How has the economy affected your hotel? Are you down in occupancy? Are you finding that other hotels are outbidding you and you are already bidding rock bottom?

The clients are getting smarter under pressure and becoming hotel savvy. They don’t have time or patience to deal with a bunch of bull. They want bottom line costs, comparisons and concessions….lots of them. “Give it to me or someone else will.”

I am finding this type of client at my mid-scale hotel. A lot more than usual. I try to remember that they are busy and probably doing 5 people’s job. Overworked and underpaid.

If you occupancy is down then it is partly due to the Sales Manager’s efforts. Great Sales People are still making their budget and raking in the bonus. The stay on top of their market and on top of their game.

Right now these Sales People are nurturing your account that you didn’t even know you lost yet. Slowly and surely they are booking with the Sales People that treat them well, know what they want and keep in touch.

I am a Sales Person. We are down in occupancy because I did not get enough bookings. Other reasons may include poor front desk service and condition of the hotel. For example, Suzie the Administrator likes you and books with you but yet the actual clients staying with you complain about the hotel….for what ever reason. I am seeing a lot of this.

Hotel Management should make sure that their staff is properly trained. This is key to the success of the hotel. A customer may deal with a hair in the bathroom or crappy food in the restaurant, but if the service is friendly, attentive and courteous, then they will continue to stay at your hotel.

May I suggest – “Apologize for the hair, do turn down service and leave a fruit basket – comp the food that he didn’t like. ”

Put him/her on your hot sheet and check for upcoming reservations with this guest. If you don’t see any return visits, get someone to call to see what’s up. Can you imagine the impact of that? I WOWED myself…LOL.

I guarantee that they will be back and with less complaints. Guests hate their complaints being ignored. Sometimes you will have to give money back but in the long run, it will make more profit. Now of course there are abusers out there so use your best judgement. But always remember – Service is very important.

Front Desk Agents should be fully trained on how to take a reservation. Just think how much revenue is lost because the Agent did not know how to SELL the reservation. If they are taking the time to call you to inquire, book those babies no matter what. The caller will hang up and book the next hotel who was smarter and got the sale.

Take this week and take 5 minutes with each Agent. Tell them what you do and why you do it. Talk to them about your accounts and upcoming groups that are coming in. Give them a story or two. I know it will help.

Ask if they have seen the rooms and banquet space. Take them into the Sales Office and introduce them to everyone and tell them their purpose.

It isn’t the Front Desk Agents fault. It is our fault as Manager’s that we did not give them the tools and knowledge to do a good job.

My recommendation …..take a good look at your Front Desk Agents. What do they need? Ask them.

Good luck.

Pure Energy

Finally, I worked on this lead for 3 months!  He confirmed his site inspection for today and enjoyed a delicious lunch with me.  He loved the hotel.  Persistence worked!  I’ll be sending contracts out for 3 of their events and he even added one making it 4……over $120,000 in revenue.  I was pretty excited. 

Tomorrow is the last day for the Sales Opera Training.  I think it is going to be pretty easy once I can get in there and start using it.  The trainer will be back in 2 weeks….so we will have to enter in all of the Catering Events….oh my.  There is a lot.

The Catering Manager…I’m not sure what she is going to do.  They want to move her into Operations to replace the F & B Supervisor that they fired last week.  I really like her and I’m upset about the whole thing.

They fired the Reservation Manager today.  Like I said, you can’t mess around with this new Management Team.  Although my DOS says that I am doing a good job, I still feel like I’m walking on egg shells.  You never know.

I posted my resume on line yesterday and I had one call from a local hotel’s GM who found it.  I can’t tell you how bad I wanted to call right back but I couldn’t.  I did leave a message around 5ish once I was able to slip away and hide to call. Even though I am excited about a change, it still breaks my heart since I really do like my property.  But I am so tired of the constant interference that I go through every day….I simply want to sell. 

The Operation issues at the desk are still terrible.  I don’t know why people even come back.  Still many issues with posting, rates and god, everything.  They had tried to get me to take a couple shifts at the desk.  I wouldn’t mind but I can’t focus on Sales and work the front desk?   I help out as much as I can.

A couple of the new folks are now burnt out and wondering why they left their hotel to come to ours.  I keep telling that it is going to take time to build the team…they need to be patient. Build your team around you thus you will have more freedom.  I don’t know what to say to them? 

I have a busy day tomorrow….lots of trace calls to catch up on with this Opera Training and contracts to get out.  Not a dull moment.

Good luck selling tomorrow!

Pure Energy