This is my first post to what I hope will become something valuable for all service people out there. 

The idea: picking a review* from a hotel or restaurant from the internet, analyze it and suggest improvements. Within certain posts you will find documents to download, courses to take or other products. This allows us to support the cost of this blog.

What you will not read: We don't write about the food, more than enough food blogs already ...

The 6 rules:

1. We don't mention the name of the hotel/restaurant
2. We don't mention the reviewers' name
3. We don't reveal the website the review was on
4. We don't write about the food
5. We analyze the situation and suggest improvements for the several issues
6. Every post will have solutions on 3 levels: service, language and training

* All reviews are the subjective opinions of the writers and are in now way changed by us. We do correct writing errors to improve reading experience.

So let's dive right in with the first one....

The review

We stayed at *** during week of the Memorial Day weekend. We booked the hotel with Expedia so I was unable to do any of the hotel research that I normally do when searching for hotels - my mistake. 

We stayed on the second floor (right above the lobby area) so we got to hear a lot of the street noises. I've stayed in better rooms at lesser rated hotels. The "guest room" that they show on their website is no where near what we got. There was a hole in the wall under the desk area and electrical cords were exposed. The bedframe was nearly broken and the bed looked like it was precariously sitting in the frame. The cleaning service was sporadic at best - they did not always come to the room everyday. Aside from these cosmetic issues, my main complaint comes from the service we received.

First big issue ... The bathtub did not drain well, so we were constantly standing in a pool of water when showering. Since this is unsanitary, I informed the young man at the front desk, Patrick, of our issue the very next day. He told me he would send someone to fix that. The next day the tub still pooled up, so we again informed Patrick that the problem was still happening. Again, he said someone would come to fix it. The following day, the water was STILL pooling. At this point, we would only be there one more day so we didn't see a point in telling him one more time when nothing was done about it for the first two complaints. 

Second big issue...On Saturday night of Memorial day there was loud music and bass that you could hear (or rather FEEL) through our floor and walls. At 11:00pm I asked the girl at the front desk what was going on. She informed me that there was a wedding in the hotel restaurant and that she "didn't think it would last for a few more hours." I told her that we had an early flight out, had to get up really early and asked if she could talk to whoever about the music. She said the hotel was not affiliated with its restaurant so she could not do anything but assured me that it shouldn't last more than a few hours. What???!!! 

What I find funny is that the management of this hotel has written replies to each of the negative reviews of this hotel. The management could learn some proactive management skills rather than reactive. I am hoping to get those pictures back soon so that I can upload what our room looked like to give a more accurate picture of the hotel.


The hotel's response

General Manager responded to this review:

I have received you comments pertaining to your stay here at *** over the Memorial Day weekend. I would like to apologize for your displeasure. We take great pride in the high levels of service we try to give to all of our guests. I am sorry that we failed you during your stay. I can assure you I will discuss with the entire staff at the next scheduled staff meeting. 

In the meantime if you would like to discuss your stay with us further please feel free to call me at your convenience.

Sincerely,

**** ****
General Manager



Our opinion and suggestions

I was unable to do any of the hotel research

> It's clear that guests are still doing their homework before booking a hotel. In several studies it has shown that over 80% of customers are influenced by an online review.

Our suggestion: write a marketing plan on your online presence. Don't forget your strategy on how to tackle bad reviews. Obviously it starts with not getting any but you should be prepared. Therefor, stay in close contact with your customers and get feedback before they leave your hotel.

Tip: present the feedback form during breakfast! Usually people are not too much in a hurry and will take the time to review your hotel. Should the feedback be disastrous, you need to interact immediately with the guest.


we got to hear a lot of the street noises
> Guests are looking for peace and quiet during a stay. Street noises combined with a different bed and surroundings leads to bad night rest. 

Our suggestion: Make it very clear in your communication that certain rooms may be subject to noise. When the customer is clearly informed, they have no reason for complaining. You can even offer these rooms at a different rate, there is always someone interested in getting a good deal if they don't mind the noise or if their stay is maybe a very short one or on a unusual time frame of the day.


they show on their website
> Websites can be very dangerous since the presentation of certain rooms creates guests' expectations. The guest has a clear pictures in his head of what the room will be like. Any difference upon arrival will bring down the experience from the start. The fact that in this hotel there was a hole in the wall and the bedframe was nearly broken, points to a poor follow up of the technical department combined with no clear procedures on how to check a room.

Our suggestion: make sure that the housekeeping department reports all breakages to the technical department. The housekeeping floor supervisor should be following up if the work has been done properly and if their is any need of extra cleaning afterwards. A form should be created to report all technical issues and a procedures should be in place to check a room A to Z once a week at least!


when nothing was done about it for the first two complaints. 
> This to us is the biggest issue of this review. When people make a complaint most hotel owners see this as criticism, you shouldn't! It is an opportunity for you to improve your service, turn the situation around and show your professionalism. 

