RE: Giving Back Means Getting Back
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Having worked with Cone Communications, the leading cause marketing agency, during my days as National Marketing Director of Whole Foods Market, I suggest to hotel managers to proceed with caution. Cause marketing can be tricky, particularly among a public that has grown jaded and cynical. Yes - many well-implemented cause marketing campaigns have led to a short-term increase in sales. But cause marketing does not automatically translate into bottom-line action, sustainable brand loyalty, and conversion. Being a "good neighbor" is good business - but it won't necessarily impact sales. Effective cause marketing requires: brand alignment, transparency, creativity, and tangibility.
Kirsten Osolind
President
RE:INVENTION
www.reinventioninc.com
2/1/2010
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RE: The Demand Game
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For all too many years, I have attended and participated in seminars where one of the most preached themes was to avoid indescriminate price discounting…..yet those very same corporate VIPS did exactly that at the first signs of drops in occupancy. The result has been a disaster for our industry.
As I suspected many of them haven't a clue as to what damage do to those who have to operate hotels for a livelihood, rather than shuffle papers and make speeches.
Posted by: Mr. Bernie Rubin , Mr - CHA
Email: BRubin3339@aol.com
1/28/2010
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As you stated Mr. Hausmann, “Because there are tons of smart people in this business that know better and can do better.” And you are absolutely correct; there is a lot of talent out there in the hotel industry.
But much of this talent is already overworked and underpaid, especially junior managers, who, as their idea comes into consciousness, so does the fact that how much more work will this project add to their workload, how many more hours, after his/her already 60 hours, will this idea cost them?
Even at my present place of work, I am getting brow beaten for suggesting new ideas and trying to improve the mediocre service and standards, and I’m just a line employee.
So I think one reason packages are stale and unchanged for the last 10 years is that nobody wants or has the free time to create and develop new and exciting ideas. AND of course God forbid asking the employees for ideas or creating an employee committee (with enthusiastic and dedicated employees who would love to volunteer) to come up, create and initiate packages, and even compensate those employees with a, lets say, 10% reward on every package sold. At a Resort in Queensland, Australia I worked, there was a customer service committee made up of volunteer employees and one manager who, every month came together to assist in solving and improving, not only guest satisfaction, but improve the work environment. For two years, there was a wait list to be on that committee and they came up with dozens of ideas to improve guest satisfaction, the work environment and ideas to save the company, one idea saving the resort $200,000 a year, without lowering any standards or procedures.
So, is it that there are just no better and more exciting ideas out there and they have all been exhausted, or is it that the employees who have new and exciting ideas are exhausted themselves?
Thank you very much for your time. David J ones
PS. Great picture.
Posted by: Mr. David Jones
Email: ibd14u@earthlink.net
1/22/2010
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RE: Dreaming of a Tech-Fueled Hotel Stay
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Thank you Glenn,
Thank you for your comments on iPod docking stations. Hotels that provide a device for iPod connectivity are opening themselves up to a potentially bad guest experience unless the sound quality is as good or better than they have at home. Saving $$ by selecting a system that performs poorly is actually a very costly mistake and can make an unfavorable impression on their guests. Choosing a system that provides premium performance will indeed make the experience a memorable one.
Posted by: Robert Wright
Email: robert_wright@bose.com
1/18/2010
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RE: Dreaming of a Tech-Fueled Hotel Stay
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Now you're talking. Let's get these rooms electronically up to date.
Posted by: Mr. William (Butch) E Crouse
Email: butch@indon.biz
1/15/2010
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RE: The Inn at Pocono Manor Names Robert Sighinolfi GM
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Congratulations to Mr.Sighinolf. There is one correction I'd like to make in the article; it is the Connecticut Convention Center located in Hartford Connecticut, not the Hartford Convention Center.
If anyone were to consider looking up the facility they would not find the Hartford Convention Center as a venue to attribute to his professional management experience.
Thank you.
Posted by: Ms. Terryl Mitchell Smith
Email: tsmith@cceda.net
1/14/2010
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Hyatt's Andaz Boutique Hotel
Great article! I write a blog and often focus on how people can change the industry, provide better service and be industry leaders and the Hyatt's Andaz Hotel seems to be doing exactly that.
