What Legendary Service Means to Me

I founded Hotel Equities in 1989, I did so with 2 main targeted objectives;

 

1 - To build a company that was different and,

2 - To build a company that made a difference in people’s lives.

 

Recognizing that no company can be all things to all people, we set out directing our focus on our 3 key stakeholders; our guests, our team members, and our owners. We then created a visual of a three-legged stool which represents the fact that no one stakeholder is more important than the others and that without successfully exceeding the expectations of each stakeholder, we would fail at achieving one of our goals of providing "excellence in hospitality."

 

With those important pieces in place, we set out defining the strategies and objectives of each stakeholder which would allow us to exceed their expectations and clearly define what success would look like. 

 

I define legendary service as the ability to create memorable guest experiences which are so extraordinary that they would cause our guests to tell others about them. I call these experiences “unique factors” that are not typically found in par level hospitality environments. 

 

Although these team efforts go far beyond the basics of great hospitality experiences, they always include the following level of excellence standards; 1- crisp and clean guest rooms and common area environments, 2- friendly, well-trained team members, 3- well maintained guest rooms and public areas, 4- great curb and arrival appeal, 5- welcome surprises upon arrival, at arrival to guest rooms and F&B outlets, 6- a thriving, expressive, healthy culture featuring engaging team members.

 

When all these factors come together, magic happens, all stakeholders win and we make a difference in people’s lives. 

 

Hospitably,

Coach     

Guests Aren't Always Right, But They Are Always Guests

By Fred Cerrone, Founder & Chairman | April 22, 2022

 

As a very young general manager, working alone one stormy night, I waited anxiously to greet a final group of guests booked at my hotel. Hours past its scheduled arrival, the tour bus was delayed because of weather and traffic problems. No matter the reason, I knew I'd be greeting and checking in tired, unhappy, and irritable guests, not to mention a frustrated tour leader and an exhausted bus driver. 

"Extend hospitality!" I told myself. "After the day they have had, they deserve a warm greeting, a hot shower, fluffy towels, a comfortable bed and a quiet, restful night. You can turn this day around and make a difference for a bus full of people. You can give them a great stay in your hotel." That's what we do in the hotel business!

I started my career in my hometown of Boston, Massachusetts as an interim job while I waited to be shipped out to Vietnam. I had other plans for a career, but I fell in love with hospitality. Opportunities opened to me, and I redirected my course. In hospitality, at its heart, I discovered both the joy and the challenge of serving guests. I found my calling.

Early in my career, I came to understand that, in the hotel business, we welcome all sorts of people as our guests. And even when a guest's view of a situation or the facts of an incident differs from mine, I must remember that this person is my guest. My rule of thumb, throughout my career, is that guests aren't always right, but they are always guests. So, it goes without saying that we treat guests with respect, understanding and fairness.

As I think back to that tour group on the late-arriving bus, I especially remember the weary and disheveled seniors. I did my best to ignore the grumbling as I greeted each one, handed out keys, unloaded luggage and offered whatever assistance I could. I recruited the night auditor to help me, reminding her to smile, sympathize and give a genuine welcome to our guests. After all, as I reminded the night auditor, without our guests, neither of us would even be there. 

Since that time, more than 50 years ago, I have accumulated two million plus miles on Delta Airlines. I know what it's like to fly across the country, stand in line, rent a car, and get to the hotel late, just as the local restaurants, including the one in the hotel, have closed for the evening, more days than I care to remember. I can feel a guest's pain! Guests are tired, hungry, irritable and sometimes not polite at all. At least they aren't as polite as they usually are or as they want to be. I "get it,” and I want our associates to be trained to "get it" as well.

When I started my own company, I vowed to make a difference, especially with our guests but also with associates and owners. I created not only vision, mission and culture statements, but also twelve value statements. All are included on a commitment card that every associate carries as part of their uniform after going through the company's onboarding training. Value Statement #9 states, "Guests aren't always right, but they are always guests." It impacts everything that we do.

You may have heard it said that, if a guest leaves the reception desk unhappy, you can rest assured the remainder of their stay will not go well. I firmly believe that statement is a truth in our business but there are often additional opportunities to turn around a guest's attitude and make the stay a win for both the hotel and the guest. 

Even a small gesture can make a big impact on a guest's stay. At Hotel Equities, our general managers are trained and authorized to make decisions such as using discretionary funds in the budget to help a guest. Sometimes, in addition to a kind word, the gift of dinner and a glass of wine with fellow travelers can make all the difference.

At the end of the day, we welcome guests just as they are: cheerful or grumpy, disheveled, tired or ready to party. We're in the business of delivering hospitality in its purest form to one and all. Sometimes our guests may need a change of attitude and that falls into our job description, too! So, smile, be upbeat, be genuine, caring, welcoming and hospitable... they're our guests. We can and we do turn things around to produce a win for our guests, our hotels and ourselves.

After all, they're our guests and, right or wrong, they deserve our best.

 

Refresh. Connect. Recharge.

Dear friends, partners, & associates,

 

What an eventful past few months, in which much has happened! We are coming off of the holiday season, with having recently celebrated Christmas, the New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Atlanta Braves winning the World Series and the Georgia Bulldogs taking home the National College Football Championship trophy! What a moment in time and sports history for us here in Atlanta.

 

While it is important to be grateful and take time to acknowledge our blessings, we must continue to recognize the fact that there are remaining ripple effects of the pandemic on the hospitality industry as well as all other industries. It has been 2 years since Hotel Equities last met in person as a leadership team. Due to the pandemic, 2021 was the first time in 32 years that we did not have an in person Annual Leadership Conference.

 

The conference is intended to bring everyone together in one place over the course of a few days to participate in team building and training sessions. The events and activities have been in the planning stage for months and are aimed to further develop the strengths of attendees, and to take the time in-person, to express our gratitude for your efforts during these turbulent times.

 

There is nothing like face-to-face interactions to help build lasting relationships and a healthy company culture. While Zoom meetings are a reasonably effective alternative tool, they are just not the same as face-to-face interactions. At the end of the day, we all want to feel connected to a winning team and animportant part of an organization that truly cares about its team members.

 

With that being said, we are excited about the new opportunities 2022 has to offer! This year’s Annual Conference will take place at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center from February 15 – 17, 2022. The theme of the event is “United | Refresh. Connect. Recharge.”

 

Brad and I, as well as the entire Above-Property Leadership Team, are extremely excited to host this conference for you. We are all looking forward to meeting our first-time attendees and finally having the opportunity to match a face to a name. A quote I refer to whenever I think about a collective team effort is, “Life has a tendency to match the input of effort with output of results.” 

 

I would be remiss if I did not take the time to thank you for your extra efforts in helping us “keep the doors open” while attempting to get to a better place. I realize it has not been an easy journey and has required extra time and dedication on your end.

 

Thank you for what you do to help us in our attempt to be an extraordinary lodging company.

 

I pray that each of you have a safe, hassle-free travel experience and that you arrive with a heightened sense of excitement and enthusiasm which results in an fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved. (John 13:34-35)

 

Hospitably,

Coach