Our suggestion: Apologizing to the customer is a natural reaction in the hospitality industry but making it worse by not following up on your promises is unacceptable. Make sure you ALWAYS follow up if the issue has been fixed to make sure the guest is happy. In a worst case scenario, offer the guest another room... after checking that one is impeccable!


loud music & proactive management
> There is always a possibility that certain things are out of your power. Loud music can be a nuisance and it's up to you to make it as comfortable as possible for the guest. Being proactive about it can avoid a lot of frustration that could be avoided.

The girl at the front desk said the restaurant was not affiliated with the hotel, again this a much used technique: finding excuses. 

Our suggestion: Needless to say that you should talk to the source of the disturbance straight away and take matters in your own hands. Be proactive and start finding out what rooms would be available to move guests to away from the music. On the other side you can also try to have guests doing other things while the music is playing, inform them about things they can do in town or maybe they would enjoy a late night dinner, anything to get them away from the bad experience.


the hotel's response
The response of the hotel is very reactive. It doesn't suggest any realistic solution nor does it offer any kind of compensation. The goal should be that the guest removes the review and gets something in return.

Our suggestion: pay attention to detail! The message doesn't even greet the guest with a hello, it starts of with "I have... ". The general manager should train in language skills and being proactive. In this case he/she could have contacted these guests personally on the phone (they have their details from the check in) and NOT ask the guest to call him, this is not done!

The fact it will be discussed on the next staff meeting is good but did he/she also inform the guests about the results of that meeting, we're not able to know based on this response.

General conclusion: people in this hotel should be urgently trained in dealing with customer complaints. It might have been a busy weekend but this is where the true potential of any hotel shows! Not only during off peak moments.

Sadly, I have the feeling that many of these posts will come back to the conclusion that training is key. Service will follow from it...
​

We are crazy about all things leather. The smell of a newly crafted piece of leather is so much more than the novelty of it. The smell stays in your memory for years to come.

In a recent episode of the Gentleman's journal podcast I recently (re)discovered Ettinger. A typical British brand. Their product range goes from wallets for him to travel bags for her. 

​
How it started

In 1934 Gerry Ettinger started the company in London and started out as a film producer. Being from German descent and having that sense of quality and durability he quickly acquired clients such as Harrod's, Asprey and Fortnum and Mason.

Till this day, his eldest son Robert is in charge of the company, holding high the family values.


Products

Next to the range of products they also provide a bespoke service, engraving initials and even company logo's.

1) Put on a clean cloth and wipe onto the leather. Don't put too much on.

2) Make circles while applying with the cloth.

3) Leave for 15 minutes.

4) Put on second layer to your liking or apply wax if appropriate

A day is typically divided in 3 parts: 8 hours sleep, 8 hours work and 8 hours of other things. Have you never noticed that those 8 hours of "other things" are mainly dedicated to your household. Whether it's shopping for groceries, cleaning up or reorganising the kids room, you are ALWAYS busy in your home.

Why do you do that ? There are several reasons. First the social pressure. People will think of you differently if your home is not tidy and clean. Next reason is responsibility you might have towards the people you live with: your partner, your children or could even be roommates.

Last but not least there is a personal reason: it gives you ease of mind. A tidy environment gives you a sense of calm. At least that is what we see when we question people about it. (Take the survey here)

​There are a 3 things you can immediately apply to have a more organised home.

1. One place, always

When you decide on a place for an item, keep it. More importantly, the item should be returned to the original position in a better state that you found it before.

Pff, I don't need to read this blog to know that. Oh, really? That is the number one reason homes are getting cluttered. Simply by the residents not returning stuff to where it should be. Imagine you take a towel, coming out of the shower, and you can put it straight again in the closet, dried and folded. Wouldn't that be amazing? Of course, but it doesn't work like that. You have to wash it first, dry it en fold it again.

The moment you put that towel on the floor instead of in a washing basket, you disturb the flow of that towel getting back into the closet.

It's more a state of mind than anything else. We can guarantee you that you can save hours per week by putting things back where they should be. Looking for keys, wallets and sunglasses are surprisingly time consuming.

How do you start doing this? One magic word: discipline. Without exception you put it back in the same spot.

"Hey, but what if my roommates don't?" Fair point. Do it for them. Yes, put in the work and after a few days, they will get so spoiled by always finding their things that they will do the same.


2. Work room per room

Admiral McRaven of the US Navy explains in his book 'Make your bed' that a simple act of completing something at the start of the day will get you in a mood to complete other things.

