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Great customer service triggers great social media!

7/30/2012

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You know how I love creative ideas to improve customer service and guest delight ... you might not be able to use all of these, but maybe they will trigger an idea or two that you CAN implement in your property....! It is a long list - but worth the read - Wilna 




How to use great customer service to trigger social media attention
By Josiah Mackenzie 

Remarkable customer service pays dividends in the travel industry by increasing loyalty and word of mouth buzz.

But while customer service has always been a prerequisite to success in the hotel industry, in this social media era where everyone acts as a publisher, there is additional marketing value to being remarkable.

Getting the basics right, but also looking to create so-called talkable touchpoints.

Here’s a collection of interesting examples I’ve seen recently in the hotel industry that might inspire you…

 1. Greeting guests with hosts at Andaz Hotels

Hyatt’s Andaz brand replaces the traditional front desk reception concept by having hosts circulate the lobby to meet guests as they walk in.

Joe Brancatelli, a business travel columnist, observed:

“You’re invited to sit down and are offered a complimentary glass of wine or a cup of coffee. (Andaz properties have a barista on duty 24/7 in a lobby café.) The host then completes the check-in on a tablet computer. When you’re finished sipping and signing, the host escorts you to your guestroom.”

“Andaz is about giving great service in a relaxed way,” says Toni Hinterstoisser, general manager of the Andaz on Wall Street. “A host’s job is very different [than a front-desk clerk's]. They are supposed to be like the conductor of a symphony. We want them to anticipate your needs when you check in, make you relaxed, and be the person you call throughout your stay when you need help.”

It seems this approach pays off in guest satisfaction – both Andaz locations in New York were among the top ten in the city according to online guest reviews.

2. Instagram Moments book at Sheraton Bratislava (Starwood)

Photographer and travel blogger Jen Pollack Bianco found a book of “Instagram Moments” when she checked into the Sheraton Bratislava. It came with a note that said:

“As we know that Jennifer loves to take Instagram pictures, we thought you’d enjoy this hand-picked selection of 25 of our most favorite shots of Bratislava…;)”

It’s a good example of a simple gesture that makes a big impression.

3. Service personalization with Facebook feedback at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples asked Facebook fans how they like their coffee.

If you answered, then stayed with them, your coffee would arrive perfectly sugared — without having to ask. It’s a little detail that can be used in other ways, as we see in our next example…

4. Social media increases loyalty at Accor

Accor Hotels tried something cool at its Sofitel and Novotel properties in Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and Washington DC – identifying loyalty members checking into the hotels that month, and then checking (public) social media profiles to identify the guests’ interests.

A gift was then selected to “take guest recognition to the next level, to a more powerful level,” said Magali Jimenez Bervillé, director of e-commerce North America for Accor.

Some examples?

  • For the guest who likes fine dining, an all-day behind-the-scenes tour of Tru in Chicago along with a night at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower.
  • For the guest who likes fishing, an eco-friendly fishing trip in the San Diego Bay.
  • For the guest who likes luxury cars, a certificate to drive a Ferrari and Lamborghini.

5. Fun, free amenities at CitizenM Hotels

CitizenM Hotels succeeds by understanding and offering exactly what their guests care about. In addition to free wifi and movies, they are constantly introducing cool new amenities.

For example, when I was staying at their Amsterdam property last Fall, they were giving away free chicken curry rice to guests before they went out on the town.

I took a photo, shared it with my Facebook friends – and am still using it as an example in presentations:

6. Sleep menu at Conrad Chicago

A number of hotels offer pillow menus, but the Conrad Chicago takes this to another level, offering a full pillow menu, herbal sleep elixirs and night caps, “sleep chocolate”, h20 hydrating treatments, thermal acqua masks, sleep sound machines – among other amenities.

They even created a separate website: ConradChicagoSleepMenu.

7. Music Playlists from Morgans Hotel Group

Many hotels overlook music as an essential experience element – and a powerful way to provide a sense of place for globetrotters. Not Morgans Hotel Group.

It’s created playlists for each of their hotels.

8. Tattoos at the Andaz 5th Avenue

Jonathan Frolich, general manager of Andaz 5th Avenue in Manhattan, is committed to connecting guests with New York culture.

