tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11012633354825983442024-02-08T00:38:36.024+00:00Barsby AssociatesEXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE is driven by owners and managers. BARSBY ASSOCIATES can help your business CONVERT PASSION INTO PROFIT with practical hands on experienced advice, MENTORING and support.Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-397390633655226372014-11-18T12:49:00.000+00:002014-11-18T12:49:03.483+00:00New Customers are not just for Christmas!!! Have you already sown the seeds for a poor January??<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">So you've finished your review of 2015/16 marketing plan, humming
the John Lewis annual hit, had your fill of mince pies and it’s not even
December! </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Are your new customers just for Christmas, will you be
losing loyal customers whilst servicing the Christmas spike? Have you already
sown the seeds of a poor January?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’re not suggesting that businesses should not capitalise
from the opportunities that Christmas presents; we’re just hoping they will
resist the temptation to drop to the lowest possible standards of service and
choice in order to cram in those extra punters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Christmas period is great. Many enterprises can expect
an increase of customers to their business by 300% or more. If the overall
experience for these new customers is positive and memorable half of these could
become regulars helping you to ensure January and February make a contribution
to profit and helping to create less troughs throughout the following year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At Barsby Associates Ltd we strongly advise all businesses
to ensure their focus on customer satisfaction during the Christmas period will
drive loyalty during the first three months of 2015. Far too many businesses
see the Christmas period and New Year’s Eve as a bonanza during which “cramming
them in” is the name of the game inadvertently undermining the careful
positioning and marketing carried out during the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our top tips are;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Stand out for great service, value and overall experience</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Ensure your team has exceptional product and
company knowledge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Make sure your suppliers and partners understand
your market positioning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Merchandise, point of sale material, video etc
all to be “on message”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Devise a hook to entice customers to visit you
during January</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Understand your “target customer” likes, “must
haves” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">and latest trends</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Start each shift with a briefing “imagine a
successful session” set and agree targets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Make time for a debrief, listen to employees
feedback as much as customer feedback</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Clean, tidy and restock before you go home…
what-ever the time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Never forget “this is the season of goodwill and
party” make sure you and your team enjoy it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Start planning for Yuletide 2015 during January
and link it to your calendar of events</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most people celebrating Christmas will expect to see a
Yuletide offer that is unique to the time of year. The Christmas experience can
and should be provided with panache and style by well trained and motivated
employees. In the best cases employees are fully aware of what the anticipated average
spend per customer the business marketing plan has envisaged thus helping
confident employees to deliver their part of a unique overall experience that
is good for your business too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVHNvsCfII06zbuCWElY3FyL_KV5KyzN4flJM6RVnk_KZO4sbDb6eiIuh7IuD7XhQtrWurvvlTi2rnA3eORqeqAk2687XGxnMRyzhGULFLAZJEt8ONCvJmrqWrRvYp_ToMX6TBSWB7Ag/s1600/BA+LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVHNvsCfII06zbuCWElY3FyL_KV5KyzN4flJM6RVnk_KZO4sbDb6eiIuh7IuD7XhQtrWurvvlTi2rnA3eORqeqAk2687XGxnMRyzhGULFLAZJEt8ONCvJmrqWrRvYp_ToMX6TBSWB7Ag/s1600/BA+LOGO.jpg" height="93" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Adrian Barsby, 07921787668, <a href="mailto:adrian@barsbyassociates.com">adrian@barsbyassociates.com</a> Barsby Associates Ltd </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-60119496449721739592014-08-05T16:33:00.003+01:002014-08-05T16:33:48.572+01:00Head in the sand or enthusiastic embrace… how are you planning for impact of the new law?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Allergen Legislation; Food Information Regulations 2013</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Head in the sand or
enthusiastic embrace… how are you planning for impact of the new law?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may be aware that from December 13<sup>th</sup> 2014, yet more
legislation will impact on all organisations selling food. Please don’t let the
current anti EU wave allow you to become emboldened to ignore this EU directive
becoming British Law for the fines are heavy and be assured enforcement agencies
and lawyers are busy preparing targets for criminal and civil prosecutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However uncomfortable you may feel at being forced to
comply, spare a thought for those plus their family and friends who cannot and
do not dine out regularly due to their allergies. In the aftermath of the horse
meat scandal most consumers want more not less information and enhanced
confidence that we are eating what is says on the label. I think more and more
of us will be unsettled by companies moaning that they have to specify what is
in their products; I for one react favourably to reference of ingredients with provenance
and will buy with increased confidence from those who can readily list
