SWEET D’SGift baskets and baked goods
P.O. Box 1476,  Stow, Ohio 44224 .. (330) 730-5779 .. (330) 475-4510 .. dgmrad@yahoo.com

Minimum order six baskets.
Advanced notice is requested. For additional information, please contact us at:        (330) 730-5779 or email us at: dgmrad@yahoo.com

Our gift containers are themed around the seasons and major holidays.
a.Fall Harvest
b.Christmas
c.Valentine
d. Mother’s day
e. Easter

Our gift containers are presented in the following varieties:
Baskets         b.Tin containers             c. Trays                  d. Gift Boxes

Gift containers are filled with the following:
Packaged candies
Packaged chocolates

Packaged teas
Packaged coffees
Packaged Coffee & tea cookies
Packaged sweet tea and coffee breads
Packaged wafers
Packaged shortbread cookies
Packaged pastries

Wine & cheese baskets And Fresh bakery baskets are available. Please inquire.

Minimum order 6 baskets.       Minimum cost per basket $ 27.00 ++   Delivery not included
Our staff delivers within 45 miles radius only.

Working in the hospitality business has dramatically changed in the last few years. Technology has revolutionized business practices in hotels and with it has come the expectation of a dramatic impact on the delivery of the overall hospitality promise.  Changes are evident in reservation, check-in and check-out processes and even in guest services/concierge activities. Yet in spite of these great strides, many travelers remain dissatisfied with the overall service delivery. They feel that hospitality is still lacking the necessary ingredients that turn a guest ‘s stay into an experience.

Hotel workers who are pleased with the technological changes are surprised by guest feedbacks regarding the hospitality promise.  This tells us that they are not attuned to genuine hospitality work, and therefore do not recognize the factors behind guest dissatisfaction. In addition, hotel operators look at technological efficiency as a reassurance that may blind the guest’s eye to the staff missteps.

We feel that the lag in the delivery of service is caused by many factors.
First it should be noted that there are elements in hospitality that cannot be replaced by technology. These elements are grossly forgotten, ignored or not recognized by management specifically in the area of communication. Public relations and communication skills are still lagging in hospitality. These skills cannot be replaced or substituted by social media. This has been noted by a large percentage of today’s travelers who comment favorably on hotel technological efficiency yet speak poorly of hotel staff interaction with them. Staff personnel, rushed and incapable of acting in a hospitable way to guest requests or complaints that require immediate attention. We are excluding the few hotels of four stars and more, where the percentage of dissatisfaction is lower in spite of the fact that guest expectations are far greater. The greater percentage of complaints are concentrated in properties of mid-level and below where public relations is badly needed. Why? Here are some thoughts that hotel operators may find helpful.

Newly hired staff is being trained today on hotel technologies, data and reports with an emphasis that exceeds all other hospitality training. This is due to one main reason: Hotel operators are convinced that the 21st century guest is looking only for technological efficiency rendering technological training the only priority and criteria for guest training and guest evaluation. Also, technology is quicker and easier to learn than the skill requiring intercommunication and hotel etiquette. This approach saves on payroll training hours which in this economy has become a priority. Nevertheless this practice was adopted before the economic meltdown. Communications and public relations skills became unimportant and are now last on the list of priorities. Surprisingly enough, operators are still not attuned to training as a priority.  All of us should know that by becoming familiar with hospitality language and hotel etiquette, employees are better equipped with the necessary skills that allow them to deliver the service expected. Of course it is necessary for a person to be familiar with computer language and to develop an ease working with computers and technology. But hotel employees must be introduced to the proper hotel “culture of hospitality” before they are able to interact in a way that meets the guest’s expectations. Hotel managers must dedicate time for such training. A budget needs to be set aside for this vital purpose. While hotel operators feel that they are measuring guest satisfaction through surveys which keep their score up relative to the brand, the overall comments heard do not reflect the surveys. The conclusion is that surveys should be taken seriously but not used exclusively. Operators must take their work several steps beyond the survey. Hotel service culture is waning as much as airlines service culture is lagging. This effects the entire travel industry in the United States which is pivotal in a struggling economy. Hotel managers must return to training techniques of the past and not deem them obsolete. In the eighties, training on a task as simple as a PBX telephone console taught hospitality to hundreds of employees and turned female and male workers into ladies and gentlemen. The technical training was always second to the etiquette training. Today the primary focus is on the mechanics which constitutes one aspect of hospitality. The remaining component that is essential to hospitality is ignored due to a miscalculation of priorities on the part of hotel owners, brand executives and hotel operators. Today hotel operators should start their training manual with hospitality instructions and must follow up with an evaluation that is based on a criteria reflecting hospitality performance! Also, screening applicants for hotel jobs must be done with more diligence and scrutiny. Typically not every good worker is cut out for hospitality work. This type of work requires some skills that are part of the applicant’s character. Choosing the right employee must be done carefully with special attention to the applicants ‘s overall social skills.

