Hotel News Resource - Hamister Group Hotel Industry News

We've all been there: a guest approaches the desk, upset and yelling about a problem. Dealing with upset guests is one of the most disagreeable tasks for any hospitality professional. However, with the attitude and technique, we can turn problems into opportunities. Here are my best tips on how to gain loyalty through calm conflict resolution.

Learn How Relationship Development Can Help You Land Top Performers

Thorough interview preparation is one of the most important aspects of successful hiring. Even busy managers can increase their company's recruiting power and differentiate themselves by diligently following a preparation checklist.

Any American over the age of 30 will immediately recognize Kenny Rogers' 1978 hit The Gambler:

We have a shocking confession: Matt, Kent, and I have absolutely no intention of providing excellent customer and co-worker service. We provide care. What's the difference?

I think of employment ads and descriptions as personalized letters to ideal candidates. Trying to screen out inferior candidates is useless at this stage: they are desperate and will apply no matter what I write, whether they have the credentials or not. I concentrate all my attention on the person who will love the particular job and whom we will love as a co-worker.

I began my hotel career as a front desk clerk. I subsequently worked as a reservations manager, a director of sales, and then as a multiple property sales manager. While working my way up the ladder, I noted the closed doors and watch-dog secretaries of many general managers. Those managers rarely took tours of their properties, never said good morning to guests, and had their secretaries screen all calls. I vowed that someday I would be a very different kind of general manager - the kind that I never had.

As a hotel manager turned assisted living administrator, I have a unique perspective on what it takes to make a good first impression in both the assisted living and hotel industries.

Respect Your Customer, For Better Or For Worse

Mark Hamister often talks about the importance of not straying too far from your present skill sets when entering a new business sector. Tackling the unknown is an energizing challenge, but it is crucial to choose an industry that you can understand well from your previous experience. There is one thing, however, that Hamister cautions entrepreneurs not to do after carefully selecting a new line of business: never assume that you know anything about your new customers until you ask them.