3. It's a job

There are private chauffeurs and there are professional chefs. Yes, two things you can do as well: driving and cooking. As with these professions, cleaning up is a profession. 

What is the difference between a professional and you, the amateur in cleaning up? The training. The techniques you can learn. We can show you for example a great way to reorganise your cupboard so you will never find a box of rice outdated for 2 years. Just because you never reach in the back for such a long time.

If you focus on the professional techniques of running your home for just a short while, it wil benefit you for the rest of your life.

Forbes released an article based on a survey by New Voice media. It stated that companies are losing billions due to poor customer service.

​If you read the survey, it becomes quickly clear that businesses are focussing on the wrong things. In many instances have I visited companies where the interior is like Buckingham palace; The coffee is served in porcelain previously owned by heads of state or the toilets are sprayed with Chanel perfume.

What board of directors quickly have to realise is that all these things do nothing for the customer. This is what we call features. They are fairly easy to implement: you need money. There is no real art to it. 

Don't get me wrong, the nice surroundings of a hotel or a law firm will add to it's reputation and the perception the customer has about it. Even more, some of these venues are places to be preserved. Historical buildings with a great history now serving other purposes.


Time spent wrong

I have personally overseen big projects such as the opening of a hotel and even a 7 floor casino. The years and months leading up to the opening day is filled with plans, meetings and budgets. Things such as the size of elevators and electrical installations are often discussed for hours on end.

What I realised was that staff was rarely talked about and yet, these are the people who are about to interact with the guest or customer.

In one kitchen they installed a very special oven. It could heat up really fast and go to high temperatures for certain special dishes. The cost was close to € 90,000. 

Do you know how much was spent on training the 325 staff members in this 45 million project? Not even 10,000 !! The staff who was to welcome people at the door or on the phone were not considered import enough to be trained. 

That is the reason why companies don't invest in customer service training, they don't see it as something tangible. They don't get a product in return. There is no packaging, no nice wrapping.

How do you think an athlete becomes an olympic champion ? By training only once? It is a constant repetition of techniques, a constant effort of discipline. Without exception and for one reason: to excel, to stand out, to win !

If staff is not trained in customer service, they can not win the service game. 

You don't need service !

Every business on the planet is shouting out that they have to give good customer service to their clients. Most of them only make fake promises. They are much more involved in their product. What they should be working on is their culture. Culture is a word that sums up a lot of things. Kindness, attention to detail, how we talk to people and especially how we treat people. Not only customers but also the people working in the company.

Therefor I dare stating the following: you don't need service! I believe that in the 21st century service is not making a difference anymore. We need something much more powerful than service. Service is something you do for your customer. Bringing a coffee is an act of service. HOW you bring that coffee is something else. Complement it with a smile or with a genuine question if that guest needs anything else.

That is not giving service, that is offering hospitality. Because hospitality is not about giving service, it is about giving a feeling. It is about making your guest feel good. And thàt is the most powerful in the world.

Have you ever been to a really fancy restaurant? Took picture of the food and posted it on instagram or facebook? Maybe a selfie with the chef or a celebrity who was dining there? Well...

YOU CAN NOT TAKE A SELFIE OF A FEELING !

There is no way possible of showing how you feel on a photo. It is an emotion that is invoked by the action of other people. If that person is someone within a company offering you a product or a service, then we are on the right track...

We just wanted to give you an update on our upcoming course. We aim to make it the most complete wedding planning course you can find on the internet. 

It will not only cover the romantics of being a wedding planner but also what it takes to open your own business, gather your team and make some decent money.

Why is it taking a bit longer? We want to give you the best training experience possible. It should be complete, good audio and video quality, documents to complement the training and of course: it must give your results!

If you have any ideas on what you think is the best way to deliver this, please don't hesitate to drop us a line by email.

We are looking forward to your feedback!

I visited a gourmet burger restaurant, these things are popping up everywhere. They have been around for quite some years but some of them are beginning to grasp the concept of adding good service.

Before I continue, a word of advice to restaurant owners. Parents, people accompanied by even smaller people that is, judge your restaurant on the experience their children have in your establishment. Simple but true. I personally know quite some parents who dislike mainstream fastfood but still visit burger restaurants because of the kids. A friendly waiter, indoor playgrounds, an Xbox, you name it. Small things stick with kids.

A few years ago, a new doctor started in my hometown. He had to build up a "customer" base. Well, he did it thru kids. My son got sick and this doctor was on standby. After examining my son, he handed him a little toy because he had been a good boy. Guess what doctor my son insisted on when he was ill the next time?