One other factor that is worth mentioning is that hotel owners and managers are caught in the definition of the term “limited service/mid-scale” hotels. This is being interpreted by many hospitality operators as guests should not expect much. This type of definition permeates all departments in the hotel. Therefore, staff gets into the same mode of thinking, adopting this indifferent attitude when it comes to true hospitality. Limited service hotels and mid-scale properties are meant to be limited in the number of amenities and luxury offerings but not in the treatment of guests. A great majority of travelers seek mid-scale hotels because they offer reasonable rates with amenities that meet their needs. However, with this understanding in mind, they still expect the hospitable treatment as much as they look for it in any other property of any ranking. True they may not expect a door-man, a valet or a club floor serving afternoon tea and aperitifs but they still want to be addressed by staff in the proper hospitable manner. Hotel operators need to refocus on the culture of hospitality they are promulgating in their properties. Also, those that are concerned about payroll cost in training  should know that there are ways to introduce during training such important skills that do not create a heavy burden on the payroll. As mentioned before, from day one, newly hired employees need to be introduced to the hotel culture of hospitality. He or she needs to feel the environment of service in which they work conveyed in the strictness of management and their uncompromising adherence to hospitality etiquettes. This sets the tone for employee behavior from the start.
We noticed that most properties have abandoned the notion of corporate mission. Hospitality mission must be reflected on a pocket card enabling the employee to be reminded of it every minute of the day while at work . Management must get creative in handling such a task. While defining the importance of hospitality to the staff they must introduce pride and comfort in honoring this mission of service delivery. With adherence to corporate missions, management must dedicate time to employee meetings regarding hospitality where thoughts are exchanged relative to ways and means to achieve superior hospitality performance. This does not necessarily constitute a heavy burden on the budget especially if management better calculates the value of lost business the hotel endures in damaged-reputation and sloppy service.
Today, in addition to corporate mission, staff and management must realize that the consumer wants technological efficiencies accompanied with genuine service. Advanced modern techniques must be accompanied with advanced and enhanced service delivery. The technological revolution would function better with the application of traditional service values and not the abolition of the long time honored hospitality. However, the staff is working contrary to the expectations  of the modern guest. They are being utterly misguided by the notion that if technology is working the hospitality promise is being delivered. Management is failing to make a distinction to the staff between technological efficiency and the mission of hospitality.
Also the brands are not helping in this aspect. Dozens of workshops are offered yearly by hotel brands some are mandatory and some are optional. None discuss training on hospitality language. Yet all are about the introduction of a new software and training on it! The overall mechanics of the industry have lost the substantive meaning of service and hospitality. Brands play an important and significant role in this area by making it a brand standard to attend hotel etiquette meetings, workshops, etc…
One other factor we caution against is the myth of the economic recovery. The progress of the national and global economy remain uncertain and questionable. Reports showing an uptick in occupancy and RevPar do not constitute a good metric for projected growth. Nothing in the economy involving various industries in the USA indicate progress. Locally some corporations hire for specific projects and then dismiss once the project is done. The housing industry remains abysmal and manufacturing facilities are seeking markets outside of the US. Hotel owners need to understand that they are in business in very tough and unpredictable times. Competition is fierce and delivering a product with great value attached to it is a must!! In the midst of a technological revolution where speed and efficiency are necessities even in a poor economy, hotel managers need to remember that they are still servicing travelers who value the human touch and are not robots who only understand the touch of electronics.

Public relations and courtesy is expected from all hotel staff and not the sales professionals only!! A return to basic values that are traditional to hospitality can make a difference in the service industry in the USA. It is unacceptable to still get negative feedbacks about service at a time when technology has been introduced to assist  hotel employees in the delivery of a superior product.

By Adele Mourad
————————————–

Q.1
In your experience as a teacher have you noticed in any way the impact of school, classroom, curriculum, teacher’s individual style on the future needs of the student as an adult consumer?

In my experience as a teacher, I do not feel that the school, or classroom affects the future needs of an adult consumer.  As a teacher we are working to prepare our students to be successful, active members of society.  We try to equip them with the ability to make concrete choices and become life long learners. We teach them the importance of being individuals vs. being followers. As children “consumers” the biggest impact is social media.  Only children can cause a buying frenzy like that of the “Silly Bandz”. Student consumers tend to want to fit in, or be a part of the group. I believe that this bandwagon propaganda wears off with age.  I believe the need of the adult consumer, depends more so on economic condition, and lifestyles.

Q2
How strong is the role school plays in the making of adult consumer relative to home?
I believe that the school plays a very minimal role in the making of an adult consumer.  There are many other factors that have a stronger affect on the purchase decision of the consumer including social, cultural, and personal factors.

Q3
In your own expert’s opinion what is the factor in a child’s life that impacts the future consumer the most? Is there one? other factors?

