Being one of the fastest-growing industries, hospitality is exciting, global, and intercultural. As with aviation, hospitality also is facing enormous cost pressures, and hotel brands must develop competitive advantages to survive in the marketplace. One option is to provide excellent service and anticipate guests’ needs as much as possible: Every guest is an individual, as is every request. What works for one customer does not work necessarily for another. Therefore, hotels should employ the right people through a thorough employee-selection process that trains employees to provide excellent service. Hotels also should encourage direct bookings to minimize costs and reduce commission payments. Many hotels have started to offer preferential room rates for direct bookings, but a significant number still have not made such moves and continue spending money on commission payments that could be spent elsewhere.
In this section, read how to anticipate customers’ needs and how to encourage customers to book directly with your business to save on commissions and increase guest satisfaction.