Tag: staff

Briefing: Guest satisfaction – Meeting expectations

Posted on by Guy Lean

A new study from J.D. Power has found that the overall hotel guest satisfaction score in the US has risen to a record high of 804 out of 1000 in 2015.

It is a different story in the UK. A survey by Hotel Info looked at guest satisfaction scores in Europe. The UK only scored 7.39 out of 10, which put them second from bottom in the list and far behind the top ranked Slovakia, which had an impressive score of 8.22.

So what makes the difference in these scores, and how important is guest satisfaction anyway? Our experts discuss how to ensure guests have what they want:

J.D. Power’s 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study is in its 19th year and this is the first time the overall score has passed the 800 point, having risen 20 points from 2014. The factors covered in the score are; the reservation, check-in/check-out, guest room, food and beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities, and cost and fees.

The study suggests that there are two very important elements in achieving good scores. One is that staff anticipate needs and offer friendly service. The second is that the overall operation meets the guest’s expectations of that hotel. The expectation element will vary depending on the branding of the hotel, whether it is a luxury or a budget hotel, and the cost. Guests expect to get what they pay for, and seek out good value.

The survey put The Ritz-Carlton top of the luxury segment, and put Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham top of the Economy Segment in the US.

Hotel Info’s survey of six million guest evaluations compared guest satisfaction in cities in the UK.  Sheffield had the highest score in the UK at 8.03 whereas the UK’s biggest market and capital city, London, lagged behind with a score of 7.12.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Guest data and great staff combine for the ultimate personalised experience

Posted on by Guy Lean

Data has been a hot conversation topic for a long time now. Personal information holds the secrets to your guests’ desires and is more available than ever. If data helps companies to ‘understand’ their customer, then the customer should reap the benefits. Once the guest arrives at a hotel there is no substitute for intuition. But staff must be equipped to use data on the fly to personalise service.

In this briefing four experts discuss how personalisation is the key to a great hotel experience. Comment from:

  • Frank Croston, Partner, Hamilton Hotel Partners on using consumer data to personalise promotions

  • Anton Bawab, Regional President, Viceroy Hotel Group on intuitive staff offering a more personalised service

  • Michael Levie, Chief Executive Officer, citizenM on valuing service with a smile

  • Stephan Balzer, Chief Executive Officer, Red Onion GmbH on more personalised stays being possible if hotels utilise data

 

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: keeping your team and colleagues motivated

Posted on by pmalone

In a global hospitality organisation it can be very difficult to keep in touch with colleagues in multiple locations, in multiple languages, across multiple timezones. Motivating these cherished members of your team is a task which shouldn’t be taken lightly considering these people are conveying the brand standards to your guests 24/7.

But how do you maintain the high-standards you expect? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you retain those members of staff who are the true champions of your hospitality organisation. This is discussed in this week’s briefing, with comments from:

  • Pierre O. Botteron, VP – Human Resources for Swissotel Hotels & Resorts on the need to deliver in-house consistency
  • Gerald Lawless, President & Group Chief Executive Officer for Jumeirah Group on keeping his colleagues motivated
  • David Thomson, COO for JA Resorts & Hotels, on retaining your cherished staff
  • Robert Gaymer-Jones, CEO of Sofitel Luxury Hotels on retaining the brand philosophy globally

If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: sourcing and incubating talent

Posted on by pmalone

For those who were not able to attend IHIF last month, our own Peter Malone facilitated a session which focused on sourcing and incubating talent. He was joined by:

  • Srdjan Milekovic, VP – Human Resources, Hyatt International (EMEA) LLC
  • Pierre O. Botteron, VP – Human Resources, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts
  • Franco Valletta, Chief Officer – Organisation Development & HR, Corinthia Hotels
  • Tony Voller, SVP – HR Asia, Middle East, Africa & Europe & Global Resourcing, IHG

The panel discussed sourcing, incubating, retention and technology in relation to hospitality people, and naturally provided an interesting range of experience and expertise.

Despite the impressive line-up, Peter decided even more expertise would be useful to the audience, so he arranged for another 15 people from the industry, with great experience and perspective of talent, to share their “pearls of wisdom” in relation to recruiting and retaining the best people.

The four short videos below are the result of Peter’s request for help, and are a great resource for anyone in the industry who needs to focus on getting the best from hospitality people.

 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

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