I believe that the number one impact on consumers is economic conditions. This is obvious. If a consumer has a higher income and savings, they tend to purchase more expensive items.  A low-income individual will go for cheaper products.
This life lesson is taught to my 5th grade students through a program called “Junior Achievement”.  Fifth grade students participate in a curriculum that educates children on the economy, jobs, salaries, philanthropy, savings, credit, interest rates, etc. The curriculum is then followed by a hands-on field trip to “Biz town”.  While at “Biz town” students work “jobs” and receive a paycheck according to their job. Hence, the CEO of a company makes more that a bank-teller. The students are given the opportunity to open bank accounts, buy items, and save for future investments. After choosing a job with a set salary the students then have to choose, which car they will be able to afford, which house they can buy, and even how much they will have to spend on other “luxuries.”  What an eye opener, when the students found out that they did not make enough money to own a house, or afford to have a cell phone.
Hopefully, through such realistic experiences, the students will see the importance of an education, and inspire to obtain a career that holds an exclusive role and status in society.
I also believe that society plays a role. Living in south Florida is a prime example.  The old saying “Keeping up with the Jones’s” is in true effect.

Q4
Does the consumer taste develop as growing up gradually from childhood or is there a specific age for it?
Yes, I believe the consumers taste does develop gradually. I also believe that this has a direct impact on the persons buying behavior and habits. Life consists of different stages and each stage has its own buying patterns.

__________________________

What is wrong with hospitality today?

Working in the hospitality business has dramatically changed in the last few years. Technology has revolutionized business practices in hotels and with it has come the expectation of a dramatic impact on the delivery of the overall hospitality promise.  Changes are evident in reservation, check-in and check-out processes and even in guest services/concierge activities. Yet in spite of these great strides, many travelers remain dissatisfied with the overall service delivery. They feel that hospitality is still lacking the necessary ingredients that turn a guest ‘s stay into an experience.

Hotel workers who are pleased with the technological changes are surprised by guest feedbacks regarding the hospitality promise.  This tells us that they are not attuned to genuine hospitality work, and therefore do not recognize the factors behind guest dissatisfaction. In addition, hotel operators look at technological efficiency as a reassurance that may blind the guest’s eye to the staff missteps.

We feel that the lag in the delivery of service is caused by many factors.
First it should be noted that there are elements in hospitality that cannot be replaced by technology. These elements are grossly forgotten, ignored or not recognized by management specifically in the area of communication. Public relations and communication skills are still lagging in hospitality. These skills cannot be replaced or substituted by social media. This has been noted by a large percentage of today’s travelers who comment favorably on hotel technological efficiency yet speak poorly of hotel staff interaction with them. Staff personnel, rushed and incapable of acting in a hospitable way to guest requests or complaints that require immediate attention. We are excluding the few hotels of four stars and more, where the percentage of dissatisfaction is lower in spite of the fact that guest expectations are far greater. The greater percentage of complaints are concentrated in properties of mid-level and below where public relations is badly needed. Why? Here are some thoughts that hotel operators may find helpful.

Newly hired staff is being trained today on hotel technologies, data and reports with an emphasis that exceeds all other hospitality training. This is due to one main reason: Hotel operators are convinced that the 21st century guest is looking only for technological efficiency rendering technological training the only priority and criteria for guest training and guest evaluation. Also, technology is quicker and easier to learn than the skill requiring intercommunication and hotel etiquette. This approach saves on payroll training hours which in this economy has become a priority. Nevertheless this practice was adopted before the economic meltdown.

Communications and public relations skills became unimportant and are now last on the list of priorities. Surprisingly enough, operators are still not attuned to training as a priority.  All of us should know that by becoming familiar with hospitality language and hotel etiquette, employees are better equipped with the necessary skills that allow them to deliver the service expected. Of course it is necessary for a person to be familiar with computer language and to develop an ease working with computers and technology. But hotel employees must be introduced to the proper hotel “culture of hospitality” before they are able to interact in a way that meets the guest’s expectations. Hotel managers must dedicate time for such training. A budget needs to be set aside for this vital purpose. While hotel operators feel that they are measuring guest satisfaction through surveys which keep their score up relative to the brand, the overall comments heard do not reflect the surveys.

The conclusion is that surveys should be taken seriously but not used exclusively. Operators must take their work several steps beyond the survey. Hotel service culture is waning as much as airlines service culture is lagging. This effects the entire travel industry in the United States which is pivotal in a struggling economy. Hotel managers must return to training techniques of the past and not deem them obsolete. In the eighties, training on a task as simple as a PBX telephone console taught hospitality to hundreds of employees and turned female and male workers into ladies and gentlemen. The technical training was always second to the etiquette training. Today the primary focus is on the mechanics which constitutes one aspect of hospitality. The remaining component that is essential to hospitality is ignored due to a miscalculation of priorities on the part of hotel owners, brand executives and hotel operators.

Today hotel operators should start their training manual with hospitality instructions and must follow up with an evaluation that is based on a criteria reflecting hospitality performance! Also, screening applicants for hotel jobs must be done with more diligence and scrutiny. Typically not every good worker is cut out for hospitality work. This type of work requires some skills that are part of the applicant’s character. Choosing the right employee must be done carefully with special attention to the applicants ‘s overall social skills.

