Mystery Shopping Program for the Accomodation Sector

What is a Mystery Shopping Program?

"Mystery shopping or a mystery consumer or secret shopper, is a tool used externally by market research companies, watchdog organizations, or internally by companies themselves to measure quality of service, or compliance with regulation, or to gather specific information about products and services". (Wikepedia)

Why is this important for the accommodation sector? This ensures that your policies and procedures are in place and are carried out by your people. One thing is to have it in paper. Another thing is if it's being done in actual work place. That's is what's good about evaluating your system "how customer's experience it".

What happens in a mystery shopping program? There are various program executions, as it depends on the priorities of the requestor or the organization who wants their services assessed. But in a nutshell, it traces the customer experience, from pre-arrival, arrival, guest stay and departure. Some would even look at post departure programs or customer relationship management systems in place for a more holistic approach.

That is why it is important to have an assessor that is credible and with experience. One thing is seeing it "in the eyes of a customer", but another in the shoes of a hotel operator. That is why an evaluator should have the necessary "specs" and should be able to see the whole thing in both perspectives.

If you would like to know more on Mystery Shopping and see how it could benefit your organization, feel free to email us at the thefilipinohotelier@gmail.com or call/text/viber at +639369726328.

Hospitality 360: An Encompassing Perspective for Aspiring Hoteliers and Restaurateurs

http://yhrpcclashdtm.weebly.com/contact.html

Manila, Philippines - On January 30, 2016, the National Young Hoteliers and Restaurateurs Power Conference (NYHRPC) will be held at SMX Convention, Mall of Asia Complex. Now on its 6th year, NYHRPC will be carrying the theme: Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present, and Shaping the Future.

The annual event, entitled "Hospitality 360" is indeed a power conference, having prominent speakers, such as Sen. Grace Poe, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Mr. PJ Lanot, Mr. Andre Alip, Ms. Ma. Veritas Luna, and Ms. Lhorena Valerio,
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http://yhrpcclashdtm.weebly.com/contact.html

There will also be a talk show on "The Stories of Success", led by Chef Robert Franciso and Mr. Sebastian Tamayo.

Hospitality 360, for me, is the perspective in which aspiring hospitality and tourism professionals ought to be in, as the industry, in itself, is encompassing.

There are a multitudes of facets, the industry should be learned and understood. Some would say that it is rather a simple one, its all about giving the right service, at the right time, (of course, at the right price), all the time. But this is easier said than done. It's a good thing that the variety of keynote speakers may be able to give the students actual life experiences and/or situations that may minimize the gap from what is taught from the textbook and in the classroom, to what is happening outside the "real world".

Seeing the past usually gives us enough learning so that we may move forward. To honor the past, means to give value to it, because it led to who we are today, and what has become of the industry in the present. As we live in the now, and celebrate the growth and development of what has become the hospitality of today, and then, aspire and push for further innovation; this enables us to mold our aspiring hoteliers and restaurateurs as they take on the challenge and shape the future of our beloved industry.

This, in itself, makes this event a definitely must-go-to, for all Hotel and Restaurant Management and Tourism Students.

For more details about the event, you may visit their website at http://yhrpcclashdtm.weebly.com/ or email yhrpc.dtm@gmail.com. 

Why do we have communication problems with guests?

Communication is one critical aspect of being a hotelier. But so is knowing how to listen. You can be the greatest communicator, using perfect tenses and intonations, but if you do not know how to listen, you can get yourself into trouble with your guests, or even your colleagues.

According to the International Listening Association (yes, there is one), Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages (ILA, 1996). It is a process, and has a variety of types. (see types of listening).

But to put it simply, one type of listening I sometimes see with hoteliers (and my kids) is the "I-don't-really-care-what-you-are-saying" method where the receiver is already preparing what he/she is going to say, even before the giver is finished with his/her message.

In my experience, listening with empathy, with an attitude of "I-really-want-to-help-you-so-I-will-listen-not-only-with-my-ears-but-with-my-heart" kind; where the receiver listens with the intent to really seek out the core of the message. This proves to be very effective during complaints of guests, where sometimes, the concern is petty, but the guest just really wants to be heard and acknowledged.

What about you? Have you had any experience where you got into trouble because you misunderstood or spoken out of time?