ingredients and their properties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are many areas where we can quite justifiably campaign
for less government and administrative burden, this is not one we can or should
fight. As vendors we have both a moral and legal responsibility to our
customers and this law will help enshrine best practice by some into basic
practice by everyone, benefiting not only customers but all who work in food;
processing, manufacturing a<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">nd service as improved training, better supplier relationships
and more informed customers lead to increased confidence and sales.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is plenty of practical advice at; <a href="http://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/">http://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/</a>
and <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/#.U-DuVPldW6O">http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide/#.U-DuVPldW6O</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having worked with organisations of all sizes throughout the
UK and mainland Europe, Barsby Associates has experience of intertwining new
legislation into business practice so you can embrace new legislation whilst
enhancing your company’s core values; <a href="mailto:adrian@barsbyassociates.com">adrian@barsbyassociates.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Barsby Associates Ltd; <i>When you know you could be doing
better but just can’t get there… let us help extract that extra value for your hard
work and investment!</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.barsbyassociates.com</td></tr>
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Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-302995694467958652012-01-03T17:27:00.000+00:002012-01-03T17:27:10.620+00:00Busy fool for 2012?<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Welcome
2012!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well let’s hope for better than 2011 but being prepared for
worse is likely to pay dividends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had grown used to being confident that circumstances
beyond our control aside to expecting our hard work and diligence will be
rewarded during the oncoming year. The past couple of years have probably put
paid to that level of optimism however there is though nothing sadder than to
witness people working their fingers to the bone but failing to recognise they
are mining the wrong seam especially those locked into doing things a certain
way because it bought them past success. Becoming a busy fool can happen to
almost anyone and perhaps we are most at risk during periods such as the
uncertain times we currently navigate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tourism & Leisure finds it self in a unique place in
that the “end product” is enhanced by advances in IT through increasing assessability
as the possibilities of social media, the integration of electronic platforms,
PMS and software developments enhance management performance, improve customer
feedback and heighten expectations of customers whilst at the same time the fundamentals
remain the same i.e. good service, cleanliness etc. Ultimately our customers
are looking for and expecting quality employee contact to complete their
leisure / tourism experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many ways in which the advantages of social media
and electronic distribution can be managed in order individual businesses can
retain control over reputation, customer history and reduce costs whilst
enhancing loyalty and repeat business. The starting point is to set targets for
distribution channels, commission ratio and repeat business. It may also
require some painful decisions to be taken regarding whether you are chasing profit
or revenue? All too often we’ve seen revenue being sought in order to maintain a
historic cost base; managers kept in post who have long since been effective,
food service and styles in keeping with previous customer needs as apposed to
contemporary expectations, these “fixed” costs robbing the business of
financial resources and driving decisions to open availability to who ever can
provide customers. It is sad to see those within tourism and leisure who have
lost sight of their distribution channels thus becoming dangerously dependant
on internet retailing, losing direct contact with customers and increasing cost
per booking and driving down yield in the process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Engaging external expertise is one way of helping you to see
the wood for the trees. I am not suggesting we have the answer to every
situation but we can help to create a viable plan to enthuse all involved with
the business to commit to delivering the basics of service matched to
qualitative research. As with most medicine there is no quick fix and as
previously mentioned sometimes the solution has been known for a while but too painfully
personal to implement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some key questions to help you decide if your current
strategy will bring you success in 2012;</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How many customers book direct via your website</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who “manages” your top 25 performing customers</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you mapped your distribution network and
costed commission fees</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is your sleeper diner ratio / conversion to
enquiry ratio</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What percentage drop in revenue would wipe out
any profit</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How many good ideas from your team have you
endorsed in the past six months</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you exceeding your customer satisfaction benchmark
rating</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">v<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Has any of your suppliers offered better prices,
increased quality and guaranteed deliveries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have difficulty answering any if these don’t despair…
but do take action as 2012 will be tough but with the right strategy and
