A few months ago, I offered a cautionary outlook for the hospitality talent pipeline as the industry moves through recovery, noting that “hotel companies may not be sufficiently staffed with sales, marketing, and revenue professionals at the property and above-property levels to meet the return — now or in the years ahead.
Effective training in hospitality skills needs a clear structure: demonstration, practice, feedback, implementation and a solid follow up plan.
No matter what proclamations are made by various governments, the CDC, the WHO or any other regulatory bodies, PPE, sanitization and physical distancing have been so ingrained into the mindsets of travelers that hotels cannot relax on this front.
One of the big concepts we teach in our customer service training programs is the concept of Always. This is the backbone of creating customer amazement. When the customer uses the word always followed by something positive, you are creating a predictable experience, and even more important, you are operating in the zone of amazement.
"This crisis is quite different from the one's faced by the hospitality industry previously. It has led hotels to reimagine their business models while being hyper-creative at developing opportunities for various revenue streams, including selling a room or an amenity or experience."
Malcolm Kerr, Managing Director of Horwath HTL UK has been talking to prominent executives and advisors to get their perspective on the major challenges facing owners and how they are preparing for an uncertain future.
Viewing our world through the prism of the Pandemic, it strangely yet optimistically, reminds me of the folklore around a tiny ant and a great, ancient King. During one of his unsuccessful raids, the injured King felt hopeless and hapless, fearing defeat and a possibly nearing end.
“Doctor Dolman is out of town. Could you speak to a guest at the Fairmont?” That was a jolt. Dolman was an ambitious young doctor aiming to start a concierge practice. He had phoned months earlier to introduce himself and offer to cover my hotels when I wanted to get away.
The global wellness economy, valued at $4.5 trillion, is rapidly outpacing the growth of the global economy, with ever-increasing demand attributed to several contributory factors. Aging populations, fast-paced lives and high-pressure jobs are resulting in an increase in chronic conditions, stress, depression and sleep problems.
Today guests expect more than just a room. They expect an experience. An experience that is seamless across the entire guest journey.
"The pandemic has indeed thrown the global economy a curve ball, with an estimated -3.5% growth as projected by International Monetary Fund*. Industries such as travel and aviation have taken the largest hit as the skies closed, and now it seemed for a longer period than expected."
In 2019, grandparents had never heard of Zoom, scanning a QR code for a menu felt weird, and getting texts from a business still felt novel. Early adopters and innovative hotels and businesses have messaged with guests for years, creating serendipitous connections with guests.
