Tour & Travel Groups are fun,  easy to work with, easy revenue and crazy all in one.  These days Sales Manager’s don’t have coordinators or secretaries to assist with the follow up and maintenance of the group.  There is a lot of leg work for a Sales Manager.

It is important for the Sales Manager to gather all of the clients information so they can communicate that with the Management Team.  Some things to make sure they get is the rooming list, payment, arrival and departure times,  do they need baggage service, where are they eating, what is the age group, where are they going (is there more business?), what is their schedule, how many per room and are their chaperons.  If you can get the name of the bus driver and tour guide that is even better.

The Sales Manager needs to communicate all this information to their Team.  Make sure that the Front Desk Agent is aware that a bus in arriving and help them with any questions.  The Front Desk Manager especially must be informed of every detail.

If baggage service is needed, as a Sales Manager you will need to know what your market is charging for this service.  Is the charge per person or per bag?   I have seen pricing in my area of $4.00 per bag ~ round trip and $6.00 per person.

Most all tour buses will pay for room and tax on a master folio.  On the groups day of arrival, the Front Desk Manager can charge the master, pre-key their rooms and even check them in.  Piece of cake.  You want to have the room keys ready to go when the bus driver or tour guide walks up to your front desk.   There is nothing more embarrassing then the hotel operations not being ready.

Of course, for early arrivals it is understood that chances are the hotel may not be ready.  If the bus is to arrive prior to your check-in time, the Sales Manager should clearly communicate the check-in time with the client and make sure they know that all of the rooms may not be ready.  The Sales Manager should not promise an early check-in.

Where permitted, it is the Sales Manager’s role to meet and greet the bus, chat with the guest’s and provide information such as where your business center is, where they can go to eat, help them if they are not happy with their room or their room key didn’t work and make them feel welcome and at home.  Just think, these people may have been on that bus for 5-6 hours. Kids, Seniors or whoever they are, they want to head to their rooms, wander around the hotel to stretch their legs and simply relax.

When baggage service is required, it is important for the hotel staff to get their bags to their rooms as swiftly as possible.  I find it easier if someone marks the luggage with the room number and the remainder of the team to start getting them to their rooms.  It is a common rule that their luggage is never left without supervision.  Some hotels will place their bags right in their rooms.  Some will leave the bags outside of their rooms.  Personally, I would rather the bags go right into their rooms for safety and security issues.

There are no rules to how long it takes to get the bags up to the rooms.  It is common to know that it is important to get the bags up to them as fast as possible. Some hotels are more efficient and get a system down.  Other’s struggle and take a long time.  The longer you make them wait, the more impatient they get and the more annoyed they are.   Every minute is 10 minutes to them.  And the one thing you don’t want is for them to start taking their own bags.

Have you ever had someone say their bag was stolen?  Well, I can promise you that experience isn’t any fun at all and can cost you your account.

So good luck with your tour buses!  Make sure you take good care of them or someone else will!

Pure Energy

It is the responsibility for the Hotel Sales Person to Qualify….understand what the client needs.  Is their need and “annual event” or a “one time event”.  If it’s a one time event, where will they go then?  Is there a sister property or brand in that area for their next event?  Does your Management Company or Franchise offer a referral program?  

There are many, many questions that can be answered during casual chatting.  Or…you tell them that you are trying to understand their organization and process and ask if you can ask questions.  I don’t recommend you wham them without asking.  They will respect you more.  Some clients, the Chatty Kathy’s will go on and on.  So make sure you take advantage of their generosity and take good notes!

In the SMERF Segment that one time Family Reunion will book in another area the next year – or bi-annually.  If you ask you can be extremely helpful and a resource to this client who you will develop a superb relationship with.  Yes it’s work but that’s what Sales People are expected to do.  And it’s a gift!

Most Traveling Sports Teams ~ amateur or professional,  most likely travel more than one time a year.  They are traveling all over the USA and the world!  Where is your team traveling next?  

