By
Doug Kennedy
April 26, 2011
As revenue managers work
diligently these days to try to maximize profits during the economic
recovery,
there seems to be a disproportionate amount of efforts focused on the
electronic distribution channels. As
addressed in another of my recent articles, the savvy hotel marketers
recognize
the value of their voice distribution channels. Yet there is still
another
distribution channel which is far too often overlooked: the hotel front
desk.
At most properties the
front desk team faces a myriad of other opportunities to increase sales
and
optimize profits every day. Depending on
factors such as your property’s destination, location, brand, and
market
segment, here are some situations your front desk salespeople might
encounter
daily, along with corresponding training techniques for review at your
next
departmental meeting.
- Capturing more walk-in
business. Create a positive
first impression by initiating contact and welcoming the guest when
they enter
the lobby. Rather than quoting only the
lowest rate and sending them back out to the car to make an “either-or”
decision, instead create a “which should I chose?” decision-making
scenario by
offering two or three room types and/or rate options. Reiterate
benefits; embellish descriptions of
features that appear to be especially relevant to the walk-in
party. Offer to show a room where operationally
feasible.
- Securing “move-overs” from
disgruntled guests
currently staying at other hotels in the area.
Hotels located in dense markets might encounter “move-over”
opportunities when guests of nearby properties stop by to inquire.
Train your team to present your hotel’s unique advantages
and to avoid negative remarks about the competition. Rather than
saying what the other hotel’s
shortcomings, focus on the advantages your property has to offer:
“What’s
unique about us is….”
- Upselling effectively
during registration. With so many guests booking
either online or via third parties, the registration process might
represent
the best time of all to up-sell to higher-rated accommodations.
After reassuring the guest that the option
they booked is still a good choice, gauge the guest’s interest with
questions
like: “Did your travel agent
have a chance to mention our concierge floor?”
or “Are you familiar with our suites
at
all?” Present the upgraded options
as being a unique opportunity: “We’ve
had
some of our executive king rooms open up this evening…”
Personalize the benefits: “As
a
guest on level you would receive full access to…”
Consider displaying a slide
show of pictures of upgraded accommodations on an I-Pad placed at the
front
desk.
- Securing return
reservations at departure. Although many guests use
express check-out, plenty of others still stop by to pick-up their
zero-balance
receipt. Make sure guests, especially corporate
and business clientele, are offered the opportunity to rebook for their
next
trip upon departure. You’ll not only be
ensuring that your guests aren’t tempted to check-out the competition,
but
you’ll also potentially be eliminating distribution costs such as
travel agency
commissions and CRS fees, while along the way showing guests that you
value
their future business.
- Maintaining rate “Fences”
and eliminating
"Rate Slippage" from guests who re-negotiate during registration,
while in-house, or during check-out. Many of today’s savvy
guests make it a standard practice to
try to re-negotiate their rates upon arrival and/or during their
stay. Make sure your front desk sales team is aware
that most are just double-checking to make sure they have the best
offer
available. It is often helpful to gently
remind them of the terms/conditions of their offer versus the
lower-rate they
are seeking: “The advance
purchase rate would have required full payment upon the
time of booking, and unlike your reservation would not have been
eligible for
change or cancellation.” It might
also be appropriate to mention rate-tiers that are even higher than
what they
have committed to: “Just to let
you know the normal (standard) rate on this room is
usually $__X__, so the $__Y__ rate you have confirmed is still a good
value.”
- Using “Channel Conversion
Techniques” to convert calls
from “rate double-checkers” who have visited online travel agencies.
Many hotel prospects call
directly to the front desk to make sure the rates they are seeing
online are
the best available. With most companies
practicing rate parity across all distribution channels, more often
than not
the rate is in fact the same either way.
Make sure your front desk team offers to secure the reservation for the
caller right here, right now, versus directing them to book online
after they
hang up. Not only will you ensure that
guests aren’t lured away by other online offers, but you’ll potentially
be significantly
cutting distribution costs, OTA commissions, and even CRS fees.
- Capitalizing on
"after-hours" leads for group
and catering sales. With the 24/7/365 work schedule
many of us lead these days,
it is not uncommon for the planners of business meetings and social
events to
place their initial call or walk-in inquiry after business hours or on
weekends
when the sales department is closed.
Train your front desk team to properly field these calls by expressing
interest, offering to answer any initial, basic questions and by
offering the
option of leaving a paper message versus a blind transfer into the
sales
department’s voicemail. For walk-in
inquires, make sure your front desk team is prepared with sales kits,
brochures, and business cards of the sales director. Most
importantly, make sure that everyone knows
what not to say: “You’ll have to try
tomorrow between 9am and 5pm when the sales department is open.”
- Discovering leads for new
local corporate accounts
from current in-house guests. Especially for hotels
located in or near corporate office
parks, industrial complexes, and city-center locations, it is not
unusual for
guests to return monthly or even weekly.
Over time the front desk team gets to know and recognize these
guests. Train your team to pay close
attention to the names of the companies your guests work for and to be
on the
lookout for those representing new corporations and
organizations. By probing further to find out more about
these guests and their companies, it is often possible to uncover leads
for the
local/corporate business.
By expanding your front
desk training to address these sales and profit optimization
opportunities, you
will ensure that your team capitalizes on each and every chance to
secure
additional business and to maximize the margins.
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Doug
Kennedy, President of
the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and
tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over
1,000
conference keynote sessions, educational break-out seminars, or
customized,
on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every
segment of the lodging industry. Ee-mail Doug at: [email protected] |
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