Hotels Attracting Business Travelers With Frills

In the Straits Times report today entitled Hotels Dangle Frills, it has been reported that some hotels here are dangling frills to attract the corporate traveler, seeing as how the leisure traveler numbers are dwindling in this economic downturn.

In the report, it is also stated that many hotels are not willing to cut rates as this could mean a drop in quality and service.

Some of the frills include free use of the gym, free laundry services up to two pieces daily, breakfast, use of the mini-bar etc. While these are welcome moves seeing as how the business and corporate traveler usually need these things, some things crop to mind.

Would corporate travelers even mind paying for these things in the first place? Sure they are accountable to the finance department for any expenses now, more so than before. However, if the spending is deemed necessary to secure the business, it will be spent right? Perhaps. I do agree, these frills help make the overall package attractive. It is however, only one of several initiatives deemed necessary to win the customer over.

On the whole, I am glad they are not taking drastic measures just yet, like slashing of rates to rock bottom prices. The decision to "add value" is, in my opinion, a far more long term approach. Will it last though?

In this downturn, perhaps it is also a good time to invest in training. Nothing makes a better wake up call than the prospect of not having any business. In fact, in good times, it is relatively speaking, a lot easier to get business, but one must never forget to build relationships, in good or bad times. The true test of a customer's loyalty comes in bad times, when the customer is still spending, but spending a lot more prudently. They will be selective of what they spend on, how much they spend and when they do the spending. This applies throughout, whether you are spending on company's expense such as for a business trip, or even going out with friends.

In lean times like these, companies must continue training their teams to build long lasting relationships with their customers because when the good times come, will they be prepared to handle the surge in spending? Will they remember to treat their customers with respect, be ethical and most importantly, serve their customers well?

It is not just about hard skills, but soft skills too. At the end of the day however, customer service personnel and their employers must realise that customer service, the love of serving customers and the pride that comes with doing a job well has to come from within. We must cultivate such a mindset if we are to improve in our standing as a centre of excellence in service.

I am no industry expert on customer service, but I know how I would like to be treated as a customer, in good or bad times.

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