What a Sparkplug Teaches About Hotel Operations During a Crisis
Greg Johnson | April 2, 2020
By Greg Johnson We are seeing occupancies declining, groups canceling and jobs being lost. It is easy for hoteliers to get caught up in the vortex of panic and depression. Up until now, many sales leaders have assumed the role of the hotel sparkplug, filled with energy and optimism to cast an uplifting aura throughout the back of the house. It is critical that we all continue this message of confidence and hope. Aside from the metaphorical meaning of the term ‘sparkplug’, let me first digress with a short story about some engine troubles I was recently having which nonetheless provides a powerful lesson for those in hospitality. Ann...
Think Staycations and Cleanliness Theater for COVID Travel
Larry Mogelonsky | April 1, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) There are two terms to mull over for how the travel will change in the near future and both relate to the heightened sense of agoraphobia and fear of unhygienic spaces. And those hotels that are able to figure out these two terms apply in a post-COVID world will indeed see their occupancies return. First to understand is the fear instilled in people’s minds from all this panic that will linger for long after the all clear is given. Call it ‘post coronavirus stress disorder’ (PCSD). What this means is that your newly adopted hygiene standards put in place to address COVID-19 wi...
Live Survey Reveals 50 Percent of Hotels Not Planning to Close Properties Due to COVID-19
Knowland | March 27, 2020
Leading group hospitality analytics firm, Knowland, conducts webinar to inform hoteliers on best practices during a time of crisis, with a focus on key recovery strategies ARLINGTON, Va. — March 27, 2020—Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced today the results of a live survey of more than 700 hoteliers conducted during its informative webinar “COVID-19 Preparing Today for Success Tomorrow.” Knowland’s VP of product management, Kristi White provided insight and guidance during a webinar held on March 25, 2020 and is ava...
The COVID Crisis Highlights the Need for Hotel Call Centers
Larry Mogelonsky | March 26, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The virus outbreak starting in Wuhan is the gamechanger for 2020 and many years to come. Reservations and occupancies will inevitably return, but the ground has forever shifted and this new normal we are just entering calls for new working – and largely virtual – conditions as well as a hyper-effective team to handle the load in lean times. My Own Cancellation Story As everyone is scrambling for new operational efficiencies to do more with less and to do so remotely (for the time being), I am reminded of what I went through to cancel a recent hotel booking for a weeklong stay...
Keep Your Hotel Open Virtually
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservations Call Center Services | March 24, 2020
Travel Outlook Premium Reservation Call Center, a virtual hospitality company specializing in voice reservations, is announcing a campaign to assist hotels to stay open for business during the Covid-19 crisis. With agents trained in sales by Kennedy Training Network and tested by Forbes Five Star, Travel Outlook is the premier call center specializing in voice services, with an extensive, elite client list that includes Viceroy Hotel Group, Columbia Hospitality, KSL Resorts, Outrigger, Irvine Company, Highgate Hotels, Pegasus, and others. Travel Outlook has always been virtual, with reservation specialists working from home offices. The...
To Outsource Your Call Center, Or Not – Part 1
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservations Call Center Services | March 17, 2020
Four Ways Hotels Lose Revenue by Handling Reservations Calls In-House Hotels are missing out on booking revenue by undervaluing their voice reservations channel. Hiring an outsourced call center is sometimes seen as a luxury compared with the cost of handling calls in-house. But this can prove a false economy; a professional voice team can significantly drive reservations and boost ADR (Average Daily Rate), more than compensating for the financial outlay. So how do hotels lose revenue when they handle their reservations calls in-house? 1. Calls are missed The most obvious way revenue is lost is that calls get missed. A busy front ...
The Employee Experience Starts With the Hiring Process
Shep Hyken | March 12, 2020
By Shep Hyken Every company wants to have good employees. More importantly, they also want the right employees. There’s a difference. The smartest person in the world may not end up being a good cultural fit for a company. Every company has a personality, and the people they hire must possess the right skills, character and behaviors to fit in. This differs from company to company, so what works for one may not work for another. I recently interviewed Teri Yanovitch for Amazing Business Radio, and she talked about her job at Disney World. She had just finished high school and remembered walking up to the “Casting Center,” where...
Strategic Coronavirus Operational Planning
Larry Mogelonsky | March 11, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The news regarding this virus is omnipresent. It has impacted travel throughout the world, for which nearly every hotel will feel the effect. Stemming from numerous emergency planning sessions for the properties we manage through our consultancy, below is the rough preamble of what we have proscribed to help hoteliers get through this global ordeal. Preparation is essential, not only in terms of what we do hygienically, but also in how we build our business. Whatever the actual severity of this virus, the fact remains that it is not our call as hoteliers to make a decision either wa...
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