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It’s not right, but it’s OK: Take you out of it
The situation at JetBlue really got me thinking. If you aren’t familiar with the story read here.
When I first heard the story, immediately my heart went out to the passengers on that flight, I mean, it doesn’t get any more inconvenient than that.
As the story developed, I actually began to empathize with Steven Slater (although, I would NEVER encourage that type of behavior, under any circumstance).
I want to talk to you about dealing with rude guests. The first thing you must understand is that working in a “service industry” puts us in a vulnerable situation. I mean sure, our sole purpose is to please the customer, ensure that their needs are met. That’s that, period!
What happens when you are disrespected or have reached your tipping point?
There have been times in my days as a hospitality agent, where I couldn’t get a simple, “thank you” out of a guest no matter how far I bended over backward to appease them. This training made me realize that it’s not right, but it’s OK. I say that because as service industry professionals it’s important to note that it’s never you, it’s usually them.
However, reacting in a negative way to their behavior will make it about you, when in fact, it should NEVER be about you, you are there to do a job.
I know that’s where JetBlue’s Steven Slater got it all wrong. He made the situation about him, when he was the one on the clock.
Excellent hospitality comes from within, you must “want” to serve in order for it to work. It must flow out of you, this is the shield that will protect you from exploding when you are being mistreated by a guest. I really need you to get this.
As the generations are becoming more and more privileged, our jobs are becoming a bit more challenging. Today’s society has a sense of entitlement and it’s only going to get worse. I’m encouraging all family travel service providers to have systems (codes of ethics) in place when their guest fly off the handle. It’s time for us to get our head out of the game and lead with our hearts. This, my friends is what separates the boys from the men.
Remember, when it comes to excellent hospitality, take YOU out of it and know it’s not right, but it’s OK. Serve and move on!
Only a few summer months left to get ‘em talking
Where have the summer months gone?
We’re almost in the middle of July and before you know it, it will be time to roll out the fall specials. I ask you, what have you done this summer season to get your family travelers talking?
I’m tuned into family travel blogs, Twitter and Facebook, and I have not seen any raving fans (parents) talking about how great their travels have been. I’ll continue my search. Don’t be discouraged. There’s still time to roll out the “Wow” factor for your family travelers.
In fact, now is the perfect time to reconsider what programs and specials you have in place and tweak them a little. Summer is ALWAYS a great time to experiment. Get families raving about you during their social media time. Disney Cruises has the idea. Just last night I saw their new “end of summer” commercial campaign, where they are encouraging families to book a cruise now before school starts. I must admit, although we’ve already planned our summer vacation, which is in a few weeks, I was feeling tempted to at least pick up the phone and inquire.
I do realize that Disney is in a breed of their own. I used that example to show you that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just get your family travelers talking about their grand experience with your brand. From there, have a plan in place to have them come back for more.
Focus your efforts on service and packages, not points
I was just reading in the trades where many hotels, especially boutique hotels, are vamping up their rewards points programs to increase sales this summer travel season. Hmm, who said this would work?
What I know for sure is that travelers, especially family travelers, are seeking value and excellent service this season and forevermore. This strategy is especially off because not many family travelers are taking the time to track down how many points they have and whether it will determine what hotel or resort they choose. This method usually works best with airlines. I mean, who wouldn’t pass up a free round trip flight?
If your property is looking to increase its occupancy this summer, talk to your team about being of service and start thinking of ways to offer that service in a way that stands out from the rest. Tell your marketing department about what you’ve come up with so that they can promote the idea to get guests through the door. And then DO IT, CONSISTENTLY!
If you want to see your sales increase among family travelers, it’s time to stop thinking “corporate” and start thinking like parents. Ask yourself, “what would I expect from a resort or hotel while vacationing with my children?”
Planning your family vacation? Travel deals come in all sizes this summer
Wooo hooo! This is so exciting!
Families, we have a plethora of deals and trips to choose from. Many hotels have started “Kids Stay Free” campaigns and it’s looking very enticing on my end.
If you are in the midst of booking your family vacation, be sure to outline all of the perks that are important to you and your family. For me, it’s AMAZING guest relations and never ending amenities. Today’s article will help you get your thinking caps on for planning your summer getaway.
