Good bye Holidays, Welcome 2009!

What do we face as Hotel Sales Managers in 2009?  Will we have to drop rates to gain new clients?   Will we take crappy business because we have to?  Do you look twice at business opportunities that you wouldn’t of thought about before you turn them away?   Are you offering more concessions to make your RFP more attractive and a better value?

What is your plan of action?  It’s time to take a fresh tour of your competition.  What are their features?  What is their pricing structure?  What type of business do they have?   WHAT CAN YOU TAKE?

Get the edge, work your game plan and take this week to check out the area hotels.  I’m sure most of you have completed a monthly action plan for the 2009 budget.  Take a look at your plan, put it in action.

What are all of the other hotels doing?  Is there something your missing?  Remember the more you learn about your competition the better you are at being able to sell your hotel.

I do not recommend or suggest EVER to trash your competition to a new client.  You will instantly lose the respect of many, many clients.  There are ways of going about discussing a competitors weakness to a prospect without sounding like a jerk.  You may mention “our property has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation plan, or we have recently upgrading our internet services” rather then “their property is a dump and their service is terrible”.  You can even mention that you have recently toured the area hotels and you find that your property has much to offer and even at a possible savings.

Make appointments this week to tour your competition, do a rate analysis and educate yourself.

Good luck!

Pure Energy

Never a dull moment even on my day off.  Well, as I thought and said, even with the “Waivers” signed by each sports guest and all of our policies explained by the Front Desk Personnel at check in, the sporting team kids took over the hotel.  We have about 50 rooms each night in over this Labor Day weekend and all will be checked out by Monday morning.  But will the staff make it? 

Someone left the Housekeeping closet open on the floor that they were blocked on.  The kids got in there and did their destructive deeds.  Why, why would anyone leave anything open?  And of course the noise complaints, missing parents, nasty teenagers.  They have no respect and nor do their parents. 

After I received a call about the problems from the AM MOD, I emailed both team contacts and copied the Sporting Facility contact, GM and DOS a message:  Any repeat complaints from any room or repeat problems with kids in the lounge, exercise room, etc. that the family will be evicted without question and they will not be refunded and they will pay for their full stay.  What more can I do?

I know, if we evict one family, they will straighten up.  I’m sure we will have complaints, but, I have had to do it before at another property, I hated it but it worked.  So I called the MOD for tonight and told her any one out of control that it was up to her judgement to do the right thing. 

I think that in this case a lot of other Manager’s might not want to kick anyone off the property. They are uncomfortable and they also don’t want to be the reason why chaos is started or the loss of an account.  But I tell you, this type of account isn’t worth it if it can’t be controlled.  They destroy the hotel, inconvenient other guest’s and confuse the staff. 

We as hotel people are responsible for all the guests and this building and we do not need to take abuse or to have anything wrecked in what we have done in renovations so far.  It isn’t fair and the police should be called and they should be escorted out of the building.  And if I want to be a real B****, I can call all of my sales friends in the market to have them black balled and create havoc with the Sporting Complex.

I have teenagers and I’d kick their ass if they acted like the kids with these teams.

As I increase my sales and capture the larger conventions etc., I won’t need to book this type of business for our hotel.  I am working on finding my niche, competitive pricing and basic city knowledge.  Knowledge is power and although I will have to use some sales time and personnel time for research, it will be worth it.

Now that I spoke to the AM MOD, PM MOD and General Manager – who called me to follow up about the email I sent to my contacts, I think that I can rest easy.  Security will be arriving around 11pm until 5am so until then, I’ll keep my cell next to me and try to assist in any way that I can. 

Enjoy your evening!

Pure Energy