Out of everything my family purchased over the last year, the one most enjoyed by my children was our vacation in early April. It was very cold and we had some snow flurries, but we enjoyed the nearly vacant hotel and the small crowds, and even managed a little swim time at an indoor water park. So rather than filling our home with more toys, my Christmas gift for my children this year will be travel. I’m geared toward time outdoors, things like camping and boating, so I am looking for lots of new experiences that are just as enjoyable during the winter months. I’ve checked out a few places and these are some of the most intriguing ideas I’ve found. Snowmobile tours – I am likely the worst skier in the history of mankind, so snow skiing while keeping track of young children is not my idea of a vacation. But I feel like a snowmobile tour is something I could handle. It would be an all-new experience for my kids, and I know the four boys would be thrilled with something like this. Wonderland themes – Depending on the location, lots of hotels transform their public spaces into …
There are many social media “gurus” who advise gaining followers and engagement through practices that, while they may increase your stats, are not going to help your bottom line. I’ve seen these tactics used by brands I am positive are spending far too much money for this nonsense, and it always surprises me. These tactics include the “Like if you …, share if you…” posts, which for reasons beyond real explanation, attract a lot of engagement. The problem is that the engagement isn’t really interaction with your brand, and is only gaining traction from people who most likely aren’t even looking at your page. Post interesting, beautiful, or entertaining content and your true fans will be happy to share. It may take more time to bulk up your numbers, but the numbers don’t matter if they aren’t If it looks like part of your kids’ second grade homework, it’s definitely fallen into the gimmick waters. Word scrambles, fill in the letter, and especially fill in the blank posts may (oddly) get a lot of comments, but tend to be full of sarcastic answers or crass remarks. Your insights numbers may be going up, but this isn’t profitable engagement. Bottom line: …
Taking a cue from a long-time resort offering, many hotels are offering classes for guests. With cooler weather approaching and the need for indoor activities becoming imminent, I did a little digging into what hotels are offering and how these classes benefit everyone. Classes are a great way to infuse a local flavor into your guests’ experience. Depending on what you’re offering, there doesn’t have to be a ton of expense put into it. I’d start by finding a local expert to teach the class. Some hotels offer yoga or dance classes, but classes in mixology, cooking, gardening or herb preparation have the added benefit of take-hope items for guests to remember their stay. For instance, a local gardening expert with a knowledge of preparing and storing cooking herbs could teach a class on mixing or cooking with herbs. Guests go home with seeds and their own personalized herb blend, which sends them off with local flavor to remind them of their stay. You can pay a fee to the teacher for her time and supplies, and she can boost her income by selling extra herb blends or recipes after the class or even in your gift shop. (And the …
I read an interesting article this week that broke happiness down into a mathematical formula. The basic idea is: Reality – Expectations = Happiness. Although the idea is nothing new, this formula is fairly simple, makes sense, and applies directly to hospitality or any industry that hinges on the consumer experience. We all want happy customers, right? So what does this formula mean for hotels? Bad news first – if reality is less than expectation, guests will be unhappy in direct proportion. The two things that immediately come to my mind are doctored property photos and fake reviews. Someone looking at photos of a peaceful, empty beach is going to be very upset when they arrive to crowds. Fake reviews about a pristine and quiet hotel do not bode well for a hotel in the midst of a remodel. I’m not saying you can’t have a crowded beach or a remodeling project going on, I’m just saying to be honest about it. When reality meets expectation, the happiness of the guest lands in the neutral zone. At this point, loyalty and reviews are only swayed by how good or bad that reality actually is, which is good news for the …
Last week I experienced an unusual amount of poor customer service from various companies which led me to wonder if there is a common theme running through these industries. My personal belief is that attitudes are just different these days. Common courtesies are no longer common, and most companies haven’t begun training employees to use manners that were previously taught from childhood. My experiences over the last few days ranged from a mistake from a car dealer that cost me a lot of time and money, to a cashier at a local store handing me change with a very bold obscenity tattooed on her writs. While her wrist was calling me names, her voice was asking me to call the corporate office with my impression of the store. So what did all of these companies have in common? For me, the most noticeable lack was what used to be considered common courtesy, including the three listed below. The first thing missing was eye contact. Whether it was chewing gum while staring into space, or passively waiting on me to do the greeting, none of the people I dealt with made any effort to say hello or look up from what …