Daniel Edward Craig, Hotel Consultant

I really enjoyed this article. Lots of good points...

2010-10-02T03:20:49.132-07:00

I really enjoyed this article. Lots of good points here.
I share your opinion about the importance of proper online reputation management and the dangers of outsourcing a hotel's social media efforts to a traditional PR agency.
In my opinion, many of the industry's PR partners have very little understanding of how social media can best be used to the maximum benefit of hotels & their guests.
This is why it is so important for hotels to put together proper social media policies and to start employing Community or Social Media Managers.
Very few hotels realise the wealth of data they are sitting on across their various social media platforms. Shouldn't all this data be cross-fed into a hotel's property management or CRM system, where it can actually be used to provide better service for guests?
I would be delighted if you would have a look at pages I manage for the Bonnington in Dubai:
www.facebook.com/bonningtontower
www.facebook.com/bonningtontowerfans
twitter.com/bonningtontower
www.bonningtontontower.com/blog

All the best,

Martin

You are so right...quality over quantity!

2010-09-30T10:52:09.102-07:00

You are so right...quality over quantity!

You are so right, quality over quantity!

2010-09-30T10:51:18.949-07:00

You are so right, quality over quantity!

Seeing the blow-up doll image in your Blog was so ...

2010-09-29T13:20:25.549-07:00

Seeing the blow-up doll image in your Blog was so funny. I could just imagine what is found in hotel rooms after the guests depart. It reminded me of the introduction of the new show Pawn Stars, where the owner said, "There is one thing you can be sure of,that is you never know what is going to come through that door!" I guess the same is true in hotel rooms, you just never know what you will find after.

Felipe, That's great to hear - not the colleag...

2010-09-26T15:37:12.544-07:00

Felipe, That's great to hear - not the colleagues not caring part but that this blog has been of help to you, and especially that you agree with many of the things I've said ;) Thanks for sharing.

Dear Daniel, I have been following for a while. I...

2010-09-25T14:22:19.304-07:00

Dear Daniel,

I have been following for a while. I have been working and interested with the Social Media since 2002. As a hotel manager it has been a tremendous tool and a great help for my work. I think I don’t need to tell how because I agree with sooooo many of the things you write. It’s hard to understand how there are so many colleagues that do not care about what it’s being said about their hotel, their brand, about other hotels.

I just wanted to say “good workd” and I will keep on following you.

Onion City, I love being used (just not abused). M...

2010-09-23T20:12:03.002-07:00

Onion City, I love being used (just not abused). My articles and tools are here for every hotel to use, though only the really smart ones are using them. Good luck with that social media plan, and let me know if I can help.

Hello again, it's the night shift gal doing he...

2010-09-20T00:55:18.185-07:00

Hello again, it's the night shift gal doing her research. I am blessed with a wonderful manager and we both think alike, two great minds combined ;)... But we talk a lot about comments regarding our hotel and how to deal with negative and/or false statements as well as how not to rest on our laurels when we get good reviews.The next big thing for us is 'social media' and how we can expose our humble adobe in the cyberspace. So, I had better get to my reading and thank you for so much relevant information. By the way, don't you feel used sometimes ?

the hotel with $12million in sale & care with ...

2010-09-18T01:42:40.595-07:00

the hotel with $12million in sale
& care with the customer. some hotel are make profit& some are not.

Subject: is the role of the hotel concierge going ...

2010-09-08T05:27:11.125-07:00

Subject: is the role of the hotel concierge going obsolete?

In a word, Nope. My husband & I just returned from a trip to Eastern Europe. We checked into the Intercontinental in Warsaw and the Concierge was our lifeline to the city.

In fairness, perhaps it's because I'm in the biz that I know the benefits of using a concierge.

Before we even left Toronto, I contacted the concierge & told them what we wanted to do. They had our plans, while not set in stone, but in place for our confirmation when we got there.

We had a personal guide & driver for our day trip to Lublin & Majdanek. We had our train tickets to Krakow with help on when was the best time to go. We had immediate reservations at a great restaurant. We were told the day we wanted to go to the Museum Uprising Museum was the day it was closed. We had only one other day to go & it was the day of our out of town trip. Our concierge immediately contacted our private guide & was able to change the date.

We were in a city for the first time, we didn't know the language. We would have been lost without our concierge service at the Warsaw Intercontinental.

And of course, I've since sent a letter to the GM there.

Concierges are not obsolete. Nothing beats live face to face contact. I tried to weed through the train schedules and was totally lost. We our concierge, we were even able to have the train & guide tickets billed to our hotel. (Yes, there was a fee for this, it was well worth it!).

Concierges are not obsolete!

Sandy Biback
Meeting Planner by profession
Traveller by choice

Onion City: A cornucopia, I'm flattered. And h...

2010-09-07T18:41:10.872-07:00

Onion City: A cornucopia, I'm flattered. And happy to know my advice is helping. Hm, getting the night shift to respond to reviews, a brilliant idea. Provided a day manager proofs before posting. I recall from my days as a night manager not always being the most lucid. Thanks for writing.

Well said, Onion City. Indeed, OTA business is far...

2010-09-07T18:37:49.347-07:00

Well said, Onion City. Indeed, OTA business is far better than no business. The trick is to convert the OTA traveler to a direct book on future stays. Thanks for writing.

I have just printed out the document, so I should ...

2010-09-07T00:31:56.544-07:00

I have just printed out the document, so I should probably read it before/to I comment on it. Hm... Night shift has its blessings in that once you are assigned to deal with those reviews, you look for help and inspiration ( no plagiarism in mind) anywhere you can. And your blog has been a ... to use a nice word... cornucopia... of both relevant information/insight and entertainment. Thank you and blog on.