One other factor that is worth mentioning is that hotel owners and managers are caught in the definition of the term “limited service/mid-scale” hotels. This is being interpreted by many hospitality operators as guests should not expect much. This type of definition permeates all departments in the hotel. Therefore, staff gets into the same mode of thinking, adopting this indifferent attitude when it comes to true hospitality. Limited service hotels and mid-scale properties are meant to be limited in the number of amenities and luxury offerings but not in the treatment of guests. A great majority of travelers seek mid-scale hotels because they offer reasonable rates with amenities that meet their needs. However, with this understanding in mind, they still expect the hospitable treatment as much as they look for it in any other property of any ranking. True they may not expect a door-man, a valet or a club floor serving afternoon tea and aperitifs but they still want to be addressed by staff in the proper hospitable manner.

Hotel operators need to refocus on the culture of hospitality they are promulgating in their properties. Also, those that are concerned about payroll cost in training  should know that there are ways to introduce during training such important skills that do not create a heavy burden on the payroll. As mentioned before, from day one, newly hired employees need to be introduced to the hotel culture of hospitality. He or she needs to feel the environment of service in which they work conveyed in the strictness of management and their uncompromising adherence to hospitality etiquettes. This sets the tone for employee behavior from the start.

We noticed that most properties have abandoned the notion of corporate mission. Hospitality mission must be reflected on a pocket card enabling the employee to be reminded of it every minute of the day while at work . Management must get creative in handling such a task. While defining the importance of hospitality to the staff they must introduce pride and comfort in honoring this mission of service delivery. With adherence to corporate missions, management must dedicate time to employee meetings regarding hospitality where thoughts are exchanged relative to ways and means to achieve superior hospitality performance. This does not necessarily constitute a heavy burden on the budget especially if management better calculates the value of lost business the hotel endures in damaged-reputation and sloppy service.

Today, in addition to corporate mission, staff and management must realize that the consumer wants technological efficiencies accompanied with genuine service. Advanced modern techniques must be accompanied with advanced and enhanced service delivery. The technological revolution would function better with the application of traditional service values and not the abolition of the long time honored hospitality. However, the staff is working contrary to the expectations  of the modern guest. They are being utterly misguided by the notion that if technology is working the hospitality promise is being delivered. Management is failing to make a distinction to the staff between technological efficiency and the mission of hospitality.

Also the brands are not helping in this aspect. Dozens of workshops are offered yearly by hotel brands some are mandatory and some are optional. None discuss training on hospitality language. Yet all are about the introduction of a new software and training on it! The overall mechanics of the industry have lost the substantive meaning of service and hospitality. Brands play an important and significant role in this area by making it a brand standard to attend hotel etiquette meetings, workshops, etc…

One other factor we caution against is the myth of the economic recovery. The progress of the national and global economy remain uncertain and questionable. Reports showing an uptick in occupancy and RevPar do not constitute a good metric for projected growth. Nothing in the economy involving various industries in the USA indicate progress. Locally some corporations hire for specific projects and then dismiss once the project is done. The housing industry remains abysmal and manufacturing facilities are seeking markets outside of the US. Hotel owners need to understand that they are in business in very tough and unpredictable times. Competition is fierce and delivering a product with great value attached to it is a must!! In the midst of a technological revolution where speed and efficiency are necessities even in a poor economy, hotel managers need to remember that they are still servicing travelers who value the human touch and are not robots who only understand the touch of electronics.

Public relations and courtesy is expected from all hotel staff and not the sales professionals only!! A return to basic values that are traditional to hospitality can make a difference in the service industry in the USA. It is unacceptable to still get negative feedbacks about service at a time when technology has been introduced to assist  hotel employees in the delivery of a superior product.

By Richard J. Maroon, PCC-S  Motivational Speaker, Supervising Professional Clinical Counselor

ENGAGING YOUR EMPLOYEES in 2011

What top employees want and what their employers think they want are often two different things, according to a recent survey by Watson Wyatt (www.watsonsyatt.com). The Washington, D.C.-based human resources consulting firm asked 410 North American companies and 3,600 of their top performers to name the perks most likely to keep them happy.

“There is a gap between what employers think is important for attracting high-performing employees and what those employees think,” says Rick Beal, an architect of the study. “Financial reward is not the number-one motivator. These people are more motivated by things that help enrich their career.”

The three most prized non-monetary perks were advancement opportunities (76 percent), flexible work schedules and appreciation for personal life issues (73 percent), and opportunities to learn new skills (68 percent).

