Applying the Art of Storytelling to How You Sell Rooms
Larry Mogelonsky | August 7, 2019
Generation Z: What Do They Want From Their Hotel Stay Experience?
Court Williams | July 1, 2019
Guest Experience
The Hotel Services Americans Think Will Be Made Easier Through Technology
July 11, 2019
• Americans would most like to access a map of their respective hotel and the surrounding area (63%) via a mobile phone • Thereafter, 58% are keen on using a mobile device to book a hotel restaurant reservation as opposed to doing it in-person • Interestingly, 38% are in favor of a mobile phone application that would enable them to monitor as well as pay for purchases around the hotel • Majority of holidaymakers would happily pay more for the option of flexible check-in/check-out times (74%) • Subsequently, 47% don’t mind splashing out a premium to access a 24-hour digital concierge The summer is finally here and for many t...
What Signals Are You Unintentionally Sending Your Customers?
Shep Hyken | July 11, 2019
By Shep Hyken I first came across this idea in the book Moments of Truth by Jan Carlzon, which I consider one of the most important books written on customer service. By the way, Carlzon’s definition of a Moment of Truth in business is, “Any time a customer comes into contact with any aspect of your business, however remote, they have an opportunity to form an impression.” That’s every contact and interaction with the company. Carlzon used the example of a coffee-stained tray table. How does that affect the customer’s opinion of the rest of the plane? What if the landing gear is as poorly maintained as the tray tables? Okay, m...
Proactive Customer Support
Shep Hyken | July 8, 2019
By Shep Hyken Just last week I wrote about the concept of predictive customer support. Now, we take a slightly different angle with the concept of proactive customer support. The concept is simple. The company reaches out to the customer before the customer has a chance to reach out to the company. More often than not, the customer may not even know they have a problem. As an example, when does a typical customer find out their cable TV is out? Usually when they turn the TV on. Then there’s frustration and even anger. Typically, the customer will pick up the phone to report the problem and hope the customer service agent can help them...
Tourism Tidbits: Tourism and Human Resources
Dr. Peter Tarlow | July 2, 2019
By Dr. Peter Tarlow Many travelers, and most vacationers, see a tourism experience as a luxury or way to pamper oneself. Often people will work an entire year for the sake of a few weeks of “vacation magic.” Without good employees, no matter how luxurious the circumstances are, the dream vacation has the potential to turn into a nightmare. Tourism success, to a great extent then, depends on the quality of your business’ or tourism office’s human resources. Tourism managers must find ways to inspire employees provide their guests with the best experience possible. Ironically, tourism experiences are rarely a question of money ...
Generation Z: What Do They Want From Their Hotel Stay Experience?
Court Williams | July 1, 2019
By Court Williams "The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and are tyrants over their teachers." Attributed to Socrates in 470 BC, this popular quote sums up how humanity has felt about its younger generation since the beginning of time. Generation Z is no exception. Born between 1995 and 2010, these digital natives have become an important influence on people of all ages and incomes, according to a McKinsey report...
7 Things Hoteliers Can Learn From Airbnb’s Guest Experience
Kacey Bradley | June 21, 2019
By Kacey Bradley Airbnb has become a popular site for travelers who want an authentic and memorable experience. The hotel alternative has become so popular that it has grown to more than 6 million properties across 191 countries in as little as 12 years. With no recognizable brand name or structured expectations, what is it that attracts guests to the site? From reviews and photos to enhanced personalization through data collection, Airbnb utilizes several tactics to attract potential guests and turn them into loyal bookers. Hoteliers can learn to enhance their own guest experience by learning a lesson from Airbnb's approach. 1. Offer ...
CallTek Introduces the Odyssey Cx Comprehensive Call Center Platform at HITEC
CallTek | June 18, 2019
Hospitality Technology’s First Step in Guest Satisfaction Minneapolis – HITEC 2019 (June 18) – CallTek, the technology industry’s preferred white label support company, introduced a comprehensive call center insight platform, Odyssey Cx, at the HITEC hospitality technology conference in Minneapolis. The proprietary cloud-based platform records and analyzes every voice interaction, providing the industry with most extensive understanding of the guest experience when communicating with voice agents for reservations and technical support. Hospitality Technology professionals at HITEC in Minneapolis can experience Odyssey Cx at the...
The Westin Buffalo Is First Hotel Worldwide to Give Guests Access to Personal Playlists From Their Hotel Rooms
The Westin Buffalo | June 17, 2019
Volara-powered devices allow guests to listen to their favorite playlists from Pandora, Spotify and Amazon Prime via in-room Amazon Echo devices BUFFALO, N.Y. (June 17, 2019) – Global hospitality company Delaware North today announced that the company-operated Westin Buffalo has become the first hotel in the world to allow its guests to connect their personal Amazon accounts to the Echo devices in each of its 115 guest rooms. The Westin Buffalo, located within Delaware North’s global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2017 became the first hotel in New York State to deploy guest-servicing Echo devices in each of its guest rooms. The ...
