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If you mention ducks and hotels together, I believe that
most people, hotel employees or the public, will think of the Peabody Hotel
in Memphis. There are many thousands of guests and other visitors
who have actually seen the legendary ducks; there is probably an equal
number who have never been to the Peabody, or even to Memphis yet are familiar
with this 75-year old tradition.
The Peabody is one of hundreds of historic hotels that have been faithfully and lovingly restored to the original 19th or 20th elegance and grandeur. Many of these �grand dames� are internationally famous and have blended the elegant physical facilities and consistently superior personalized service to create a nostalgic and genteel ambience much appreciated by a large segment of the public. Unfortunately, some others have restored the physical but not the service. I find this ironic since the physical renovation is often more expensive than improving the service delivery. Too bad, because together they make for a very memorable even unique experience. That is exactly what the Peabody ducks do; they create a unique experience. To my knowledge, no other hotel has this attraction. If you just want to see an elegant historic hotel lobby, there are several around the world. To see ducks marching thru an elegant hotel lobby to the music of John Phillip Sousa, you have to go to the Peabody in Memphis. We always encourage our clients to look for a �signature� that can add uniqueness to the guest experience. Your signature can be tangible or intangible; actually a seamless combination of the two is an excellent goal to set for your property. You can challenge your staff to come up with ideas. We have suggested to some clients to make it fun with a �Look for the Ducks� contest. Your employees will no doubt put forth a lot of ideas; some may be crazy, silly, or even dumb, but I assure that some will be great. You may be pleasantly surprised where you find your �ducks�. It will involve your staff in a fun project that will ultimately benefit all concerned. Among the beneficiaries will be your guests, who will be delighted with your unique signature. They will return and tell others, and this is really the ultimate goal of everything you do. Whether your property is a 3-room B&B, a 4000-room resort/casino, or anything in between, a unique signature can set it apart from the competition, and �wow� your guests By the way, if you have any �duck� ideas please tell me; but I warn you that I will probably share them with a client and take all the credit. |
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Harry Nobles
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