How, then, can employers embrace these growing trends of 2011 and motivate employees to reach their full potential? Consider the following:
Ka-Boom! The Baby Boomers are a force to be reckoned with among American workers. Sixty Two percent of working “boomers” expect to stay in the labor force for at least nine more years, and that by 2020, 80 percent of North American-born workers will be older than fifty. With an older labor force, employers will have to think of addressing health care issues that often accompany men and women of an increased age. The concept of a “sandwich generation”, or adults who are the care givers for their children and their parents, is a reality that most Baby Boomers are, or soon will be, facing. Employers, who learn to accommodate the needs of an aging work force with thoughtful and creative solutions, will be employers who have dedicated, loyal, and happy employees.
It’s a real friendship when it’s a Facebook friendship. A recent Reuters Poll (June 2010) indicated that over 50% of ALL AMERICANS use one or more internet social networking websites. On average Americans who use internet resources spend 47% of their “down time” using computer social networking services, gaming, and online shopping. With numbers such as these one must consider the old adage, “if you can’t beat them, join them”. The internet can be a great place to introduce learning opportunities and initiate morale boosting efforts. Employers can encourage and sponsor online activities such as Book Clubs, Sunshine Committees, Exercise Blogs, etc. With careful monitoring and well thought out rules, connecting with employees through on-line resources can show a worker that they are valued and appreciated even when the office is closed.
It’s Not Easy Being Green. How Green are you? Most corporations are making a concerted effort toward becoming environmentally responsible. Making your company “green” will win over both consumers and employees. Employers can create opportunities for advancement by offering their workers a chance to learn about, create and organize environmentally friendly committees. Such committees can be responsible for the developing of recycling programs, energy efficiency agendas, and improved waste management plans. It’s a perfect way to give an employee a sense of purpose and accomplishment beyond their daily tasks.
For more information on the techniques and method of implementation of all three steps, please
contact Copley Counseling Center, Mr. Richard Maroon at:
rjm321@hotmail.com,
xitagm@yahoo.com

Richard J. Maroon,     Motivational Speaker
Professional Clinical Counselor
Copley Counseling Center-Corporate Division
330- 730- 8061

Our Hopes For The Industry in 2012

• Aggressive Marketing Strategies. We would like to see cities adopting aggressive creative measures to attract business and leisure travelers into their town. Detroit seems to be one of the areas that is leading the recovery and is predicted to continue into the next year. This could be linked to the auto industry regaining footage, but also to the city itself and its efforts to attract business visitors and leisure tourists to Detroit.

• Employee Empowerment. Though the employee/employer relationship has changed tremendously from the 1980s, and 90s it remains in need of improvement especially in the area of employee empowerment.

• Interactive Workshops. Workshops and seminars are no longer engaging and somehow have become obsolete and ineffective, we are looking for alternative measures. (Copley Counseling Center has been innovative in the area of employee engagement)

• Guest Knowledge. It is important to invest more techniques and training in the area of guest-knowledge. Creative efforts must be adopted in in-house communication between staff and guests. Hotels are becoming complacently dependent on on-line and brand surveys. To better succeed in guest services and guest feed backs, guest-in-house communication must be given the same attention. On-line surveys and social media communications are effective only if both techniques are done simultaneously.

• Workers need recreation areas. Recreation areas for workers must improve to match the thinking and psychology of the 21st century worker. There must be areas of electronics and other interests for workers to take breaks in while on the job. This will be actively discussed in our 2012 publications.

• Customer And Guest Services. Customer services have dropped sharply in United States Airline agencies. We will take interest in this industry as it relates to travel and the comfort of the traveler. We hope that airlines in the USA will adopt better training techniques to improve the decline in their public relations skills.

• XiT-AGM Staff have expanded nationwide and beyond our borders. Please check our website to learn about the new additions to our services for hotels and other industries.

www.xithotelsales.com

____________________________________________________________________

Adele Mourad
XiT-AGM Sales And Marketing
exit@xithotelsales.com

Forecast inconsistencies are not new to the hotel industry especially in a volatile economy. Predictions for 2011 and 2012 have reflected positivism mixed with skepticism.We hear a positivism with caution in November then a promising 2012 with altered data again in December. Predictions for the amount of rooms sold, plus Rev Par were expected to be even higher in 2012 than they were in 2011. December’s data suggests a drop in the forecasted RevPAR of approximately 3% from the initial forecast in November. The irregularities in these forecasted results is making it harder for hotel owners and brand leaders to launch business plans for 2012.

Views concerning the significance of the correlation between the economy and hotel business have differed. Some industry observers insist that the national economy did not have much bearing on hotel occupancies because some properties did perform as expected during the tough economic downturn. This conviction is being sharply contradicted by owners and managers who argue that the demise of their properties has been directly linked to the economic downturn.
However, we generally feel that a few businesses that do well in tough times do not reflect the majority of businesses in that industry. Most industries will be affected in one way or the other by the state of the economy.
Contradictions and controversies of that nature do not leave much room to engage in future planning and strategizing for the coming year. The hotel business is a very complex business in tough and good times and the predictions reflecting sharp inconsistencies add to the ambiguities of 2012.

Casual conversations with hotel owners, General Managers and other executives of limited service/mid-scale properties in the mid-west, have yielded an optimism as far as their control of their hotels on their hotels even with the precariousness of the economy. However, their biggest concern seem to revolve around expenditures that may be imposed by brands especially because 2011 fared better than 2010. The fact is that hotel owners are recognizing that the results of 2011 are being characterized as an improvement but they insist that this is not to be called by any means a recovery. They in fact have not had the time to recover the sharp losses of recent years. Many of them agreed that the year was better, and they are operating but, that they are still in an economic hole and they are still trying to keep their heads above water.

