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Why having the best hotel, B&B or guest accommodation doesn’t guarantee you bookings.

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Celebrating British Tourism will attract the crowds but will they stay at your hotel or B&B?

Today is the start of British Tourism week (15th – 21st March) and the whole country is being promoted. This should mean an increase in awareness and enquiries for guest accommodation and holiday bookings. But how can hotel, B&B and guest accommodation owners ensure they get these bookings? They need a plan.

Well, I’m delighted to announce that help is at hand to help with that plan. My new book – the Hotel Success Handbook is published this week.

The handbook is a practical guide to marketing actions, sales tips, staff training ideas, operational must do’s (and don’ts) to help owners and managers fill their hotel, B&B and guest accommodation with the guests they want.

It’s for seasoned hoteliers and those new to running a hotel or B&B alike, the Hotel Success Handbook is packed with practical tips and actions to improve business results.

De-mystifying and explaining good sales, marketing, operations and training practices the Hotel Success Handbook is a guide for owners and managers of small hotels, B&Bs, Restaurants with Rooms, Inns or other guest accommodation.

As Sally Shalam, Hotel Critic for The Guardian explains in her foreword to Hotel Success Handbook, it’s not just about being the best: “owners of small hotels, B&Bs, all manner of guest accommodation, who fail to market themselves, are leaving a lot to chance. So while you’re planning how to bring your stamp, your style, your vision into the exciting arena of the modern British hotel, this book will serve as the reality check, a handbook to guide you through the marketing maze while you’re realising your dream.”

 There is a huge opportunity with current demand for ‘staycations’ and people looking outside of their usual ‘fly and flop’ package holidays to make independent UK hotels, B&Bs and other guest accommodation businesses a huge success. But it is hard for those running them to know where to start to make that happen.

“Should you be collecting fans on Facebook? Attracting a following on Twitter? Still printing glossy brochures? Investing in a booking system? Going organic? Offering all-inclusive? There are these and lots of other questions hotel and B&B owners are asking everyday.” Says my co-author Lucy Whittington. 

The Hotel Success Handbook asks the right questions and shows how to use the answers to push an independent hospitality business forward, and make it the success it deserves to be.

The Hotel Success Handbook contains Lucy’s and my combined experience of over 40 years of hospitality training, business coaching, sales and marketing. 

We’ve had some great praise the book already from B&B and hotel owners:

“This is a great book to have around – like having a brainstorming team and personal business advisor constantly on hand”

“A thorough and comprehensive guide”
Joy Huter 5* Bed and Breakfast owner

“Although I hate to admit it I learnt an awful lot and found it an addictive page turner.”
Patrick Burfield, Award Winning Restaurateur and Hotelier

“I wish I had had this book to hand when I started out”
“If you do not want to be the laughing stock of the next series of The Hotel Inspector you will want to read this book – from start to finish”
Thomas Dowson, B&B owner www.bassecopette.com

 And praise from leading UK hospitality industry figures:

“Devoid of sales and marketing jargon, this handbook is just what every manager needs ready to hand and to be dipped into regularly.  The Hotel Success Handbook is an essential addition the hospitality manager’s tool kit.”
Philippe Rossiter MBA FIH FTS, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality

“This handbook provides all the relevant information for selling and marketing small hospitality businesses in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format.”
Bob Cotton, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association

“It really is a “bible” for the twenty-tens and I defy anyone to come up with something that is not between the covers that should be included.
Running a small business in tourism and hospitality just got a bit less scary.”
David Curtis-Brignell, Chairman, The Tourism Society (2004-7) and co-chair of British Tourism Week 2010

“An indispensable tool for small hotel and accommodation business owners who want an accessible guide to both traditional and online marketing.”
Dr Philip Alford, Senior Lecturer Tourism & Hospitality Marketing, Bournemouth University

The Hotel Success Handbook is being officially launched at the Hotel and Catering Show in Bournemouth, held during British Tourism Week, which takes place on 16th and 17th March at the Bournemouth International Centre (http://www.hotel-expo.co.uk/), so if you are in the area, please pay us a visit.

