Hotel Online Special Report 
MasterCard-EI Partnership Enables State Associations to Offer Front Office Skills Training Seminar ORLANDO, Fla., February 9, 2000—MasterCard International and the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Motel Association announced today that they will once again offer the “Going the Extra Mile” seminar for front desk employees through AH&MA member state associations in 2000.
“MasterCard is committed to working with the state associations to improve the excellence of the hospitality industry,” said Stan Kotzker, vice president, travel markets, MasterCard International. “Training front desk employees to deliver outstanding service benefits your guests, who are also our cardholders. Everyone wins with ‘Going the Extra Mile.”
This one-day interactive seminar teaches front desk and guest services employees the skills they need to provide exceptional service in all aspects of their job. Seminar participants also have the opportunity to take the exam for certification as a Registered Front Desk Representative at the conclusion of the seminar.
Last year, more than 2,000 people attended “Going the Extra Mile” seminars at locations throughout the country. This year, sessions are planned through state hospitality associations, which anticipate capacity crowds at each seminar.
“The ‘Going the Extra Mile’ seminar has been the best-attended seminar we’ve offered in Iowa,” stated Craig D. Walter, executive vice president of the Iowa Lodging Association. “The context of the presentation and materials are excellent and have received outstanding reviews.”
Howard Nusbaum, executive vice president of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, agrees. “No other single educational program is as well received as ‘Going the Extra Mile,’” he said. “The feedback from my members is overwhelmingly positive. I commend EI and MasterCard International for offering this fantastic front office training program.”
Seminar topics include “reading” guests and anticipating their needs; dealing with challenging check-ins and check-outs; using suggestive selling to increase guest satisfaction and boost the property’s bottom line; and maintaining security, privacy, and key control.
“The ‘Going the Extra Mile’ seminar is so important because the front desk is the first and last contact that the customer receives at a property. If this interaction is negative, the customer’s impression of the property is tarnished,” noted Chris Weidenhammer, director of administration for the Pennsylvania Travel Council. “We have a challenge as an industry to ensure every guest has a positive experience on every visit to a property. Seminars of this type are needed by our industry.” The Pennsylvania Travel Council presented the seminar in Harrisburg in 1998 and in Pittsburgh in 1999, and has had numerous requests to hold the seminar in other locations throughout the state.
State associations appreciate the fact that the partnership between EI and MasterCard International enables them to offer “Going the Extra Mile” at a reduced cost to their members. “Without MasterCard as our sponsor, we would not have had the opportunity to present this educational seminar for our properties,” said Walter. “We are pleased to continue our long-time collaboration with MasterCard International in order to support our state associations and the industry as a whole with effective, quality training,” stated Teresa Trent, EI’s vice president, professional development.
State hospitality associations and their member properties recognize the power of partnering with EI and MasterCard to train their employees and build their reputation for service excellence.
“Combining the expertise of EI with the dedicated interest and financial support of MasterCard—a major player in Florida’s lodging industry—provides a meaningful management information and learning experience for a significant number of Florida hotel operations staff,” said Thomas A. Waits, president and CEO of the Florida Hotel & Motel Association, which has participated in the seminar for the past two years. “The program is a first-class winner which I hope continues over the next few years.”
Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Motel Association, the Educational Institute is the world’s largest hospitality communication resource center, providing quality training and educational materials for the hospitality industry.
Contact: Elizabeth Johnson Public Relations Manager 800-349-0299, ext. 507 [email protected] [email protected] www.ei-ahma.org Also See: Canadian Tourism Commission and MasterCard Align to Promote Canada / Nov 1998 EI Videos Focus on Front Office Performance / Sept 1999