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The Title and Role of Revenue Manager Should Be Transitioned to “Revenue Generation Manager”
Doug Kennedy | May 18, 2022
By Doug Kennedy If you asked most hoteliers to write up a job description for the position of Revenue Manager (RM), chances are the responsibilities listed would focus on controlling and “managing” revenue, as opposed to generating it. For example, the first tasks that most will think of would likely be setting rates and restrictions for transient segments, determining channel mix, calculating revenue-per-guest opportunities by segment, managing OTA’s and other electronic distribution channels, and providing sales staff with quotes for groups and functions. It is time for the lodging industry to reimagine both the title and role...
Kennedy Training Network Announces Online (Self-Study) Version of Reservations Sales QUEST
Doug Kennedy | February 1, 2022
First In A Series: Hotel Sales and Hospitality/Guest Services Topics To Follow Later This Year Ft. Lauderdale, FL - February 1, 2022 - KTN, the lodging industry’s best source for training in the topic areas of reservations sales, hospitality and guest service excellence, and hotel sales team training, announced the first in a series of online, (self-study) versions of its menu of training programs. “Finally, the learning platforms have evolved to the point where we created a truly engaging, multimodal learner experience,” said KTN President Doug Kennedy. While most online courses are still limited to a series of narrated slide decks...
The Top 5 QUESTions Your Reservations Team Should be Asking in 2022!
Doug Kennedy | January 6, 2022
By Doug Kennedy Are you ready to help your reservations team maximize the contribution of the voice booking channel in 2022? If so, it is not going to be easy. As we look ahead to the coming year nothing is certain. Well, actually one thing is certain: there will be continued disruption in the lodging industry! One small but important sales habit you can do now to help in your reservations team’s QUEST to be the BEST in 2022 is to update your list of QUESTions that should be asked as part of your sales “flow” criteria. Why do lodging industry reservations sales agents need to update the questioning process? Today’s callers ...
Hospitality on Their Own Terms
Travel Outlook | October 27, 2021
Travelers Expect More, Here’s How Hotels Can Keep Up As the hospitality industry begins to step out of the shadow of the COVID Pandemic, one question remains after a year-and-a-half of uncertainty, “what do travelers want now?” The events of 2020 forever altered the way we travel. While the industry has been able to successfully adapt after the hardships of the last year, we must address the fact that travelers’ wants and needs have changed. Every aspect of travel was impacted by the events of the last year, from how travelers book their stay to what they expect out of their hotel experience. So, how can hospitality professional...
Lately, Hotels Seem to Be Falling Short on the People Parts
Doug Kennedy | October 7, 2021
By Doug Kennedy At the time of this writing, I’m on a plane ride back from attending four lodging industry conferences in 10 days, which caused me to be staying at four different large, branded hotels in Minneapolis, Dallas and San Antonio, all of which were close to the convention centers. While all of the staff I encountered were polite and efficient, their service style was overall reactive and not proactive. Notably absent were some core essentials of hotel hospitality excellence that used to be part of “Hotel 101” orientation. Much has been written about the challenges of finding qualified staff, but in each encounter, ther...
Hotel Call Centers and Storytelling
Travel Outlook | July 15, 2021
How Independent Hotel Call Centers are Outshining Many Hotel Brands Using Customer Feedback When you think of call centers, your first thoughts may be of elevator music hold tunes, generic pre-recorded dial-in options, and of course, insincere agents. When it comes to properly trained hotel call centers, that could not be further from the truth. As I’ve written in a previous story, The Return to Genuine Hospitality, call centers and call center agents are valuable tools for hoteliers that have the potential to increase bookings significantly, while freeing up hotel staff to focus on the current guests' experiences. Additionally, p...
A True Story of an Authentic Hospitality Welcome
Doug Kennedy | June 24, 2021
By Doug Kennedy Recently while on the road conducting training for the Camelback Resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to experience a genuine, authentic welcome. Before that story, let me first share a few details about my expectations, as well as what happened before my arrival. As a frequent business traveler, I typically enter a hotel around 6pm, suit jacket in hand, pulling along a roll-aboard bag and a small laptop case. As I approach the front desk, obviously arriving, at least 70% of the time I am greeted with the common phrase “Checking in?” At this point, I restrain the cynical side of my pe...
The Future of Independent Hotels
Travel Outlook | June 23, 2021
Why Some Travelers Will Go the Extra Mile for a Unique Hotel Experience As travel has slowly returned to normal, it’s clear that we are on the brink of an enormous travel boom. Of all the recent travel trends that have emerged, one is particularly promising for independent hotel owners, and that is that more and more travelers are straying away from hotel chains. Travelers in 2021 no longer want the same travel experiences as their friends and neighbors. They want a unique vacation handcrafted for their trip. Travelers are moving away from large chain resorts and towards individually owned and operated hotels. The trend of seeking out ...
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