According to this CNN article:

“His team commissioned street artists to graffiti the walls of the hotel and offered guests an opportunity to jump a multi-month wait list to get a tattoo created by world-famous artist Mister Cartoon, whose client list includes Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake.

“Years ago, the grandest hotels were bastions of culture, representing whatever was happening artistically in that city. That commitment and connection has disappeared for a very long time — we’re trying to bring it back.”

9. Destination information from Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group takes content marketing to a new level with Destination MO – its online magazine. Readers find everything from celebrity recommendations to how to find the perfect “moment” in a city.

10. Personal recommendations from Hilton

Vanessa Sain-Dieguez runs a team of people at Hilton Worldwide that manage the Twitter account@HiltonSuggests.

They work around the clock to provide real-time advice and recommendations based on questions and ideas they pick up from social media monitoring. They even recommend competitor hotels if they don’t have a property that suits the needs of a person in their audience.

All recommendations come from personal experience. Britnee Johnson explains at Digital Royalty:

“Hilton Suggests communicates solely through Twitter to help those in various destinations find the things that will make their travel easier. The customer service organization lets users know that all suggestions are based on their team members’ personal experience and opinion.”

“Simply put, someone might ask about the best iconic places for walking and dining in the Los Angeles area and @HiltonSuggests will reply with the places that they’ve experienced to be the best- Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach.

“The team does its best job to help others in the cities listed on their Twitter background (Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, etc).”

11. Concierge videos from InterContinental Hotels

Back in 2007, InterContinental Hotels began creating videos featuring hotel concierges offering destination advice. Here’s Domenic Alfonzetti, Chief Concierge at the InterContinental New York Barclay, showing you an insider’s tour of New York:

InterContinental has also tested providing concierge service through live video chat on Skype or Apple’s Facetime to provide a higher level of service through digital channels.

12. Holographic concierge at Aloft Hotels

This isn’t Tupac at Coachella, but Starwood’s Aloft Hotels is testing a little Star Trek technology to give guests a new way to access information and offers on local businesses.

A holographic image is projected onto a life-sized cut-out of a person in the hotel lobby of an Aloft Hotel. Guests can then use their smartphones to download and save information.

13. Scavenger Hunt contest at Palomar San Diego

Helping their guests explore the city of San Diego, the Palomar, a Kimpton Hotel, created a scavenger hunt that doubled as a social media contest.

Participants used clues provided through the Scavenger Hunt with Friends mobile application, and then took and shared photos as they found the items.

Mark Van Cooney, general manager, says:

“We think this is a perfect way for participants to have fun and experience the nooks and crannies of San Diego, while having a chance of winning some great prizes. We see it as a creative take on our ‘Live Like a Local’ programme, which provides guests with an authentic local San Diego experience.”

14. Facebook updates from the Ushuaia Beach Hotel

The Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel used RFID technology in an interesting way: creating wristbands that are synchronized to guests’ Facebook profiles.

Guests wearing these wristbands could check into places on property and update their status (eg, “I’m dancing at the Ushuaia”). They could also get photos taken of themselves at events, and have these images sent directly to their Facebook newsfeed.

The marketing results were impressive – read the full story.

15. Free mountain-top photos for Facebook at Vail Resorts

Every winter sports fan wants a photo on top of the mountain, and professional photographers have exploited this for years, charging exorbitant rates. Vail Resorts offered an alternative – taking mountaintop photos that were free to post on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s a powerful way to serve your guests – and increase your brand visibility at the same time.

How will you deliver remarkable service?

This is undoubtedly a very eclectic mix of ways hotels are providing their guests with remarkable service.

But whether you are working with hotels or another area of the travel industry, I hope it inspires you to think of how you might creatively provide memorable experiences. It’s better for travelers, and it’s better for your bottom line.


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How emotionally fit are YOU?

7/18/2012

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Wow - this is a great article and spoke wisely and to the heart of the matter. Even if you just implement one or two of these tips - your work life will improve! Wilna 


How Emotional Fitness Can Save You Countless Hours
Bruna Martinuzzi Author of Presenting With Credibility Recent Posts

In the area of work-life balance, the U.S. ranks 27 out of 36 countries in the Better Life Index issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Finding a better balance is, without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges most of us face today.

