This statement applies to us all regardless of our employment or personal circumstances. Often in our employment though it can be the dollar earner for the business and this is particularly applicableto Motelling. As you all know I owned and operated my own motel for a number of years before becoming a Motel Broker. Now I have changed sides of the counter it is interesting to note the different impressions I receive when I visit motels. The reception area and the people themselves can be very different from place to place as any of you who have stayed in motels testify to.
Often in a motel the operator is busy doing other things rather than just sitting on the front desk. We all know that this is a necessity and it is fine to wait for a short time in reception before the operator arrives. It is however a bit off putting when this length of time drags on and on and you are not even sure if anyone will ever turn up. As operators we need to be aware that what seems like a short space of time for us to finish a task is a long time for someone to stand in reception waiting. A bit like 5 mins seems for ever when you are standing outside a venue waiting to be picked up but is no time at all when you are out cleaning rooms.
Secondly while the person is standing waiting in reception for you the only thing they can do is look around. Is your reception area inviting? Does it reflect the culture of your motel or is that the place that never quite gets cleaned or new furniture because the furniture always goes in to the rooms? Some motels have background or history of the motel or the town in the reception which can be interesting to view. Even a standard brochure rack provides something to keep the customer interested. Stand in your motel reception for 2 mins and see what you can look at or find while you are there. That is what the customer does. Another thing to remember is that you should always enter your reception area from the front door at least once a day. You need to see what the customer sees, and fix or clean anything which is wrong.
The next part of the arrival experience is the greeting. The first contact you have with a guest is a moment of truth. Alternatively known as a first impression this moment of truth will determine the guests opinion of you and therefore your complex and probably whether they will stay or not. Does your guest have a stunning experience when they arrive? Are they made to feel good about themselves just by the way you greet them. If you’re with another guest when they walk in do you acknowledge them with a quick word or a wink or are they just left to feel inferior to your first guest. What does your appearance say about your motel? Is it in keeping with the standard and quality of your rooms, or are you sloping around in jandals. Sometimes it is the things we take for granted that make the biggest impact on the guest.
These are all fairly basic concepts of good motelling but even the best of us can be reminded now and then of the things we have let slip, or just to check that yes we are doing it as well as we should be.
I suppose the old saying is very true. A smile is like a penny if you give it away it will come right back to you. So just keep smiling and hope the pennies come in.
October 21 2008 | Articles for current moteliers and Entering the Motel Industry and Uncategorized | No Comments »
Lately I have been focusing on the benefits of the internet to a business and specifically to a motel business. Here is a good example of the power of the internet and what it can do to help your motel. Ezibed.com has listed some of the accommodation providers, available on their site, based on customer reviews and rankings. It just goes to show how important it is to look after your customer and how powerfull they can be within your business.
Last minute accommodation specialist Ezibed.com has announced its top 10 customer
rated accommodation list in the lead up to this Labour Holiday Weekend.
Release: 13 October 2008
Over 2000 Eziratings have been accumulated in the past six months as part of
the Ezibed.com rating and review process for customers that have booked through
the popular last minute accommodation website.
The collection of these ratings allows customers to make informed decisions regarding
their next business or leisure trip and also allows Ezibed.com to highlight accommodation
properties that are stand outs as far as customers are concerned.
Rydges Christchurch tops the list obtaining a solid 9 out of 10 however Auckland
accommodation properties outweigh other regions with four placings within the
top ten. Both Napier and Wellington each have two properties on the list.
Providing business transparency is critical in today’s environment says the company’s
Managing Director, Gareth Pearce.
“Research shows that in the US 89% of US online buyers read customer reviews
before they buy – 43% always and 22% always. For customers it means an independent
unbiased opinion and to accommodation providers it means receiving feedback for
the things they are doing right and also identifying areas of their business
that need attention.”
“The importance of an online consumer ‘rating’ may one day be more important
to customers than self assessments or nationally accredited rating systems such
as Qualmark”, says Mr Pearce.
