How can an esoteric African philosophy affect best practices in customer service and guest-experience management? Customer-service thought leader, Holly Stiel, defines Ubuntu - a humanistic philosophy based on the interconnectedness of all humanity. With an emphasis on its profound and practical implications for business, she differentiates between transactional and interactional relationships, presenting a strong case for the latter. Ms. Stiel also describes how Ubuntu creates a strong foundation for diversity training. As an underpinning for a hotel's hiring and educational practices, a culture based on Ubuntu enriches the lives of both guests and staff, which cannot help but boost the bottom line. READ MORE

For many operators in the hospitality industry, it makes sense that a constant focus on the property's fitness amenity would be unlikely given the balance of priorities. However, as we all know, guest expectations as they relate to an offering in fitness continue to grow each and every year. Because it is clear that the fitness center is a frequent part of the guest experience for many, its critical to gain a solid understanding of the fundamentals every property must attend to regardless of the size or stature of the space. READ MORE

As reservists return from active duty and deployments overseas, many of them will be seeking reinstatement in their former jobs or new employment. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) provides reservists and other uniformed service members with important employment rights including reinstatement and protection against discrimination. USERRA applies whether the individual's service is voluntary or involuntary. Employers, including hotel establishments, are required to comply with USERRA and provide notice to employees of their rights and obligations, as well as, notice of their employer's obligations under USERRA. This article will provide a synopsis of employee rights under USERRA. READ MORE

After years of hype and hyperbole, there is no doubt: mass-market personalization is on the way. Organizations that have already leveraged predictive technologies and testing solutions have achieved, on average, a ouble-digit increase in conversions. With more organizations looking to get in on the act, especially in the US, speed is crucial. The good news is that with the SaaS model, organizations can be up and running immediately. Add in multi-channel data, from call center and store or branch, and your business can have consistent, cross channel personalization within a quarter. READ MORE

One of the best methods for ensuring a good night's sleep is through a hard day's work. For hotel operators, though, those 40 winks are promised to the guests. The hard work, meantime, never ends. Delivering a guest experience that is compelling in every way, from the website to checkout, is not an accident, and it never goes on autopilot. Hotel managers must continually upgrade their own standards based on consistent customer feedback gathered through every guest touch point. Fortunately, technology enables us to gather and analyze data from the moment a reservation is made to the morning a guest departs. READ MORE