MCOMS Teams With Volara to Offer Revolutionary Voice Control of Guestroom TVs
Volara | June 17, 2019
New York, NY, June 17,2019 - MCOMS, an innovative guest-facing solution provider for the hospitality industry and Volara, the voice hub for the hotel industry, have teamed up to deliver a unique guest experience utilizing the latest in hospitality technology. This integration partnership combines Volara's conversation-management software + secure integrations hub with MCOMS in-room entertainment platform to enable guests to intuitively control in-room TVs using voice commands. Through Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, IBM Watson, or SmartBeings Woohoo devices located in their rooms, guests can make voice requests to turn on and off the TV, op...
Allbridge Develops Robust Data Service Portal to Enhance Network Management
Allbridge | June 13, 2019
RALEIGH, N.C., June 13, 2019 -- Allbridge, the leading provider of data, video, and voice solutions for Hospitality, Healthcare, and Higher Education properties nationwide, introduces Skyway, a powerful data management tool available exclusively for Allbridge systems. The portal delivers groundbreaking insight and a rich feature set offering property owners and operators the ability to manage their environment the way they want — whether a single location, an ownership group, or an entire brand. Developed by the Allbridge team specifically to meet the needs of hospitality users, Skyway offers robust network reporting within an easy-to-us...
InnSpire to Showcase TechOvation Winner GuestMagic.AI at HITEC 2019
InnSpire | June 12, 2019
Industry innovator to demonstrate disruptive new guest engagement platform that leverages the power of artificial intelligence to provide hotel guests with a highly personalized stay experience, while maximizing revenue opportunities for hoteliers Stockholm and Minneapolis – HITEC Booth # 1546 – June 12, 2019 – InnSpire, a leading provider of guest engagement, digital entertainment and business intelligence solutions for the global hospitality market, is preparing to showcase its award-winning GuestMagic.AI platform at this year’s Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), taking place from June 17-20, 2019...
SocialSurvey Expands Into the Hospitality Industry
SocialSurvey | June 12, 2019
SAN RAMON, CA, June 12, 2019 – SocialSurvey, launched in 2015 and best in class Reputation Management platform in real estate, mortgage and insurance, is introducing their innovative technology at HITEC in Minneapolis, MN June 17-20, 2019. SocialSurvey is showcasing new technology that connects and measures at the employee level to drive behavior that creates a better guest experience, increases brand engagement and drives enhanced online reputation and SEO. Integrating your frontline employees into your customer feedback system will create a happier employee, better data, higher response rates (avg 54%), greater customer loyalty and b...
What Hoteliers Can Learn From the Starbucks Roastery Concept
Larry Mogelonsky | June 12, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Howard Schultz of Starbucks fame has often touted the inspiration of his coffee empire stemming from his earlier years traveling through Italy. But until up very recently, the global franchise has had difficulty penetrating this market. The top brass knew that they needed something special to stand apart from the cafés that already dot nearly every corner in every Italian city. Moreover, the senior team knows that resting on your laurels is a death knell and that they needed to start testing the next evolution of the Starbucks brand. The solution was to crank the amp to eleven by l...
The Customer Is King, and Service Culture Is His Queen
André Mack | June 12, 2019
Although some companies mention "service excellence" as one of their values, they tend to solely focus on service delivery and rarely approach it as a way to reframe their business's culture. By André Mack The business environment has become a global village; traveling is easy and cheap, sharing of information happens instantly and is accessible by everybody, a new product in the US is on the market in Asia within days and vice versa, systems and procedures all look the same and innovation has become a necessity. The ubiquity of technology and the replicability of products means that service has become THE key differentiator for co...
Business Travel and Millennials: How We’re Changing the Travel Industry
Hotel Tech Report | June 10, 2019
By Marie Nieves As a millennial and business leader, I can safely say that my travel habits differ vastly from those of my parents, as well as my younger colleagues and friends. This has got me thinking about all of the articles and research I’ve read over the years that deal with the behavioral patterns of millennials within the professional realm, how we combine business and leisure, and how we’re constantly touted as the generation that disrupts the norm and aims to change, well, everything. I’m not at all surprised to say that I agree with that. After all, someone has to disrupt the traditional norms, and who better than a ge...
Walking In Your Customer’s Shoes
Courtyard by Marriott | June 10, 2019
By Shep Hyken You may have heard the expression, “Take a walk in your customer’s shoes.” The idea is that you put yourself in the customer’s position and see the situation through their eyes. This is good advice for those who have customer-facing responsibilities. You may have heard other versions of this expression. One of the more humorous versions is, “Walk a mile in your customer’s shoes, and once you’re a mile away, you can say anything you want about the customer and they can’t hear you.” I said it was humorous. I didn’t say it was right. Recently, I was speaking at a convention in Philadelphia, where I h...