The Today Show via MSNBC.com
Planning your summer trips advance will help get you the best deals — of which there are boundless choices for families this summer. Whether you are looking for the educational excursion, a beach pampering, or a city exploration, there is something for every family. And one very important thing to keep in mind when searching for the best deal is that you want to look at the overall value package — which means that finding the best deal isn’t necessarily just about finding the “cheapest room rate,” but rather finding the packages that give you the most for your money, where you will not be nickle-and-dimed for every subsequent thing you do on your vacation apart from sleep.
Here are some of Conde Nast Traveler’s favorite family summer deals that will give you the biggest bang for your buck:
1. Look to your favorite hotel chains for company-wide deals
One of the best ways to find deals for the summer is to consult your favorite hotel chains to see what company-wide deals they may be offering. This can give you the opportunity to visit any of their properties around the world for significant discounts. (READ MORE)
Lazy river and twisting water slides offer weekend fun at most resorts and hotels this summer
Spring is here!
I love the spring and all of the beautiful flowers that come along with it. Usually, this is the time when many of you begin planning your summer trips. There are some great deals out there, and today’s post tells you which hotels and resorts offer the most water fun for the little ones.
FamilyTravel.com | Lynne O’Rourke Hayes
Diving boards and the deep end have been replaced by slippery slides, raging waterfalls and lazy rivers. Today’s resort pools and water parks offer enough excitement to keep the kids engaged for a weekend or longer. Here are five cool pools worth the plunge.
1. Grand Wailea Resort, Maui, Hawaii.
This island haven may be most famous for its beaches, but don’t pass up the chance to explore what the resort has to offer. The whole family will be eager to explore the 25,700-square-foot area that includes nine free-form pools. Travel via a “river” to check out the slides, waterfalls, caves, water elevator, swim-up bar, rope swing and more that are part of this water wonder. The tropical, 40-acre resort also includes an infant pool.
Contact: 1-800-888-6100; www.grandwailea.com
(READ MORE)
Luxury travel company creates online booking site for families
This is starting something BIG! I’m so excited about this new site that’s just for us: families who travel. FamilyGetaway.com is the ultimate spot to book your next trip. It searches for the top amenities like programs for the kids and on site laundry and sitter services. Gee, I’m promoting this new booking engine and not even getting compensated for it, that’s how wonderful it is.Give it a try. The FTS team is always excited to learn about innovative ways to make the lives of families who travel, easier.
Budget Travel | Nina Willdorf
I meet with PR folks all the time in my office, in town to share their news and happenings. Rarely do I get as unabashedly excited as I did yesterday, talking to the team behind LuxuryLink.com about their latest site: FamilyGetaway.com.
Despite the obvious disconnect between Budget Travel and the name of the parent company, LuxuryLink is very much in our world. We covered the discount vacation auction site in our October 2009 issue; at a time when discounting came into vogue, LuxuryLink saw a 91 percent jump in its number of listings in second quarter ‘09, compared to the same period the year before. Clearly, the 13-year-old company is on to something. (READ MORE)
School snow days may delay family vacation plans
Many families are whipping out their calendars in search of alternate dates to vacation this summer. The continued snowfall around the country has depleted the number of snow days in some school systems. Decatur County School Board in Decatur, Tenn., reports that they have run out of snow days and may have to extend the school year or use floating holidays to make up the difference.
This is a great opportunity for popular family destinations to offer a sort of “relief” program for families who may have booked with them and now have to change their dates due to a possible school year extension. What do you think? Would you change your summer plans just to complete the school year? Hmm, this one is sticky.
The Decatur County Chronicle | Jennifer Clendenion
Recent snow and ice accumulations combined with winding, tree-lined country back roads have resulted in the local school system exhausting its allotted snow days for the year.
Schools were closed for a week at the beginning of the month after several inches of snow left several roads in the south end of the county too treacherous for buses. At least three other bouts of winter weather since the start of the year has left officials no choice but to close schools. Between the inclement weather and closings for holidays, Decatur County students have not attended school for a full week of classes since early December.
