On January 20, 2009 our country witnessed a transition in power as Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and pledged bold action and change as President of the United States during a time of fiscal crises. As President Obama shared his remarks and vision, the country seemed revitalized through his commitment. Hoteliers and hospitality leaders can use this momentum as an opportunity to revitalize their commitment and inaugurate positive changes in service into their respective worlds of guest expectations. What are the top five things your hospitality business could change now and how would you go about it? READ MORE

A man sitting in a restaurant was waiting for his soup appetizer. When it arrived, the man noticed a fly in his soup. He summoned the waiter and asked, "Waiter, what is this fly doing in my soup?" The waiter calmly replied, "Why, I believe he is doing the back stroke sir." While this joke has been told many times to amuse patrons everywhere, the unappealing prospect of scenarios like this really happening is far from amusing. As summer kicks into full swing, hot weather strikes, the bugs come out, attitudes relax, food seems sloppier and dirt makes bold appearances. Cleanliness is next to Godliness and so it goes in service too. Making sure clean is clear and constant for guests is a critical facet of service excellence. When places, people or things are not clean, the organization hosting those "unclean" environments makes a statement that they do not care and that there are other priorities which take precedence. READ MORE

What happens when the sun sets, the shifts change and the service settles down? Grumpy, tired and impatient guests may need extra reassurance, empathy and problem solving when the unexpected takes place. Are the least service-oriented employees or those on the third shift, thinking they don't have much guest interaction when in fact, they may have the most INTENSE guest exposure? Why would managers consider having those less trained or less focused on service just because there are fewer guest interactions during the late shift? To ensure late night service excellence is real and not just a dream, read about nightshift examples and strategies to ensure hospitality excellence is on duty 24 hours a day. READ MORE

"Beep, Beep.could you move your dishes out of the way!" My tablemates and I were flabbergasted. Had our waitress really said that? Managers of this restaurant had pulled out almost all the stops to make this a VIP experience. The stop they missed was training their staff on the importance of each touchpoint, each point of contact and how making sure every moment of the experience would be remembered in a positive way. Read this article to learn how to avoid traumatic touchpoints and how to identify touchpoint opportunities which will make service exceptional. READ MORE

Do you work hard for your guests, or do you make your guests work hard for you? Working hard to be a guest, or a customer, is not what most guests sign up for, especially those that are loyal. It can take years to get loyal guests, and only seconds to lose them. Loyal guests love to come back, when they feel loved too. They also spend more, are less price sensitive and enjoy telling others about their favorite spots. Wooing repeat and referral guests are part of a hotel's easiest and most profitable business strategies. It can cost up to 8-10 times more to get a new customer or guest, versus keeping and nurturing the ones you have. Why are the faithful so often treated so unfaithfully? READ MORE