Sometimes we get too close to the fire to realize the friends we have and how much we mean to them. I'm sure that's how so many of our peers in the hospitality field feel this week after losing not just hours or jobs...but their connection to their work family.
Sometimes, it's the littlest things that remind us that others care.
Like this video from the South Shore Conventions & Visitors Authority.
Thank you.
They say that crisis brings out the best in so many of us. And, the stories emerging from communities across the country about how Destination Marketing Organizations pivoted on a dime when they realized what was about to descend upon the hospitality community are as heartwarming as they are expected.
Most Americans are just now beginning to understand the importance and fragility of a sector of the economy they always took for granted. To be sure, airlines and hotels were impacted briefly after 9/11. But, most other facets of the hospitality industry felt no more than a speed bump...because residents were there to continue eating out in restaurants, meeting co-workers after work at the local watering hole and seeing music, theatre and comedy with friends. Indeed, after the initial shock of 9/11 that had us all glued to our televisions, we needed to go out and be with others.
And, in this crisis, we can't.
Never one to say "I told you so," there is the slightest satisfaction that the recent flirtation some communities have had with shopping their DMO contract out to ad agencies should likely now come to an end. In a recent interview, the Chairman of the Board of Visit Stillwater OK (which last year went through just such an RFP process) was asked what the DMO was doing during the pandemic:
"We have transitioned our focus from marketing to visitors to communicating to residents to better support our local business partners. Our staff has called almost 200 local businesses to promote their hours of operation, delivery, pick-up or curb-side services, online shopping options and the availability of gift cards. They continue to update the information on our website and social media throughout each day since things are continually changing. Staff has also recently added a coloring contest for kids and adults online, as well as incorporated virtual tours featuring many of our local museums, attractions and restaurants. These 360-degree images will give our residents something to look forward to and visitors' incentive to visit when traveling again."
I'm pretty sure no ad agency could ever do that.
Well done, Visit Stillwater...and all the other DMOs that know that we are the only agency in our communities prepared for days like these for our destination partners.
As we achieve a firmer understanding regarding what the next few months are likely to bring, I am reminded of a conversation I had with a guy I met while volunteering in a homeless shelter, years ago. He had lost his white-collar job a few weeks earlier and his wife tossed him out of the house. He looked at me with a pair of the most defeated eyes I've ever seen and asked if I had a savings account. When I nodded, he smirked at me and said, "no you don't...which means you're two weeks away from being me."
I thought of that evening when I saw a post over the weekend from Irving's Maura Gast. Being ever gracious, one of our industry's top thought leaders said her words were inspired by an earlier post from Rockford's John Groh (who, of course, said his message was also inspired by others he had read). Here's part of Maura's message:
I know it’s lives first and livelihoods after that, and I respect and appreciate the important and weighty decisions that had to be made. And I’m grateful that people were willing to make the tough calls and take these most judicious of steps.
That still doesn’t stop my heart for breaking for all our partners in the service economy who rely on hours and shifts. Like my housekeeping mija Tere who walked in with me this morning. And our Ops crew who were already here. Or the food & beverage crew that had been prepped and ready for another busy day. Grateful for what might have been “extra” hours to now help strike the show that was already up and running.
But now, it settles in that those will be the last hours some folks get for the near future. And my heart is crushed for the folks that truly are the heart of the house, here and everywhere. And our clients who put everything they have into the amazing events they produce. And our partners and the other venues around Irving, and everywhere, and the various events that were already in motion. And, especially for our own ICVB and ICC teams, who pour so much love and passion for this community into everything they do.. And all the others like them throughout our hospitality family, not just here in Irving, but everywhere.
Our local restaurant community will need extra love from you during this time – if you’re sick or vulnerable, absolutely stay home but think about Uber Eats or Grubhub, or good old fashioned i Fratelli Pizza delivery. And if you’re comfortable being out, I just encourage you to think hyper-local and support all those things that make Irving special, so that they’ll be able to be here to keep Irving special.
Of course, Maura's post was made before cities and States began calling for the closure of bars and restaurants. As we begin to close out the first day of the new week, let me join Maura and others to encourage us all who are still working to remember those that rely on hourly jobs that have been cut back or eliminated (as Maura said, order delivery or restaurant gift certificates for a happier day when they reopen). Remember those musicians and artists that have no place to play (download some performances from some of your favorite local acts to keep at least a little money flowing their way). And, for every other person you know who no longer has a job today, think of how you can help, no matter how small.
And, strive to stay healthy through this crisis.
Observers of the Destination Marketing sector watched in disbelief as forces within Sedona mounted a full-goose frontal assault on the local DMO in 2018. It's one thing to challenge community policies and strategies...but this got personally ugly.
Which is why, 18 months later, it is so cool to see an article in the Sedona Red Rock News showcasing how the DMO there has heard the complaints and moved rapidly to develop a long-term sustainability plan for the region.
This is what it means to be a Destination Marketing Organization in the third decade of this century. And, to hear the back story, check out the DMOU Podcast with Jennifer Wesselhoff. It's powerful stuff.
The End of Tourism as We Know It? Yeah...it will be Tourism as we redefine our approach to it. And, that will be different for each one of us.