Corey Harlock - www.questushospitality.com
Posted by: Mr. Corey Harlock
Email: corey.harlock@questus.ca
1/13/2010
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RE: What Your Guest Craves in 2010
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Glenn,
My wife travels about two weeks out of the month from coast to coast, as does 10 of her other colleagues. They generally stay at upscale hotels such as Hampden Inns, Doubletree, Various Marriott properties. Many of these hotels still have MiniBars in the room.
To a marketing person like myself, the MiniBar is like having a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! But alas, the ignorance and dare I say stupidity of many Hoteliers (I'm talking of upper management policy makers) has caused this pot of gold to turn to Rust!
Let me explain. My wife as well as her other colleagues follow pretty much this same course - I know because I just simply asked them. After a long day of travel, renting a car and grabbing something to eat before ending up at their respective hotel usually around 4-6 pm, they make a stop at the local grocery store for water, mini-wine bottles or beer and some snacks to take to their room. Why? Because it's 1/3 to 1/4 the price charged by the MiniBar!
Take water for example. I know this field well, as I am involved at the supply end of this product. Most Hoteliers are purchasing water from 15-20 cents a bottle for purified water up to 30-40 cents a bottle for high end spring water.
But in the MiniBar they charge $2.50 to $4.50 for a 20 oz bottle! To me that's just plain stupid. Maybe a person out of desperation would purchase this water! For example, my son got married this last summer. The reception was at the Hyatt Regency in Denver. We booked 12 rooms for three nights for all the out of town guests. My wife and I even booked a room to change in. I noticed that the 20 oz. bottle of Aquafina (purified water) sold for $4.50 a bottle. I checked with all the guests, not one bottle was opened during the three day stay in 12 rooms! In addition, not one product from the MiniBar was bought either!
Hoteliers need to start thinking like grocery stores. Make a little profit on a large movement of product. Wake up !! You have a "Captive Audience" ready and willing to buy your products right in the convenience of their room. If you put reasonable prices, such as what they could buy it at the vending machine, for example, 75 cents to $1.50 for water (depending on what part of the Country you are in) you would sell a ton of water and make a whole lot more profit on the bottom line as well.
How does this relate to customer loyalty? Just like my wife and her colleagues look for hotels that offer complimentary Breakfast (as a perk), once the reputation of your Hotel or chain of hotels gets out that you have reasonable prices at the MiniBar, you will capture that audience too. That saves them time from having to stop at a grocery store and load up before arriving at the hotel!
Water was just my example because I'm familiar with the wholesale pricing, but I'm sure that all the mini liquors, beers, candy, snacks, etc. offered in most MiniBars could be reduced in price drastically and still offer a 100-200%+ markup for the hotel.
Since the current concept of the MiniBar is "Ouch, don't touch anything in there, kids!" It will take time to reprogram customers to realize that your Hotel or Chain offers reasonable prices at the MiniBar. One could even use this venue as a new advertisement gimmick that hasn't been used before to attract new guests.
Just my humble thoughts based on my and my wife's personal experiences!
Yours,
Dr. Richard A. Oliver
Posted by: Dr. Richard A Oliver MD
Email: richard@braziliansprings.com
1/6/2010
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RE: Best of 2009
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Regarding Encore and Aria. I agree that Encore is the best new Las Vegas casino resort of 2009. As a Las Vegas certified travel agent I was invited, along with other travel agents, to enjoy a familiarization weekend at Encore in January. It was quite spectacular and met all of my expectations. I have visited Las Vegas regularly since 1989 and have experienced all of the major resorts on the Strip.
Several agents from our office recently spent a few days at the City Center. Although we agree that it is an architectural marvel we found it to be sterile and cold - much like a large, airport. The room at Vdara had several design challenges and flaws. The blackout panels did not cover the window completely, letting in large beams of light at night, making sleep quite challenging. Other facility-related challenges involved faulty wiring and poor furniture placement. Obviously the rush to complete the resort allowed some major oversights. The Crystals shopping area was incomplete. We will definitely steer our luxury clients toward other Strip properties.
Posted by: Ms. Adrienne C. Lee
Email: alee@here2theretravel.net
1/1/2010
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Top Pet Peeves of the Year – 2009 Edition
Nicely written Mr. Haussman, I am sure there were many more positives and not so positives you could have written, these were great examples. I also liked that you separated the Pet Peeves from the Positives this year where last they were in the same news letter. Thank you and all the staff for doing a great job and am looking to all the daily news letters next year. Have a happy New Year and enjoy. David Jones
Posted by: Mr. David Jones
Email: ibd14u@earthlink.net
12/31/2009
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