Hotel workers getting personal
Industry finds technology has its limits for customers.
Technology, some hotels are finding, has its limits.
“Technology cannot hug a repeat guest,” said George Aquino, vice president and managing director of AHC+Hospitality, formerly Amway Hotel Corp., based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
That is the reason his company, which manages several hotels, has been running a training program for some of its managers and other staff members to improve their hospitality skills, connect with local business leaders and learn more about local tourist offerings.
Similar programs are sprouting in other cities, involving not just hotels but also restaurants and even cities themselves, which see the personal touch as giving them a competitive edge. For business travelers, in particular, talking to someone knowledgeable about a city can lead to a good restaurant. And it can also help expand business leads.
As Aquino put it, “We have to be ambassadors for the city,” adding that the small size of Grand Rapids means “we’re 1 degree away from the person that you need to meet.”
Andrew Hampe of Chicago, who previously worked for Amarr, a manufacturer of industrial overhead doors, spoke of one particularly social bartender at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids, who knew local business leaders.
The bartender had told him that members of the Lacks family who own Lacks Enterprises — which made automotive and other industrial products, including garage doors — would be dining at the hotel that evening and made an introduction. “The atmosphere created by the staff translated into an instant rapport between us,” Hampe said. As a result, he said, he made “a complete career change, where I am now acting as a business consultant for Lacks Enterprise.”
Philadelphia saw similar value in training programs as its convention center expanded in 2011. Julie Coker Graham, president and chief executive of Discover Philadelphia, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, said the city wanted meeting planners to know “we were working very closely with our hospitality community to ensure that customer service was top of mind.”
Called PHL Welcomes U, the online video training program, which consists of hospitality topics and itinerary recommendations, is also open to ordinary Philadelphians. Coker Graham said this allowed “all Philadelphians to feel empowered and to use these tools to create a more meaningful and positive experience.” She said the program “really created ambassadors throughout our city and in different industry segments.”
The program is run by Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. In an email, Elizabeth H. Barber, an associate professor and executive director of business development and partnerships, said about 260 people had recently enrolled in the program, which also offers certificates. “People interested are from the hospitality industry, restaurants, recreation centers, parking services,