Independent franchisees are asking themselves about the effect these positive readings will have on corporate brands this year. Effects such as product improvements, brand relaunching, brand updates, etc…  After the depressed results of previous years, hotel owners are trying to recover their loss and get out of the hole.
All updates pertaining to their properties were put aside while their main focus was staying afloat until the signs of economic recovery start flashing again.

The problems that the brands face and have faced in the past is in hotel leadership. Some hotel leaders always have had issues with product improvement projects, upgrades, updates and so forth. As long as their property is doing well, they shove all spending aside. In a situation like this the problem is directly centered in the character of the ownership and not in the state of the economy. Now with hotel owners being hit hard by the recent recession those who neglected updates during good times find themselves in a far worse conditions than they were before. This is damaging both to themselves and to the brand. Furthermore, brands that adopted a relaxed approach toward property updates in the past have lost the image of quality and high standards other brands have earned over the years. But, more damaging, many of their properties remained in operation during the recent years under a flag providing hospitality under poor conditions; appealing only to budget travelers due to the harsh economy.
These properties can no longer hide under the guise of tough times and a bad recession and they should not be spared by the brand nor should they be given extensions on refurbishing.       For guest safety is a priority and is a more much a significant issue than guest services. Travelers who are under budget restraints and must travel should not have to risk their health and safety. Low cost lodging translates into fewer amenities and limited services but should not include moldy walls, falling wall papering, dirty breakfast counters and rust-stained breakfast equipments. Some major infractions are not visible to the guest’s eyes, yet do create safety and health hazards. Brands that have taken  too long to act in good times have hurt both themselves and hoteliers, for many of those properties have reached a point where remodeling is exorbitantly expensive and the chances for return on investment is unlikely.

It would be refreshing to see the main criteria for inspection focused first on health, safety and property conditions. Uniformity in amenities though important for brand loyalists would come next. The entire industry is being tarnished by hotels that are operating under many flags presenting themselves as ready to receive guests but clearly are not. Some travelers stay with them because of budget restraints but their stay is under unacceptable conditions.

Of course there are those hoteliers who have always kept their property conditions well up to and above the standards and yet they still above it still had to forgo remodeling and Pips because of the sharp decline in revenues. These are the hoteliers that are  concerned about 2012 and the expectations of the brand and the guests.  Should the brand reconsider deadlines for property upgrades, product improvement plans, brand relaunching etc… to allow hotel owners time to recover?
It is very hard to anticipate the length of the period of recovery especially since economic predictions for 2012 are vague, and each recovery will vary with each property’s geographic location, its budget, its ownership and other related factors.

For brands to acquire new hotels, add to their pipeline and maintain a profitable venture for investors, they must preserve a  level of standards within which their independent franchisees must operate. Many feel that the relationship between hotel owners and hotel brands for the next year will certainly be unpredictable or strained. Both hotel owners and hotel brands need a new type of cooperation with one another to survive and prosper. Hotels whose leadership believes in reinvesting in their properties will survive the economic downturn and will achieve an understanding with the brand, as long as hotel brands take a serious look at the reality of the lending landscape. Hotel owners are struggling to acquire loans that would allow them to remodel, refurbish and improve. It is certainly true as many argue that some brands must keep a reasonable amount of time between one relaunch and another to allow hotel leaders to feel the return on their investment even in a stronger economy. Hotel leaders that consistently slack on reinvesting in their properties incur losses which will be difficult to recover and further damage the brand name as well.
Many of those hoteliers will have to either comply with the standards or choose options with flags that require less regulations. However even with economy-type hotels where standards may be at a minimum, there must be a bar that outlines for hoteliers the limit under which they should not fall. In our research, we have seen many hotels that are operating with poor standards while other hotels are picked at by brands for matters that do not affect quality nor diminish image. These are details toward which brand experts must develop a criteria because it is continuously on going; made more visible by the bad turn that the national economy has taken. To achieve win-win results there must continue be a continuous partnership between the two the coming year. This is a problem that need to be addressed more aggressively in 2012.
Hotel owners who complain about operational costs have many options to pursue today that could cut their expenses tremendously.The outsourcing option has become most viable for many hotel owners. Outsourcing has proven to be successful in many areas such as housekeeping, accounting/payroll and sales and marketing.
Outsourcing in these areas provides large savings allowing managers and owners to spend on upping the conditions of their rooms, doors, carpets and bathrooms.  So while brands must work closely with their franchisees, we feel that cleanliness and property conditions must be the first to be addressed. Hotel managers and owners must think creatively to allot money for such priorities even in a recovering economy. Hospitality must not lower its standards when there are other ways to combat tough times. Owners that take too long to address their property problems such as: heating issues, air conditioning, hot water problems, low drainage, broken or nicked doors, chipped cabinets, scratched walls, slippery car parks, icy and unsalted walks and many many other deficiencies will find themselves struggling even in an ideal economy. It is difficult for brands to regularly monitor conditions of that sort. It should be unnecessary.  Hoteliers should take responsibility without awaiting for the brand guidelines, brands should enforce the issues that matter first. It will undoubtedly become real partnership with  progressive communications between both for the circumstances of the future will force all business leaders to become more approachable, involved and humble.