While we cannot control all of the conditions that cause a work-life imbalance, there is one area within our control, and that is our emotional fitness. Many focus on physical fitness, but don't give emotional fitness a thought. So what is emotional fitness? Emotional fitness is our ability to take control over our choices and to have the emotional strength to cope with whatever hand is dealt to us. Being emotionally fit makes us more resilient and helps us avoid many of the self-induced traps that rob us of precious time—time better devoted to pursuits that enhance the quality of our life.

Here are some practical tips for improving your emotional fitness.

Become aware of your hot buttons. Hot buttons are triggers that make us feel frustrated and annoyed, such as, for example, when we have to put up with people who don't respect punctuality. Knowing that this is one of your triggers, you can prepare for this so that you don't continually experience the same frustrations. If the offender is a friend or family member, you can arrange to meet them at home where their late arrival will not infringe on your activities. If it is a business prospect, bring along electronic devices that will keep you productive while waiting. Becoming aware of recurring acts as a shield that prevents these emotions from derailing you and wasting emotional energy. Manage disturbing emotions rather than letting the emotions disrupt your day.

Take the sting out of criticism. Criticism, even when merited, is one of the most difficult things to accept. It often elicits a defensive response which can become an emotional drain. No one can avoid criticism—as Elbert Hubbard humorously put it: "To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing." So, a worthwhile life skill to acquire is the ability to cope with criticism. In The Feeling Good Handbook, Dr. David D. Burns, M.D., advises that the simple, most important technique for dealing with criticism is to find some truth in the criticism. When you acknowledge the criticism, no matter how small, you disarm the person who is criticizing you. This immediately calms the interchange.

Curtail lunch engagements. Be discriminating about how many invitations to lunch you accept from people you haven't met. While it may seem hard to decline, consider that the time you save is time that you can devote to more worthwhile pursuits. The same applies to time spent with virtual acquaintances—guard against being dragged into online involvements, being signed up in different networking groups. Many can end up being digital one-night stands that lead nowhere. Being selective about how you spend your time is an important component of self-management; having the fortitude to decline without feeling bad about it is a part of emotional fitness.

Avoid pointless arguments. In Mojo: How To Get It, How To Keep It, How To Get It Back If you Lose It, Marshall Goldsmith says that "many of our arguments fall into classic patterns that, if looked at from a distance, would seem silly and beneath our dignity." One such argument is what the author calls "Let Me Keep Talking." This is when we go too far, and just can't stop. For example, the decision-makers have heard your point and want to move on, it can be difficult for a hard-driving, smart person to let go. Instead of accepting that we weren't successful in selling our point, we may find attempts to silence us as insulting. So we keep fighting after the bell has rung and ignore the many subtle signals we get to give it up: a decision-maker interrupting us, someone trying to change the subject, a colleague rolling his eyes. Part of emotional fitness is raising our self-awareness so that we recognize when it's time to pull back.

Don't magnify your flaws. Much mental energy is wasted in self-recrimination. If something went wrong in a situation, do you dwell on it exclusively, discounting the positives? If you have a habit of self-recrimination, you end up losing sight of your strengths. This is guaranteed to sap your mental energy. Make it a habit to acknowledge your values, your drive, and the energy and commitment you put to get to where you are today.

Temper your expectations for reciprocation. When you do something for someone, it is normal to expect a thank you or some sort of acknowledgment. When this doesn't happen, we notice it and we experience a negative emotion. This is another energy leak that is best plugged. Most likely the absence of a thank you is due to forgetfulness rather than lack of care or incivility. Do for others without expecting anything in return. Adopting this attitude adds to your emotional strength. It's liberating.

Long ago, Benjamin Franklin said: "Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it." This is perhaps one of the best definitions of emotional fitness. A lot of what happens in a day is colored by our thoughts. Emotionally fit people understand this and use it to manage themselves so that they can enhance the quality of their life. In the process, they save countless hours that would otherwise be lost in unproductive mental states.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most fit, where would you place your emotional fitness level?


