Who is a loyal customer? Often, people think that those who frequent businesses on a regular basis are loyal customers but the reality is frequent guests might not always be loyal guests. True loyalty is about emotion. In the hotel space, loyal customers prefer your hotel or brand to the point where they develop a personal attachment, one that compels them to go out of their way to stay with your hotel or brand, making them more immune to higher prices or a less convenient location. READ MORE

As the volume of feedback from traditional customer feedback sources continues to decline - response rates from these channels have fallen from 50% in 2007 to 28% in 2011 - mentions per brand, region, and even unit (or product) per year on social feedback channels are increasing exponentially. Customer satisfaction can no longer be relied on as a metric to predict loyalty. The presumption has been that satisfied guests will remain loyal. Research shows, however, that customer satisfaction does not always equal customer loyalty. READ MORE

The Front Desk is your front line for guest services. Most hotels do a very good job training their front desk people to be cordial. They understand the opportunity... and the liability. At one time or another, we have all experienced walking into a hotel and receiving a luke-warm reception from the person behind the counter. When that happens, in my brain, I hear the words, “Oh boy, I'm in for a mediocre guest experience here―at best”. In addition, not surprisingly, that less-than-optimum experience usually happens. READ MORE

Understanding the new rules of the crisis management game is important to protecting your hotel's reputation. While the real time that social networks offer these days can be horrific when a crisis hits, at least you will be prepared to face the worst. With a crisis plan in place and a great team behind you, your business will be ready to tackle any questionable social media post… Read my story READ MORE

Hotel owners looking to sell their business often make a few common mistakes, ranging from not properly preparing for the sale to not offering seller financing. However, in a competitive marketplace there is not much room for error. These tips will guide you on increasing your chances of having a successful sale by paying attention to details that are often overlooked. READ MORE

A hotel stay doesn't begin when guests walk into your property - it begins with the design scheme and the purchase of FF&E elements. Working closely with your interior designer and your FF&E supplier, your objective should be to turn a "hotel stay" into a "hotel experience." So what are some practical yet economical ideas for enhancing the look of your hotel? This article provides some tips for achieving your objective effectively as you keep one eye on design and the other eye on the bottom line. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Let me know your thoughts and if I can answer any questions. READ MORE

If your hotel is moving towards being green, it is undoubtedly addressing each of the 3Rs - reduce, reuse, and recycle. Since I am not even close to being an engineer, how to implement these Rs best left to these experts. I want to put the spotlight on being green by looking at the most important element in your hotel's existence - marketing to current and potential guests. Aside from the long-term ROI of going green, being a green hotel is a positioning tool for the brand. Research by the American Marketing Association shows that the primary reason for any business to go green is to generation good Public Relations; the second reason is to reach specific target markets. And in this ecologically conscious business environment, both reasons are critical to your hotel. READ MORE

Loyalty is a very complex, emotional concept, which is why it presents danger when training programs are built around increasing guest loyalty. If businesses want loyal customers, they have to get in it for the long haul and they will earn loyalty only after they have gained trust. Trust is built by a series of repeated actions, not words, or flavor-of-the-month campaigns. READ MORE

Customer loyalty programs have continued to proliferate in a wide variety of firms both inside and outside of the hospitality industry. Customers have come to expect some type of reward in return for patronage. Despite this widespread growth, managers frequently question the actual value that these programs contribute to the bottom line. In this paper we offer a number of bases that might help managers think beyond their current program. READ MORE

Loyalty programs are under fire these days; from being cookie cutter to not producing a return on investment. Is your loyalty program missing opportunities to maximize the experience - and the spend - of visitors who might fall through the cracks? READ MORE

Brand loyalty can mean many things. Most hoteliers would agree that loyalty certainly means likelihood to return to a hotel, likelihood to return to the brand, and likelihood to recommend the hotel and brand. With the rise in popularity of social media, the last component-recommending the hotel and brand-has taken on even greater significance. Similarly, a loyalty program can be many things. Today's hotel loyalty programs are highly evolved marketing campaigns and should contribute to brand loyalty as defined above. Some of the questions and concerns hoteliers have are discussed in this article. READ MORE

While seemingly unimportant, those pesky one-pagers known as the “Form I-9” that all employers are required to complete for new hires can be the source of significant liability. In fiscal year 2010, ICE agents recovered penalties of $6.9 million from businesses, criminally charged nearly 200 business owners and managers with immigration violations, and conducted more than 2,000 compliance audits of employer-prepared I-9 work eligibility forms. READ MORE

A line of travelers gliding effortlessly through the city scape on SegwayR PTs might invoke scenes from a 20th century sci-fi movie. Less commonplace might be an amputee among them using a seat that has been retrofitted onto the device. Something of a novelty still, SegwayR PTs have been at the hub of activity in the disability rights realm. These and other power-driven mobility devices have the United States government requiring lodging establishments to permit individuals with mobility disabilities using them in any areas of these facilities. READ MORE

Water conservation is an important practice to adopt in today's uneasy economy as it is a cost control and a way to enhance efficiency for a hotel property. In an industry that thrives on recreating the home experience away from home, hotels have much to gain by employing water conservation practices. Guests enjoy unwinding from a long business day in a warm shower and relaxing by a pool surrounded by beautiful landscapes. But these amenities can result in significant water costs for a hotel. Fortunately in today's energy efficient world, there are effective ways to decrease water consumption that will result in significant cost savings. READ MORE

The formal practice and profession of revenue management continues to be one of change and evolution. Keeping up with advances in technology, changes in marketing and increasing numbers and types of distribution channels requires more flexibility than ever before. Amid these developments, the online travel agency (OTA) has forever changed the rules of revenue management, affecting areas ranging from communications to rate parity. Here, Christian Koestler of Lixto, Inc., outlines some of the significant ways OTAs are impacting revenue management today, and what managers can look forward to in the future. READ MORE