In Chicago, we are seeing occupancy rising, even with added supply. Last winter’s polar vortex has been long forgotten amid the summer season’s concerts, festivals and sunshine, but not every hotel is running at 95% occupancy, branded or not.
So what makes the difference, and how can independents get an edge over brands?
From my youth, growing up on army bases, I often heard talk about the “mission.” In business school, similar language (think motivation theory, TQE, Six Sigma, etc.) stating the purpose and goals of organizations was taught, and one brand I worked for talked about the “balanced scorecard.” All good stuff, but it might sound like jingoistic jargon.
The hotel business is really not that difficult to understand: We want to be profitable by putting heads in beds. We want guests to come back because they are satisfied or even delighted. Or, better yet, perhaps they are delighted because expectations have been exceeded.
Lately, we’ve been brainstorming with our teams to devise a short, simple mission statement that translates to any language or skill level and can guide us in decision making and the achievement of our goals. We are asking ourselves if our decisions help fulfil the mission statement, which is:
“We strive to exceed our guests’ expectations, one guest at a time.”
It is so short, so simple, but packed with nuance. Broken down, each word has significance.
We: It means all of us.
Strive: Always trying our hardest but recognizing that we won’t always succeed. How do we recover when we fall? Can guest complaint resolutions actually win customers back for a lifetime? Independent hoteliers have no rules to follow, so what does it take to make guests happy?
Exceed: Are we able to build various delightful touch points, unexpected and surprising, that make guests feel valued? Do we over-promise and fail to deliver? Or do we surprise and delight?
Guests: Not just the overnight sleeper paying a rate but every individual who enters the hotel, including restaurant/bar patrons, banquet attendees, suppliers, cab drivers, employees, sales people.
Expectations: Understanding who we are, who our customers are and what has influenced their decision to reserve rooms. Guests have an expectation of gracious and welcoming service and hospitality at any hotel at any price point.
One guest at a time: We hear lots of talk, buzzwords really, about personalized service. It’s simple. When you look someone in the eyes and speak from the heart you convey the respect that every individual craves. You may even project warmth. This is true not only when you’re giving a complimentary upgrade to a suite, but also when bad news needs to be delivered.
Whenever we see our guest satisfaction scores take a dip, we don’t wait. It’s time for our “eyes and teeth” campaign.
Try this: Approach a guest, staff member, colleague or supplier, and as you do so, look them in the eyes, smile broadly (i.e. show your teeth) and greet them warmly. Train every team member to do this every time.
To create the friendliest hotel, train everyone to think of two key words: “eyes ‘n’ teeth.” Cute posters in the break rooms, supervisors who learn how to be warm in multiple languages and quick hand to eyes and mouth gestures are all quick clues to drive your message. When we look our guests in the eyes and smile, we are saying, “Welcome, we value your business.”
Independent hoteliers don’t need a corporate brand master to teach their teams to strive to exceed guest expectations, one guest at a time. We can do it by training everyone with eyes ‘n’ teeth.
George Jordan is the senior vice president of operations for Oxford Hotels & Resorts, and Chicago area hotel cluster general manager for Hotel Cass, Hotel Felix and Godfrey Hotel. Over the past 30 years, he has held key management roles with The Arizona Biltmore, The St. Paul, The Marquette, The Drake and The Raffaello Hotel. Jordan rose through the ranks while attending college at University of Southern California and Arizona State University, where he obtained a B.S. in Finance. He served as area food and beverage director for Hilton International, based out of The Drake Hotel Chicago, and also as hotel manager at The Drake. Today, he contributes his extensive operational, revenue management and marketing expertise to Oxford's national acquisition activities. Reach him at george.jordan@ohrllc.com
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