The Hotel Mogel: Essays in Hotel Management and Marketing

By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky

The Hotel Mogel is the fifth anthology book in Larry Mogelonskys series following The Llama is Inn (2016), Hotel Llama (2015), Llamas Rule (2013) and Are You an Ostrich or a Llama? (2012). Together, they give a detailed picture of the present hotel business landscape, outlining how to best navigate new technological issues shaping our industry in addition to the need for a perpetual commitment to exceptional service.

All five books draw from Larrys and also now Adams extensive experience in the field as well as the prudence of other senior managers and corporate executives active in the hospitality industry. Offering creative and effective solutions to todays problems, this collection will give you the tools you need to thrive in the modern hotel world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546257110

Larry Mogelonsky

Larry and Adam Mogelonsky are the founding partners behind Hotel Mogel Consulting, a practice formed to help hotel owners, operators and industry suppliers solve critical issues facing their businesses. Leveraging their past experience in the advertising world, together they apply creative yet shrewd strategies to any asset management or marketing assignment undertaken, while never losing sight of the time-honored traditions of real hospitality as well as the need for new technologies that will define the hotel of the future. Concurrent to their consultancy practice, both Larry and Adam are active hospitality writers and public speakers, now with over 1,000 unique articles published to date across a myriad of online trade journals. The core tenet for their writing, and any client engagement, has always been that great guest service will always be the key driver for a hotel organization's success. As a part of their speaking engagements, Larry has been a keynote speaker at worldwide industry conferences and conventions as well as numerous corporate events and university seminars. His talks motivate audiences through his passion and vision with innovative reinforcement focused on satisfying guest needs. Both Larry and Adam reside in Toronto, Canada; learn more by visiting their website at hotelmogel.com.

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© 2018 Larry Mogelonsky & Adam Mogelonsky. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/27/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5712-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5713-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-5711-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD

Why We Love The Hotel Business In Ten Parts

The Missing Three Senses

The Other Three Missing Senses

Churchillian Inspirations For Hotels

Messages For Hoteliers From The USS Midway

Lessons For Hotels From The Final Frontier

GUEST SERVICE

I’ve Learned From My Dog And So Can You!

Hondo’s Hospitality

The Three Axioms Of B2B And B2C Communications

The Essence Of Service Communications

Moving Up The Ranks Of The Guest Experience Hierarchy

Greetings Are Also Part of a Sense of Place

The Power Of ‘Sorry’

FIFO And LIFO Guest Interactions

Handwritten Notes Will Elevate The Service Bar

Close The Feedback Loop

Is The Necktie Making A Comeback?

Dropping The Desk From The Hotel Front Desk

BRANDING

Hospitality In The Age Of Disruption

Flawlessly Boring: An Industry Challenge

Finding Your Flag: Four Senior Executives Weigh In On How To Select A Hotel Franchise

Lever Your Location

Defining Modern Hotel Luxury In Five Parts

Mutual Success Through Product Placement

It’s Never Been A Better Time To Join Associations

Limited Service Does Not Mean Limiting Your Imagination

How The Hotel Industry Is Cutting Out The Mid-Tier

Fluevogs And Continuing The Guest Relationship

An Inside Look At The Millennial Approach To Hotel Selection

TRADITIONAL MARKETING

Questions To Ask Your Marketing Team

Maximizing Your Experiential Travel Potential

Understanding Millennial And Baby Boomer Travelers

Balance Sheet Woes In Ten Parts

Hot Button Loyalty

Group Sales Tune Up

Enhancing Your Public Relations Success

Making Press Releases More Productive

Come For The Art, Stay For The Hotel

Don’t Diss Free Parking

Hosting Duplicate Bridge Tournaments

Conspicuous Conservation For Hotels

Gray Is The New Green: The Starving Boomer

Gray Is The New Green: The Sandwich Generation

What Do Hotels And Holidays Have In Common?

Valentine’s Day Only A Month Away

Building Summer Occupancy For City Hotels

Drumming Up Your War Tourism

Can Hilton Break The OTA Stranglehold Through Advertising?

OPERATIONS

Hotel Design Is An Arms Race

Small Steps To Making Associates Feel Valued

Special Considerations For Your Millennial Workforce

Authenticity Training: A Team Building Opportunity

Are Tattoos Taboo In Hospitality?