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Unlocking your TRUE Brand...

7/18/2012

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This article gives great tips on how to unlock the "Brand" in your business and define it. Very helpful! Wilna 


The Power of Words in Your Brand Messages
By John Hendrie

Whatever we say or write goes through an audience "colander" at a speed and depth really quite astounding.  Whether the language is mangled by the "nattering nabobs of negativity" (thanks to S. Agnew) - the liberal press or the alternative, the "fair and balanced" slant, what we say is sliced, diced, crunched and crumbled in front of our eyes in nanoseconds.  Bring in another culling layer of social media, and we might have as well stayed in bed.  Words are powerful and precious.

We, in hospitality, still must market our respective Brands.  We have learned not to be effusive with our descriptions of the Guest Experience to come.  Our Consumers know fully well when they are being had.  They seek honesty, authenticity and straight talk.  This can be challenging, as we weave our story to make a compelling case to our prospects.  We need to be particularly careful with our descriptives and qualifiers.  There is nothing worse than an expectation not met, yet promised.

So, you start with your story line, just as you would be relating this to a friend or family member.  Get it all down - the humor and the flaws, the memories and the reactions.  What you do well and what needs work.  This exercise will tell you what you actually are, not what you think you are.  Invite collaboration - include your staff, vendors and most importantly, your Guests.  Everyone will have a slant, a bias, an opinion, which really describes the life, value and energy of your business - your essence.  Now, you have the broad-brush, which needs to be distilled into a comprehensive Brand marketing message.

Just like in Brainstorming, work towards identifying five to seven items which best relate to your Brand.  Further define these, what they really mean, naked, no fluff.  This is the heart-beat of the business.  And, this is where you begin to build the Brand message.  You can be clever, zany, deep or intense, but the goal is to shape the story you have created, focus upon the key elements of the business and outlook, and be ever sensitive to the words you use to describe the end results - the Experience. 

Easily laid out as a process, but often very difficult to move along.  The first and very real impediment is usually the owner or family of the business, who have a very definite opinion of who and what they are - no matter what the market says.  It hurts to let go.  Often, you might have a louder voice at the table with an agenda in mind.  The process cannot be bullied, for the results becomes jaded.  You want genuine, communal ownership of the Brand message, for everyone is a salesman.  They are believers, because they were part of the process, no vacuum allowed. 

Once defined, everyone must have a role in delivery, that salesmanship.  What does this mean to Human Resources, Sales, Customer Contact personnel, back of the house staff?  This is how your Brand Message gets "legs", survives and prospers.  Internally, everyone is involved and delivering. Externally, utilize different means of validation, from Mystery Shops to extensive Survey work.  And, the Brand message will also evolve over time.  So, take care with your words, like deluxe, the best, Mom's favorite, sublime, sensual, sexy and sunny.  These may be compelling words, but not accurate.

Source: A Guy Walks In...

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.


The author believes that Remarkable Service is the portal to the Memorable Customer Experience.  Seek solutions at: 
www.hospitalityperformance.com.
Authors contact
John R. Hendrie
Phone:  978-346-4367
Email: jhendrie@hospitalityperformance.com
40 East Main Street
USA - Merrimac, MA 01860


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Amenity trends...? 

7/16/2012

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Always striving for the next amenity offering for your clients - here is a nice idea?!  Wilna

Hotels Lure High-End Clients With In-Room Cocktail Service
By Elyse Moody

Hotels from New York to San Francisco now offer in-room cocktail programs that cater to refined jet-setters as well as the go-all-night party crowd. Though the services vary, they focus on many of the same ingredients: fresh, locally sourced liquors, mixers, and garnishes; artisanal preparation; and the kind of sensory gimmicks Portlandia sends up ("charred ice" isn't too far off the mark).

It's a prestige move, an amenity that ranks alongside personalized guided running tours and all-organic pet accommodations. But it's also a business gambit: A top-shelf in-house cocktail program could keep guests (and their credit cards) happily on-site for more of the evening. Whether the concept will sell outside the upper echelon is a legit question-would average tourists really choose to spend the night in their hotel room rather than bar-hop?-but for frequent-flying habitués with money to burn (and for boozy-toothed aspirational travelers), the prospect of settling in to a city-view suite with a fresh cocktail has a certain rarefied appeal.

