International expansion is fast becoming a priority for companies of every size. The decision to extend operations beyond domestic borders is not without challenges, but the potential payoffs are enormous. Factors include intense competition, a desire to reduce dependence on a single market and its economy, and the customer demand for a reassuring brand presence in markets they travel to. Whatever the motivation for international expansion, there are a number of key practices that all organizations should observe to successfully enter a market. READ MORE

There are two ways of dealing with a severe economic downturn. One is to withdraw - pull back and wait it out. That's the "let's hope and pray" approach. The other is to view the circumstances as opportunity - not to simply forge ahead doing what we've done in the past but the chance to find creative solutions to new realities while remaining realistic about the bottom line. READ MORE

Fail to look after your people, be they staff or customers, and you won't be around for long - whether you're selling shoes, diamond watches or burgers. In the hospitality industry duty of care, at a premium standard, for both staff and guests is what makes the difference between a good hotel and a great one. It is certainly true that the hotel business certainly has to go a step further when it comes to its 'people'. If anything, the emphasis on getting your employment and retention policies 'righter' than the rest is even more marked and important. Hotels are in a pretty unique position in that what they provide for customers in terms of experience is 100% in the hands of the team on the ground. And since you are running a 24-hour operation, it means genuine consistency of service is required throughout each guest's stay. READ MORE

Whilst we are living in unprecedented times there is no reason why the basic precepts of good marketing practice should suddenly be removed and replaced by knee-jerk reactions and cost-cutting. Indeed the opposite is true - never has it been more important to be faithful to your brand's promise. Now is the time to remember what makes marketing work effectively and, even more importantly in the current climate, efficiently. Maintaining your marketing activity and budget, whilst ensuring it is working as hard as possible, will be vital to negotiating your way through this recession and in ensuring you are in a strong position when we come out of it. READ MORE

"Happy New Year 'Sweetie'! What can I get you?" "Hey 'Honey', let me help you with that?" "Let me put you on hold, 'Doll', while I check for you." Aaaaggghhh! I don't know these people?!!! Do they think they know me well enough to forego all formalities? Why are they using such familiar terms upon our first encounter? I can actually feel the hairs on my neck stand up one by one when I hear these names. In a society that is often much less personal than it used to be, this is the other extreme...way more personal than appropriate. READ MORE

Money! Food! Shelter! And Love! The four cornerstones of life. Hotels plug into this formula when they provide food and shelter to guests in exchange for money from guests. But what about love? When "love is in the air" life seems so wonderful. When "wonderful" happens to guests, "wonderful" also happens to the hotel's bottom line. How do hotels get 'love in the air 'and why should it matter? When guests visit any hospitality venue, all their senses are potentially in play and can be turned on...or turned off. Each employee contributes to the comprehensive experience and mood of any guest, whether they are on the frontlines or behind the scenes. Guests will feel the impact of any inconsistencies along the way. Those organizations that create a consistent feeling of the desired service ambiance at every point of contact will be rewarded by guests who want more. READ MORE

What happens when guests enter a restaurant and before they even decide what they want, they see the word "NO" implying the message "you can't have that" before they even ask? How do policies like "No substitutions" and "No exceptions" affect both guests and employees in service delivery? Many guests have nutrition, health and diet issues as well and don't want to feel 'punished' for having particular needs or requests. What options do hoteliers and restaurant managers have or should they have when guests want to switch a side dish or request a substitution? How can employees be trained to manage exceptions with exceptional service? Read "No Substitutions, No Exceptions, No Service!" to explore concrete ways to substitute the word "Yes" in these service scenarios. READ MORE

Fancy places, high prices and then the record scratches. It's a mystery! It's amazing how hard a team will work, how many dollars they will spend to create services and amenities, then they scrimp on the one item or miss the one key point of contact and the service impression unravels. Many times, no one understands or knows why it happens. What service no-no's take away all of the hard work? How can hoteliers learn to trace and track service mysteries? Hospitality leaders need to go above and beyond to solve any potential service faux pas. READ MORE

It sounded good. It looked good. But did it really end up being good? Misleading hospitality messages turn potentially loyal guests into untrusting souls and those who won't come back. And since one bad story usually gets retold 10-20 times, each time with a bit more horror and drama (we all love to exaggerate and tell the bad stories), the long term impact and deterrent marketing can be powerfully disturbing. As the Halloween season winds down, make sure using disguises is not a year round event relative to service delivery. Consider evaluating if your messages simply lure guests in or if they really deliver what the message promised. When hotels or other organizations promise hospitality on a variety of levels and the guest signs on, excuses and problems are not an option. READ MORE

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

Healthcare is on everybody's minds these days. Politicians, business leaders and everyday folks are scrambling to find the best solutions to care for everyone, to ensure all get the medical services they need. Most everyone agrees that health care is a basic human need. Service, good service, the desire to be treated nicely, is a basic human need too. Just as healthcare is getting Presidential priority, so should service care be the priority of any hospitality leader. READ MORE