The Hotel Success Handbook is also available to buy from the website http://www.hotelsuccesshandbook.com/ (currently with a special launch price of £10.95 – RRP £12.95 – P&P to UK addresses free). The Hotel Success Handbook is also available on Amazon, and from good bookshops, both in the UK and Internationally.

Posted in Grow your Business, Marketing | 2 Comments »

Give people a reason to talk about you

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

There’s nothing like a testimonial or referral to endorse your hotel or restaurant. Pick up any research on advertising effectiveness and you’ll see word-of-mouth at the top of the list.

Many people are likely to be influenced having read testimonials from other guests.

One of the best things about word-of-mouth is it is essentially free. But word-of-mouth can be slow and people are far more likely to tell other people about bad experiences than about good ones.

So how do you get people talking about you, and how do you get referrals? They won’t say good things about you unless you meet and exceed their expectations.

First, do something exceptional. Think of the things that are of high value to your guests but low cost to you so you can give added value. Give people a reason to talk about you.

Then ask for the testimonial. Ask for a comment in the guest book, on email, or on a review site. People need to be prompted.

See the full article here (login required) or buy the book

Posted in Grow your Business | No Comments »

Dealing with negative feedback and reviews

Friday, February 19th, 2010

It can be easy to get defensive when we receive feedback, particularly when we feel it is not justified or we totally disagree with it. What we need to ask is what led to this customer’s perception. This sometimes involves asking questions in a tactful way.

The key thing is to show some empathy with the customer’s point of view. Even if we disagree, something must have triggered their perception.  So listen to what your guest is saying, and aim to turn a negative into a positive. The least you can do is apologise (even if you’re just apologising that they feel that way) and demonstrate what changes you’ve made if appropriate. 

Whatever the feedback you receive, listen and learn from it.  Keep your objectivity and don’t take things personally. Use the feedback to identify your strengths, so you can capitalise on these.  And make sure you share these with your team.   Then use the less positive feedback to identify root causes and what changes are needed, and remember to involve your team in the process.

So next time someone wants to give some feedback, look forward to it. It’s the businesses that embrace feedback that will succeed.

Posted in Customer service, Grow your Business | No Comments »

Do you dread reading your online reviews?

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Love them or hate them, online reviews do get read and will influence prospective customers. Sadly statistically people are more likely to be prompted to post a review if they’ve a bad experience than when they’ve had a good one. So aim to redress this balance, by encouraging as many of your guests as possible to post reviews, so you get the good ones as well as (hopefully only occasional) bad ones.

Display your confidence by encouraging your guests and website visitors to link to TripAdvisor. One of the easiest things you could do is to put a link from your website, and on your post stay e-mails, and prompt people who have enjoyed their stay to post a review.

It’s considered unethical to offer incentives, such as room discounts, in exchange for positive reviews. But the least you can do is show people you appreciate the feedback (good or bad) by responding quickly to the feedback you receive. Register with TripAdvisor so that you can monitor your reviews by receiving notification. A quick thank you in acknowledgement might be all you need for a positive review or feedback.

With negative feedback it’s important to show that you have looked into the situation and taken things on board. Feedback that you feel is unjustified can be frustrating, but the way in which you handle this will reflect on your professionalism and reputation, so deal with it in a constructive way. By asking them to phone you provides an opportunity for you to get more detail and having a better chance of resolving the situation.

Don’t be too concerned about the occasional negative comment. This demonstrates authenticity of the content and in some cases can actually help to highlight the type of hotel you are. For example, if you have a comment that the hotel is not child friendly, this may be seen as a positive for some potential guests.

Watch out too for feedback through Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites so you can respond accordingly.

Caroline Cooper

Download the full article on Making the Most of your Feedback and Reviews and other free articles

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Posted in Customer service, Grow your Business | No Comments »

How to ask for feedback

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Make it easy for your customers to give you the feedback you need.

Ask direct open questions

Making statements such as “I hope you enjoyed your meal” or “was everything all right for you?” is not likely to get the customer to open up. We need to ask specific questions that will give something more than a yes or no. Open questions starting with how or what are the most useful; for example how would you rate …, how could we improve on …, what did you like most about …

Capture the good and the bad. Even if you don’t agree with feedback you need to find out (tactfully) what has led to their perception, as this may lead to the root of the problem.  