effective, decisive implementation you could well be feeling very proud of you
and your teams performance this time next year. </span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-45690759513970089012011-05-11T06:07:00.000+01:002011-05-11T06:07:30.060+01:00Visitor Economy learning from the Royal Wedding<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Learning from the Royal Wedding</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even the most ardent of cynics will accept that the organisation and execution of the royal wedding was a resounding success. An estimated 2 billion watched enthralled as the British Royal Family demonstrated pageantry at its very best, exuding the fine qualities for organisation, precision, occasion, spectacle set in unique historic buildings with huge orderly public support and safe clean streets associated with our nation for generations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For our tourism businesses these positive images are a timely reminder to the world of the reasons to visit Great Britain and Northern Ireland, next years Olympics and Queens Jubilee providing yet more reasons to come and see first hand our unique mix of modernity and history.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are all aware of the need to meet customer expectations through delivering quality and value for money. Anyone involve with the visitor economy needs to pay special attention to the recent imagery broadcasted throughout the world in recent weeks as indicators of what our customers are going to expect from us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lets all work a little bit harder to ensure we do at least meet these expectations but hopefully in many cases exceed expectations of international and indigenous visitors especially in the following areas:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be smart, tidy up those uniforms and clean, clean, clean</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be organised, ensure everyone fully understands your product range and up sell</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spend time practicing and refining service and products, pay your staff for training and “dry runs”</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ensure it is British, regional and good value by learning sense of place</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Promote the whole of the UK</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Design and create great aftercare print, include customer feedback and referral programmes</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get a smile, be confident but modest, professional and welcoming</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 40.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Act like ambassadors of the UK</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally make it fun and rewarding for customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues!</span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-47105568876497723542011-05-05T13:01:00.002+01:002011-05-05T13:01:39.925+01:00Are colleges meeting the needs of rural enterprises?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are colleges fulfilling their role for businesses located in rural regions?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further education and life long learning are both crucial components of continuous improvement in business and personal development. Over time provision of post school learning has evolved into a complex myriad of competing organisations including; 6<sup>th</sup> form, technical colleges, polytechnics, universities, unions, trade bodies and businesses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cities and large conurbations have a distinct advantage over rural areas in providing international standards, ease and mobility of employees to gain a multitude of experiences, skills and opportunities aligned to the international dimension of all strands of commerce. This mobility and flexibility is a major benefit to most enterprises as the competition for employment and customers becomes a virtuous cycle constantly improving standards; companies become better employees, employees become more productive, customers expect more. Compare the availability of investment, international benchmarks, employee mobility and choice with rural areas and the gap is staggering. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If we develop this further and examine the opportunity for learning provided to individuals of similar abilities and interest say with a privately owned 3 / 4 star hotel located in a provincial town or village with that offered to someone working in an international chain of 3 / 4 star hotels based in a city once again the difference between range of experiences offered is staggering. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Availability and flexibility of employees is harming the potential of rural areas with many businesses forced to accept “Hobson’s choice” when recruiting and it is this lack of choice available to employees which is potentially the greatest underlying reason as to why so many enterprises remain marginal with minimum investment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colleges provide the environment in which many people will receive further education after leaving school and they provide a natural partner to business, as such should they play a greater role in providing the environment in which privately owned businesses located in rural areas can compete with urban employers with regards to the range of experience, mobility and opportunities? As publically funded bodies surely colleges should be tasked with correcting systemic failures especially those identified as being of strategic consequence. </span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-27729798762957228762011-04-18T10:34:00.000+01:002011-04-18T10:34:16.594+01:00Does practice make it more fun?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you lucky ?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think it was Gary Player who during a winning streak in the 1970’s when asked by a reporter if he felt he had been lucky to have won a tournament replied with; </span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“the harder I practice, the luckier I get!”