Monday, April 14, 2008

Don't Run From Complaining Customers.

Don't Run From Complaining Customers.

Don't Run From Complaining Customers.
By John Tschohl
Saturday, 12th April 2008

Solve their problems and you will build customer loyalty - “I am so sorry. Let me change your seat assignment and move you closer to the front of the plane, so you won’t have to walk so far. Can I take you down the jetway in a wheelchair? Is there anything else I can do to help you?”

I was shocked at this exchange between an airline agent and a passenger. Why? Because it is so rare that an employee of any business will actually apologize for a mistake, take responsibility for it, and correct it—all within a matter of one minute. And yet, that is exactly what should occur when attempting to provide the best possible service to a customer.

Let me give you an example of how not to handle a complaint. I recently had a problem with my Sprint cell phone. I wrote a letter to the company, saying that I planned to cancel a plan I’ve had for 10 years. What did that company do? Nothing. It never even acknowledged my letter. What was the result? I no longer will be a Sprint customer.

Too many companies run from problems; that’s why they lose customers. Then they spend millions of dollars on advertising to get new customers who they eventually will drive away when those customers’ complaints fall on deaf ears.

When a customer complains, you should be grateful. Why? Because that customer is giving you the opportunity to make things right and to retain her business. Research shows that only about 4 percent of customers will tell you when they have a problem. The other 96 percent simply won’t do business with you again. Instead, they quietly fume and take their business—and their money—elsewhere. They also will tell an average of 10 other people about the problem they had with your organization.

Handling customer complaints is a critical element in providing exceptional service. It’s also one aspect of any job that employees fear and, consequently, mishandle. The reason is twofold: They take complaints personally, and they haven’t been trained in how to deal with irate customers. In fact, many employees quit their jobs because they don’t like—and don’t know how—to deal with complaining customers. When employees are trained to deal with complaints, the organization wins on two fronts. It not only retains its customers, it retains its employees.

When handling complaints, employees can win customers’ loyalty by following these six steps:

1. Listen carefully and with interest to what the customer has to say. Don’t get defensive, either with your words or your body language. Remember that the customer is not attacking you personally; he is merely describing the problem and hoping you can solve it. Also, don’t let the conversation wander. The goal is to solve one specific problem, not to find more problems.

2. Put yourself in the customer’s place. Make responses that show you care about the customer’s problem. You might say, “I don’t blame you for being upset.” When you show empathy for a customer’s situation, you defuse the situation and have a calming influence on the customer. Never directly challenge the customer. Even if the customer is wrong and you’re right, don’t attempt to prove it. The goal is to solve the problem, not debate who is at fault.

3. Ask questions in a caring, concerned manner. The more information you have, the better armed you will be to solve the problem to the customer’s satisfaction.

4. Suggest one or more alternatives to address the customer’s concerns. Ask the customer what she feels would be an appropriate solution. Then make some suggestions on your own. Become a partner with the customer in solving the problem.

5. Apologize without blaming. Nothing defuses a potentially volatile situation better than a sincere apology. When a customer sees—and hears—that you are sorry for the problem he is experiencing, he will respond in a like manner. Don’t participate in fault-finding. It doesn’t help anyone to shift the blame to another person or department.

6. Solve the problem or find someone who can solve it. When complaints are solved quickly, it saves the organization money because, every time a complaint is moved up the ladder, it becomes more expensive to handle. Solve the problem and then work with the organization to make sure it doesn’t occur again.

John Tschohl is an international service strategist and speaker. Described by Time and Entrepreneur magazines as a customer service guru, he has written several books, including The Customer is Boss, Loyal For Life, e-Service, Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service, and Ca$hing In. John also has developed more than 26 customer service training programs that have been distributed and presented throughout the world. www.customer-service.com

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Dynamic Packaging - The Next Battlefield

Dynamic Packaging sales will double by 2009. Online agencies are using it to increase customer loyalty & profit, if hotels sit back, they will be squeezed out of the packaging market.
Excerpts from - 2008 Dynamic Trends Report

Dynamic Packaging is now the next battlefield!
"The Dynamic Packaging market is growing. Hotels, Spas and Resorts need to learn from what happened after 9/11 when the online agencies took control of hotel bookings. Accommodations providers have been fighting to take back control of their inventories (Chains more successfully than Independents). Dynamic Packaging is now the next battlefield. Online agencies have been using dynamic packaging as a way of building increased customer loyalty and profit, if hoteliers sit back and wait they will be squeezed out of the packaging market."
Marc Zablatsky, President of iTravel Solutions

Trends that Impact Your Online Plans (Forrester Research)
Vacation Package Sales on the Web are forecast to reach $3.3billion by 2009. That is more than double the $1.6 billion booked in 2006. What is more disconcerting is that these bookers are the most brand loyal of all the online bookers. They are the most loyal to your hotel, but they currently have little opportunity to meet their vacation needs on your website.

