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�A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hoteliers:
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by Dr. John Hogan, CHA MHS CHE, September 2006
This series of hospitality industry strategies has been receiving strong interest in readership and response and has prompted a number of people to request that certain topics be discussed in this forum. The last topic in housekeeping was re-enforced by input from Aleta Nitschke, CHA, Founder, of The Rooms Chronicle and I decided to be seek counsel and suggestion from some of my industry associates on the next several issues. �A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hoteliers: Safety and Security (Part one of two) The numbers 9-1-1 have evolved from the emergency response system to one that evokes a wide range of emotions, especially for citizens of the USA. Nine � Eleven means today a vivid reminder of what can unexpectedly happen to us. The hurricane season of 2005, the fires that affected many western states, the flooding in the northeast US in early 2006 are all examples of potential crises that can tax our resources. I am very appreciative to have received input from one of the industry�s most recognized authorities on risk management, Professor Ray Ellis, Jr. Ray, a proud octogenarian , is a Professor at the Hilton College of Hospitality Management at the University of Houston. Ray also serves as the Director of the Loss Prevention Management Institute and the primary author of the LOSS PREVENTION MANAGEMENT BULLETIN. www.losspreventionbulletin.com . As a reminder of why the use of a BAKERS DOZEN, we often see a top ten list of ideas. The term "bakers dozen" arose when bakers started giving away an extra loaf with every dozen purchased to make sure the total weight of bread sold complied with the strict Weights and Measures Regulations which came into force at the time. Since then, the number thirteen has been referred to as "a baker's dozen". �A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hoteliers:
FOCUS ON SAFETY STRATEGIES 1. Become aware of the real costs of safety. The direct and insurance costs are obvious. Higher claims, especially if there is fault involved, can delay payments or cause extended periods of legal entanglement. We should not overlook the hidden costs of lost productivity, of overtime to cover absence of an injured employee, inefficiencies in service, the loss of guests to other hotels requiring expensive marketing to regain lost market share. This list can be very extensive.A WORD TO INDEPENDENTS - if your hotel is not part of a brand, your local hotel association will likely know of qualified programs or products Think Tank These questions are offered to stimulate discussion about the way we do business. There is not necessarily only one �correct� answer � the reason for this section of the column is to promote an awareness of how we might all improve our operations. Consider using these or similar questions at staff meetings encourage your team to THINK! Topic (Part one of two) FOCUS ON SAFETY STRATEGIES
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication or of Best Western International. All rights reserved by John Hogan. This column will be included in an upcoming book on hotel
management.
He serves on several industry boards that deal with education and/or cultural diversity including the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute, the AH&LA Multicultural Advisory Council, the AAHOA Education and eCommerce Committee and is the Best Western liaison to the NAACP and the Asian American Hotel Owners� Association with his ongoing involvement in the Certified Hotel Owner program. His professional experience includes over 35 years in hotel operations, food & beverage, sales & marketing, training, management development and asset management on both a single and multi-property basis. He is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) , a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), a Master Hotel Supplier (MHS), and a past recipient of the American Hotel & Lodging Association�s Pearson Award for Excellence in Lodging Journalism. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D. in International Business and an MBA via Distance Learning from UNW. He has served as President of both city and state hotel associations. John�s background includes teaching college level courses as an adjunct professor for 20 years, while managing with Sheraton, Hilton, Omni and independents hotels. Prior to joining Best Western International in spring of 2000, he was the principal in an independent training & consulting group for more than 12 years serving associations, management groups, convention & visitors� bureaus, academic institutions and as an expert witness. He has conducted an estimated 3,000 workshops and seminars in his career to date. He has published more than 300 articles & columns
on the hotel industry and is co-author (with Howard Feiertag, CHA CMP)
of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD � A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL
SALES, which is available from HSMAI www.hsmai.org , www.SmartBizzOnline.com,
www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources.
Additional Contact information: Ray Ellis, Jr. Director of the Loss Prevention Management Institute [email protected] www.losspreventionbulletin.com The LOSS PREVENTION MANAGEMENT BULLETIN is prepared as a service of the AH&LA by the Loss Prevention Management Institute, Conrad N. Hilton College, University of Houston, Funded by gifts from the American Hotel and Lodging Education Foundation. It has been re-formatted and a search engine has been added. It is possible to search by subject area and the article will appear with date and attribution in the event a reader wishes to �lift� an article and use it for a bulletin, magazine or other safety or security communication. The materials in the BULLETIN and in the re-formatted articles are not under copyright so the reader may have ready use of the data. |
Contact:
Director, Education & Cultural Diversity Best Western International - THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN ® 6201 N. 24th Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85016-2023 Phone 602-957-5810; fax 602-957-5815 [email protected] |
"...we all need a regular dose of common sense " |
Also See: | A Bakers Dozen of Strategies for Hotel Front Office Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / August 2006 |
�A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel Front Office Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / July 2006 | |
�A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel Sales & Marketing Professionals / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / June 2006 | |
"A Bakers Dozen� of Strategies for Hotel General Managers / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / May 2006 | |
�A Bakers Dozen� of Ideas for Hotel Management Company Executives / Hotel Common Sense / John Hogan / April 2006 |
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