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Famous for his nonchalance this response was in-part a brilliant put down as well as a revealing insight into his psychology. It is easy to mistake confidence for arrogance, nonchalance for complacency however in a place of work where your every move and decision is under close scrutiny such qualities are only achievable after reaching a state of self confidence born from practice, practice and practice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of us working in the hospitality and leisure sector are, by definition in public view our actions constantly being evaluated against customer expectations. A confident demeanour, easy smile and pride in the place of work and region are all qualities we are expected to exude. Key to being able to appear as such is understanding and anticipating customer needs and “being lucky” to know what the soup of the day is or what time the last bus departs. Of course it is not always our fault if we don’t know but we will be accused of not caring or being tardy and lazy if we don’t find out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We can take responsibility for being lucky by working to the maxim;</span> <span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“no one should be in a position to reply <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t know</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to a question from a customer or colleague”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A simple enough premise but one that takes time and practice to deliver, steps to consider taking to help gain a reputation for being lucky include;</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recruit for attitude</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ensure effective and interactive induction</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inspire professionalism and encourage time for listening</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep rewarding good practice</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anticipate customer and colleague needs</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Train, retrain and train again</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gain feedback but remember you are the quality controller, not the customer</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foster trust and confidence</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Create an environment that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>customers and employees want to be part of</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good Luck and have lots of FUN</span></span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-22880456712730545162011-03-23T09:19:00.000+00:002011-03-23T09:19:34.106+00:00Managing Customer Experience<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Managing customer experience</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contact points will dictate your customer experiences. How many do you need to ensure your company does what it says on your tin?</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you know how many contact points are necessary for the success of your business what measures do you undertake to ensure these are managed to maximise your customers experience? Traditional hospitality and leisure businesses are being squeezed by “home experience cuisine” offered by supermarkets and “stripped down service models” where customer contact is kept to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a minimum. Price points are dictating levels of service customers want, are you one of those operators who has confused levels of service with quality?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are reducing the “human” contact by definition you are also reducing the opportunities to react to customer needs and provide a personalised service. A key consequence of this is the utmost necessity to get every contact “spot on”. Only well trained, informed and motivated employees can provide consistent quality experiences.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It might sound complicated but without some form of brand filter to evaluate everything you do you are exposing your customers to inconsistent service and products. Careful and diligent use of a brand filter will ensure your personal values can be fully represented by all who engage with your business; suppliers will get their products to you having been quality checked, employees will maximise each contact point upholding your values and your community will drive recommendations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ten top things to help ensure your actions to match what you say on your tin:</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Decide on your brand values</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Research highest price points</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine being a customer, love them, attract them</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recruit suppliers, employees, agents etc with a ruthless adherance to your brand values</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be bold, make clear promises and try to exceed them through quality training</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ensure every contact point is needed and adds value</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be personally linked to your company and be part of the community</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t expect your customers to pay for your inefficiencies</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make it look, feel and be fun</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have an exit strategy right at the beginning </span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-43214941413055567952011-03-04T14:05:00.000+00:002011-03-04T14:05:03.512+00:00Too Lazy or clever to train??<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too clever or too lazy to train?