What’s Your Piercing Policy?

Cheap And Cheerful Renovations

The Dirty Dozen Of Hotel Renovation

The Sound Of Silence: In Search Of Quiet Guestrooms

Are You Superstitious?

Madrid Investment Mystery

Unsung Heroes Of Hospitality: Security Director

Mitigating The Risk Of A Fire

How Much Is Too Much For Hotel Bottled Water?

Early Birds Are Angry When They Don’t Get Their Worm

Housekeeping Is A Contact Sport

Raising Awareness Of RSIs

The Housekeeping Training Revolution

Keeping Hoteliers And Guests Happy Through Training Technology

Dispenser Theory

Next-Level Housekeeping Via Technology

Housekeeping or Loyalty Points, You Decide

A Necessary Warning For Housekeeping Opt-Out Credits

How Hoteliers Can Fight Chronic Illness

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Jiro Dreams Of Helping Hoteliers

Defending The Premier Hotel Restaurant

Crossing The Pacific

Anticipating The Need For Change At A Successful Hotel Restaurant

Redefining Casual Luxury Dining, LA Style

An Urban Hotel That’s Using Cheese To Earn Some Serious Cheddar

Benefitting From Chefs’ Tasting Menus

No-Holds-Barred Catering

Healthy Foods As A Wellness Trend For Any Hotel

Become A Biodiversity Leader

Rethinking Allergies Just As They’re On The Rise

Vegans, Vegetarians And Pescatarians, Oh My!

Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread Basket

Breakfast Of Champions

Fish On Every Menu

Spice Up Your Food With…Spice!

Answering The Call For Healthier Desserts

Birch Is The New Maple

Breakfast Cereals Now An Indulgent Dessert

A Chocolate Expert Tells All

The New Rules For Hotel Coffee Service

Starbucks Is Culture Not Coffee

Building A Coffee Experience In Ten Steps

Boost Your Coffee Service Through Regionality

VIP Welcome Refreshments

The Proof Of Prix Fixe

TECHNOLOGY

Making The Hotel Of The Future Yours

Building Your Own Hospitality Technology Tool Belt

The Fragmented Television Landscape

Is In-Room Television Dead?

Guestroom TVs Are Only The Beginning For Electronic Displays

What Screens May Come

Free WiFi At Long Last!

Making Your Concierge Relevant In The Face Of Mobile Apps

Cautiously Reaching For The Cloud

There’s More To LED Conversions Than Cost Savings

Aerial Photography For Your Property

The Four Pillars Of Hospitality Technology

Control Your Data To Control Your Hotel’s Future

INTERNET MARKETING

Big Picture Questions For Your New Hotel Website

CRM Success Is Built On Partnerships

Gamification Of Room Upgrades

Does Page Two In Google Even Exist?

SEM And SEO’s Downward Spiral

Rethinking Your Hotel’s SEM Strategy

Leveling The Sharing Economy Playing Field

How The Sharing Economy Impacts Select-Service Hotels

Analyzing Airbnb’s Advertising

Counterarguments For Every Airbnb Defense

Are Entry Level Jobs At Risk With Airbnb?

If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em

Sell The Guarantee

EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE

The Imperative For Exceptional Hotel Interior Design

Canada At The Peak of Hotel Design

The Rise Of Bi-Leisure Travel Via Serviced Residences

The Perseverance Of Independence

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Fogo Island Inn

Bobby Orr The Hotelier

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: The William Vale

A Case Study In Soft Brand Conversion

Meet Me At The Queen

Give Peace A Chance

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Fairmont Austin

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Four Seasons Hotel Austin

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Lake Austin Spa Resort

A Digital Detox Near You

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Montage Deer Valley

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: The Meritage Resort & Spa

Taking Notes Of The Little Differentiators At A Hawaiian Luxury Hotel

Millennial Revitalization At The Surfjack Hotel

In Search Of Hotel Excellence: Montage Kapalua Bay

CONCLUSION

There’s No Such Thing As A Hotel ‘Job’ Anymore

Learning From ‘Old School’ Hoteliers

Who Should Go To Hospitality Tradeshows?

Developing Your Ownership-Leadership Style

Glossary of Terms

Acknowledgements

About Our Educational Program

About the Authors

This book is dedicated

to Adam’s mother,

and Larry’s dear wife and travel companion, Maureen.