______________________________________________________________________

# 1. Knowledge of the competition. How much do hotels know about their competition?Investigating the competition is typically the responsibility of the hotel’s sales-team that is in fact dispatched to shop the competition within the property’s territory. The problem is that this practice is not carried out in an efficient manner.
Why? Most sales pros shop the competition one time only upon their first month on the job. Then their findings are stored in a pile of files. End of task! They are doing it only as a task on their to do list and once checked off they move on!
Shopping  the competition requires an ongoing action of monitoring competitive rates, special offers/promotions, packages, amenities, product, staff conduct and etiquette, web representation, blogs, etc… on a regular basis. Awareness of general and specific patterns within the competition increases the chance of competing successfully..
In addition, there must be continuous follow ups with the acquired data. For instance, the occupancy of the competition needs to be correlated with their hotel facts and information. Then, the gathered competitive intelligence needs to be compared to one’s own property ‘s occupancy; seasonally or quarterly.  These findings must become major topics in staff and strategy meetings.

Updated knowledge of the competition allows managers to better position their property in its territory and to differentiate their product from the rest of the pack. Please keep in mind that focusing on gathered intelligence is not to be used to mimic the competition but to help managers better define and outline their own operations.

# 2. Occupancy Reports. Another insightful tool to utilize in dealing with occupancy issues is hotel reports, such as those by Zip Codes and Feeder City Reports. These are great indicators of sources of business. Such reports enable the hotel manager to identify the property’s target areas that are geographically remote from the hotel’s territory. These reports allow sales to better concentrate their efforts in a given territory and help them craft the appropriate sales method so that management can spend wisely on their marketing campaigns.
Often those reports are not utilized as they should be. Analyzing bookings data must be done regularly and need to be part of the sales strategy. There are sources of business in these reports over which hotel salespeople do not have direct control but they can be easily captured due to the speed of email, twitters, linked, ins and others.  The internal staff must build a strong and lasting relationship with these businesses before they are lost to the competition.

# 3. Knowing our guests. How much do hotels invest in getting to know their guests? Close to Nothing. Calling the guest by title and last name is no longer considered a special touch. It has become a common procedure and is expected from hotels of any tier. So for hotels that feel they have  much accomplished by doing the usual, we say they are barely doing the minimum.
Forging relationships is the sole responsibility of the internal hotel staff. Getting to know the guest is pivotal to good business. Interaction between guests and staff creates a valuable tool for information gathering and relationship building. Managers today are found rushing through the day trying to cope with the needs of the moment.  And staff is rushing through their responsibilities as well. A simple courtesy greeting is done quickly and robotically. It is not the quality interaction that generates results. Special staff training must be dedicated to guest engagement. We mean training that goes beyond the memorized jargon of check in/check out and the usual. We consider knowing our guests a major asset to hospitality providers. It paves the way to a partnership between you and your in-house guests. This then evolves into knowing  guest preferences and anticipating their very own needs. More importantly it creates a welcoming at- home environment for the traveler. A property that genuinely operates based on guest need is a property that is aggressively competing and moving forward..
General questions such as how was your stay? Everything ok? Checking in? Checking out?? etc….  have become routine and generate routine answers that do not serve the management ‘s interest.
Questions such as what would you like to see on your next visit? Any special request? Did you visit us by plane or by car? How was your flight this time? etc…What made you choose this air-line? etc..Or moving on: Did you like our new addition on our managers reception menu? Or, was the bed comfortable? Were you able to smell our new scent in the bathroom, or even just non hotel conversation such as was your travel better than last time? These are forms of communication that engage and do generate expression of feelings.

Guest engagement exudes a concern for guests comfort and creates a feel -at -home atmosphere of genuine hospitality. The majority of travelers seek this type of service in their travel. However, conversations with guests must be well practiced to produce loyalty and attachment to the property.
More importantly, while employing public relation efforts in delivering the hospitality promise, hotel staff is also engaged in intelligence gathering guest feedbacks.
It is unfortunate that today a great percentage of hotel staff simply feel that all of this is unnecessary and irrelevant. They believe that brand surveys brought by modern technology is the most effective way to communicate as it interprets the guests feelings over their entire stay and eliminates the tedious time consuming functions of traditional methods.
While the Brand surveys are excellent tools for measuring guest satisfaction they are not designed to take over the role of relationship building. Public relations and guest engagement won’t be replaced by the technology of surveys.
Nonetheless in the next paragraph we will highlight how even brand surveys are not utilized as intended.