Student Tour Charters/Senior Tour Charters and Program Series.  Student Tour Buses may only be coming through your area that one time.  It could be a “one time deal” for the school and depending on the schools budget and success, will depend if they plan another trip that requires lodging.  Senior Tour buses are most likely involved with a church group or a tour wholesaler who books more then one date for their “program series”. 

For example Washington, D. C. during the Cherry Blossoms has an event that draws in thousands.  This tour wholesaler may only book in that are 1x a year.   There are tons of examples and opportunities out there. 

Corporate Groups may have an annual Sales Meeting or a continuous Training Class that requires lodging.  Type in “training” for your area in google or even the yellowpages and you will see who is promoting what.  In some cases you will find required training locations where a certification class is required and you may get some business.

Good Luck!

Pure Energy

There are many types of bus tours groups.  They all have similar needs and requests.  To break them down into segments it would include:

Student Groups, Senior Citizen Groups, Family Reunions, Religious, Entertainment and more.

A lot of the Tour Operators are wholesalers and family or privately owned.  Some have a series of continuous groups coming through during peak seasons.  These are the Accounts that every Sales Manager wants to close.  Others may sell packages and there volume of business would depend on how well they sell the package.

These wholesalers are looking for the best hotel facility, services, convenient location at the best room rate.  Bus parking is extremely important and it’s best when the parking is free.

These groups are an easy sell at the right price for an early breakfast prior to departure unless your property includes the breakfast in the room rate. It is more attractive to the Operator if the breakfast is included.

At times the Sales Person can work out a deal for dinner upon arrival.  They will need to either stop and eat or eat at your hotel providing that you have the facility to do that such as a restaurant or banquet space on the property.

Steps on qualifying and detailing the Bus Tour:

1. From the moment of the inquiry or solicitation call it is important for the Sales Person to bond with the Operator.  Find out how often they are stopping in your area, why, when and what is competition. It could be a one time deal or a continuous package that comes though more than one time.  If you identify a Series then you may need to learn more about who they are using and get some rate information before blurting out a rate.

2. Make sure you have them sign a booking agreement/contract and provide a deposit or at least a credit card authorization.  Don’t make the deal a definite until you receive this information.

3. A Tour Series may want to establish direct billing.  It is not recommended to establish direct billing with any tour company unless they are a volume revenue producer or over $10,000 in rooms revenue.  Base your decision based upon your companies policies.

4. The Sales Person or Sales Coordinator will need to set traces for – returning of the signed contract and method of payment, collecting the rooming list and confirming estimated times of arrival and departure.  This information is very important and the Sales Manager should be sure to communicate all valuable information to the right Managers.

5. Find out if they need portage or baggage service.  The going rate in the Philadelphia market is $4.00 per person round trip.  If they need this service get the staff members lined up and brief them on how it will be performed.  Don’t just assume that if you have a strong employee member that they could do a better job then a weaker or smaller employee.  These bags are usually heavy and even heavier if they have a return trip.

6. Pre-block the rooms in the same area of the hotel.  Since you already have your full payment or credit card authorization you can pre-register these guests in advance prior to the buses arrival.  Block the rooms, check them in, make their key packets and charge the card.  When the bus arrives, have the Tour Escort sign on one registration card and hand them the key packets and a copy of their rooming list including room numbers.  It’s a piece of cake.

7. Get the Tour Escort’s name in advance and their cell number if you can just in case you need to reach them.

8. The Sales Manager or MOD should welcome the Tour Escort and guests upon arrival.

9. Make sure that you have the master room folio ready by the Night Audit. This allows the Tour Escort an easy process in checking out along with having the room receipt that he will have to turn in.

10. Send a Thank you along with a receipt to the Tour Contact.  Trace them out for future business and provide hotel information or just a letter to remind them that your property is there at least quarterly.  Once a Sales Manager establishes the relationship the Wholesalers will be very loyal to them.

If you need some more ideas then log onto www.hotelsalesmanager.com.  The site is awesome and has been very helpful.

Good Luck!

Pure Energy