FOREWORD

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Located just outside of Park City, Utah, Montage Deer Valley is among the finest luxury resorts in the United States with the suites impressively furnished and comfortably equipped with fireplaces for that perfect après ski.

(Photos are copyright of the hotel and cannot be reproduced without its permission.)

Why We Love The Hotel Business In Ten Parts

Have you ever sat back for a moment to reflect on the profession of hospitality? With all its ups and downs, could you think of any other business you would rather be in?

As someone who admittedly has never been at the helm of a property with the exception of short term MOD responsibilities, I feel as close as anyone can be to hotel management. Yet I recognize that it is not the same as the burden of being general manager, where day-to-day decisions can make or break the budget as well as destroy hard-earned asset values. I am humbled by many of the GMs I’ve met and in awe of their ability to stay calm in the midst of the mayhem constantly surrounding them.

Perhaps this is why hotel management is such an adrenaline rush – the landscape changes hourly and there is no time to get bored. It’s perfect for those with a touch of ADHD or a very curious mind. To reflect on this chosen career path and to offer you an extra dose of incentive to remain ever-passionate about this line of work, here are ten reasons why hoteliers are some of the luckiest professionals out there.

1. You get to see the fruits of your labor. Make a decision and you typically don’t have to wait very long to see the outcome. Compare this to any product-based business where you have to wait a full season or more to know whether or not your ideas delivered on their promise. Immediate gratification has its rewards!

2. You work with great people. Hotel teams employ a wide range of characters from chefs and accountants to engineers and housekeepers. Being involved with so many different silos, in an international business that draws people from many diverse cultures, adds to the overall enrichment of the workplace and presents an opportunity to build a truly multinational team. Altogether, this makes for a fantastic, lifelong learning experience.

3. You never know who is going to show up. Guests can include real and cultural royalty, business leaders, foreigners who will test your language skills or just some great average folk. Where else can you meet so many new people and give them an opportunity to experience your locale as well as your gracious hospitality? Talk about bragging rights!

4. You get to play with amazing technology. Very few professions have access to as much technology as hoteliers from the latest in guestroom IoT solutions to back-end communications and algorithmic optimization software services. In fact, we have an annual trade show (HITEC) dedicated exclusively to the advancements in our industry. With so many toys, it’s often hard to choose!

5. You get to eat and drink professionally. Sure, you could have gone into finance and spent your time taking clients out to fancy dinners or ‘business’ lunches. But where else, other than a hotel’s restaurant, can you talk to the chef and immerse yourself in a discussion about each dish, its processes and its ingredients? Good luck trying to get 30 minutes with an executive chef when you’re simply the diner!

6. You can be innovative without approval from multiple layers of senior management. Even within a branded product, there is room for creating thumbprints that are unique to your property. Moreover, there is always the encouragement to do so!

7. The scenery changes everyday. No two days in the hotel business are the same. The marketplace is dynamic with new groups and guests arriving daily. You never know what you will be dealing with. It can be stressful, but you will look back on these hectic times, and your ability to juggle so many tasks, with pride.

8. The job has excellent mobility. For those who are interested in expanding their careers globally, nothing beats being a hotel general manager. It is not unusual to see GMs transfer from one property to another across international boundaries. The skills you learn in one location are instantly transferrable. My suggestion is to learn as many languages as you can.

9. You can feed the inner fashionista and never worry about dry-cleaning costs. What an opportunity to not have to worry about selecting the blue or grey suit. Get both; you’ll need them, as an important part of excellent service delivery is being fully presentable and professionally dressed. And chances are that you’ll have a budget for this, too!

10. Friends visiting? You’ve got the answer. Most of the time you’ll have a room for them, and you’ll never have to worry about cleaning up after they leave. This will make you quite popular.

The Missing Three Senses

While traveling overseas to speak at a hospitality conference, I was put up in a hotel not of my choosing and instead one that was convenient for the event. Performing my typical inspection as I casually walked the halls and entered my guestroom, nothing seemed out of place, yet something was still missing.

The hotel in question proudly touted its recent renovation, with the scent of fresh paint, glue, and recently sanded wood as well as new upholstery confirmed this fact. The doorman performed in strict accordance with his title while the receptionist at the front desk was cheery but still matter-of-fact. Arriving at 10pm, the corridors were quiet while the room was neat and functional. Overall, everything looked fine and if I was checking off an inspection sheet I would probably assign a perfect mark. Yet, the hotel ended up feeling devoid of character. Why was this?