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More isn't always better....

7/9/2012

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Three Myths about What Customers Want
by Karen Freeman, Patrick Spenner and Anna Bird  


Most marketers think that the best way to hold onto customers is through "engagement" — interacting as much as possible with them and building relationships. It turns out that that's rarely true. In a study involving more than 7000 consumers, we found that companies often have dangerously wrong ideas about how best to engage with customers. Consider these three myths.



Myth #1: Most consumers want to have relationships with your brand.

Actually, they don't. Only 23% of the consumers in our study said they have a relationship with a brand. In the typical consumer's view of the world, relationships are reserved for friends, family and colleagues. That's why, when you ask the 77% of consumers who don't have relationships with brands to explain why, you get comments like "It's just a brand, not a member of my family." (What consumers really want when they interact with brands online is to get discounts).

How should you market differently?

First, understand which of your consumers are in the 23% and which are in the 77%. Who wants a relationship and who doesn't? Then, apply different expectations to those two groups and market differently to them. Stop bombarding consumers who don't want a relationship with your attempts to build one through endless emails or complex loyalty programs. Those efforts will be low ROI. Chances are there are higher returns to be had elsewhere in your marketing mix.

Myth #2: Interactions build relationships.

No, they don't. Shared values build relationships. A shared value is a belief that both the brand and consumer have about a brand's higher purpose or broad philosophy. For example, Pedigree Dog Food's shared value is a belief that every dog deserves a loving home. Southwest Airlines' shared value revolves around the democratization of air travel.

Of the consumers in our study who said they have a brand relationship, 64% cited shared values as the primary reason. That's far and away the largest driver. Meanwhile, only 13% cited frequent interactions with the brand as a reason for having a relationship.

How should you market differently?

Many brands have a demonstrable higher purpose baked into their missions, whether it's Patagonia's commitment to the environment or Harley Davidson's goal "to fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling." These feel authentic to consumers, and so provide a credible basis for shared values and relationship-building. To build relationships, start by clearly communicating your brand's philosophy or higher purpose.

CEB has done extensive work on shared values, showcasing how brands like Mini, Pedigree and Southwest use them to engage with customers. You might also check into Jim Stengel's examination of growth ideals and David Aaker's latest work on brand relevance.

Myth #3: The more interaction the better.

Wrong. There's no correlation between interactions with a customer and the likelihood that he or she will be "sticky" (go through with an intended purchase, purchase again, and recommend). Yet, most marketers behave as if there is a continuous linear relationship between the number of interactions and share of wallet. That's why, as the Wall Street Journal recently reported, you see well-established retailers like Neiman-Marcus, Land's End and Toys R Us sending customers over 300 emails annually.

In reality, that linear relationship flattens much more quickly than most marketers think; soon, helpful interactions become an overwhelming torrent. Without realizing it, many marketers are only adding to the information bombardment consumers feel as they shop a category, reducing stickiness rather than enhancing it. (For more on consumers' cognitive overload, see  "Too Much Information" in our recent HBR article.

How should you market differently?

Instead of relentlessly demanding more consumer attention, treat the attention you do win as precious. Then ask yourself a simple question of any new marketing efforts: is this campaign/email/microsite/print ad/etc. going to reduce the cognitive overload consumers feel as they shop my category? If the answer is "no" or "not sure," go back to the drawing board. When it comes to interacting with your customers, more isn't better.


KAREN FREEMAN, PATRICK SPENNER AND ANNA BIRDKaren Freeman is a managing director with the Corporate Executive Board. Patrick Spenner is a managing director and Anna Bird is a senior researcher in CEB’s Sales, Marketing and Communications practice. 


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10 things hoteliers should be doing on Facebook but aren't...

7/8/2012

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Here is a great article with lots of practical advice to follow - now there is no excuse for you (or me)  not to have a great profile on Facebook! - Wilna 

 Article by EyeforTravel, 

Facebook has become one of the must-haves in any modern-day marketing strategy and every socially-aware hotel should have its own page. But with it being such a new tool, how do you know what you should be doing? Why should you invest time engaging people on Facebook?

