Human Resources USA & Canada Opinion Articles - Hospitality Net

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Opinion Article

September 10, 2014

Is Your Reservations Mystery Shopping Criteria Stuck In The 1990’s?

When conducting reservations sales audits for a diversity of hotels, resorts and lodging companies of all types I frequently am exposed to their existing mystery shopping criteria as part of the review. As a result I get to peek behind the scenes and see what their reservations, front desk and/or call center staff are being trained to do. What I often find is that most organizations are still using the same reservations call handling criteria as they did long ago.

By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

Opinion Article

September 5, 2014

Hotel CEO Pay

Every proxy season for the past 20 years I have evaluated the performance of CEOs in the hotel industry using a proprietary pay-for-performance model. My goal has been to determine whether a CEO deserves his or her pay relative to their industry peers. I don't really care about the size of someone's paycheck as long as they earn it. After all, we do live in a capitalist society. I believe the salient issue is value creation and for public companies that corresponds to shareholder return. That is why CEOs such as Bob Iger at Disney, Jeff Boyd at Priceline and Stephen Holmes at Wyndham can demand multi-million dollar paychecks and be worth every penny. I would rather have owned shares in any of the above companies than in Supertel or Red Lion, regardless of how little Kelly Walters and John Eliassen were paid.

By Keith Kefgen, Managing Director & CEO, AETHOS Consulting Group

Opinion Article

August 29, 2014

Leadership Mentoring – What’s Most Important

According to a benchmark study in 2012, US companies alone spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development with the cost of customized offerings from top business schools reaching upwards of $150,000 per person. No one can doubt that it's important. But molding the next generation of hospitality leaders (keeping this price tag in mind) is far easier said than done.

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Opinion Article

August 20, 2014

What in Hell is the U.S.P.? And Why Do You Need One? Redux

Every so often it's a good idea to step back and review the real definition of the U.S.P. While the Unique Selling Proposition is one of the most basic and important components of a hotel's marketing program it is also one of the least understood. Consultants and advertising agencies are developing varying definitions of the U.S.P., some of which are quite far from the original.

By Madigan Pratt, President, MP&A

Opinion Article

August 8, 2014

Steering the Ship of a 7,500-plus Crew

For a luxury-seeking hotelier such as myself who is used to working with and reviewing properties of 200 rooms or less, tackling ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas is a somewhat daunting task. Hoteliers will confide that consistently delivering 5-diamond and 5-star services for a typical 200-350 room property with a few restaurants, a pool, spa and other amenities is already a complex task. Now imagine the responsibilities for a 4 million-square-foot property: 4,000-plus rooms; 300,000 square feet convention center; 215,000-square-foot pool area; 80,000-square-foot spa; 1,800 seat theater; 26 restaurants and bars; and not to mention a 150,000-square-foot casino.

By Larry Mogelonsky, Partner, Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Opinion Article

July 8, 2014

The Potential Additional Revenue From A Daily Quest For Just One More Booking

In speaking with hotel revenue and marketing managers at the HSMAI Revenue Optimization Conference last month, it seems there is an ever increasing list of tasks grabbing their attention. Analogous to what the military calls "mission creep," revenue managers are now calling this "scope creep" as in scope of work.

By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

Opinion Article

July 3, 2014

A New Look at Family Business, the American Dream and Hospitality

This should be either a required or recommended reading for hospitality and business development courses in Universities, as it sheds a different perspective on what should be important to define and achieve success.

By John Hogan, CHA CHMS CHE CHO

The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

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Opinion Article

June 15, 2014

Hotels Should Manage Their “Voice” Reputations

Most hoteliers these days seem well aware of the importance of managing their online reputations by monitoring social media postings and online guest reviews. However many are neglecting the reputations they are making every day based on their agents performance on their "voice" channels.

By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

Opinion Article

June 13, 2014

Threats to Executive Creativity and Problem-Solving

The article takes an in-depth look at how leaders must possess both creativity and problem-solving skills to excel on the job. Although some may view these skills as opposites, we disagree. We also believe that these skills can be taught and are not necessarily innate. We provide tools and exercises that can be used by individuals and groups to improve their cognitive abilities and idea flow. We finally draw attention to the threats that exist to the modern leader looking to advance in an ever changing world.

By Keith Kefgen, Managing Director & CEO, AETHOS Consulting Group

Opinion Article

May 14, 2014

Full is Beautiful

I was recently having coffee with an otherwise outstanding and refined hotelier, who shared some of his challenges with me. The owner of his hotel was constantly urging him to keep the hotel full. My colleague felt it was unhealthy as it was pushing his people to their limits and the wear and tear on his furniture and fixtures was high. "A hotel of this caliber", he told me, "is not meant to be operating at full capacity." Among other things, what he was basically implying is that he needed to have a few vacant rooms at all times, in case he would have to move an important guest.

By Benoit Gateau-Cumin, Chief Recruiting Officer, The Boutique Search Firm

Opinion Article

May 6, 2014

Maximizing Results Beyond Minimum Wages: Cost Free Tips to Enhance Hospitality Employees’ Lives

It is no secret that President Obama is seeking an increase in the minimum wage that could affect all hospitality business owners and operators. At the same time, Pope Francis challenges business leaders the world over to ensure there is a "fair distribution of wealth." And interestingly, late last month the Los Angeles Times reported that "Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century," a book by French economist Thomas Piketty was the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon.com. In fact, it was so popular that the Times reported the book was currently out of stock.

