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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!
Save the lip service and be of service to the family traveler
I hear it time and time again, the word “sorry”. In fact, this ”sentimental” phrase seems to be an easy escape for those whose job it is to be of service. And if you work in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, it’s your duty to be of service.
Lately, it seems that many staff have eluded to just apologizing when they are not willing to deliver what the guest wants.
Telling the guest that you just started working there, is NEVER acceptable, period. [That's another post.]
Sorry is never good enough. In fact, I teach my clients to get the words “sorry” and “unfortunately” out of their vocabulary. Use those words during your off time, but not when you are serving family travelers.
Think about it, if you have a mom who has rented a car and requested two booster seats and the only booster seats available are, well, less than impressive at $19. per day. Telling her that you are sorry doesn’t mean anything, nor does it lighten the situation. It’s best to keep your “sorry” to yourself and do what you can to get the booster seats cleaned or replaced. This is what the family traveler really wants.
When it comes to serving family travelers, smarter, it’s more about being of service in a BIG way…save your lip service because in the end, it doesn’t make a difference.
Peak travel is slowing down so stock up on those free teddy bears
Yes, you read that correctly. I want you to stock up on those teddy bears now.
I chose that phrase because I have experienced this scenerio, firsthand.
My husband and I treated our kids to a weekend getaway, which promised a themed room full of our kids’ favorite characters, a nightly tuck in by one of the characters and best of all, a stuffed bear of the character.
My kids were beyond excited!
When we checked in, everything seemed to go smoothly, until we stepped into our room only to find ONE stuffed bear. I quickly thought, ‘Hmmm, this must be a mistake. I’ll just call the concierge to remind them that there are two children here and not one.’ I did just that.
I was shocked to hear these words, “Oh, I apologize Mrs. Jackson, we are out of stock.”
‘Out of stock! Are you kidding me!’ I replied. I explained how unacceptable this was. When you advertise a program that promises a package deal [giveaways/freebies] you’d better be sure that everything is in place to ensure that this happens.
After counting to 10, taking three deep breaths and providing a little coaching to the general manager of the hotel, they found a way to get that other stuffed animal to my child and promised that this would not happen again.
So you see, now is an excellent time for you and your team to discuss what programs you have coming up that involve some type of giveaway and take inventory. Things are slowing down, families are gearing up for back to school and now is the time to evaluate what you will need for the next wave.
Thinking ahead and being prepared is the best way to come out a winner among the family traveler.
Social media fans and how they can impact your brand, authentically
While we’re on the subject of social media, see here, we should discuss your fan base. You may or may not be aware of this, but I come from a background of journalism and public relations. With the rise of the blogosphere and social media, these two trades have almost become, well, obsolete. And I’m OK with that. I’ve adapted and continue to adapt to the changing times.
Back to the topic.
I encounter many travel brands who are so caught up in gaining 3,000 + fans on their fan page and it makes me wonder: what does it really mean to have 3,000 or so fans following you?
I’ll tell you, absolutely nothing!
The focus must be on great service and the overall experience with your brand. Social media is great for business. It serves as a resource for other families who might be looking for a good shuttle company to the airport or a tasty family friendly restaurant to try out. However, what I see more and more travel industry service providers doing is paying for moms to blog about them. That’s insane and customers usually don’t buy into it.
Paying for social media mention is an apathetic way to express who you are. Why not spend those dollars providing ongoing training and empowerment for your staff.
What your fans say about you is far more important than how many of them you house in your base. However, it is likely that the more fans you have, the greater your chances are of getting a mention in the world of social media, be it favorable or unfavorable.
My overall advice to all the family travel leader brands of the world, is to focus on being the difference in family travel. Just focus on that. Forget who’s following you. The proof will be in the bottom line. If you focus all of your efforts on being of great service, I can guarantee that you will get talked about both on and offline. And that makes all the difference.
The risk is in fully relying on the training manual
I highly recommend a college education.
However, I know for sure, that my true experience as a journalist and now a thriving business woman has stemmed from my “real world” experience. This thought leads me to today’s post.
As a part of my hospitality training programs, I always leave my students with a nice manual that captures the essence of everything that I have shared with them about how to serve family travelers, smarter. I consider it a good gesture, a way to make it “official” if you will.
My technique is to share with the hospitality team the importance of every word and how when in doubt, look it up and be in the know.