Questionnaires are impersonal and few people like to fill them in except maybe when they’re really unhappy about something. Questionnaires can help you rectify your mistakes, but they often dwell on negatives rather than positives. Although face to face will always be preferably some people will always be reluctant to feedback first hand so don’t dismiss them altogether.   

Visitors Books on the other hand are another good way of capturing general feedback.  Although they may not go into specifics, they provide a great record for other to see and people will often write things that they would not say directly to you.  

Make the best of the positive comments you receive and ask your guest if they would be happy to use these as testimonials in your marketing – prospective customers like to see social proof.

Also take note of the language your guests use to describe what they like. Capitalise on this information and use the same language it in your marketing.

Posted in Customer service, Grow your Business | No Comments »

Talk to your guests

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Simply relying on questionnaires or a visitor’s book when your guests leave is not only impersonal, but is  leaving it a bit too late to get feedback if things weren’t perfect.  You need to talk to your guests throught their stay.

Face-to-face feedback will always be the most effective and ideally we need to get feedback before it’s too late to do something about it. If what you have provided fails to meet expectations you’d rather know about it before the guest leaves so you can resolve it, rather than waiting for them to put their comments on TripAdvisor.

As well is asking at the end of each course, the meal or their stay, be observant and look out for signs that things aren’t right or that someone wants to get your attention. For example if a diner has hardly touched their steak but eaten everything else that might suggest there was a problem with the steak. Or you hear a guest complaining about the temperature of their room to others in their party; this probably suggests something that needs investigating.

Being visible in your hotel or restaurant, and making contact with your guests builds rapport and trust. Once you’ve gained this you’re in a far better position to gain valuable feedback first hand.  The same goes for your staff too, so encourage them to talk to your guests. Give them the appropriate training to ask for feedback in the knowledge that they are confidence to deal with feedback – good or bad – in a positive way.

Bare in mind your guests will tell you things that they wouldn’t feedback to your staff, and vice versa.  So ask your staff what feedback they have received, and listen to their ideas on how to make improvements and how to capitalise on positive feedback and your strengths.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss how to ask for feedback. Or download the full article here (log in or sign up required)

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Posted in Customer service, Grow your Business | No Comments »

Why listening to customer feedback is key to your business

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Do you look forward to reading your online reviews, or does the very idea that someone has felt compelled to post a review fill you with dread?

Getting feedback from your guests is essential to gauge whether or not what you’re offering is right for your target audience. Whether it’s positive or negative and whether you agree with it or not it is key to your success.

So why is it then that so many businesses seem to ignore this fact?

Maybe part of it (in Britain at least) is that customers are often reserved about giving direct feedback. They take the view that it’s not worth making a fuss, or why should they bother, when they can vote with their feet and just not come back again. Others by pass you, but still want to be heard and post a comment on line.

Unless we get people’s feedback we can’t do anything about it.

What feedback do we need?

  • What things customers like – so you can keep doing them
  • What are the things that disappoint, irritate, or annoy them – so you can correct them
  • What are the things that make them choose to stay, dine or drink with you rather than your competitors – so you can use this as a selling point to differentiate yourselves
  • What are the things that are their biggest priority or they value the most – so you can promote them
  • How do they think you could improve – so you can make those improvements
  • What factors would encourage them to come again

Tomorrow we’ll discuss when to ask for feedback, so you get in time to do something about it and before you see it posted online . Or download the full article here (log in or sign up required)

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Posted in Customer service, Grow your Business | No Comments »

Making the most of it

Monday, January 18th, 2010

The recent bad weather may be seen as the last straw for many hospitality businesses on top of what has already been challenging 12 months.  But rather than letting it get you down, make the most of quiet periods, and take the time to put things in place so you are in a stronger position to capitalise when things pick up.

Here are my top ten things you could be doing this week that won’t cost you anything but your time, but will certainly go a long way to your success in 2010.