1. A Sense of Place. There was nothing in the property from the time I stepped out of my car to the time I checked around my room that told me I was in London, New York City or Tokyo. In the room, the only differentiators in this regard were the TV channels and the wall plugs. And, from the standpoint of the neutral color scheme and absence of any visible printed materials, I could not even name the hotel brand without glancing at the room key or tent cards. Often we think about a sense of place as being a grand show of force in the lobby, but this term also encompasses far smaller touchpoints that nearly any hotel can deploy.

2. A Sense of Welcome. With very little human contact, there was no one to provide the reassurance that the property I selected was ‘correct’ for me. The total number of words that were spoken to me could barely fill two lines of this blog, including Good evening, Thank you! Your stay is fully prepaid, so I do not need your credit card, Can I take a copy of your passport? I’ve marked your room number on your key along with the Internet password, and Good night, sir. There was no small talk or attempt at small talk, nor were there any questions about my specific needs or suggestions of late-night dining options. How about a simple, How was your trip?

3. A Sense of Hospitality. My stay lasted three nights, and throughout it the housekeeping was flawless. Breakfast was included, and by the third morning the waitstaff were a bit friendlier. At least I caught one of them smiling and saying good morning. The food was quite good as was the coffee. Yet again, though, there was little human interaction. As the breakfast was buffet-style, the service was limited to the hostess and coffee service. Moreover, there were no roving greeters or managers, all of it making me think that the staff were specifically trained to be invisible. While this can have its merits, it can also have the adverse effect of making a property seem like a shell of a place.

The tens of millions of dollars I was told that the owners had just spent on an interior renovation were quite evident. But, would I stay there again? Would I give them more than an average rating on TripAdvisor? Would I recommend this hotel to a colleague?

Hardly. And this raises the question about whether the renovation was actually worth its cost or if its focus was flawed. Hotels are about specific places and people. This property got the place right but forgot that staff matters, too. Service is what elevates you and makes your renovation meaningful. Next time you renovate, don’t forget this or you risk wasting millions of dollars when perhaps instead you should double down on staff retraining.

The Other Three Missing Senses

The guest experience includes three critical senses that every hotelier should be aware of are:

1. A sense of place

2. A sense of welcome

3. A sense of hospitality

With this trio as a start, here are three more senses that were missing at the property in question. While they are not as plainly evident to the guest, they should be embraced by every general manager as well as his or her senior team.

4. A sense of empowerment. This I inferred from the degree to which each associate felt motivated to candidly interact with guests. If your staff are not involved with or relating to your guests, it may have to do with a lack of empowerment. Staff that are afraid to do anything wrong or have a fear of stepping a little out of line will typically follow the responsibilities within their job descriptions and no more. Empowerment starts at the entry level. A team that is not able to participate in making minor decisions nor able to deviate from the standard reflects an overbearing level of top-down control. The buck stops at the GM’s desk but each associate still contributes a cent or two, so challenge your leadership style to reflect the flatter hierarchy extolled in today’s workplace.

5. A sense of community. With the guest suites pretty much devoid of any literature save for a copy of the omnipresent Where magazine, there was little to tell me that the property had any interest or responsibility to its local community. ‘Stark’ is what the designers would probably call it. Looking around, there were no pins on lapels on staff uniforms and no sponsorship accolades behind the front desk. In effect, the property lacked a sense of community which not only demotivates staff but subtly communicates to guests that the hotel is probably not an expert on local experiences. If a sense of place defines a location, a sense of community shows your overall involvement within the surrounding locale.

6. A sense of sustainability. I could not tell if the property had any recycling program in place, any defined water or energy savers, LEED certifications or any other environment-focused efforts. I cannot imagine that any 21st-century renovation would ignore these elements, as over time the post-conversion lowered energy consumption levels typically result in huge savings in addition to good will. Sustainability embraces not just our local community, but more broadly the entire globe, and it is important for hotels as leaders to help move us all towards a more balanced future.

Churchillian Inspirations For Hotels

This short column is dedicated to one of the greatest statesmen that ever lived. Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was best known as the Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Second World War. He served his country valiantly at a time when all hope was just about lost.

