TU The Secret to Being Successful in The Hospitality Industry Essay

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Business Finance

Troy University

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https://www.hospitalityacademy.net/23-complete-cus...

LISTEN and write a reflection post on what you heard that stood out to you, identify the key points, and take-aways. Think about some of his talking points that relate to the textbook reading materials in Chapters 1 - 3. For grading purposes,  view the rubric in the introduction forum thread. 

Working in the hospitality industry we all know reviews are critical. But do you know the specific ways to go from 3-star reviews to 4-star and even 5-star? Or what it means if you are regularly receiving below 3-stars, and what you should be fixing in your hotel in order to improve guest reviews?

On this episode of Hospitality Academy, Tony Bodoh is here to answer those questions. He’s an expert on the subject of customer experience in the hospitality world. We will talk about why the human connection is such a defining factor for hotel guests, even in today’s digital age.

And he shares what to look for when you’re reading online reviews and surveys, the keys that will help you know exactly what to change and what to do more of in your hotel to create the complete customer experience.

Essential Learning Points From This Show:

  • What is the hedonic treadmill and why should you know?
  • A simple factor that separates 4-star reviews from 5-star reviews.
  • How to look for little changes that have a big impact on guest experience and improve guest reviews.
  • 2 simple ways to drive better sales.
  • Why does your hotel’s smell matter so much?
  • And so much more!

From an early age, Tony Bodoh learned the importance of connection. It’s a lesson he’s carried with him throughout his life and a message he shares with his clients in multiple industries, including hospitality. Today he is a trainer for Fortune 1000 companies in hospitality, a best-selling author, and international keynote speaker.

On today’s episode of Hospitality Academy, Tony shares the wisdom he’s learned. We talk about the 3-star hotel that consistently generates 5-star reviews, how behavioral economics impacts your ratings from guests, and the best way to read reviews for maximum impact.

Tony brings up a hotel in Nashville that continues to outperform its competitors: it is rated as a 3-star type place so when guests arrive they have the expectation of being treated as though they are staying at a 3-star hotel. But when they are treated as if they are guests of a high-end, 5-star establishment, they are blown away. As a result, this hotel continues to outshine any of its local competition simply by going above and beyond. The staff has been trained on how to create a human connection and how to know how much of a connection the guest wants to receive.

Tony also shares some fascinating behavioral economics that influences a guest’s rating of their stay at a hotel. One facet of behavioral economics has shown that people feel twice as bad when they lose something, versus the happiness of when they gain something.

Guests have expectations when they walk in the door of your establishment. If they expect a 3 and you deliver a 5, they’re going to feel pretty darn good. But if they expect a 3 and you deliver a 1 or a 2, they are going to feel robbed and victimized…and it’s going to hurt twice as much.

Those 1s and 2s come when a specific feature or function of your hotel did not work, the basics like the linens were dirty and the carpet was stained. These are all below basic expectations of any hotel or motel.

If you see 1s and 2s in your online reviews and guest surveys you know you need to invest in the physical aspect of your hotel, and perhaps preventative maintenance and capital upgrades.

Also on this episode of Hospitality Academy, Tony explains the best way to read those surveys and reviews so you can see clear patterns in your hospitality business and a few simple things you can do to increase sales. He also gives an interesting example of a hotel that used gratitude to save a multi-million dollar client! Listen in for that and more on today’s Hospitality Academy.


The #1 thing the hospitality industry lacks is hospitality. Good service is no longer good enough in an increasingly competitive business environment. Anna Dolce shares the difference between the two, and why hospitality is a critical component of not only your future business success but also in making the world a better place. Anna Dolce traded her Miss Georgia (Europe) crown and national fame for a $40 shot at the American Dream. After getting her start in the restaurant industry, Anna observed that often the biggest missing piece in hospitality industry is in fact, the hospitality. Fueled by deeply rooted culture of hospitality and social connectedness she grew up with in Georgia, Anna went on to help business owners lead their companies from their own hearts and convictions and build businesses that last. Today, leveraging her background in entertainment, hospitality and entrepreneurship Anna coaches celebrities, elite athletes and entrepreneurs on how to live a life on their own terms. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

WRITING TIPS: Use your own example where you have experienced non-exemplary service and let it be know to management. What made it stand out to you. What would you suggest be done to have prevented or rectified the problem that you experienced? What was done to address the situation, if anything? Tie this into the readings of the 1st three chapters of the textbook...any correlation?


