ST. PAUL, MN Travel commentator Rudy Maxa, whose radio show, “The Savvy Traveler,” is heard on almost 200 domestic stations, Monday, May 7, delivered the keynote address on opening day of the AmericInn International LLC annual conference being held here at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel St. Paul.
Maxa challenged the audience of some 400 franchisees to take to heart his topic: “What Do Guests Want Anyway? The Future of Lodging and Travel.” He stressed today s guests are looking for personalization in their hotel experiences and noted a limited-service property, such as an AmericInn can do as good a job as a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton when it comes to customer service.
There are lessons to be learned from how these luxury hotels deliver service, noted Maxa. For example, he said, when a guest is looking for a room or a vending machine a franchisee “can do what Ritz-Carlton does walk the guest to where he or she needs to be.”
It s also important that staff give “teeth and eyes,” said Maxa, meaning a smile and eye contact with the guest. “You can train your people to do the same as Ritz-Carlton does.”
He also suggested franchisees provide unexpected or “value” gestures, such as ultra-large bars of soap or large type on the amenities bottles so people with impaired vision don t have to guess if they re putting shampoo or bath gel on their heads.
“Get people to remember you,” said Maxa. (5/8/01) Stefani C. O Connor