My parents lived through this period; both served our nation, as did most others of the Greatest Generation. To them, Churchill was among the most influential individuals of their time, and even as he becomes an ever-more distant part of our history, his words remain timeless.

Specifically for hotels, our current situation can easily be seen as an economic war and a struggle for our industry’s survival. We battle daily for guests’ hearts and minds as they are increasingly distracted by fragmented media, new entrants like Airbnb and bargain-basement shopping habits. We fight and bicker over such things as the best rate guarantee and getting customers to book direct.

In reviewing Churchill’s most famous quotations, I could not help but see the parallels between his political tenure and our current state of affairs. From 1939 through 1941, Britain faced the Axis juggernaut that had overrun Continental Europe and was only 19 nautical miles – the width of the English Channel – away from effectively winning the war. Even after the United States entered the war, the British people still faced daily bombardment.

Through it all, Churchill addressed his nation through regular radio broadcasts. Put in perspective, the situation we are confronted with today doesn’t hold a thumb to what he and his people endured. Yes, our industry is changing. As sad as it is to say, this evolution will leave a few in the dust. But it isn’t doom and gloom, nor should it be viewed as such. Most of us who tough it out will slowly adapt to new conditions and a new competitive landscape.

As you read each one of these excerpted quotes, try to think not just of the time when these words were spoken, but also of how they could be repurposed as a rallying cry for our industry. I encourage you to use anyone of these as a lead in your efforts to restore business lustre.

• We shall not fail or falter. We shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job.

• Every man should ask himself each day whether he is not too readily accepting negative solutions.

• Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.

• One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. (This quotation is attributed first to 19th-century American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, but was modified by Churchill for a speech he gave in early 1941.)

• We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

Messages For Hoteliers From The USS Midway

No trip to San Diego is complete without a trip to CV-41, also known as the USS Midway, the largest ship in the world until 1955. The carrier was decommissioned in 1992 and has since been turned into a floating museum. As basically an entire town in a boat, the sheer size of this craft defies imagination. Touring her decks and viewing the wide variety of aircraft and exhibits can easily take a full day. Not having a military background, I was in total awe and full of admiration for all those who had boarded this great vessel and served in the Navy.

A tour of the Midway is not complete, though, without listening to the living history provided by the many docents who willingly share their experiences. While the information they provided clearly reflected the life on the ship, significant parallels can nevertheless be formed with the vast array of activities in our world of hospitality. Here are several that I gleaned.

1. Expertise is not necessarily coming from the top-down. Landing an airplane on an aircraft carrier is as difficult as it comes. The coordination of this feat required an entire team of crew members, each tasked with specific duties to fulfill an orchestral procedure to ensure that each jet made it down safely.

The movies make it seem as if the pilots were in control of everything, but the fact is that they were following the exact requirements radioed to them by servicemen of much lower ranks who guided each plane to catch a deck pendant (cable) stretched across the runway.

From this, the hotel implication is fairly straightforward. Listen to your restaurant servers, housekeepers, bell staff and front desk clerks. Chances are that they have a better pulse on what’s going on than you do, or at least a fresh perspective with insights that can vastly improve operational efficiency.

2. Critiques are vital to continuous improvement. After every landing, there was always a complete debriefing session. All pilots attended and watched video replays of their approaches. Senior, more experienced pilots provided the grades, posted for everyone in the group to see. The experience was probably gut-wrenching for those flying, but ultimately they recognized that all share in the responsibility for each other’s success and the quest for continual improvement.

From this, you can inquire about the last time your departmental managers met with their teams to discuss performance, not to be negative but to search for the best way to achieve guest satisfaction.

3. The same position for extended periods breeds complacency. The ‘Air Boss’ directed all aspects of the flight deck operations while the ‘Mini Boss’ was his assistant and in training for the job. What was surprising was that the length of time in the position of Air Boss was 12 months, after which the Mini Boss would assume his role.

If you think of the many years of experience necessary to get to this leadership position, it seems contradictory to see such an early departure. Yet, the feeling was that those who spend too long in the boss’s chair will become complacent, potentially leading to shortcuts on procedures.

So think for a moment about how long is too long in any hotelier position? Will your team leaders continue to grow and thereby improve performance? Or should they be shuffled laterally into new roles to strengthen their overall wherewithal through cross-training and new perspectives?

