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Checking-in to Check-out the Competition
You don’t have to be a super spy like James Bond to get the skinny on what your competition is up to. How about staying there?
Friday, November 18, 2011
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More and more general managers and their sales team are stepping outside their doors and making visits to other hotels – both in their market and outside the city where they are located. The hope said some are to see what others are doing whether it’s right or wrong and how these experiences can increase the guest experience at their own property. “It is important for me, as the GM, to know their business in order to make my resort more successful and to assist guiding my destination partners to raise their game too,” said Todd Felsen, general manager of the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, CO.
Felsen said that not only are favorable and unfavorable experiences at other hotels helpful, but seeing a bit about how they handle day to day operations is also worth a visit. “I also learn from our competitors on ways they do things differently,” he added. “I am a fan of taking pictures of everything so we can review with key departments – affecting change in order to positively impact our services and guest experiences.”
The old stereotype of GM’s being chained to a desk, writing reports and chasing paper trails isn’t the norm today. “I am never at my desk – in fact I have my own golf cart and am on the floor all the time,” added Felsen. “With the advent of DROIDs – my office is virtual. The old adage ‘You must inspect what you expect’ will never get old and you only get that firsthand.” He said this hands-on philosophy shapes the mentality of his organization: “Setting the example for the entire team.”
Felsen admits his travel has taken him to neighboring hotels and hotels nationwide. “We do many ‘blind’ visits of other properties and we also conduct business meetings off-site at competitors,” he said. “Both ways give us great insight. When we meet with our competitive set personnel – the focus is more on destination objectives and lifting the entire region.”
For others, imitation is the best form of flattery. “When I travel I am currently looking for things that the hotel is doing right, if it something that I can do myself with my team, I will bring it to them and implement it right away,” said Michael Papierno, General Manager of Viana Hotel and Spa in Westbury, NY.
When Papierno said he’s seen a negative situation going on, he will take a step back and look at it from the guest’s perspective. “I say to myself, ‘Is my team doing the same thing?’ If so, I change it and start training those individuals that might be providing the bad experience.”
Not only does Papierno visit other hotels, he sends his staff to gain insight on how other hotels handle a variety if situations, but cautions he’s very careful on justifying travel expenses. “My company will not spend money on frivolous travel unless we feel that the situation will bring us future business,” he said.
Some GM’s make outside visits part of a sales strategy. “I try to visit the local competition on a monthly basis, at minimum quarterly,” said Tim Peters, Sr., General Manager of The Nautical Beachfront Resort in Lake Havasu City, AZ. He said he’s specifically looking for nuances by staff on how they interact with guests. “I am looking for changes in sense of arrival, communication to guests whether it by a personal concierge or via information boards, etc.” he said.
He went on to say some of the best known practices are those found at other hotels. He then takes that basic idea and adds his slant on the favorable experience making it feel as though it is his own. “Typically,” said Peters. “I involve the relevant department manager to review the potential of us doing something similar to what I experienced and then review with management team for proper execution. Often times we include team members to provide feedback and input to help ensure buy in. After all, it is the team members that have to execute the strategy and it is always best to have their involvement in the development of the plan.”
In the resort business, Peters said he is vigilant about checking out the competition in different locations whenever he finds himself in such destinations. “You can never learn enough and I am always looking for ways to bring new ideas back to my resort that I may not find in my immediate market,” Peters said. “Someone is always coming up with new ideas to improve the guest experience and your competition or similar hotels and resorts can provide some great direction in this area. You can never be too old to learn new things from just about anyone.”
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