</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does it make any sense to commit hundreds, thousands or even millions of pounds to your businesses and then fail to equip staff with basic hospitality skills? If I had received £1 for every time someone has said to me “well I’ve told them time and time again” when trying to explain service failure I could be giving Bill Gates a good run for his money! And this is where the crux lies; training is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>not </u></b>telling… Someone is not trained until they can carry out the required task to the set standard again and again without supervision.</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you drive customers away from your business, town, region or country by failing to train, pandering to the lowest common denominator or are you collaborating in programmes designed to drive up standards and working to deliver continuous improvement? Do you teach your colleagues and employees how to use knowledge gained to underpin and project your ethos, are you experienced enough to, recognise, reward and encourage them? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my late teens I experienced the two extremes of induction; in one leading hotel whilst being trained in the fine dinning restaurant it was a full six weeks before I was let loose on the unsuspecting paying customer and for the following six weeks I was closely monitored, praised, admonished and motivated by experienced restaurateurs passionate about excellent service, passing on their knowledge and of course tips. Core skills and intimate product knowledge were but key components of providing the ambience expected in first class dinning areas what took time to learn was the application of these skills in interacting with colleagues and customers. I can still recall the sense of pride and achievement when I was assessed as being competent enough to work unsupervised. The second experience still has the ability to make me cringe and feel helpless, stupid and embarrassed for the customer; my first shift as night porter commenced with me being provided with an ill-fitting uniform which it was insisted I wore. On taking a room service order I was deliberately given a pen that did not work so my “trainer” wrote down the room number took me to the kitchen area and showed me how to make the sandwich present the tray with side orders etc after which he sent me on my way to deliver the ham sandwich with English mustard and glass of milk. I did not know that he had written down a non existent room number which meant when taking the room service tray I searched in vain for this fictitious room the along the whole of each corridor, up and down fire escapes before being forced to return with the undelivered tray and failed mission to the waiting highly amused colleagues, “where have you been” boomed the Head Night Porter, Mr Peterson (yes I can still remember his name) has been complaining. It was a great laugh to everyone, deliberately putting me in my place for being so keen. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Times have definitely changed since those days with most enterprises unable to afford 12 weeks of non productive employment and to be fair the bullying culture of the 70’s and 80’s has receded resulting that most peoples first experience of work experience, part time or fulltime employment in our sector lies somewhere in-between. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However as customers become more knowledgeable and discerning it is incumbent on businesses of all sizes to take control of training to ensure their customer experience at least matches expectations. Owners and managers need to take full responsibility for ensuring employees are fully equipped to enjoy and be successful at their work. No business is too small to adopt these principals. It is quite possible that no business can afford not too!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time spent devising and then implementing induction as a tool to underpin your ethos will pay dividends especially if your recruitment is such that you have selected the person most suited for you. With unprecedented pressures on all organisations after the financial meltdown it must be tempting to decide not to pay for training and when you consider the amount of “free” courses being offered by FE and HE providers it is understandable you may be paralysed into inaction but please, please, please evaluate your organisation needs, measure customer expectations against you and your teams ability to exceed and implement training after assessing who is best to provide the quality you require. </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are too clever or lazy to train; delegate! </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Use induction to demonstrate a clear commitment at the beginning of each employee’s time with you to outline what training, environment and conditions you will provide and what you expect back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stretch your skills and encourage those around you to stretch you. </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allow periods of time for trainees to absorb the necessary skills, culture and manner in which these skills should be utilised. </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do not forget employees mirror you best when you are not present. </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When customers don’t miss you your team is performing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Measure and reward productivity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are praising and not admonishing your employees you will probably be a benchmark enterprise driving up quality and leading the way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Come-on owners and managers commit your standards to paper and devise ways in which you will monitor performance in order that you will attract and retain quality employees and loyal customers. </span></span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-86355805293430998202011-02-11T15:07:00.000+00:002011-02-11T15:07:06.980+00:00Internet retailer ran off with my hotel !<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Internet retailer ran off with my hotel !</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Accommodation providers have been asleep on the job and are beginning to realise whilst they have been busy undercutting each other, online retailers are making a killing through selling their inventory. Can a social media strategy linked to quality provide a commission free route to market ?