The answer is simple. Search engines like Google are taking account of interaction with social websites and Facebook in its search algorithm. This means that you could get higher search engine results and an edge over your competition just by being social, as well as generating a lot of traffic to your website's booking engine.

evolution, the hospitality e-commerce and e-distribution provider, recommends the top 10 things hoteliers should be doing on Facebook that probably aren't.

1. Create a custom URL for your Facebook page

If you haven't already created a customised URL for your Facebook page, do it now. It's first-come first-served so claim yours before someone else does! Search engines are indexing Facebook and are returning these URL's in results. Simply visit http://www.facebook.com/username and follow the instructions. Your URL cannot be changed once it is set, so make sure you choose it carefully. Tip: include your city, state or country in your URL depending on how people find you on Google. For example, Facebook.com/yourhotelnameparis.

2. Promote your visual identity through video

Photos are great but there's nothing that sells a hotel more than watching a good video, so promote your hotel through video on your Facebook page. Create general videos or niche-specific videos and use Youtube to host and share them on your page, alternatively you can upload them directly. Videos will also get more hits for your hotel in search engines as they also appear in results.

3. Use Facebook insights

Every administrator of your Facebook page will have access to Facebook insights which can be a powerful tool for tracking the growth of your page. You are able to analyse which types of posts are the most popular, monitor fan growth and interaction, see page views and track impressions. Tip: You'll be able to see how many fans have "hidden" you from their feed - if this is high, it may indicate that you are posting too often or the wrong type of content. Monitoring these metrics will enable you to adapt your engagement and content strategy.

4. List the hotel on Facebook places

Make sure you are listed as a hotel in Facebook places. Your hotel should be there already, but if not you can add it easily. Encourage users to "check-in" via Facebook places by offering an incentive such as a free drink in the bar or a money off voucher for a certain number of check-ins. Every time a user checks-in this gets promoted across their network giving you extra exposure and boosting brand awareness as well as potentially adding more likes to your page.

5. Use the reviews application

Facebook has a reviews app which you can easily add to your page. It allows guests to leave honest reviews and opinions of the hotel. These reviews will let your prospective clients know what to expect from the property. In the event of a bad review, you don't necessarily have to remove it. Respond to the user with a positive reply and look at how you can improve things in the future. You can also pull reviews from Tripadvisor into your page if you prefer.

6. Run competitions to encourage interaction

Running a competition on Facebook is a great way of increasing fans and interaction. If someone sees a competition that one of their friends has entered in their newsfeed, they will probably enter it and recommend it to their friends and so on. There are endless possibilities with competitions but be careful - Facebook has guidelines on what you can and can't do so make sure you read these rules carefully and if necessary use a third party application to run a competition.

7. Customise your page with a welcome page

Landing on a customised welcome page on Facebook is far more appealing than seeing the basic wall or the general info page. First impressions count for everything so design your own customised welcome page. You can change the settings of your page so every new user automatically lands on your welcome page.

8. Use Facebook questions

Anyone can add Facebook questions to their page and for hoteliers, it's a great tool to survey users and get feedback. You can create quick polls to gather opinions and learn about your potential guests or ask questions - great if you are thinking of trialling new services or want to put together packages. To get started visit www.facebook.com/questions.

9. Use Facebook advertising

The beauty of advertising on Facebook is that you can target your preferred demographic based on a users profile information. So whether you want to target 20-something women, men who like golf or married couples, you can reach these markets through Facebook. Before you even place an ad, you can use the advertising platform to see how many people are in a certain demographic and then add or remove filters if necessary. You can get started easily by visiting http://www.facebook.com/advertising.

10. Allow users to book directly from Facebook

Think about offering a direct booking functionality through Facebook by installing your own booking widget. It allows access to your booking engine where customers are able to check rates and book special packages created just for them by assigning special rates and offers only available through the Facebook booking channel.


