We tried unsuccessfully on several occasions over the years to give independent QA providers standards for the butler service being offered by (463) luxury hotels around the world so they could incorporate those standards into their own and help raise butler-service levels in the hospitality industry in a way that our small organization could not, on its own, achieve. All to no avail, but we learned as the years rolled on: Many five-star properties asked us to conduct mystery guest assessments of their butlers, and some even of their whole properties. In doing so, we were asked to assess against internal hotel/chain standards, as well as those of other QA providers. Finding they fell short in various aspects, we were compelled to create our own standards... READ MORE

There's an old story about an economist who found a $100 bill laying on the ground, but didn't bother to bend over and pick it up. When he was asked why, he said that if it had been real, someone would have already picked it up. We find this story similar to the way food waste is treated in the hotel industry, wherein it's usually assumed that those resources are already being optimized. But in reality, most large hotels unfortunately send hundreds of thousands of dollars to the landfill each year. READ MORE

A perfect job description can encourage passive job seekers to become active, drawing out quality candidates and giving a hotel a deeper pool of talent from which to find the ideal new hire. For hotels, job descriptions should go beyond details of what the job will entail to become selling documents that attract quality candidates. However, writing an intro that accomplishes this can be incredibly difficult. Here are six steps that will help a hotel uncover stronger candidates. READ MORE

Please the “F” Word to Inspire Better Service! Don't worry…the “F” stands for FEELINGS and we need to use them as guideposts in all our service actions. Hospitality leaders and their teams should inspire their teams to etch the 'F' word front and center to their actions, reactions and behaviors to get more ups than downs, and more awareness of what causes positive or negative feelings. Gain new perspective on the infamous “F” word and why it can be a powerful strategy in Hospitality leadership and delivery. READ MORE

Local legislatures in states, counties, and cities across America are implementing new Paid Sick Leave laws to build a healthy workforce, but employers have no simple task in making sense of them. What is the difference between an accrual cap, a use cap, and a rolling cap? What are the pros and cons of the accrual method versus the frontload method? How does a PTO plan interact with new Paid Sick Leave laws? Check out this article for guidance from employment attorneys to help understand and successfully implement these viral laws. READ MORE