Or, is it increasingly impossible to find housekeepers to work their magic in America's hotels (don't answer...I know it's the latter).
I've been on the road on this merry-go-round of a gig for over 20 years. And, I've never experienced what I encountered in two of my recent business trips. Ever.
In the first episode, I came back to my room after a day of stakeholder interviews and Focus Groups to find my hotel room door propped wide open with a wooden wedge. One could only imagine how long that situation had gone on...but, certainly, by 6pm, it had been hours. I called the front desk to ask WTF? The operator lazily asked if anything was missing from my room. When I responded that I didn't think so, he said, "well, we're good then," and hung up. Really.
Then, the other day, I returned from another set of stakeholder interviews in another town to find that my room hadn't been made up. Hey, it happens. But, what was strange was that the towel, which I had purposefully hung on the shower curtain bar to do my part in saving the planet, was gone. So, not only was the room not made up, but housekeeping entered my room and ignored my request to save the environment in what appears was the only attempt they made to refresh my room. Odd, to say the least.
Here's hoping these mysterious occurrences don't come in threes...and that 2020 sees no more of these peculiar vexings.
Alas, the Night Man in the Eagles' classic "Hotel California" said that to a guest over 40 years ago...and it's just becoming a thing.
We've all been there, especially those of us that red-eye or fly internationally. But, even those of us that hit town at Noon have had to wait until the obligatory 3pm check-in time at most hotels. And, of course, short-staffed hotels are increasingly missing that mark.
But a movement has begun in the smaller, upscale, independent hotel groups around the world to allow customers, upon room availability, to check-in at any time of the day or night. While it could become an additional revenue stream, several of the hotels interviewed for a recent Skift article maintain the move is an opportunity to build loyalty among clients that have many choices in where they lay their head.
And, implementation is deceptively simple. Rather than having a morning and an afternoon crew to clean and prep rooms, these ingenious hotels are scheduling housekeepers on an hourly-rotating schedule.
Brilliant...and it only took 40 years.
You'd think that with the advent of fairly ubiquitous food delivery services (at least in tier one and two cities) that hotels would respond by reducing their pricing and fees to stay competitive. Apparently, one hotel in Chicago doesn't think so.
Giving some air to a recent Facebook rant from our friend Peter Greenberg:
I was at the W in Chicago and ordered a small 10-inch pizza from room service. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. I expected to pay more for room service. That’s not surprising. I know what a pizza on the street costs. And a pizza delivered to my room should cost more. I get it.
Now let’s look at the bill that arrived with the pizza 38 minutes after the order was placed.
The 10-inch pizza was already a whopping $27. But we’re just getting started.
The hotel then charges me a $7 delivery charge, and then… a nearly 22% “in room delivery,” $6 charge.
This is followed by… sales tax, not just on the overpriced pizza itself, but on the service charges, and that came to $4.59.
And now…not the total, but the SUBTOTAL! It’s $44.53 for a small 10-inch pizza!
But we’re still not done…there was a space left (in case we were totally delusional and wanted to add more to our bill) for GRATUITY.
A GRATUITY? They wanted a tip? Ok…here’s MY tip — not for them, but for YOU.
First, insist on full disclosure from any hotel for ALL the charges it will attempt to hit you with before you order room service.
And second, my advice for hotels: it’s bad enough that this receipt represents a total gouge on guests, but if you still want to blatantly overcharge guests for room service, then at the very least don’t add to the insult by leaving an open space for “gratuity.”
By comparison, a phone order to Dominos for a larger 14-inch, SIX cheese pizza, WITH delivery, costs less than $20. And it got here two minutes faster!
Amtrak has announced that its classic dining car will soon be phased out, another vestige lost from a more refined era of transportation. Interestingly, according to Eater, they are publicly blaming Millennials.
Peter Wilander, Amtrak’s VP of product development and customer experience, told the Post, “Some people, especially our new millennial customers, don’t like (dining cars) so much. They want more privacy, they don’t want to feel uncomfortable sitting next to people.” They are the new generation of riders who just want to look at their phones in private all day.
What in the world have we done?
Air Travel is a pain in the ass. One of the moments that lifts my spirits is the subterranean passage between concourses at DTW. Especially when the light show is pumping Motown.
Recently, I noticed an option that has been added at the entrances to the passage (click image to enlarge). It had never dawned on me that the light show I so love could be so uncomfortable to those with sensory issues. The ability to shut down the cacophony for a few minutes is a wonderful add to making the DTW experience work for everyone.
And, for more on designing a sensory sensitive destination, check out our DMOU conversation with Julie Pingston from the Greater Lansing CVB.
Don't get me wrong...I completely understand that some travelers need Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in order to fly without distress.
But, let's be real clear here. The rules governing ESAs are being abused and taken advantage of by the self-absorbed among us. As Jeffrey Younggren, a clinical professor in the University of New Mexico's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences said recently, "ESAs (are) a well-intended, valuable concept that has now developed into something that is frequently nonsensical."
Like being able to bring a miniature horse on a plane?
It's allowed...and it happened just the other day.
Between dimwitted bureaucrats and people who think the rules don't apply to them (like paying an online firm $49 to get a letter from a "licensed thearapist" to circumvent the rules), it's always the malakas that screw it up for those who truly need it.
Sigh.
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