The Holy Grail in the hotel business is, obviously, customer loyalty. The way in which most hotel brands achieve this - or try to achieve this - is by means of customer loyalty and frequent guest reward programs. They are all extremely expensive and occupy a disproportionate amount of management time and focus. While there is no suggestion that this approach be dropped (it's far too late for that), this article discusses some of the inherent weaknesses in these programs and some of the ways in which individual properties can build true customer loyalty by focusing on the experience they deliver to their guests in their city in real time. ? READ MORE

Who is a loyal customer? Often, people think that those who frequent businesses on a regular basis are loyal customers but the reality is frequent guests might not always be loyal guests. True loyalty is about emotion. In the hotel space, loyal customers prefer your hotel or brand to the point where they develop a personal attachment, one that compels them to go out of their way to stay with your hotel or brand, making them more immune to higher prices or a less convenient location. READ MORE

As the volume of feedback from traditional customer feedback sources continues to decline - response rates from these channels have fallen from 50% in 2007 to 28% in 2011 - mentions per brand, region, and even unit (or product) per year on social feedback channels are increasing exponentially. Customer satisfaction can no longer be relied on as a metric to predict loyalty. The presumption has been that satisfied guests will remain loyal. Research shows, however, that customer satisfaction does not always equal customer loyalty. READ MORE

The Front Desk is your front line for guest services. Most hotels do a very good job training their front desk people to be cordial. They understand the opportunity... and the liability. At one time or another, we have all experienced walking into a hotel and receiving a luke-warm reception from the person behind the counter. When that happens, in my brain, I hear the words, “Oh boy, I'm in for a mediocre guest experience here―at best”. In addition, not surprisingly, that less-than-optimum experience usually happens. READ MORE

Understanding the new rules of the crisis management game is important to protecting your hotel's reputation. While the real time that social networks offer these days can be horrific when a crisis hits, at least you will be prepared to face the worst. With a crisis plan in place and a great team behind you, your business will be ready to tackle any questionable social media post… Read my story READ MORE