The Major Hotel Brands are winning the Online Battle with Intermediary Websites.
BUT... Independent Hotels, Resorts & Spas are Still Losing the Battle. In 2006 the major hotel brands did 81.4% of their online bookings direct and only 18.6% through intermediary websites (Hilton does 90% direct and only 10% indirect). By contrast most Independents do less then 40% of their online bookings direct.
Online Intermediaries need hoteliers more than hoteliers need them (HeBS).
Hotels are the only major travel segment that still provides abnormally high profit margins to online intermediaries. Now is the time to start working with fewer third party intermediaries and at dramatically lower margins (target 15%-18%).

Avg. Revenue for Online Intermediaries per booking
Airline Reservations $10
Car Rental Reservations $5
Hotel Reservations $80 (ADR $200, 2 nights
20% markup)
A major STR/PWC study found that the hospitality industry lost over $1billion on profit leakage due to online intermediaries in the form of abnormally high markups

This report was researched & created for iTravel Solutions by Marc Zablatsky

For a full copy of the 5-page industry report go to www.iTravelSolutions.com/trends.cfm

CONTACT
Marc Zablatsky
President
iTravel Solutions
Email: Z@itravelsolutions.com


ORGANIZATION
iTravel Solutions
www.itravelsolutions.com
46 Birmingham Parkway
Boston, MA 02135
USA
Phone: 617-562-1300

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Hyatt concierges go Travel 2.0

April 01, 2008

yatt’it, the new online travel community from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, offers travelers an essential combination of credible, candid, fellow-traveler advice, lively discussion forums and direct-booking options. Designed for members of the Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program, but rich in benefits for all travelers, yatt’it is the first travel site to offer expert insight and tips from Hyatt concierges in more than 40 destinations around the world along with advice from confirmed frequent travelers. Among the featured concierges will be Majda Azzoumi from Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and Rich Esparza from Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport.

In addition, partnerships with well-trusted sources like Frommers.com and FlightStats.com will quickly establish yatt’it as the best online forum for worldwide travel tips.

“We are very excited that two Hyatt properties and concierges from Orlando will be featured on yatt’it as an authentic travel expert,” said Paul Tang, general manager of Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and vice president / managing director for Global Hyatt Corporation. “We feel that travelers all around the world will benefit from her guidance before planning a trip to Orlando.”

Only Hyatt Gold Passport members can create profiles, post advice and book travel through yatt’it, but all travelers will benefit from the site’s extensive content, knowing that all advice has been provided by confirmed, well-seasoned business and leisure travelers in a forum open to honest comments and ratings.

“Hyatt has always made its guests’ needs a priority,” said Tom O’Toole, Chief Marketing Officer for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “With yatt’it, we are continuing that tradition by providing a community that offers the most relevant and authentic first-hand travel information from seasoned travelers and expert Hyatt concierges. This advice, coupled with our partnerships with Frommers.com and FlightStats.com, promises to make yatt’it a credible and trustworthy online resource for all travelers.

For destination research and at-a-glance overviews, Frommers.com provides direct links to its Fast Facts pages, along with entry-requirement information to assist first-time visitors. “We are excited to expand our long-standing relationship with Hyatt and provide trusted travel advice to yatt’it,” said Craig Schickler, Director, E-business Development, Wiley Publishing.

“We are pleased that Frommer’s was chosen as an expert resource for travel tips for this innovative new site. Frommer’s has created original content specifically for yatt’it based on its unique needs to ensure a great experience and high quality content for all of its members.”

A partnership with FlightStats.com offers real-time airport updates to help fliers avoid unpleasant surprises at the airport. From the yatt’it site, travelers can check essential information such as arrival and departure times for all airlines, estimated wait times for security checks at any airport, and weather or local transportation delays. yatt’it also offers users a mobile download feature at mobile.yattit.com, accessible anytime and anywhere in the world for travelers on the go.

“The partnership between yatt’it and FlightStats greatly improves the quality of travel for Hyatt guests by providing valuable information and timely data,” says Meara McLaughlin, Conducive Technology’s VP of Marketing. “Hyatt’s commitment to service makes the company an ideal partner for FlightStats, and we look forward to working with them on this innovative new project.”

Related Link: yatt’it


Article location: http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/hyatt_concierges_go_travel_20/