When a guest registers a complaint through internal surveys or in person, do you as a hotel manager: a) look busy; b) skulk out the back door; or c)handle the matter personally? Regardless of how a hotel operator chooses to respond to a face to face confrontation with a disgruntle guest, it is vital to the success of a hotel that online reviews receive responses. The response should come from the hotel management staff in timely matter with clear and sincere verbiage. Online reviews deserve even more time than internal surveys, as the feedback is just as, if not more, valuable, and the impact is instant and vey public. READ MORE

With the enactment of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADAAA”) and the corresponding regulations recently promulgated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the legal landscape under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) has changed dramatically and will continue to do so with court decisions interpreting and applying the amended law. As a result, employers face new compliance challenges and must re-examine how they address disability-related issues and accommodation requests in order to minimize the risk of enforcement actions and/or litigation. READ MORE

As the economy continues to recover, competition for talent will heat up and employers in the hospitality industry will need to be more creative and proactive to attract top talent. Well-qualified candidates always have options. Today's savvy workers are your new consumers and they expect to be sold. They want to know why your company is a good choice for them and what they will gain from working for you. If you are one of those hotels that are concerned about attracting and retaining top talent, it's time to look for ways to communicate a compelling story about why your company is a desirable place to work. How can you stand out from the crowd and attract the best talent? Here are some tips to give you an edge: READ MORE

Hospitality is about people. Therefore, when making hiring decisions, we need not only evaluate the hard skills candidates bring to the table, but also take the softer, human side into consideration--regardless of the position. In this article, Holly Stiel identifies four "softer" qualifications for hiring successful concierges and adapts them to help management in all areas of the hotel make well informed hiring decisions. Because qualities such as "spirit," responsibility, cooperation and the desire to serve can be more difficult to assess than the more concrete, job-specific skills, Stiel offers stories, interviewing tips and sample questions that help bring the more intangible attributes to light. READ MORE

While much is written about-and many lament-the new generation of workers, Gen Y employees offer employers a hidden gift that employers, managers, and "experts" fail to recognize. Gen Y employees offer a critical gift to the astute employer: an early warning signal that can help them improve employee engagement, morale, and retention for ALL employees. When it comes to the employee experience you deliver, when it comes to attracting, retaining, and engaging talent, your Gen Y employees are your Canary in the Coal Mine. READ MORE