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Retailers are canny people and the internet has provided smart operators with opportunities to sell product they have never owned or paid for. If you stop and think; it beggars belief we have sleepwalked into this situation. Some retailers are ruthless in guarding “their” customers from providers and even keep providers out of the loop during rate and volume negotiations. How many beds have you got on allocation with onerous terms and conditions prohibiting you from offering deals direct to customers? How many customers realise just how much we are paying for their business?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When you set up your enterprise did you ever envisage selling your wares through the shop window of an internet retailer who pays you nothing for your product and then charges you levered commission? Far too many accommodation providers have failed to recognise their websites have become a commodity seeing their use simply as an online brochure and using websites purely as a route to market for distressed stock. Third party agents need content to drive traffic and we have failed to extract any value for this. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As the genie is out of the bottle it is difficult to imagine a time when we will be able to extract any value for content to third parties unless of course history is overturned and accommodation providers actually work together and compete with agents so that customers are the main beneficiaries from discounts. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hoteliers, B&B and accommodation providers naturally relish and thrive on the contact with customers, tailoring services and facilities to their individual needs and wants. During 2010 it has been estimated third party agents took something in the region of $5 Billion out of American hotels in commissions, monies that could have gone direct to customers, training, upgrading and shareholders. In the past 6 years commission as a percentage of total revenue has leaped from around 2% to in some cases over 10%! When you factor in inflationary pressures on other cost centres such as salaries, food and energy this trend is unsustainable. More difficult to quantify is the lost opportunity to create relationship with guests at time of booking especially when controlled by “brand to brand” agreements.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There could however be some light at the end of the tunnel and intelligent use of social media may just be illuminating the way forward. Successful social media campaigns have on the whole been reliant on communicating with zeal and passion the qualities that make your business stand out from the crowd; what you do, how you do it and what you stand for. This information and sense of commitment to customers, suppliers, employees and the wider environment goes straight to the (“end user / decision maker”) customer. Getting your message aligned with your enterprise and your guests expectations allows for an environment of mutual trust to develop this of course demands honesty from providers and only those committed to constant improvement will stand any chance of forging long term relationships. Social media as part of a clear communication strategy aligned to your business ethos will no doubt invite public feedback from customers and if you deliver your promises you will grow the number of recommendations, reputation of your enterprise and of course repeat DIRECT business. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So by all means follow the herd and start Twittering etc but don’t be surprised if your real commitment to customers is quickly outed, a real bonus for those with quality management procedures underpinned by a reinvestment programme and true real ethos whilst a real risk for those who are just looking for quick customers at any price.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Perhaps this is how we can begin the fight back and regain direct access to and form a meaningful relationship with customers. Only those who are in this for the long haul, are truly ethical and committed to quality will benefit which has good feel to it, acting as a kind of natural selection rewarding the best with stronger loyalty from customers, increased profitability for reinvestment thus creating a virtuous cycle.</span></div></span></span>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101263335482598344.post-87336346943389519882011-01-19T10:26:00.000+00:002011-01-19T10:26:33.079+00:00Time to clean up<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dirty cutlery, crockery and tableware</span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do so many catering establishments of all standards and reputations let themselves down so badly in this way? When was the last time you enjoyed a cup of branded or unbranded tea or coffee in perfectly clean crockery or with a shiny spoon? Most chains have given up on the spoon replacing it with some “fair trade” and "sustainable" wood !</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is it not time that as customers we started to fight back and demand cleanliness? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, if they cannot get the public facing areas right what’s happening out of sight?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Owners, managers and franchisees had better get their acts together and begin to train and motivate their employees/ colleagues / team members / associates much, much better. Can you think of a better way to undermine the “made freshly here” message being given for cakes, sandwiches, paninis, soup of the day, chefs special than dirty trays, collection points etc.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It takes two to tango so as consumers and customers let us start voting with our feet and only spend our hard won cash in those establishments that really do care for their employees & customers by ensuring the highest levels of cleanliness thus rewarding their commitment to training and passion for customer service. </span></span></div>Adrian Barsbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11560229671208343602noreply@blogger.com1