Do we realize when there are warning signs in our properties?

In the past few days and weeks I have had the opportunity to talk to many independent property owners and managers about the current market, occupancies and business trends.
While no one was 'over the moon' about business, everyone commented that this past summer has been good but the winter looks threatening.
I got to thinking about the deeper meaning of what they all meant when they said 'a good summer'.
When I asked what marketing or sales steps they had taken to gain maximum advantage of the 'good' summer, they mentioned a few things but the overriding subject was the increased use of OTA's.
OTA's have become an integral part of our traffic but it comes at a large cost. When the exorbitant commissions have been deducted, is the remaining revenue what was expected, and did it sufficiently cover operating expenses to leave the profit budgeted?
Are properties relying so much on OTA's that they are placing all other segments on the back burner? Sure, it is relatively easier to grab OTA business and come to believe that it is the golden answer to all woes, but this is done at the peril of the operators.
A lot of hotels take the approach that guests will keep coming because of the value for their dollars at the cheap online rate offered and this starts a chain reaction in the property. Less money is available for renovations and upkeep, corners are cut to save precious resources in anything from cleaning, food variety offered, landscaping, general maintenance and others.
Less emphasis is placed on cultivating returning guests, taking real care of in house guests while on property, and answering the needs of the guests. If you don't believe me go to Tripadvisor and pick from any number of independent properties. You will learn a lot about the real 'identity' of the hotel, the staff attitude to their greatest asset, the guest, and also get a sense of the physical situation at the property.
I would venture a guess that many are in a downward spiral that can lead to only one thing, bankruptcy.
So what can be done before it is too late?
It is simple and yet many ignore what should be followed:
1. Keep your property maintained. That means rooms, public areas, restaurants, outdoors, everywhere.
2. Keep your property clean. Make sure that correct policies are followed to make sure that everywhere the gusts goes is spotless.
3. Communicate with your guests. make sure that they are happy and most important, leva happy!
3. Cultivate an independent identity for your property. Do not try to copy or compete with the big guns...you will not succeed. You need guests to come through your doors because they want you, not another generic place.
4. Turn first timers into returning guests. Offer them returning rates to come directly. Returning guests are the most valuable asset a hotel has, and loyal customers are the cheapest maintenance customers.
5. Make sure that all HVAC, water systems, drainage, and other systems are operating smoothly. Howe many times have you read comments like......'The site says there is AC but there was not any or it did not work'?
6. Make your website attractive and above all honest.
7. Get involved with your community and contribute. The new 'guests', the Millenials are looking for a place to stay that does good to the environment and contributes to the community it is in.

There are many more steps that can be taken but the above are some of the lost important ones.
Oh, and make damn sure that the staff are courteous and knowledgeable.

Have a great evening!
Stephen

First impressions matter. They do. Really.

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO, STAY Ahead Hospitality

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First impressions really do matter. Really. So much so that you actually questioned whether the title font is suitable for this article, right? Is it maybe a little childish for such an important issue?

Everyone knows that first impressions are important, I hear you thinking, but does everyone make the effort to get it right?

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Will Rogers put it very succinctly: ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression’.

As General Manager, I always told my heads of department that if something in a room was below standard, only the guests in that room saw it. If something was wrong in the corridor, only those guests staying on that floor would see it. If something was wrong in an area shared by all guests, well, they would all see it. If the ‘something wrong’ was really bad, all the guests would take home that poor impression of the property, and probably tell anyone willing to listen. Now that is a bad sign for your reputation.

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The reason I did weekly property tours with my maintenance engineer, the head housekeeper and the food and beverage manager was to make sure that these kinds of things did not happen. One suggestion I have is to make this the F.I.T Team, the First Impressions Team, to give it a targeted meaning. Other members of the management can also fit in and replace you should you not be available.

I put myself in the guests’ shoes and we usually started at the entrance to the property. Signage, landscaping, road surface quality, parking slot outlines, lighting, sidewalks, the state of the building façade, we missed nothing as we approached the entrance. Everything irregular or even hazardous was noted to be taken care of either through maintenance or if deemed expensive, placed on the capital ‘to do list’.

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The entrance was given special attention as that is the area that ‘funnels’ all guests into the property. Cleanliness, carpeting, lighting, furniture, we looked at it all. We followed in the guest footsteps to the elevators, corridors, and never forgot the emergency exit staircases.

We did the same for all food and beverage facilities. We took a look at the state of the chairs and tables for steadiness, since a rickety chair is so annoying to eat on. I am sure that you have come across many that you have passed a meal sitting on, wondering if it was finally going to come apart. Tables? How many have you had to stuff a bunch of folded napkins under to make them stable? And how often are the table bases cleaned?

Table tops, counter tops, buffets all need a quick check. There is nothing that makes a meal more off putting than dirty or badly maintained equipment. How many times at breakfast have you had to replace your slice of bread in the conveyor toaster to get it browned to the level you like? Nothing like standing in line to get your toast!

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There really is no ‘one’ first impression. A first impression is made up of many first impressions, and the end result is what the guest churns out in his or her mind, much like a poll. If the arrival experience is good and problem free, the guest will feel happy about going on to the main experience of staying at the property. You already have a guest in a good frame of mind and must now make sure that the service he or she receives, the food and beverage standards, the facilities he uses, are all going to culminate in satisfaction and in the property gaining a returning guest.

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No one ever said that the hospitality business is easy. So much hard work and slog goes into a successful guest stay that it is hard to count the parts that make up the sum. It is always wise to invest in ‘mystery guest’ visits from time to time to point out the shortcomings that are often not seen. You spend a great deal of your budget on advertising across all media. You spend hours deliberating on how to turn your first timers into returning guests. You invest in your staff and try to make sure that they are as welcoming as possible and give the best service.

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Surely you should make sure that their first impressions of your property are perfect. It is such a simple part of our industry, and yet it amazes me how many properties I have come across that do not spend the time and energy to make sure that the first impression is a good one. When I point out the shortcomings after a STAY ‘diagnostic’ the answer is almost always the same…. “How could I not have thought about that, how did I miss that?”

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So, take some time away from the desk, take a stroll outside and find out what the real  first impression is of your property. You may be surprised at what you discover.

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First impressions matter. Honestly, they really do.