Phoenix-Best Western International is making progress in its quest to receive a  better grade in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's  Economic Reciprocity Initiative Hotel Industry Report Card. 

Best Western, which received a D+ in the ERI released this past summer, is  launching a yet-to-be-named diversity initiative after meeting with NAACP  officials last month. 

Vicki Winston, who joined Best Western as director of human resources in May  after spending four years with Holiday Inn, will oversee the new program.  "This isn't just a social issue, it's a business issue," said Winston, who added  that her background is in cultural diversity and affirmative action. "It's one  of the things Best Western needed to do. From the top down, this initiative has  been welcome." 

Companies that receive a grade lower than C- do not receive any NAACP business  dollars, and the organization urges consumers to make a similar choice.  Both Skip Boyer, Best Western's director of public relations-communications, and  Winston said Best Western is taking several steps to raise its ERI grade,  including: 

• Allowing regional suppliers to participate in the company's endorsed vendor  program. 

• Becoming more active in encouraging blacks to develop Best Western properties. 
• Adjusting its advertising budget to include black-oriented media. 

Winston said no budget has been set up for the new ad campaign, but said one  likely will be in place by the end of the year. 

• Actively recruiting more blacks at the corporate level. 

"We're a diverse organization, starting at corporate," he said. "Our  organization reflects the racial makeup of our area, which is largely Hispanic. Our recruiting base will be a little broader." 

• Developing a pledge with the NAACP to allow the organizations to utilize the  other's resources. 

Raising the grade 

The NAACP's second report card, which was issued June 26, graded 14 lodging  companies. Best Western improved its grade to a D- after receiving an F in the  first report card issued in February 1997. Both organizations said the raised  grade was a result of Best Western's willingness to supply the NAACP with more  information than it previously had. 

Best Western, which introduced a seven-member Cultural Relations Advisory  Committee four years ago, has maintained since the first report card was  released that since it was the only membership organization among the lodging  entities graded, it doesn't have access to the same type of information the  others do. That's a message Best Western delivered to the NAACP in September,  according to Boyer. 

Linda Haithcox, the NAACP's manager-economic development, said the organization  was happy to hear Best Western's explanation. 

"The most important point [of the meeting] was the clarification on how their  company is structured," Haithcox said. "Best Western viewed themselves as  different, and we can see they are structured differently. It's obvious they're  putting the infrastructure in place to move forward." 

Winston said that while she doesn't necessarily agree with the NAACP's method of  grading, it is important that Best Western does its best to diversify its market  share. 

"This is an arena we have to be in," she said. "The response [to the NAACP's  survey] demonstrates the economic opportunities. We understand their goal, which  is to allow more economic opportunities for people of color." 

Haithcox said the report card is strictly consumer-oriented.  "Our only goal is to provide consumers information on how to spend their dollars," she said. "We're not telling anyone that they have to do this or that.  We're merely providing information to the consumers." 

Winston said for every dollar a white American saves, people of color on average  are saving only 20 percent to 29 percent of that dollar. 

"The other 80 percent is being spent," she said. "This is a huge market, and  Best Western needs to do what it takes to keep its place in that market." 

Haithcox said Best Western is not guaranteed a higher grade when the next report  card is issued in late 1998 or early 1999. 

"They did not have to meet with us to get a better grade," she said. "There are  companies that have not met with us and have earned better grades. Grades are  improved when information is provided and programs are in place to provide  better economic opportunities for everyone." 

Best Western ranked No. 4 on Hotel & Motel Management's Top 100 Hotel Companies  Survey [Sept. 21] with 301,820 rooms at 3,784 properties.