It's a love-hate relationship, whether you lik...

2010-09-07T00:19:30.565-07:00

It's a love-hate relationship, whether you like it or not. A hotel can gain so much exposure through OTAs and sure you cry and pay the commission, but secretly, someone somewhere in a dark room is working on how to turn those OTA guests into future direct reservations. So, while we hate those commissions, we love the guests.

Oh, the things I have seen left behind in the room...

2010-09-07T00:07:34.082-07:00

Oh, the things I have seen left behind in the rooms... Bless my mother for strong genes, because heart stops sometimes. But, for me, an employee, it's all human and I treat all those I-may-have-left-"something"-in-my-room-last-night phone calls with respect and privacy the staying or already checked out guest deserves. The service goes beyond the walls of the hotel, I think.

SYA, glad you enjoyed the post. Good luck with the...

2010-09-06T17:20:09.553-07:00

SYA, glad you enjoyed the post. Good luck with the blogging, and thanks for writing.

To the former waiter at Epcot Center: How conforti...

2010-09-06T17:16:50.590-07:00

To the former waiter at Epcot Center: How conforting to know I'm not alone! Still have those nightmares. Funny, I never have nightmares about lines at the front desk, though I did that for a lot longer. Thanks for writing. DEC

Hi Mr. Craig! I used to be a waiter in Epcot Cent...

2010-09-03T11:08:22.859-07:00

Hi Mr. Craig!

I used to be a waiter in Epcot Center, working in the mexican restaurant. I worked as a server for 6 months but believe me, I still have nightmares regarding tables and kitchen issues like having big tables and they want separated bills or I see myself carrying trays again or forgetting re-fills ..
I think mind is powerful ha ha, so once in a while I have those deja-vu in my dreams ..

Love your blog!

Wow, this certainly is an exhilarating post. Real ...

2010-09-02T23:06:54.333-07:00

Wow, this certainly is an exhilarating post. Real cool writing style, it's a shame that you lost your spirit on blogging for awhile there. Though, I must agree that sometimes I don't feel like maintaining a blog. It's a great thing that there are other helpful bloggers like HM5 and Eric that simply inspire ideas that make blogging really worthwhile. Best of luck to all!

Good Evening Mr. Craig, Thank you very much for y...

2010-09-01T20:59:51.555-07:00

Good Evening Mr. Craig,

Thank you very much for your article, and I also hope that the concierge comes back.

After working in the hotel, restaurant and event industry for 31 years, I have seen quite a bit; some good but unfortunately mostly bad. With all the managers I have worked with (Australia, Maui, CA, AZ, WA, NV), I can only count the number of great leaders on one hand. Yes, it is very sad as this is a great industry to work in.

Most hotels who eliminate the concierge are usually the ones who have lots of managers but boast no leaders, who look at their bottom line at the end of the month before they look at how to enhance their system with the employees already employed. A concierge who introduces themselves to every guest (when possible) and offers them their card not only establishes a rapport with those guests, but makes first impressions a more positive one; whether they use the concierge or not.

What many managers forget is that when you eliminate a customer service position; whatever the position; maid, front desk, server, etc., the burden of that lost customer time now falls onto other customer service employees, most likely overworked already, which equates to the gradual decline of service standards.

When I walk into a restaurant, a hotel or any kind of shop, within 15 seconds, I can deduce whether that establishment has a caring and hard working GM/owner or one that sits idly at his/her desk making excuses and is hoping for the best.

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,

David B. Jones

Thanks to all for your comments! Anonymous: glad ...

2010-09-01T20:14:55.234-07:00

Thanks to all for your comments!

Anonymous: glad to hear my post has given you some comfort while in residence at the Days Inn in New Mexico. Hang in there. Living in a hotel does have its perks! DEC

Thanks to all for your comments. Little Nomads: ...

2010-09-01T18:36:02.821-07:00

Thanks to all for your comments.

Little Nomads: love the saying, thanks for sharing.

Readers: An in-depth study of the impact of OTAs on hotels was published this week by Max Starkov of Hospitality eBusiness Strategies. I highly recommend reading the article:

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4048085.html

I Love your blog! I am doing an internship in a Da...

2010-09-01T12:13:39.755-07:00

I Love your blog!
I am doing an internship in a Days Inn in New Mexico and I have to leave in this Hotel.
Believe me,I feel the same way you felt in that Hotel
Of course, this is not a expensive hotel but somedays Im so stuck in here and I have the same issues you had with houseekeeping seeing the mess in my room or guest seeing me go in to a room in pjs
Thanks for sharing this!
I feel better now!

Great post Daniel. We used to have saying when I w...

2010-08-29T17:26:43.788-07:00

Great post Daniel. We used to have saying when I was working in the hotel industry.

"Once you drop you pants and get satisfaction its hard to pull your pants back up"

Agree Hotels need to get smarter in the way that they entice and get customers to book direct. Surely this behaviour by the hotels is only eroding their business unless they are making it up once the customer is in the door.

James

Daniel, I agree wholeheartedly with your 10 steps...

2010-08-27T09:05:34.067-07:00

Daniel,

I agree wholeheartedly with your 10 steps - but especially #2 - "Do the Math."

A hotel with $10 million in sales and 40% direct would have an additional $750,000 in revenue if it could get its direct business up to 70%. Not an impossible objective, because we have done it.

The hotel would have to spend some of that $750,000 on effective database and customer relationship marketing so the savings won't be all profit.

But over time the hotel will be more in control of it its own destiny - it will know its customers and prospects and what motivates them. No longer will they be so dependent on 3rd parties who primarily sell the cheapest rate. Balance will be restored.

Great post!