News for the Hospitality Executive |
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Lessons from the Field
A Common Sense Approach to Success in the Hospitality Industry |
By Dr. John Hogan, CHA MHS CHE, June 9,2009 |
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Personal Stories of Delivering
Hospitality and Pride
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By Dr. John Hogan, CHE CHA MHS, June 16, 2009
For those of us in this industry, it often becomes second nature to offer that extra effort to provide our guests that sense of welcome and hospitality. A wonderful benefit I receive in preparing these columns is that I often have the opportunity to meet (by email, phone or perhaps at a conference where I am speaking) terrific people from all over the globe who are involved in the daily delivery of hospitality and pride. It is the realization that hospitality is much more than accounting, culinary, engineering, marketing, housekeeping and management � it is the combining of all features into a an exceptional experience. �In our business, the customer service business, the intangibles are far more important than the tangibles. It�s not just providing good value - providing a good product at a reasonable price � you need to offer an infusion of spirituality. In other words, if you�re in the customer service business, you don�t want people just to fly from A to B and say �Woo, we made it!� You want them to get off the plane with the feeling that they were welcome, perhaps entertained. You want it to be a warm event in their lives , so they will come back. � Herb Kelleher, founder and former CEO of Southwest AirlinesLast fall, I shared my definitions of the word HOSPITALITY in a column published in this service and invited readers to contribute their definitions. Reader input was very positive and definitions came from people around the world who wanted to express themselves. About three weeks ago, I found myself considering examples of excellence in hospitality and ways that successful hotels build pride. I realized defining hospitality was the really the introduction to delivering it. Again, I asked readers to share their thoughts and again the response from a different set of people is the result. Building Pride Hotels play an important role in their communities, as centers for meetings,
local social and business events, and of course, in accommodating visitors
who may have traveled great distances and are in unfamiliar places.
Many hotels have much to be proud of � service to their guests, contributions
to their community and a solid reputation as good citizens and employers
in their locale.
1. From Muin Serhan, General Manager,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for inspiring us
in the hospitality around the world. In reference
to your recent article �Delivering hospitality and pride�, I thought
first to introduce Tamani Hotel Marina, part of Tamani Hotels and
Resorts, with one open hotel and 4 iconic hotels under construction.
As a single brand striving to deliver exceptional service to our guests
as well as competing with major international hotel chains in the market
place, I thought of sharing some ways that Tamani Associates excel in delivering
hospitality!
E-Marketing Manager, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Singapore singapore.grand.hyatt.com
One of the most incredible experiences I ever had in reference to true hospitality in my 40-year career in the hotel business was�..
This might be a good topic for discussion at the next staff meeting
, whether you are the CEO of a large management group, a brand or department
head of a four-person team. What are some of the ways your
hotel staff excels at delivering hospitality?
Feel free to share an idea for a column at [email protected] anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements ����. And remember � we all need a regular dose of common sense. Autographed copies of LESSONS FROM THE FIELD � a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES can be obtained from THE ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources. All rights reserved by John Hogan and this column may be included in an upcoming book on hotel management. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication John Hogan, a career hotelier and educator, is frequently invited to participate at franchise meetings, management company and hospitality association industry events. He is a successful senior executive with a record of accomplishment in leading hospitality industry organizations at multiple levels, with demonstrated competencies as a strong leader, relationship builder, problem solver and mentor. He conducts mystery-shopping reviews of quality in operations and marketing, including repositioning of hotels. Expertise and Research Interest
He writes weekly columns for a number of global online services and has published more than 400 articles & columns on the hotel industry. He co-authored (with Howard Feiertag, CHA CMP) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD � a COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE HOTEL SALES, which is available from [email protected], ROOMS CHRONICLE www.roomschronicle.com and other industry sources. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona and expects to publish in 2009 his 2nd book based on his dissertation � The Top 100 People of All Time Who Most Dramatically Affected the Hotel Industry. Hogan�s 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, including service as Senior Vice President of Operations in a specialty hotel brand for six years. He holds a number of industry certifications (CHA, CHE, MHS, ACI) and is a past recipient of the American Hotel & Lodging Association�s Pearson Award for Excellence in Lodging Journalism, as well as operational and marketing awards from international brands. He has served as President of both city and state hotel associations. John�s background includes teaching college level courses as an adjunct professor at three different colleges and universities over a 20-year period, while managing with Sheraton, Hilton, Omni and independent hotels. 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 joined Best Western International in spring of 2000, where over the next 8 years he created and developed a blended learning system as the Director of Education & Cultural Diversity for the world�s largest hotel chain. He has served on several industry boards that deal with education and/or cultural diversity and as brand liaison to the NAACP and the Asian American Hotel Owners� Association with his long-term involvement in the Certified Hotel Owner program. He has conducted an estimated 3,200 workshops and classes in his career. Service to the Industry and Hospitality Education includes working with the Educational Institute Certification Commission of the AH&LA, the Hospitality Industry Diversity Institute, the AH&LA Multicultural Advisory Council, the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, the Commission for Accreditation on Hospitality Management Programs, the AH&LA and AAHOA Education and Training Committees, the Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Educators (CHRIE), the International Hotel Show and the Certified Hotel Owner program for the Asian American Hotel Owners� Association. |
Contact:
Dr. John Hogan, CHA MHS CHE
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