4. Safety is everyone’s priority. High octane jet fuel, live ammunition, fast-moving aircraft and inordinately loud noises do not make good company without strict rules focusing first and foremost on safety. Everyone on board was fully trained and retrained on these procedures including first aid and evacuation protocols. Moreover, regular drills reinforced this knowledge.

As it concerns you, your fellow managers and your associates, the lesson is that safety is just as important in a hotel as an aircraft carrier. It’s everyone’s business. How are you managing safety training with your team? And is it enough?

Lessons For Hotels From The Final Frontier

Beam me up, Scotty! The original television series Star Trek ran 79 episodes in the late 1960s. After being canceled due to poor ratings, it was revived and has since spawned a slew of popular TV shows coupled with 13 high-budget movies as well as a barrage of novels, comics and other ancillary IP. To this day, thousands call themselves ‘Trekkies’ with the remarkable ability to regurgitate every line from those original episodes.

Most everyone, Trekkie or not, knows Captain James T. Kirk, the fearless leader of the Starship Enterprise. Played by William Shatner, Captain Kirk was known for his remarkable capability of keeping the ship and its seemingly hundreds of crew members safe as they hurtled through the galaxy and faced impossible odds. To me as a pre-teen, this was heady stuff!

But what does this have to do with the world of hospitality? And what can we learn from the good captain and his crew?

1. The captain is always the captain. Kirk has a very capable first officer in Commander Spock, played by the late Leonard Nimoy. While Spock perennially states the facts and makes recommendations, Kirk is always the one to make the decision. Implication for hoteliers: It is the GM’s responsibility to patiently listen to advice, and any senior management team will be filled with some very bright individuals, but ultimately it is the captain that runs the ship.

2. The captain relies upon his crew for all manner of advice as well as execution. Kirk does not take the steering and throttle controls – that’s Zulu’s responsibility. Similarly, Scotty runs the engine room while Uhura handles communications. Everyone has a specific area of expertise where they are most knowledgeable and where they can work the fastest. Implication for hoteliers: Hire the best that you can. Set their goals and don’t interfere with their ability to deliver results or micromanage which can be detrimental to both morale as well as your time. This takes trust, but once you’ve developed it, your ship will fly!

3. Requests from Starfleet command are usually challenging, illogical or both. Kirk never questions the directive. However, he often adds what best would be described as personal interpretation. Implication for hoteliers: Think of requests from corporate offices or owners as mandates that must be met in order for your individual ship to effectively fit into a much bigger picture. However, as senior managers you will have some degree of latitude in the delivery and in fact many brands will encourage a degree of individual expression.

4. Security is always a critical issue. Klingons seem to appear everywhere. They are often adept at slipping in through the transporter or, failing that, attempting a breach through brute force. Then add to that all the other weird and alien dangers the Enterprise happens upon and it’s a miracle that the ship hasn’t been blown to smithereens. Implication for hoteliers: Think of those trying to breach your software’s database security as Klingons. They show no mercy and they will try to get around your defenses any way they can, attacking you without warning at just a sniff of weakness. In this day and age of ransomware and PCI compliance, your own survival is at stake and this should be treated as a priority.

5. Not every episode of Star Trek was focused on their overall mission. Those who watched the show will happily recall the episode entitled, The Trouble with Tribbles. The plot was centered around these titular fur balls eating all the wheat the crew was transporting, but the actors had a hard time staying sufficiently serious to complete their lines. Even though it was a silly experience for all involved, behind the scenes it helped cement the camaraderie amongst key players who would eventually carry that positivity forward to every interview and sci-fi convention, thereby boosting fans’ appreciation for the characters as well as the franchise. Implications for hoteliers: Remember to dedicate time for team building that is either offsite or away from the daily routine as this is imperative for fostering the bonds that will transform your employees into family.

GUEST SERVICE

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The epitome of a lifestyle hotel, the QT Sydney has been shaped out of an old, downtown theatre complex, and this dramatic heritage is reflected in every aspect of the property’s funky and avant garde, yet also remarkably welcoming, design.

(Photos are copyright of the hotel and cannot be reproduced without its permission.)

I’ve Learned From My Dog And So Can You!

Anyone who has met me knows how crazy I am for my dog Hondo, a 125-pound bouvier des Flandres puppy. We rescued him from an owner in Pennsylvania who didn’t realize that he was going to get to a size that is bordering on unmanageable. Hondo is not our first dog; he is our third. And each one is unique in its approach to life. Hondo is quite a character – friendly is an understatement!