# 4. Capitalize on the brand’s resources. Perfect are the brand surveys which are designed to measure guest satisfaction, interpret the guest’s general feeling of his/her stay and articulate his or her willingness to return. However, even brand surveys are not utilized to their utmost by hotel owners and managers. Managers need to include brand survey analysis in their formal staff meeting and time needs to be dedicated to discussing its results and validity.
Yet we still feel that there is too much dependence on brand resources and not much creativity is utilized to capitalize on them. Hotel operators should create customized local surveys that are short and concise yet reflective of the everyday service, product and amenities of their property.
Unfortunately, some hotel brands are stifling the creativity of hotel owners with too many regulations.There are many hotel brands today that do not allow localized surveys for the sake of consistency and standards. Special touches that are designed to enhance the success of the franchisee without compromising standards and consistency should be encouraged by the franchiser and should not be policed nor regulated. Hotel owners fear the risk of getting fined by adding these unique touches to the standards and consequently creativity is stifled.
Nevertheless there are some brands that do expect hotel managers/owners to take initiatives and capitalize on brand resources.
And where brand allows freedom of operation we suggest that in conjunction with brand surveys, managers should create their own localized surveys; a brief and concise one. Whereas the brand questionnaire reflect the general statistics, localized surveys reflect the local statistics with a few relevant questions. It takes only a few seconds for the staff to hand it over and only few minutes from the guest to fill it out.
Survey headers such as: We value your input. We appreciate your thoughts. Your opinion matters., are a great way to invite the guest to participate.

Customized surveys, brand surveys and guest engagement are significant tools of competition. They allow managers to discover their operational strength and weaknesses. They allow them to take an inner look at their operation and help them identify areas in need of improvement. It is a very small investment with boundless results. But please do not tell us that these types of functions cannot fit in within the staff’s busy day, because modern technology has purposely freed the staff from tedious work  in order to dedicate more time to guest interaction.

# 5. Sales reporting. Sales feedbacks are good trackers of occupancy. Market-feedbacks and inputs gathered by sales managers through prospecting and solicitation are down played and nearly forgotten today where most aspects of the operation are run on electronic data. Data must be part of the overall equation in planning and strategy building. However technology in hotels was not introduced to replace these important functions. It was rather designed to enhance, support and increase the chances of success. Neither function replaces the other and neither one should be ignored.
These reports shed light on occupancy questions provided that sales managers report the facts accurately. When prospecting or retracing accounts, sales pros learn facts that often explain important causes behind lost accounts. About 66% of hotel guests do not report problems nor their dissatisfaction nor do they respond to surveys. They just cancel their business and go elsewhere. And managers presume that it is the economy or lower rates or a tighter budget that led to their loss of business.
Loss of business could be the result of many broad and expansive reasons. In our work we have seen hotel staff guessing over loss of business. Facts gathered from territorial visitations or even a few phone calls or a simple email can be quite significant!!
Yes occupancy variances are tracked by data reports but awareness of the causes behind the variances remain the responsibility of the hotel staff. Surveys do a portion of the job,  sales feed-backs-reports remain equally important and complete the job. The door-to-door reporting be it by phone call, email or just a visit is vital as it solidifies relationships between the corporate travel planner and the property. Identifying the glitches of the operation through these routine functions allows managers to strategize with more clarity as they move to enhance and remedy reported issues.

# 5. Are we allowing our managers to manage?
All in all management must operate to offset the competition. Running a business can be split into many main criteria; one is coping with the day-to-day, second is managing staff and time, third is planning and projecting. But while managing the business, all functions must be designed to compete aggressively and cleverly. There are no scientific rules for competition. The elements involved are endless and broad.
Competition requires focus, patience, speed, aggressiveness, insight, creativity and much more. Competition requires effective use of the tools existing at our disposal.  Competition requires our managers to have complete control and a firm grip over their operation with an outstanding ability to prioritize. However, many managers today are not given the freedom to operate from a managers perspective. Hotel ownership in many instances interferes with major decisions managers need to make to grow and to mobilize the business. Many owners are wasting the talent and abilities of skilled general managers by their constant interference in their operational efforts and the decision-making process, insisting on running their properties solely from their own perspective. This practice is taking place mainly in mid and lower tier hotels rather than in higher end properties.  Managers work 15 hours a day trying to keep things together to maintain a steady operation. Many times, they are ask to serve as desk agents, housekeepers, breakfast attendants in order to cut cost. They are given great responsibilities with very limited authority. Owners hire them for their outstanding experience yet do not allow them to utilize the assets they were hired for. This type of ownership is not running their properties with the industry’s perspective in mind. This leadership style is leaving the industry with depressed properties and wasted investments by minimizing the standards and altering the entire concept of hotel operations and competition.
Those managers who know the art of competition are not permitted to compete and take their properties into the lead.

In a troubled economy, travelers are looking for it all. We urge hotel owners and managers to run their operation with a competitive spirit. Managing the routine day-to-day tasks while successfully moving on to offset and overcome the competition next door. This is what makes businesses grow and prosper. We hope that hoteliers make the right choices in hiring qualified managers. And for those that are equipped with skilled managers, we ask them to let them get the job done , trust their abilities and give them the time needed to show success.

Adele G. Mourad

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