After experiencing heartfelt appreciation for having penned two or three days of information for them, I have them sign off on a pledge stating that they WILL NOT rely on this manual to improve their guest relations, instead, that they will get OUT THERE in the REAL WORLD and treat family travelers with kindness, day in day out. And that they understand the experience expressed in this manual is only based on proven market research facts and should not be relied on or used as a crutch. Tried and true hospitality stems from the heart, not in this manual.
Surprisingly, the staff is taken back each time. Just when silence can seem so loud, it’s then that they realize that changing the way families travel, forever, begins with them and no one else. Does your team know this?
Do they know that it’s only by getting out there and actually DOING the work that they gain sharper insight and skills in how to treat guests no matter what form of travel they are in. While I highly recommend having an education in the world of hospitality, I like to leave my students knowing that they ARE the change that I want to see for family travel. It gets them every time!
It’s all in how you show up that really counts
Have you ever heard that first impressions are lasting impressions or that you only get 30 seconds to make a good first impression?
I’ve heard of them both, and I stand behind their truth 100%. I think these cliches hold especially true for new guests at your resort, hotel, restaraunt or airline.
When was the last time you discussed with your team about making a good first impression? It has probably been a while.
I don’t want you to get stuck here. Let’s downsize for a minute. I know for many of you, your mind naturally flows to the budget. You must know by now that I’m all about using what you already have to make a difference. In some cases, if there are resources involved, I’ll make it work in your favor.
Making a good first impression can be as little as rolling out a red carpet when you know that the family is arriving at the hotel to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary. Why not have a random drawing for a family to board the plane first, after first class passengers, of course, and make a big deal about it over the intercom system. You can take it even a step further by having light refreshments waiting for them at their seats.
There are so many ways to make a good first impression for your brand.
Here are three reasons why making a good first impression is paramount to the success of your brand among the family traveler:
1. No one else in the travel industry is really going all out to impress their customers/guests.
2. You get a whole 30 seconds to make a good first impression, but it only takes about 10 seconds to get the job done.
3. Making a good first impression is totally in your control, a brand should NEVER waste this power.
When it comes to excellent customer service and making a lasting good impression, it’s important that you and your team be proactive about it. As I mentioned in point #3, this is fully in your control, unlike the power going out at the hotel or the flight being delayed. Take the time to wow the customer from the start. This strategy is an excellent way to help them forget other mishaps that may happen along the way. Not to say that it’s OK to screw up once you woo them, then again, you already knew that.
Use what you already have to boost the bottom line
Not a day goes by where I fail to witness a travel brand or business creating “new” strategies to increase their sales. Usually, it’s by way of new promotional programs, or a huge ad campaign geared toward enticing a new demographic in the marketplace.
As a hospitality marketing consultant and trainer, I highly encourage proactivity in the marketplace. In fact, it is my belief that your brand should be out there, communicating from the rooftops how great you are, especially if you cater to family travelers. There’s always room to tweak and upgrade programs that you offer, but most brands get lost and forget how already fabulous they are.
Using what you already have takes skill. Starting over is easy, but picking up where you left off to create something greater is pure comittment. Instead of targeting new customers, take a look at your current customer base and find out what’s wooing them, then, do it better. Check your stock room or basement for items that may make fun giveways and create a contest to clean out the storage. Those items are just waiting to make a customer’s day.
When it’s all said and done, it’s not about a new creation. It’s more about being aware and in tune to what your brand does best, who your true customers are, and what you can easily implement to communicate to them, that they matter to you. Give it a try.
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)
More hotels entice guests to ‘pay it forward’ to earn deep discounts
Times are still financially tight for the travel industry, and many consumers are taking advantage of all the steals and deals out there. Now, hotels are taking things a step further by asking its guests to pay for their stay, in advance, to receive some 30 percent off.
I’m always a little reluctant to pay in advance because once you’ve paid your money, there’s really no incentive to ensure great customer service/relations. I’ve found this to be true not just in lodging, but in life. It seems once you’ve put everything on the table, it’s like an open door to be taken advantage of. I would say, parents, use your better judgement. If you’re a loyal fan of a particular hotel brand and you’ve come to know what to expect, then, go ahead, get that discount.
Here’s the story…
More hotels offer ‘pay before you stay’ discounts
USA TODAY | Kitty Bean Johnson