Director of Schools Dr. Michael Price told School Board members Thursday that the system is out of snow days. But with any luck, additional school days won’t be tacked on to the calendar in May. “We have three more days in the calendar we can still float around,” said Dr. Price, including two vacation days and a staff development day. School board members expressed concern that family travel plans might be affected if school is extended in May. “We’re going to avoid that,” Dr. Price said. (READ MORE)
Luxury spells family-friendly for many upscale hotels
I absolutely love stories like these! For me, it’s a great reminder that parents, who
Young guests at the Loews Coronado Hotel enjoy the benefits of a private Berry Butler. Source: hotelchatter.com
travel with their children, don’t have to forgo luxury. There are a few upscale hotels who simply, get it!
I am a number one fan of hotels that offer a nanny or butler service. These two amenities are “must haves” when you travel with kids. Read on to get that warm and fuzzy feeling inside, like I have right now 
Forbes Travel.com | Jennifer Murphy
The kids’ spring break isn’t far away, so it’s about time to plan the family vacation. How about one that involves sipping champagne in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower? Not to worry, the kids will be well looked after: They might enjoy themselves out on the hotel’s ice rink (if the weather’s still cold enough; if not, the merry-go-round will do), or the concierge can arrange for a baby sitter to watch over them while they play with the provided coloring book and teddy bears or dig through the goody bag.
This treatment at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris is just like that at many other luxury hotels and resorts around the world. Upscale family travel has always existed, says Bruce Himelstein, formerly SVP of sales and marketing with Ritz-Carlton, it’s just been better emphasized and marketed in the past five years than ever before.
(READ MORE)
Tourists in Haiti among many who are missing after the deadly earthquake
Hatian presidential palace (Lisandro Suero, AFP/Getty Images)
More than three million people are in need of emergency aid following the magnitute-7.0 earthquake that stunned Port-Au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday. Hotels are among some of the buildings that collapsed, leaving several tourist missing.
As the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti isn’t a major family travel destination, its neighboring region, the Dominican Republic is. The Dominican Republic shares the Espanola Island with Haiti. From what I understand, the Dominican Republic was not affected by the earthquake and is assisting in humanitarian aid.
WANT TO HELP?
USA Today | Hotel Check-In | Barbara De Lollis
As rescuers rush to save lives in the wake of the earthquake in impoverished Haiti, we’re starting to learn more about the extreme devastation to Haiti – including to its hotels and visitors.
I’m also seeing how Twitter is being used as a real-time tool by people trying to speed rescue efforts in these precious hours immediately following the 7.0 quake. My source? This real-time Twitter feed generated using the words, “Haiti” and “hotel.”
In the last hour, Twitter user @unasu sent out an urgent request for help to save a friend’s brother and his three daughters at the urban resort in Port-au-Prince, Karibe Hotel, where they are missing.
“OMG..friend’s brother and three girls are trapped in a collapsed hotel in Haiti. no machinery in the area. just chaos. (READ MORE)
Hyatt Regency in San Diego Has Just the Treat to Attract Families for Halloween
The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego has this Halloween covered, and is doing what it takes to lure the family traveler to its property. I hear this is the place to take the kids for great Halloween themed water slides, candy stations and most importantly, low room rates.
The marketing team took this on considering they are a stone throw away from SeaWorld and want to cash in on the family crowd. I say, great job! Thanks for thinking about what you (the hotel) can do to make our lives as parents easier, while amusing our kids, and oh yeah, helping make memories.
The Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal Blogger, Jen Leo
Is your neighborhood a dud when it comes to Halloween? If you’re thinking about taking a quick getaway over Halloween weekend this year and haunted hotels and haunted houses are a bit too scary or inappropriate for your kids, you might want to consider a quick jaunt down to San Diego. The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay near Sea World is ramping up the Halloween fun for guests from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, and the room rates won’t scare you one bit.
Halloween travel deal: Room rates starting at $135 per night come with lots of family-friendly Halloween activities, including:
> Three waterslides with haunted music, spooky sounds and lights that will have kids lined up until 10 p.m.
>A spooky family movie in the pool, Halloween s’mores and monster-themed hula-hoop contest.
>Trick-or-treating at several locations in the hotel.
> Halloween-themed pool cabanas for adults.
“We encourage kids to trick-or-treat in costume in our safe family environment and enjoy our many spooky activities ranging from haunted waterslides to Halloween family s’mores,” said Prescott Yee, director of guest services and recreation at the HR Mission Bay.
Tip: Sea World is less than a mile away and having Spooktacular events through Nov. 1.
When: Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
