Shell Vacations Hospitality Selects Market Metrix for Customer and Employee Feedback Solutions
Vacation Ownership Developer Uses Intelligence to Yield Continuously Improving Satisfaction
SAN RAFAEL, CA, August 6, 2008. Market Metrix, LLC, the leading provider of feedback and performance tools for the hospitality industry, announced today that Shell Vacations Hospitality, one of the nation's most respected resort management companies, has chosen the company's real-time satisfaction survey system to optimize the guest experience and improve employee engagement.
"Since initiating the Market Metrix program in February of this year, we've seen a consistent month-to-month increase in our satisfaction scores," said Hedy D. Aguilera, Hospitality Project Manager with Shell Vacations Hospitality. "With the Market Metrix tools, we've obtained deeper insights into the resort experiences of our members, owners, exchangers and renters, by asking more specific questions that capture their needs and wants; we're also able to act on the information in a timely manner."
In fact, in addition to seeing customer satisfaction scores rise, Shell Vacations Hospitality also has experienced a decrease in complaints and quicker resolution of guest problems. "The Service Manager feature of Customer Metrix has become an indispensible management tool. With instant electronic alerts, problems are being quickly resolved, often while the owner or guest is still on-site," said Aguilera. "We credit our recent rise in customer satisfaction scores, at least in part, to this new ability to recover service errors in real-time."
"In this difficult economic climate, cultivating a sustainable and profitable customer base is the most cost-effective way to grow a hospitality business," said Robert Honeycutt, CEO of Market Metrix. "We look forward to helping Shell Vacations Hospitality create loyal customers and an engaged workforce, strategies that will position the company well through the current downturn and poise them for increased market share when spending resumes."
Also, because of the downturn, many hospitality companies are making cuts without understanding the impact on the guest. By analyzing both guest and employee satisfaction, Shell Vacations Hospitality will have a complete picture for resource allocation and operational decisions that will have the greatest impact on guest loyalty. For example, Shell Vacations Hospitality has used the results to implement several employee training programs to target low-scoring service areas, resulting in visible and rapid improvements.
MMHI
Shell Vacations Hospitality also selected Market Metrix for the company's benchmarking database, known as the Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI), the largest, most in-depth performance comparison of hospitality brands, including vacation-ownership segmentation. The MMHI enables Shell Vacations Hospitality to see how it scores in more than 80 categories relative to competitors. The MMHI has been tracking the vacation-ownership industry for nearly ten years. According to MMHI results for 2007, the vacation-ownership segment outperformed all other industry segments in overall customer satisfaction. This is remarkable, considering the database includes the high-priced brands in the luxury and upscale casino segments.
About Shell Vacations Hospitality
Shell Vacations Hospitality manages a collection of 23 resorts, hotels and lodges ideal for family vacations, romantic getaways, retreats, reunions and business trips. Visitors may stay at hotels and resorts in popular destinations in the U.S. and Canada and enjoy San Francisco's arts district, lodge living in Whistler, Southwest-style casitas along the fairways of Arizona's top-rated golf courses, lanais overlooking Hawaii's pounding surf, and more. Shell Vacations Hospitality is a subsidiary of Shell Vacations LLC, a premier developer of upscale vacation ownership resorts. Visit www.ShellVacationsHospitality.com.
About Market Metrix
Market Metrix helps hospitality companies around the world foster loyal customers and engaged employees. Based on award-winning research and breakthrough concepts, our products deliver instant survey results, analysis and management tools for increasing revenue and reducing staff turnover. Our benchmarking database, MMHI, is the most comprehensive, independent comparison of consumer brand satisfaction in the industry. Our annual MMHI Awards are coveted by lodging and travel enterprises around the world. With clients that include more than 120 brands across 70 countries, Market Metrix has been helping leading hospitality companies turn feedback into performance since 1996. For more information, visit www.marketmetrix.com.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
