Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - (Page 14) 14 Management Trends IN THE details Proper etiquette goes far Behavior stands out What not to do Good manners to display H&MM November 17, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Good manners mean more money for hotels M By Jeanne d’Orleans H&MM Columnist anners are a form of communication. Make sure your behavior says you care about and respect your customers, colleagues and employees. In your customer’s mind, there often is little difference between your hotel and your competitor’s. What makes you stand out are the professional touches—your manners. The slightest lapse can cost you money. Good business etiquette equals higher revenue. I asked a group of veteran meeting planners if the etiquette they experience with hotel professionals can influence whether they book business with them. I was amazed by examples provided by a corporate meeting planner from the Chicago area who has 15 years of international and domestic meeting planning experience: “When I evaluate a property, the manners demonstrated by a salesperson can make or break the deal. It is not just physical things (handshakes, table etiquette, how one acknowledges the other hotel staff, etc.). It can also be personal conduct. One of laundry systems for a greener world Continental high-performance washers: Contact Continental today for details on how Continental washers can help your hotel employ ‘green’ laundry practices while decreasing expenses! 800-256-1073 www.continentalgirbau.com * when compared to some topload and frontload washers. the things that turns me off on a property is a lack of manners and sense of knowing how to behave. They should address me with deference and as though they wanted to make a good impression. It is always better to be formal and be given permission by your client to be more informal, than to start off by being overly informal and risk causing offense.” Here are examples of good manners successful professionals display: Address clients formally until given permission to be more familiar. Arrive five to 15 minutes in advance of appointments at clients’ offices. Never take notes in a meeting without asking permission. Use voicemail messages that communicate calls are important and will be returned within two hours, if possible. Turn cell phones off in meetings. Keep voice quiet when taking a critical call in public. Send brief e-mails that are clear and spelled correctly. Dress appropriately for customers. Understand the customs of international guests. Arrange to pick up the check at customer meetings before you enter the restaurant. Send thank you notes after meetings (e-mail: one point; hand-written: 10 points). Do not “overindulge” at company or industry events. Do not criticize co-workers in front of clients. Do not tell potentially offensive jokes in front of customers and co-workers. Attend industry functions to focus on the customers, not for the food and drink. Reinforce your corporate presence through polish and poise. Attract business while retaining valued customers; don’t make it easy for someone else to win over your top clients. Manners do mean more money. hmm@questex.com Jeanne d’Orleans is principal of d’Orleans Hospitality Training (www.hotelEtraining.com). CIRCLE NO. 108 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.continentalgirbau.com http://www.continentalgirbau.com/financepromo http://www.hotelEtraining.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 Contents Muted Mood at First HHOA Conference Concord Steps Up Management Plans, Goals DePaul Launches Hospitality School Perspective Legal FAQ Consultant’s Corner Maintenance Doctor Family Business Management Trends What Women Want Training Trends Marketing Matters HotelWorld Update Trends and Stats Top Design Firms Property-management Systems Transportation Services Laundry Equipment Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 (Page 1) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 (Page 2) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - DePaul Launches Hospitality School (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - DePaul Launches Hospitality School (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Perspective (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Perspective (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Consultant’s Corner (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Maintenance Doctor (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Maintenance Doctor (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Family Business (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Family Business (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Management Trends (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Management Trends (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - What Women Want (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - What Women Want (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Training Trends (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Training Trends (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - HotelWorld Update (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Trends and Stats (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Trends and Stats (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Top Design Firms (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Property-management Systems (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Property-management Systems (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Property-management Systems (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Transportation Services (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Transportation Services (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Transportation Services (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Transportation Services (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Transportation Services (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Laundry Equipment (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Marketplace (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 40) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 41) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 42) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 43) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 44) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 45) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 46) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 47) Hotel & Motel Management - November 17, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 48)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.