 



Reply:

The Hospitality Academy Podcast “The Complete Customer Experience”, with Tony Bodoh was a lot of very good information. Tony talked about going from 3-star reviews to 5-star reviews. Traveler reviews have a huge effect on traditional rating systems, making a well-run hotel with great customer service is as likely to receive a five-star rating as a luxury hotel. Whether it’s reviewed on the hotel site, TripAdvisor, Travelocity, Google, Expedia, Yelp, or Facebook, traveler ratings are shaped by how well a business meets guest expectations. The ways I have learned to go from 3-star reviews to 5-star reviews are to make service the top priority. 1. Travelers may choose a hotel for the first time based on price, location, or brand, but it’s the service that gets them writing reviews and brings them back. Service sets hotels apart. 2. Provide service worth committing about. To earn five-star reviews, hotels must start with the essentials of quality, value, and convenience and then go beyond to provide what I call “rememberable service” service so unexpected, special, and memorable guests feel compelled to remark about it in a review. People will talk about extraordinary experiences, good or bad. 3. Focus on what you can control. The hotel elevator may be under repair which is out of your control. What is within our control is how we make the guests feel. See yourself as customer service first that functions as a hotel operator. 4. Train, empower, and recognize staff when employees feel appreciated, they will make guests feel appreciated. 5. Lead by example. Fantastic service starts from the top down. 6. Listen carefully, respond creatively. Create unique programs that are cost-effective, but have a high impact on guests. For example, whenever you see people out by the pool, have a staff member serve complimentary popsicles. Kids love it, parents love it. Low cost, high impact. 7. Extend remarkable service to social media. Provide real-time service on social networks. Whether a guest is inquiring about luggage storage or wants details on a booking, monitor the digital channels regularly and respond promptly. When the guest feels appreciated and their experience is memorable they will be a return guest and feel compiled to tell others about the experience they had as a guest.


Reply:

Tony Bodoh podcast was very interesting to listen to. I liked when he stated that “when we treat each other right then we will treat our customers right.” I think this statement is very true and he even went on to say that when our bosses treat us right then the guest should treat them right. He stated that this doesn’t always work out since we are humans and that we are dealing with stuff such as understaffed or dealing with personal issues. I never realized that you have a wrong style of customer service. I do believe my generation is more relaxed with our servers having colorful hair, tattoos, etc. I never really understood why expressing yourself with those things was such a turn off to the service industry and even in the hospitality industry. Just as Tony stated, we the customers have these as well. To be honest in a way this is a great conversation started with your server or whoever you will be dealing with in the customer service industry. I really love that Disney World has allowed their cast members to be more of themselves by being able to show their tattoos and have fun colored hair. I find his job very interesting since he goes to all different industries and mystery shop them. I can imagine all that he has seen and received with many different services. I find it interesting that the one thing that he finds interesting is that the companies that are doing well want to improve themselves. Just as he stated, those types of companies know the value of a profit. He seems to have a fun and unique job and I would be interested to learn more about what he does.

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Explanation & Answer

View attached explanation and answer. Let me know if you have any questions.Hi! Here is the file for the discussion. I will send the responses as an additional answer in a while

The podcast featuring Tony Bodoh was very insightful, and it made me realize that the
secret to being successful in the hospitality industry is by going back to the basics. These days,
hospitality businesses are obsessed with advancements, modernization, and getting in on
different trends to the point where one of the things that became rare is having the basic
hospitality features and services.
The story of the 3-star hotel Tony mentioned was quite interesting. The concept made
sense to me because, when speaking as a consumer, I would only expect the bare minimum from
hotels rated three stars. Therefore, even the most minor upgrade or improvement from my
expectation would make my day, and I would be sure to return to the hotel. However, one thing I
was confused about this is why a hotel business would want to lower the standards of their
custome...


Anonymous
Really helpful material, saved me a great deal of time.

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