HotelsMag September 2016 | Page 24

MANAGEMENT
>> Continued from page 21
The retail industry has honed the ability to track this online consumer behavior and tailor content accordingly . Hoteliers should , too . Why can ' t the mobile booking experience be as simple as ordering an Uber or a Zeel massage ? Why is it so much more difficult to book a hotel room or services ? Hoteliers need to be nimble in adopting new technology that allows them to forge deeper relationships with guests . We cannot see technology as merely a means to an end ; we
can use it to enhance the guest experience – to become a problem solver and a differentiator .
Perhaps the greatest examples of technologies that connect us are the rapid growth of social networking sites . By 2019 , Instagram is estimated to reach 111.6 million Americans , more than one-third of the population . This technology not only allows hoteliers to see what matters most to their guests . It opens the door to cultivate relationships between guests . By using the
geo-tag and commenting features , we ' re able to connect guests through a timely call to action . For example , share an image of the bocce ball court at Chicago Athletic Association and ask if anyone is interested in a pick-up game .
Imagine how hoteliers can go even further to build opportunities for shared experiences among like-minded guests . They can take a cue from WeWork , where via their app-hosted community network , guests can opt into on-
and off-location happenings .
To meet the influx of guest information being shared , social media listening skills will need to be increased . The connectivity to CRM technology is more vital than ever , now linking the data to guest social media profiles and giving hoteliers the ability to even further personalize customer service .
The rise of technology won ’ t replace our need or desire for human connection ; it has the power to foster that relationship in exciting new ways .

MANAGEMENT : HUMANITY , ESPRIT DE CORPS STILL MATTER MOST

HOTELS : What is the industry ignoring at its peril ?
BASHAR WALI , president , Provenance Hotels , Portland , Oregon : Humanity . There was a time when “ ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen ” was a fresh , elegant and decidedly human insight . It spoke to an environment where elevated employee engagement led to elevated guest engagement . And it worked .
It worked so well that it became a mechanized system , branded , replicated and imposed throughout the industry . The dictum , once powerful , grew to become trite , and , frankly , a bit condescending .
Service is not a system . It requires systems , but being a successful hotelier today is about emotional intelligence , not conducting Gallup polls .
Empathy is not a methodology ; it ’ s a human quality . If you hire the right people , with the right qualities , you don ’ t need scripts .
PHILIP WOOD , managing director , The Jefferson Hotel , Washington , D . C .: In my opinion , this is a double-edged sword . On the one side , if you ignore the speed and advancements in technology , you risk being ignored by generations that have grown up with computers for toys who have become dependent on electronics as their prime method of communication . The other side is that we forget that personal interaction is still at the core of hospitality .
H : What would you like to see hotel management stop doing ?
WOOD : In my career , I have managed everything from a
22 hotelsmag . com September 2016