service but Only Humans Can Deliver Hospitality
New Tech Always Moves the Needle for Hotels, But Only Goes So Far
As I read the headlines in lodging publications and in social channel posts lately, there are countless experts touting the advantages of using AI to improve guest experiences.
The Real Reasons No One Wants To Work at Your Hotel’s Front Desk
And Some Advice on What To Do About It
The labor market shortage has been a frequent topic of discussion in the industry as demand for hotels has surged back from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.