Looking at the world from Hondo’s perspective, there is a lot that can be applied to the hotel world. In many ways, our pets can instruct us in how to effectively manage our employees and how to best treat our teams. Here are ten takeaways that relate to your job as a hotelier.

1. Pets thrive on routine. Routine means following a set course of activity every day. Now think of your hotel operation – routine allows staff to conduct operations efficiently, freeing up time for more difficult or unorthodox challenges. Developing a routine means that certain practices will become ‘second nature’, allowing your team to perform them on autopilot to save precious brain energy for those harder tasks. Just make sure that the routines you instill are the right ones from the outset.

2. You can always get a trick for a treat. With a strip of bacon or chicken chew in my hand, Hondo will perform just about any request. Whereas your team probably will not respond well to a chewy liver snack, it does not hurt to provide little extras for performance above the standard contractual remuneration.

3. Hondo loves a pat on the head and to hear the words ‘good dog’. Now I’m certainly not advocating patting your employees on the head, but when was the last time you said thank you or sent a written a note to a subordinate commending them on their performance? Your words can be just as valuable to your team’s morale as a healthy month-end cheque, so choose them wisely.

4. Don’t get in between a dog and his food. Eating is serious business for Hondo. He can ravenously mow through a whole bowl of kibble and leftovers in under a minute. And your hungry team is no different! A person is only as good as the meals they eat, so make sure your staff cafeteria serves nutritious food at reasonable prices. If you are having a meeting and it is planned over the lunch hour, reassure everyone that food is being brought in, and take time out to ensure everyone has an opportunity to partake.

5. Give a dog a bone and he’ll focus on it until it is fully consumed. Think of a bone as a project. Give a great project with a deliciously satisfying reward to team members and also give them enough time to really sink their teeth into it. They will be compensated with a profound sense of accomplishment while you will get optimal results.

6. Pets need daily exercise. Too often we spend all day working and forget that our bodies need physical activity to create balance. Sitting is the new smoking, as they say. Failure to give Hondo a one-hour or so walk each day (big dogs need lots of exercise) and he’ll undoubtedly get into mischief that evening. Same with us humans; we need to balance cerebral with corporeal challenges.

7. Dogs will listen, but only if your commands can be understood. In my particular case, if you say, Walk, Sit, Stay, or Down, Hondo will answer immediately. If you confuse your words, the response will not be as you expect. It’s the same when communicating with your staff. Be as clear and concise as you can.

8. Hondo loves all people. While Hondo is elated to see me when I come home after work each day, he also lacks any sort of prejudice with those people he meets, treating everyone with a big lick to the nearest patch of available skin. I’m obviously not suggesting that we should do the same with guests on property – that would be harassment! The lesson here is simple, though. A warm greeting goes a long way to developing endearment. Treat every guest like he or she is family, and the favor will be returned with positive word of mouth and good reviews on social websites.

9. At the end of the day, dogs need a good night’s sleep. And so do you! Studies show that on-the-job performance improves with seven hours of sleep. Plan for it. As well, know that sleep is cumulative. You cannot fully recover from five hours lost over five consecutive nights by sleeping in one morning. Get into a routine that allows your body its full allotment of shuteye and your circadian rhythm will naturally adjust to make this is a consistent aspect of your daily life. Lastly, know that diet and exercise are huge contributors to a good night’s sleep.

10. Not everyone is a dog person. In fact, dogs are the runner up when it comes to pets by population, with cats taking the lead. When I parade my dog in front of the select few friends of mine who are cat people, I’m met with mild enthusiasm, but hardly the type that true rapport is built upon. The takeaway here is a bit more existential in that your hotel won’t be a good fit for every single traveler out there, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, some people just won’t be all that receptive to your buoyant hotelier attitude. Never fear. Stay true to yourself. Refine your hotel’s USP and how well you appeal to a core demographic. And on the personal front, be as kind and hospitable as possible; those who appreciate your can-do attitude will like you all the more for it.

Hondo’s Hospitality

Anyone who has endured the pleasure of my company has no doubt been regaled a story or two about Hondo. To say that I’m obsessed is an understatement. He’s a giant drooling and snoring fluffball, goofy to no end and impossible to resist. Out for walks, I get stopped by nearly everyone, and the most common question is whether he’s a dog or a bear.

