ST. GEORGE, Utah – Nov., 2011 – ContactPoint will present the preliminary results of a collaborative study with distinguished University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) professor Dr. Robert Woods, during the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) and American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Show in New York City on Monday, Nov. 14, at 2:30 p.m.

The show will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The results will be announced at ContactPoint’s show booth, #3343. The findings highlight specific areas where hotels succeed and fail at selling; valuable information that may shift sales processes and paradigms in the industry.

Using ContactPoint technology, the study analyzed 1,673 mystery shopping calls placed at nearly 300 randomly selected hotels across the United States. The calls were scored on statistically proven hospitality sales best practices, and were then analyzed and compared across brand, property segment and classification. The calls include data from call centers, front desk guest service representatives (GSRs) and group/corporate sales.

The findings suggest, somewhat surprisingly, that front desk GSRs are significantly better at statistically critical sales skills and processes than hotel calls centers and group/corporate sales. The methods, details and preliminary findings of the research will be presented by ContactPoint Founder and President Jeremiah Wilson.

This report represents the first large-scale study of the hotel industry’s ability to effectively reserve rooms over-the-phone. This study analyzes data from scored reservation and sales calls at nearly 300 properties in 49 states. This study provides a detailed account of 1) the state of reservation booking ability and over-the-phone sales skills in the hospitality industry; 2) comparisons of the same, between brands, management groups, classifications, segments, etc.

We examine such questions as:

• Are front desk GSRs more skilled at booking rooms over-the-phone than hotel call centers?
• How do brands compare to one another?
• How effective at statistically significant sales skills are group sales managers and staff when attempting to book blocks of rooms?
• How do 'luxury' hotels compare to economy brands, mid-scale brands and other classifications?
• How critical is training and development for front desk GSRs, call centers, and group/corporate sales staff?
• Should hotels utilize front desk GSRs more frequently instead of sending reservation calls to call centers?
• What specific skills are statistically significant to booking more rooms?

About Dr. Robert Woods, PHD
Dr. Robert Woods is a professor at UNLV’s prestigious William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. Dr. Woods is the most frequently cited and published research author in hospitality education. He has published more than 100 articles in leading hospitality journals worldwide.

About ContactPoint
ContactPoint is the world leader in sales and guest service optimitics. They provide a range of technology and training solutions for the modern hotel. These tools—including call tracking, call recording, call scoring and a variety of online and in-person training packages—revolutionize the way hotels view their guest interactions. ContactPoint is on a mission to unleash the extraordinary power in every customer contact. For more information about ContactPoint visit www.contactpoint.com or call 866-468-0900.