How soon after joining do your hotel staff have to face guests? The first few weeks in any job will determine whether a person will want to stay with you.
People like (and need) to know what’s expected of them. So when people start with you a thorough induction is absolutely key, and [...]
Don’t waste your recruitment effort & costs by poor induction
July 30th, 2010Do you recruit hospitality staff on attitude or aptitude?
July 29th, 2010What most people think about is what the job is and what are the skills that are needed.
I’m not saying that the skills are not important. Of course if you are recruiting a chef, you need someone with the right skills and experience.
And you’ll be looking for someone to complement your existing skills set.
You’ll also [...]
Use your expert topic to add a perception of value for your hotel guests
July 22nd, 2010Yesterday we talked about how being an expert can help you define what you offer, and your ideal guests. Developing an expertise enables you to build rapport with a niche market of potential guests, and gives you an opportunity to run exclusive events and promotions for these customers’ market, which they perceive as value for [...]
Become your hotel’s resident ‘expert’ to increase sales
July 21st, 2010One way of really capitalising on your interests and capturing the interest of your guests or prospects is to become an ‘expert’ in something that they (and you) are interested in.
Becoming an expert gives your hotel something that will make you stand out from everyone else. It also means you are more likely to attract [...]
Guests’ first and last impressions
July 15th, 2010Yesterday I ran a workshop at a hotel. This was for a third party, so I had not been involved with the booking, but had the conference organiser’s name. Ironically the word “Welcome” was in the title of the workshop….
On arrival there was just one person at reception at the normally busy checkout time. She [...]
Addressing the hospitality skills shortage
July 13th, 2010It’s not news that we have a skills shortage in hotels and hospitality as a whole. And with the industry growing the likelihood is the situation will get worse.
And on the other hand we hear of unemployment rising.
In my interview with Bob Cotton last week, as part of my current interview series “How [...]
Let your hotel guests see what they are buying
July 7th, 2010When you go shopping, do you like to see what you are buying?
Even with Argos you get to see a picture in the catalogue and a full specification, and when you shop on line you get a full description and usually a picture.
So should we expect our hotel or bed and breakfast guests to settle [...]
Help your hotel and restaurant guests celebrate
July 5th, 2010It’s my birthday this week, and this morning I received a birthday card from my hairdresser. And like all the best birthday cards it had a gift tucked inside. OK, so it was only a voucher. Is this original? No. But as a customer, what does that say to me about them? It makes me [...]
What can Social Media teach us about embracing new ideas?
June 30th, 2010I’ve just been talking to a friend who is a work from home Mum with 2 small children. We got chatting about social media, and I suddenly found myself giving her all sorts of advice. Am I an expert? Absolutely not (and that’s why I’m interviewing Josiah Mackenzie on “Making Best Use of Social Media [...]
Is that really what you pay your hotel staff to do?
June 29th, 2010This morning my husband was complaining that his boss had emailed him to ask to look up some information that was readily available to him. It was just easier to ask someone else, rather than go and look it up for himself.
Are you ever guilty of this?
You pay your head chef a head chef’s salary, [...]