Sales Managers Fail to Respond to Customer Inquiries 25+% of the Time
TORONTO, Canada, October 2, 2007. Group sales are a significant source of revenue for most hotels, yet according to a test completed by Quality Track International during the month of September, hotel sales departments fail terribly at the most basic function; responding to initial customer inquiries. Fully 25.5% of initial customer inquiries go unanswered.
Quality Track International, a leading provider of group sales mystery shopping services exclusively to the hospitality industry, placed in excess of 3,000 test calls to more than 750 on-property sales departments in North America, and tracked the responses. Across all tiers and brands evaluated, a sales manager was available to handle customer inquiries just 49.4% of the time. If a sales manager was not available, a detailed inquiry message was left. Sales managers failed to respond to these messages before the end of the next business day more than 51.7% of the time.
Results were tracked by brand and tier (deluxe, upscale and midprice. Surprisingly, little or no difference was found in the performance of sales managers across tiers. Detailed results by brand and property are available to verified brand representatives.
Sales Manager Access and Response Time (SMART) Tracking: SMART Track calls are a low cost, fast and efficient way to solve this problem. Quality Track clients using SMART Track have improved sales manager access and response time performance by 60% in as little as 60 days. Substantial additional revenue would be generated if sales managers were in contact with 25% more customers.
Quality Track callers leave detailed messages when sales managers are not available. These messages include verifiable company names, working dedicated telephone numbers, and real e-mail addresses. Unlike other shopping companies who leave unrealistic sounding 800 numbers or artificial Gmail or Hotmail e-mail addresses, Quality Track provides legitimate phone numbers and e-mail addresses that are appropriate for the location and company name provided. If and when sales managers follow up with return calls, the date, time and identity of the sales manager is captured to ensure that call-back information is tracked.
Detailed monthly reports identify when calls were placed, who answered the call, the identity of the sales manager for whom a message was left, and who called back and when. All reporting is delivered online. Sales managers returning calls are notified that the caller was a Quality Track SMART caller in order to prevent wasted time on additional follow-up.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
