“Are you one of the growing numbers of enlightened hoteliers who recognize that the operations team is now part of hotel marketing?”
Recently, guest services have been on the minds of both colleagues and clients of mine in the hospitality industry. It’s a subject continuously being talked about and in my opinion the crucial component for survival. I just recently returned from a family outing and had the opportunity to experience several different levels of guest services. I believe the biggest win for creating exceptional service guarantees you will not be part of the “Never Go Back There Again” list in people’s minds. Not to mention, you will have repetitive business and chances are that person will know someone and they’ll know someone and so on.
While perusing Hospitality Trends, I came across this fantastic article written by Doug Kennedy. Doug addresses the importance of guest services and how social media marketing is reality. A bad guest experience can now be seen by the eyes of the world. Check it out!
http://www.htrends.com/researcharticle47855.html
Chemical Mix at hotel sickens 6. A recent headline in local paper and a Great reminder of the potential hazards associated with operating a hotel.
Below is a link to the story of a hotel maintenance employee who unknowingly mixed a potentially deadly cocktail of chemicals that sent six employees to the hospital.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/100130209.html
Pollution and chemical exposures are very real and should be addressed in great detail. Because almost every general liability insurance policy includes some version of a pollution exclusion and because of its very costly claims, this cannot be overlooked.
I'd love for you to share your stories and experiences with pollution coverage/claims.
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Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Westfield Center, Ohio, where I stayed at the Westfield Inn. This is a luxurious Hotel that boasts an array of amenities including; dining, entertaining services, meeting facilities, and a very comfortable bed waiting for you to end your day. With a very Traditional Georgian Architecture, the facility massages the senses with its unique décor and ambiance. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend!!
As I am preparing to depart and return home, I start going through the “what did I leave behind ritual” as I always do. What is it about temporarily developing OCD when leaving hotels!? How many times do I need to check the bathroom, the closet, desk, drawers, under the bed – which for some reason can’t be checked enough! Even the beds that come with protective guards at the base which make it impossible for something to find its way to the abyss….yep, I still check it more than once. Hopefully I’m not alone on this one.
I think I’ll blame my temporary insanity on all the funny and horrific stories that so many of you have shared about the “things left behind “. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the more interesting and/or bizarre items that I’ve heard about.
The most recent was from a manager who shared a story that still makes her staff wonder…. They found a briefcase inside a room that was secretly hidden in a make-shift compartment under and inside the bed. Hmmmm. A Black briefcase with Two Triple Combination Locks, No Name, and No Description of what it may be protecting. So, they turned it in to the authorities and were able to trace it back to a guest who had stayed with their years ago… To this day they have no idea of what was inside.
An International Hotel Chain has released information about some of the items left in their hotel rooms. During 2009 this amounted to the value of $1,200,000
Items included: A monk’s habit, $5,000 dollar engagement ring, a false eye, artificial leg, a blow up sheep, several leather whips, leather jackets, inflatable sumo wrestler, pool cues, keys to a Ferrari ( what? ) portable poker table, wedding dress, Rolex watch, and several false teeth.
With a real possibility of finding guest property, are you set up to take on this risk? Do you have a protocol to follow? Do you have a lost and Found? What steps do you take to train your employees, and how do you insure your guests can recover their lost items? Do you have a reminder posted on the door for guests? What would you do in the case of someone leaving behind a Meth Lab or other toxic chemicals?
We welcome and invite you to share your stories with us or have concerns on how you are addressing …please keep it rated PG!…I’ve heard about the other stuff too!!
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