  1. Set your goals for the year.  Take some time to identify what you really want to achieve in 2010, and establish your plan to do this. You’ll find some useful resources here to help you with this.  Then share these with everyone who has a part to play in achieving them.
  2. Review your staff structure and resources in light of your plan.  Do you have the right people in the right roles to achieve this?  Will you need to hire, fire or develop certain team members to get to where you want to be?
  3. Take stock of your menus and their margins.  What tweaks do you need to generate more profit from each item?  Does your sales mix reflect the high profit items, or are you selling too many of the lower profit dishes? If so does this reflect a need to train your team how to upsell?
  4. Review your stock control systems. Tidy up your stores, take stock of what’s not shifting, what needs using before it goes out of date, and what needs to be written off.
  5. Review your website content. Does it accurately reflect what you are offering and present it in a way that entices your ideal prospective customers to read on and take some action? Do all the links work? (If you don’t already have a content management system – i.e. where you are able to manage the content of your site yourself – you may want to look into this.  I use WordPress for mine.)
  6. Take the customer journey – You and all you team to look at every aspect of your business from your customers’ perspective.  Draw up a list of areas that need attention, priorities and allocate responsibility amongst your team.
  7. Now provides a great opportunity for staff training.  Are all the team up to date on all product knowledge, not just in their own departments, but in all parts of the business.  The customer journey and an analysis of your sales mix may help flag up where knowledge is lacking.
  8. Plan your promotional activity for the whole year, so you can start collating ideas towards each of these promotions.  This includes reviewing your Christmas promotions, whilst they are still fresh in your mind and making notes of how you can improve on this for next Christmas.
  9. Get your customer listing up to date.  (If you don’t already have a contact management system now might be the time to look into this.)  Then get in touch with all your existing customers to remind them how much you value their custom by giving them an offer they can’t refuse.
  10. Review all your customer feedback, whether this is directly from customer comments or feedback forms, or from such sources as TripAdvisor. What can you learn from these, and what are the areas that need attention?

Update your plan and take some ACTION!

Posted in Grow your Business, Planning | 5 Comments »

How to get your staff upselling

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Wikipedia describes upselling as ‘a sales technique whereby a saleperson induces the customer to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale. Upselling usually involves marketing more profitable services or products, but upselling can also be simply exposing the customer to other options he or she may not have considered previously. Upselling implies selling something that is more profitable or otherwise preferable for the seller instead of the original sale’.  But is it just about increasing the customer spend, or is it also about giving the customer a better all round experience, giving them something they might have forgotten to order, or never even thought of?

McDonalds of course are the masters of this – have you ever not been offered fries or a drink to go with your burger. And when was the last time you bought an electrical appliance and not been told the benefits of an extended warranty?

What to promote

So in order to do this effectivley the fist thing is to determine which are the products or services you wish to promote.  It obviously makes sense to be promoting high profit items, but there can be a danger in using this as the only criteria.  Unless what you are promoting is perceived as value to the customer, it’s unlikely the sale will be achieved, and does little to build your customer’s loyalty or trust.  It’s also important to distinguish between high selling price and profitablilty and appropriateness to meet the cusomters’ needs.  For example upselling to a more expensive bottle of wine when it does not appeal to the customers’ tastes.

Product knowledge

Staff need to fully understand each of the products and services available:

  • What are the high profit items
  • What are the component parts of any packages
  • What’s not included, but may be relevant to offer to the customer
  • What are the ingredients in a dish
  • What does it taste like
  • What are the best accompaniments to a dish

Allow staff to experience all the products and services first hand – this will not only make them more memorable, there will be more willingness to promote if they are confident to talk about it, and it will certainly be easier to evoke emotional appeal through vivid descriptions of taste, smell, feel, if they’ve experienced them themselves.

Spot the opportunities

Let them identify all the situations that lend themselves as an opportunity to upsell – not just in their own department – but across all areas.

  • Options on accommodation – room upgrades, special packages, champagne in rooms
  • In the restaurant – bottled water, suggestions for starters, accompaniments, side orders, desserts, dessert wine, specialist coffees, after dinner drinks
  • Bar – branded beers, snack items, pastries with their coffee

I’m sure you’ll have many more specifics for your own operation

It’s also about timing - for example selling desserts – ask too soon and people say they are still too full, and go straight on to coffee; ask too late and they have gone off the idea, and want to head off home.