Opinion Article

March 14, 2014

Engaging Guests In “Emotionally Valuable Moments”

Hotel marketing professionals recognize that today's consumers are increasingly looking for genuine and authentic interactions with those they do business with. That is why smart companies from all service industries recognize that we have entered the era of "hyper-personalization." When it comes to marketing, the evidence is everywhere. Just look inside your snail-mail inbox. Instead of receiving promotional letters and postcards that read "Dear Valued Client" or "Dear Honda Owner," if you are like me you are probably receiving mailings starting with "Dear Doug." Just recently I received a mailing from Jiffy Lube, almost to the day I was thinking it was getting time to change my oil. The postcard not only read "Dear Doug," but also specifically referenced my 2013 Honda Odyssey Minivan being in need service.

By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)

Opinion Article

March 3, 2014

How Do We Monitor Our Hotel Staff?

You have hired a few new employees; whether they were a waiter, bartender, front desk agent, cook, etc., so what is next? You put them through your usual training program and now they are "on the floor" working on their own. A few weeks go by and your new recruit has been doing a decent job and you know that their speed & efficiency will only get better. You think "great, that position is filled and I can now move on to the next challenge".

By Steve DiGioia, Customer Service Crusader, Author, and Trainer, Steve DiGioia

Opinion Article

February 20, 2014

Female Executives in Hospitality: Reflections on Career Journeys and Reaching the Top

Executive Summary: Structured interviews with twenty women who are top corporate executives or entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry revealed the talent, resourcefulness, and support required to achieve such a position. During the interviews, these successful women cited these three keys to career advancement: (1) the importance of taking thoughtful risks, including non-linear assignments; (2) the criticality of networking; and (3) the significance of finding a sponsor. Two notable challenges for these executives were the possibility that they would be regarded as a token and the need to integrate their work and family life.

By Cathy Enz, Lewis G. Schaeneman, Jr. Professor of Innovation & Dynamic Management Strategy, Cornell

Opinion Article

June 20, 2013

The Importance Of Follow Up - A "No" Strategy That Can Lead To A "Yes"

I read 'Why 8% of sales people get 80% of the sales' written by Robert Clay with Marketing Wizdom that emphasizes the importance of follow up. As a sales manager, you are tasked with contacting prospects on a daily basis in an attempt to educate them on the value proposition that your hotel has to offer but did you know that studies reveal that only two percent of sales occur when two parties meet in person or over the phone for the first time?

By Tom Costello

Houston, Texas, United States

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Opinion Article

May 30, 2013

Task Force Operations…Filling the Void in Hospitality Leadership

As a long-time hospitality executive I did not even know what 'task force' was until I was in the job! It sounded a bit like the title of a Chuck Norris movie, not the genteel world of the hospitality professional.

Opinion Article

April 30, 2013

Overpaid CEOs Out, Motivated Employees In (Part 1)

Companies are struggling to improve profitability by cutting expenses, copying competitors, replacing CEOs, and hiring expensive consultants. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have failed to pay off. But a number of hospitality leaders have found a source of competitive advantage. They are leveraging their own employees to find new opportunities for growth.

By Jonathan Barsky

Opinion Article

January 28, 2013

Personal Development – Do You Know Where You Want To Go And Are You Where You Deserve To Be?

I was hoping to find an impetus that would inspire me to write. I don't easily come up with subject matter that is thought-provoking or informative but I think that I've accomplished both in this post. Please let me know if you feel differently. Yesterday, I received an email in response to a statement that I made in a previous post that I wrote called 'Five Key Elements Of A Personal Plan When Changing Careers' where I said "Making a career change without a personal plan is like making a conscious decision to skydive without a parachute."

By Tom Costello

Houston, Texas, United States

Opinion Article

December 18, 2012

Five Steps For Hotel Sales Managers That Will Take The Chill Out Of Cold Calling

I use to cold call a lot. There were times when I'd make 30 cold calls in one hour. Dialing away until I got someone on the other end to listen to my pitch. Searching for that proverbial needle in a haystack. Back in those days if I didn't sell I didn't eat so the best way to put food on the table was 'dialing for dollars', talking to a warm bodies, and closing sales. I was pretty good at knowing what to say when I had a prospect on the line because I designed scripts for all of the different types of prospects that I could possibly encounter and developed a response for any objection they could throw at me.

By Tom Costello

Houston, Texas, United States

Opinion Article

August 16, 2012

The Importance Of Setting Goals - How To Get Them Out Of Your Head And On Paper

When someone decides to create a company, one of the first orders of business is to develop a business plan. A business plan is a road map, in writing, that serves as the foundation of the business and sets forth the goals and objectives that are projected to be achieved over a five-year period. If a company does a good job at creating and carrying out the plan, the business has a better chance in succeeding as compared to those that don't.

By Tom Costello

Houston, Texas, United States