PLEASE light my candle! All the other table candles in the restaurant were lit, except ours. The time was twilight and we had a water view from our table. PERFECT timing for a lit candle. Our nice setting quickly became an incomplete experience. None of the waiters or waitresses noticed nor could we get their attention until several minutes later. Why use the space for a candle that only sits in darkness? We were disappointed that this little gesture was an oversight and a detail that did not seem important. Big service opportunities come in little service gestures. Little efforts can score big with guests. Those hotels and resorts that do take the time to invest thought and effort in the smaller moments and gestures will score big in the overall guest experience. READ MORE

Good old Johnny Appleseed! This is his time of year, with peak apple season from September to November. How would Mr. Appleseed have felt if any of the seeds he planted turned into trees with rotten apples? How do hotel leaders feel when employees they have selected, trained and groomed change from positive to negative? Will they end up damaging the rest of the crop of employees as well as guests? It's amazing how one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch if not removed. How do hotels and hospitality organizations handle those employees or even managers who taint the others? READ MORE

Under a recent Harvard study, 6 percent of U. S. traffic accidents are caused by drivers talking on cell phones, producing 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries each year. Prudent Employer's would be well-advised to consider what risks are posed when their employees make business calls while driving. Some recent lawsuits vividly drive this point home: In a pending lawsuit in Virginia, a Palo Alto based law firm was sued for $30 million when an attorney, making business phone calls while driving, veered off the road killing a child. READ MORE

As a hotel, how do you protect yourself from liability issues associated with the gym? Developing a comprehensive risk management plan and taking steps as early as the design phase to limit liability is a must in protecting your hotel from litigation arising from injury to either a guest or your staff inside the fitness center. Risk management within the gym centers on a comprehensive plan that facilities should adopt to create a clean, safe environment for both your guests and staff. Following is five crucial areas within the fitness center that should not be overlooked. With the proper planning and risk management plan in place, addressing these issues can drastically reduce your hotels liability. READ MORE

I am a Baby Boomer. I manage a staff of Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials, and work with a set of Traditionalists. I think you see where I'm going here. As you might imagine, I have little or no trouble relating to the other Boomers on my staff, however, when it come to the Gen Xers and especially the Millennials, let's just say that I can sometimes be "out of touch." Being a marketer, my first line of defense is research when faced with an issue, and relating to, managing and working with a multigenerational workforce was just such an issue for me. Last year I started a research project to better understand all of these different generations. Some of the results were expected, and some were not, but it was amazing how people of those generational groups behave alike, have similar expectations (especially when it comes to customer service) and have comparable learning styles. Hopefully, my findings will help you in managing your own multigenerational teams. READ MORE