About EyeforTravel

EyeforTravel is a media company specialising in business intelligence for the travel and tourism industry. Its was started by Tim Gunstone in 1997 as part of the FC group. The news website is one of the top three most visited travel trade websites globally and for over 11 years eyefortravel have successfully held travel marketing and technology events on 6 continents, providing an networking platform for thousands of travel companies.

EyeforTravel also provides some of the most in depth research into global online travel markets and trends. Our research site atwww.eyefortravelresearch.com is the information hub for the global travel and tourism industry and is an indispensable tool for anyone who is involved in online travel or travel distribution.




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Trend Hunter...

7/5/2012

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Visit Trend Hunter...  a site for innovative trends, a really great space to let your mind go and explore...

www.trendhunter.com
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Talk to your staff!

7/1/2012

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This article really highlights the point that we have to use every 'touch point' with guests to build our brand and create an exceptional experience... Wilna






An Informed Staff Enhances the Guest Experience.
By John Hendrie

We certainly expect more that “Hi guys, my name is Stormee (with two E’s), and I will be your server tonight”.  Or, “check-out is at noon.  No exceptions”.  And, “Not my job”.  We all know the drill and the disappointment when we are not engaged and could be by the staff at our chosen Hospitality business.  A chance is missed to be memorable, even gracious and accommodating.  We see this all too frequently.  The opportunity is there to build a relationship, and then it becomes fleeting, illusory.

Our usual time to brief our staff is before the business opening or shift change.  That session is always short and the communication succinct.  “Sell the Lamb Kabobs”, “Guest in room 223 has been complaining every fifteen minutes”, watch for the overflow from Parlor A into the Landlubber Bar”, etc.  We also may cover, again quickly, company announcements, a change in schedule or policy, even words of warning, like “The ABC has been checking for underage drinkers”, or “Turn in those Time Sheets”.  Some companies just write in a log book or use Post-Its.  We seldom use this time with everyone present to help our employees learn an edge to Guest Service, which typically results in an enhanced relationship with that Guest, an improved gratuity, certainly service, and return recommendations.

The Boston Globe on June 27, 2012 had a fascinating article on a restaurant which uses that pre-shift time and other allotted training time periods to achieve the objective where, “Urbanity is the Business Goal”.  Entitled, “For Restaurant Staff, Culture is on the Menu”, The Eastern Standard Restaurant in Kenmore Square , Boston (one of my favorites,  as full disclosure) does things differently.  Of course at these staff meetings, they cover menu items, preparation, specialties, etc., as any other restaurant does, but they also emphasize the community, special interests, history, maybe throw in a little chemistry, guest speakers, culture and politics.  For the servers and bartenders this expands their repertoire, where they can converse and share on a similar level to the guests they interact with.  They know how to carry a conversation with comfort and expertise, serving a very sophisticated clientele.  This becomes a differentiator.  As Christopher Muller, Dean of the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration,  noted about Eastern Standard’s owner, Garrett Harker,  his “…teaching and motivating techniques are unusual enough that the atmosphere in Eastern Standard is different than most venues in its category.  There’s nothing worse than a server who can’t talk to you, because they simply don’t know anything, they don’t have enough knowledge, literally, to speak well about anything not on the menu.  It is the artful component of the restaurant business.  And it isn’t easy, or else everyone would be doing it”.

Talk about distinction in the marketplace, really caught by Mr. Harker’s dedication to the “artful component” of his business.  This goes beyond comfortable ambiance, superb entrees, impeccable service — someone I might have an intelligent conversation with, whether it be at a restaurant, hotel front desk, a retail store or the like.  “Artful component” — I like it and seek it!

Credited to LRA Worldwide Inc.
About LRA Worldwide, Inc:LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA's 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question - "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.


The author believes that Remarkable Service is the portal to the Memorable Customer Experience.  Seek solutions at: www.hospitalityperformance.com.
Authors contactJohn R. Hendrie
Phone: 978-346-4367
Email: jhendrie@hospitalityperformance.com
Hospitality Performance, Inc.http://www.hospitalityperformance.com
40 East Main Street
USA - Merrimac, MA 01860
Phone: 978-346-4367
Email: jhendrie@hospitalityperformance.com


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