Behaviours

Teach staff the mechanics of upselling

  • The need for open questions to identify what the customer wants
  • How to listen actively to customers’ requests or preferences
  • How to respond, and make suggestions, or offer alternatives that best meet the customers needs
  • How would they describe each of your products and services?  Rather than a script, allow them to develop their own dialogue, one that comes naturally to them, rather than something they have to remember and run the risk of forgetting.

 

Practice makes perfect

It’s all very well knowing what to say, but you know how sometimes when you come to say something the words just don’t trip off the tongue as you might hope!  Let your team practise in a safe environment, based on different scenarios.

Plan for objections

Whether an objection is perceived or real, staff need to know how to deal with these.  One awkward question can shatter confidence, so train staff to get to spot and handle different situations.

  • Distinguish between a definite ‘No’, and a simple request for more information before buying
  • When its just a matter of timing – they are too full now, but ask me again in 10 minutes
  • They want something more, but you’ve just offered the wrong thing
  • Explain the need to identify the nature of the objection by asking open questions
  • How to demonstrate empathy and understanding of the customer’s perspective
  • How to gain trust by matching the response or offering to meet the customer’s needs

 

Give incentives

Link your upselling activity to some goals.  This might simply be a target to sell x number of a certain product or service, or may be linked to specific financial profit targets.  Whatever goals you set ensure these are clearly measurable and achievable, that any incentive is equitable so everyone is motivated to contribute, and that you give regular updates on progress.

Guide and support

Don’t assume because you’ve told people how to do something they will be able to just go out and deliver it consistently. Observe how your staff handle the upselling conversation and give them feedback after the event on what they did well, what they could do more of, and give the appropriate support and guidance on areas where they need more help.

If you’d like some help or advice with your own staff training please give me a call or drop me an e-mail at caroline@zealcoaching.com

Caroline Cooper

Posted in Grow your Business, Leadership & Management | 3 Comments »

Plan next year’s Christmas marketing now!

Friday, December 11th, 2009

As your Christmas parties get underway, your marketing for next year is probably the last thing on your mind. But now is a great time to be building up material to use for next year.  What better way to promote your Christmas parties and packages than to show people having fun, and your hotel or restaurant in all its Christmas splendour?

So at the very least, here are some things to do now.

  • Take photos of the bar, restaurant and reception while the decorations and Christmas tree are looking their best – don’t leave it until half the needles have dropped off, or the light bulbs have gone out.
  • Keep an eye out for a clear, frosty morning and get outside with your camera to take some shots of a wintery scene.
  • Take shots from different angles of the restaurant laid up for dinner. Be careful with your lighting and use a tripod for best results. Experiment with and without flash – sometimes it’s better without. ‘Snap shots’ may be OK as small images for your website, but if want to use these bigger images, or for printed material, use a professional photographer to take some quality pictures. And include some pictures of the food. Although this is easier to ’stage’ at a later date, if you can get some shots now, so much the better.
  • Get some video footage of parties – best when guests have just arrived, and had time to relax with the their first drink, but don’t leave it until the tables are strewn with empty glasses. Always check with guests that they are happy for you to record, and secondly for the footage to appear on your site.
  • Ask guests for feedback so you can learn from them what worked well, and what they didn’t like, so you can improve on it for next year. Don’t just do this on the night or at the end of their stay, but follow up post event.  If there is anything they didn’t like they may be reluctant to tell you there and then in front of other guests.
  • Following up now helps to develop your relationship, and increases your chances of repeat business either during the year or next Christmas.
  • Ask people for testimonials that they would be happy for you to use in next year’s marketing.
  • Keep tabs on your costs throughout to ensure your have an accurate picture of your profit margins.  This includes post costing for each event, to take account of wastage.
  • Get feedback from your team, and involve them in the review process by asking for their ideas.
  • Take stock at the end of the season, and learn from your successes and failures to build on this for next year – and make sure you record all this where you can find it easily when it comes to planning next year!

Posted in Grow your Business, Planning | 1 Comment »

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