CustomerCount® Teams With Noble System
CustomerCount® | June 10, 2019
Noble Agent Gamification Solution Integrated Into CustomerCount’s Enterprise Feedback System INDIANAPOLIS, IN (June 7, 2019) –CustomerCount®, has teamed with Noble Systems, the global leader in omnichannel contact center technologies, to launch yet another enhancement to CustomerCount’s enterprise customer feedback system. The new addition to CustomerCount’s capabilities is the integration of Noble Gamification software. Noble Gamification solutions increase productivity, reduce employee turnover, and improve customer satisfaction. Noble Systems provides innovative solutions for Contact Center, Workforce Engagement, a...
Evaluating WiFi Service Through The Guest’s POV
Larry Mogelonsky | June 5, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) One can argue that nowadays a good wireless internet connection is as important as to many guests as heating, air conditioning and access to a bathroom with running water. Knowing it's central to a customer's emotional state, why play games? As a reminder of why spotty WiFi reception or attempting to upcharge for premium speeds is bad for your reputation, let's look at the situation from the guest's point of view (POV). I'll start with a personal experience to demonstrate why it's so important to get your WiFi connectivity right these days. I was staying at a southeast flagged prope...
The “No Problem” Problem
Roger Wolkoff | June 5, 2019
By Roger Wolkoff I walk into the hotel, wheeling my luggage and briefcase behind me. I am taken aback by the spacious and open modern lobby. I approach the front desk, and Carlos greets me with a smile. We have a friendly exchange - how are you doing, did you have a good flight, how do you like our city - that kind of thing. I ask for a restaurant recommendation for dinner, and he tells me about a fascinating off-the-beaten-path bistro that has excellent reviews. I thank him, and he says, "No problem." And there it is. Hanging like a lead balloon. No problem. What's the problem with "no problem?" It's an inhe...
Isla Bella Beach Resort Partners with InnSpire to Provide a World-class Guest Experience
InnSpire | June 5, 2019
Marathon Keys' newest luxury resort, Isla Bella, utilizes the InnSpire Digital Guest Journey solution to enable guests to easily access all that the property has to offer. Stockholm and Marathon, Fla., USA – June 5, 2019 – InnSpire, a leading provider of guest engagement, digital entertainment and business intelligence solutions for the global hospitality industry, has been selected by Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon, Florida, to deploy its comprehensive Digital Guest Journey platform for guest engagement at the luxury oceanfront property. Since opening in April 2019, Isla Bella Beach Resort has quickly garnered the att...
Coury Hospitality Selects HIS to Implement Advanced Content Casting, Voice Control and Internet Connectivity at Properties Across the United States
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | June 4, 2019
Boutique hotel management and development company keeps pace with demands for content streaming, voice-activated control and robust guest Wi-Fi. KANSAS CITY, Mo.— June 4, 2019 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has been selected by Coury Hospitality to ensure that its properties are able to provide guests with the latest in Wi-Fi, content streaming and virtual assistant technology. With properties located in Oklahoma, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and several that are in development in Texas and Indiana, Coury Hospitality is now committed t...
As Restaurants Evolve, The Core Experience Remains
Larry Mogelonsky | May 29, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Up until the hospitality industry started to change over half a century ago, everyone was accustomed to believing that a city's best restaurant would be found at a luxury hotel downtown. Such a property's premier restaurant would often serve as a perennial draw for both out-of-towners as well as locals, with reservations coveted and those seated immediately bestowing status upon their patrons. For today's more spontaneous, less formal, less pretentious, more parsimonious and Google-Yelp-TripAdvisor-driven culture, dining out is as popular as ever but we've blunted the experience in ...
Good Leadership and Values Key to Staff Satisfaction, Study Finds
May 23, 2019
Tourism and hospitality firms that score highly for leadership and cultural values see higher staff satisfaction, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA). Researchers analysed almost 298,000 online review ratings by employees for 11,975 firms in the US to find the key elements of job satisfaction and employee turnover in high-contact services. The reviews were posted over a 10-year period on Glassdoor, one of the world's largest job and recruiting sites. The results, published in the journal Tourism Management, also show that career progression is a critical factor in staff turnover, with a unit increase in the ...
How to Register Your Front Desk Staff to Become “Certified in the Heart of Hospitality”
Kennedy Training Network | May 23, 2019
In the era of online reviews and social media, guest experiences at the front desk impact the financial success of your hotel. First impressions formulated at check-in bias guests' overall opinions, whether for better or for worse. If you're looking to refocus your team on the essentials of hospitality excellence, it's easy to register your staff to become Certified in the Heart of Hospitality. For a fee of just $995 total, you can certify up to 3 managers and 6 front desk colleagues; additional staff can be certified for $99 each at any time. Here's How It Works: First, KTN presents a live "kick-off" webinar f...
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