So back to the burger restaurant. We came in, the place was packed. Quick eye contact by the staff, a rather young staff. Only four spots left at the bar. Great, better than waiting. Menu's were in the shape of a newspaper, crisp, well designed, nice.

Good design and communication of a menu is something I find very important. It shows your customer that you really care and have an eye for detail. I can get very frustrated by errors and especially by things that are changed on the menu but haven't been announced.

I must say, this staff was very good. Behind us there was a table about to become available and they asked us if we would be more comfortable at a normal height table since the bar was a bit elevated and my daugther had a bit of trouble being seated on the high stool. What a great gesture. They topped it off with some crayons and a coloring template for my little girl to have fun with instead of the ever increasing presence of tablets.

You can implement the following strategies to successfully use Twitter:

Retweet
Retweeting a statement by a company or individual is almost like telling them: follow me back. And most will do. Make sure the tweet is relevant to your business.

Reward a customer... out of the blue.
Choose one of your followers and give him a free drink, lunch or dinner. Not only will they be surprised and happy but they will be sharing it all over social media.

Customize your account
Make sure you look professional on twitter. You can customize your background, have a professional profile image and put your brand in the spotlight. Don't forget that people often discover your restaurant on twitter for the first time. So you want to make a hell of a first impression.

A quote a day...
Why don't you post inspiring quotes, one a day. Post something fun, inspiring or both. People not looking for restaurants may stumble upon it and retweet it anyway.

The making of
I guess not all of your customers have been in the kitchen or back of house. Wouldn't it be fun to post from time to time a behind the scenes photo? It's also a good time to post a photo of staff having fun at the job. An impression of good team spirit will lift the corporate image of your establishment.

Get information
Twitter is a great way to get an opinion from your followers. You can post a survey or a poll to get a feeling of what you should buy: that terrace heater or a kids corner... ;)

In ancient times people were put on the town square, tied by hands and feet to be seen by everyone when they had done something wrong, better known as the pillory.

In 2015, billions of dollars are made by the modern version of the pillory: social media. If you choose to, everyone can comment on your life, your car, your job, anything... Of course the hospitality industry is not spared, on the contrary. Every little complaint is carefully written down on social media platforms or on review sites. The comments are out there for everyone to read, if you like it or not.

In terms of customer service there is an upside, service is improving. Restaurants and hotels are stepping up their game. They can not afford any longer to have a tarnished reputation due to what people write on the internet.

Marketing departments, PR companies and hotel executives are putting a lot of time in rebuttal strategies in how to answer the remarks given by guests. 

Up until now I have read many of them. What strikes me the most is that almost 80% of remarks is about service, not about the food. Facilities (with Wifi on number 1) are very sensitive these days, but the way service staff reacts to remarks on those facilities is even more sensitive.

You know, about 25 years ago, people went to hotels to enjoy facilities they didn't have at home. Now almost every family has Wifi, a flatscreen TV, a coffee machine and a kick ass smartphone. What more can a hotel offer? A swimming pool? Tech companies are working around the clock with big hotel chains to develop state of the art  facilities. License plate recognition when arriving at the hotel and smart watch door access are used as I write this and are considered new now, will that still be the case in 3 years? 

So, dear hotel owners, the one thing that will never be outdated is service! Personal service that is. Invest in your people, train them to the highest level. Train them in recognizing body language, using the right language and anticipating the guest's next move.

In the near future I will handpick reviews of the internet and dissect them, sentence by sentence. I will give my humble opinion on how the situation could have been handled and hopefully start an interaction with you to find even more creative solutions.

Looking forward to the next post...

Vincent
Hospitalitytutors.com

Amateur design

You can't go and make your menu yourself. Trust me. People will notice immediately and on top of that, it will sell more. You can get great templates for your menu for a reasonable price. You buy a template, download it and adapt it to your own style.

Tip: creativemarket.com


​Where to put what

People tend to look to certain places when they get a menu handed from a waiter. About 90% of guests will look to the top left first. So make sure you have something to draw their attention, something to up-sell or maybe a more costly item.

​Don't underestimate the power of footnotes.


Description

Writing a menu is story telling. Tell your guests about the dish, about the ingredient. Tell them something they don't know yet. 

Do you know for example how the pigs for Pata Negra ham in Spain are fed? On acorns! Isn't that a great detail to impress your guests.

There are even chefs that use poems to describe their menu.


Pricing

Pricing should be clear. We speak from experience. If you are offering a dish at a price for two people, make sure it says so. 

Pricing is also the best when you go from low to higher price. People tend to take something better gradually.


Updating

Update your menu often enough, especially for guests coming every week or every month. People want to discover new things. Go with the seasons. Don't serve tomatoes in the middle of winter. Your customers will respect your professionalism.