Physical appearances aside, Hondo wins people and other canines over with his eternally calm and friendly demeanor. A list of Hondo’s tactics offers several important lessons for hospitality.

1. An elated greeting every time. Coming home each day, it’s always the same scene – a massive dog lumbering towards me with a big smile, brushing right up against me and licking whatever piece of fabric is closest. While I wouldn’t advise slobbering on your guests, the broader idea is that an enthusiastic greeting with some form of energetic body movement will help uplift moods all around. Whether it’s the front desk clerks or housekeepers patrolling the corridors, no one will ever fault your staff for being in good spirits.

2. Friendly even in the face of hostility. Oftentimes Hondo encounters those aggressive, annoying, yappy toy dogs with serious inferiority complexes, and his reaction is always the same. He stands there with his tongue hanging out and tail wagging, then slowly approaches to sniff the snarly pooch. Even if this other dog nips at his face, all Hondo does is gently turn his head to one side for a moment, then resumes his happy-as-can-be approach. Eventually, Hondo wins them over, turning foe into friend. As this concerns your guest relations, talking with irate customers is never anyone’s preferred job responsibility, but remaining unbreakably calm in these situations will always play to your favor.

3. Never far from your side. It’s inherent in any herding breed’s nature to remain at your side at all times. While there are times while I’m cooking in the kitchen when Hondo’s decision to sprawl out next to the appliances turns every step into a potential fire hazard, most often he lays down far out of anyone’s path but still well within earshot. If ever there’s a raucous clanging of metal or a distressed shout, he’s alert and by my side in under a second. Similarly, the supreme goal for your staff is to be available at a moment’s notice yet self-aware to know when guests need their space.

4. A constant source of affection. Whenever we have guests over, Hondo is sociable and perfectly affable, especially when there’s food nearby. Never shying away from new faces, he’ll roll over for a belly rub or give his paw to just about anyone who requests it. To put this in human terms, it doesn’t mean your servers should all take up juggling or immediately invade your guests’ personal space as a means to force congeniality with, say, a hug. Rather, there are certain aspects of proper communication that allow your team to be perceived as both friendlier and courteous, and these can all be conscientiously trained. This starts, of course, with your body language and tone of voice as well as the actual words selected, and I would advise situational instruction so that small groups can workshop different scenarios as preparation for whatever attitude a future guest presents you with.

5. Consider getting an onsite dog. I realize this isn’t in the cards for many properties, but never once has this tactic failed to win over guests and earn a few social media brownie points. If you are able to recruit a friendly and well-trained canine to roam your lobby and greet guests, this will undoubtedly help uplift the moods of all around, staff included. While this will create some additional work on your part, as online reviews these days are emotionally based you can only imagine the potential benefits this move might accrue: a dog greeter might help you offset some other flaws that would require some serious CapEx to remedy.

The Three Axioms Of B2B And B2C Communications

For about five years, I’ve encouraged readers to examine their B2B and B2C communications from a Marshall McLuhan-esque standpoint – that is, how the medium impacts the message itself. To help organize my thoughts on the matter, I proposed a heirarchial flowchart outlining 13 different forms of modern communications based on the level of importance conveyed by each.

My motivation for tackling this subject was the rise of email and mobile communications, both of which have had sweeping influences on how we behave and socialize. With each passing month, mobile becomes more significant as a channel, thus necessitating a reexamination of the communications hierarchy I first drew up half a decade ago.

This updated ranking may not be exactly the same for everyone, although the broad strokes will ring true. What remains unchanged, though, is that the more intimate the interaction, the greater the influence. Any opportunity you have to meet your customer or business partner face-to-face will yield better results than more impersonal modes of communications. In fact, sometimes using a lower communication channel can be considered insulting and detract from your business goals.

Specifically, one cannot dismiss the rise of the text message as a valuable clutter-cutting tool for direct interaction and fast answers. Unlike emails which can mysteriously be labeled as junk, be delayed in delivery or simply not opened by the recipient, texts are instantaneous and unfiltered. Nowadays, phone calls go to voicemail while smartphone users are instantly notified of incoming texts.

It is important to understand the relative significance of each item within this hierarchy as well as how you and your team manage your own response protocol. To maximize your return on communications, I’ve