The company that was founded in late 2003 has become a leading online accommodation
booking website within New Zealand, recently expanding into Australia, Pacific
Islands, USA and Canada. With over 2000 registered accommodation properties,
& over 50,000 visitors per month looking for accommodation deals, the company’s
growth has been rapid.
The top 10 customer picks out of a maximum score of 10…
1st 9.0 Rydges Hotel (Christchurch)
2nd 8.7 Heritage Hotel (Auckland)
3rd 8.4 Deco City Motor Lodge (Napier)
4th= 8.3 Lake Taupo Motor Inn (Taupo)
8.3 Rendezvous Hotel (Auckland)
8.3 Marineland Motel (Napier)
8.3 Jet Park Airport Hotel (Auckland Airport)
8th 8.2 Airport Motor Lodge (Wellington Airport)
9th= 8.1 Sebel Suites (Auckland)
8.1 Comfort Hotel (Wellington)
Gareth Pearce is adamant that taking a break this Labour Weekend is good for
the health.
“With the Labour Holiday Weekend fast approaching many people have the effects
of a long wet winter and also the recent economic conditions all bottled up inside
of them. So a Labour Weekend escape is highly recommended.”
“There’s a great range of quality accommodation within New Zealand to choose
from through Ezibed.com with some great customer feedback available”, says Mr
Pearce.
Ezibed.com is a privately owned New Zealand company, based within the Hawke’s
Bay.
October 14 2008 | Articles for current moteliers and Changes in Motel Trends | 1 Comment »
The following is a release from Expedia showing the findings of recent research on Kiwi’s attitudes to hotel stays. This information is also very relevant to a New Zealand Motels as the clients expectations are similar.
Kiwis’ attitudes to hotel stays
30 September 2008
Press Release: Expedia
Nearly 20 per cent of Kiwis have admitted to booking into a hotel room with a one-night stand in mind, according to a poll conducted recently by Expedia.co.nz™, which is operated by Expedia Inc., the world’s leading online travel company.
The poll, which explored the opinions and attitudes of over 5,500 New Zealanders towards staying in hotels, also revealed that cleanliness of the room was of uppermost importance when staying in a hotel (45 per cent), followed by the hotel’s location (21 per cent). While 92 per cent of respondents love taking home the complimentary soaps and shampoos from the bathroom, overall, New Zealanders proved themselves to be an honest crowd with less than three per cent taking the bathrobes or towels.
Rude and unhelpful hotel staff topped the list of gripes Kiwis have about hotels (23 per cent), ahead of other pet peeves including: noise (22 per cent), uncomfortable beds (20 per cent) and hidden costs appearing on the bill (19 per cent).
Arthur Hoffman, Managing Director Expedia Asia Pacific, says: “Overwhelmingly the poll revealed that New Zealanders value good hospitality and cleanliness when staying in a hotel. New Zealanders’ cyber-savviness is impressive, indicated by an overwhelming 58 per cent of people noting online research, including user reviews and hotel ratings, as the most significant source of information when booking accommodation,” Hoffman said.
The poll also revealed that Kiwis take time researching their hotel options, with nearly half of those polled (43 per cent) booking their accommodation between one and three months in advance of their trip.
Just five per cent of people are influenced by their travel agent’s suggestions when booking a hotel, compared to 32 per cent who follow recommendations from family and friends.
Kiwis ranked Auckland as the city with the nation’s best hotels (38 per cent), followed by Queenstown (25 per cent), Wellington (21 per cent) and Christchurch, which gained the unenviable reputation of having the country’s worst hotels attracting just 16 per cent of the vote.
Other key findings include:
• B&Bs are the least popular form of accommodation for Kiwis, with only four per cent highlighting them as the preferred place to stay
• Room features such as cable TV, air conditioning and broadband is a priority for only 10 per cent of people
• Only one per cent of people are concerned about the tidiness of hotel staff’s attire.
October 07 2008 | Articles for current moteliers and Changes in Motel Trends | No Comments »
