At Your Service

Customers will Pay More for "Green" Hotels, Restaurants

Would you believe that customers are willing to pay more for hospitality services that are "green"?

I read an article at YoungHotelier.com called "Green Hotels – Marketing and Profitability Advantages of Environmentally Friendly Practices" about environmental consciousness (“being green”) being equally important in the hospitality industry as emphasizing value from a consumer perspective. An excerpt shows that customers will pay more green for "green": 

"A new study by Cornell University out this quarter demonstrates that consumers didn’t forget about environmental concerns during the recession; in fact, they are increasingly willing to pay a premium to patronize green restaurants and purchase green products. Almost 90% of respondents said they would pay more to eat at a green restaurant, and one third said they would pay up to 12% more. From a marketing perspective, this means that ‘green’ is again- and indeed, always was- a viable and profitable differentiating factor."

So how can your hospitality business go "green"? It may be simpler than you think.  The Buffalo Green Hospitality Initiative, an organization devoted to promoting a green experience for travelers in Western New York, offers the following list of "green" behaviors to consider. 

“Green” Behaviors for Hotels and Restaurants:

• Reduced electric and gas consumption through sensible purchasing of efficient products
• Lessening unnecessary use of lighting and heat
• Waste management
• Water conservation
• Use of indigenous plant life
• Use of non-toxic or low-toxin cleaning supplies
• Purchasing locally grown, organic food when available
• Leftover food donation to a local food bank
• Composting
• Offering reusable dishware and cutlery
• Use of linen napkins
• Offering reusable centerpieces to planners
• Offering condiments in bulk containers
• Back office paper and ink usage reduction

Hospitality facilities can be “green and mean it” with a little consideration and not a large expense. What successful “green” initiatives have you implemented in your business?

 

Christine Warner is the executive assistant of corporate hospitality operations at Westfield Group. She provides administrative support to the group hospitality operations leader and business development leader, and creates the promotional materials for facilities within the department.

She's a Keeper: Meet Westfield Employee Joyce Vaughn

Each day is rewarding for Joyce – being able to make guests feel special and seeing her efforts pay off. Joyce has been employed since 2003 at the Westfield Inn in Housekeeping. Joyce applied to Westfield at the suggestion of her landlord, who worked as a cook for many years at Blair Conference Center, our banquet facility here on the Westfield Insurance campus.

 Living the promise of making guests feel special occurs everyday in Joyce’s work as a housekeeper. Not only does she provide guests a fresh and inviting place to stay while they’re away from home, she also takes extra steps to give personalized service to each person while they’re staying at Westfield. 
 
Using guests’ names repeatedly while providing service is part of focusing on individual needs. From the daily rooming list, she will connect guest’s names with their room numbers and take the initiative to ask them about their day. Over the years, she’s gotten to know guests that come on a regular basis and takes the effort to know their preferences when it comes to foods they eat, bedding they prefer, etc. The housekeeping staff at the Westfield Inn makes every effort to know what individuals like and makes sure they feel appreciated while they’re here.

With this personalized service also comes opportunities to bring special touches for guests, such as bringing chicken soup to a guest who is under the weather or hemming a guest’s pants in a time of need. Whatever capacity Joyce finds herself in, she’s eager and willing to do whatever she can to ensure guests know how much we appreciate their visits.

She is also rewarded each day with the knowledge that she’s continually building relationships with co-workers and guests alike. Not only does she see firsthand how her hard work pays off with guests, another great perk of her job is the people she works with. They all team together to be flexible and adjust their activities to help with what’s needed. Joyce recalls helping in the kitchen to make eggs benedict for guests at breakfast or helping as a server at other campus facilities. She is a shining example of how an individual working together with others on the hospitality team can create especially meaningful and memorable moments for guests at Westfield. She continually delivers on the promise of making guests feel special.

With a little effort, any employee can connect with customers and guests to offer personalized service. Taking an interest in those we’re in business with goes a long way, especially in the hospitality industry. Joyce is a keeper; wouldn’t you like to be a keeper too? Follow Joyce’s lead and you’ll be well on your way.

Christine Warner is the executive assistant of corporate hospitality operations at Westfield Group. She provides administrative support to the group hospitality operations leader and business development leader, and creates the promotional materials for facilities within the department.

Secrets to Choosing the Best Event Venue

From the perspective of an event planner, allow me to share my site selection secrets and desired attributes when choosing the ideal location for a corporate retreat or meeting.

1. Customer Service. 

Ease of doing business is irreplaceable. A venue known for consistent and demonstrated service promises planners that the experience their guests will receive will be both unique and memorable. In some cases, the planner will not travel with the group, so assurance of a high standard of service delivers peace of mind worth paying for. Consistent service delivery begins with the sales department and extends through the housekeeping staff.

A well developed website is both a service point and a valuable tool for planners who might have their site visits limited by the economy. Facility pictures, room diagrams, catering menus, transportation information and online request forms are helpful resources for planners when comparing facilities without being onsite.

2. Location, Location, Location.

As they say, "Time is money" … When transporting guests to and from a meeting, an important factor in selecting a site is the proximity from the airport. The shorter the distance the better when transporting guests from the airport to the event site.  Selecting a location near a large airport is ideal because many guests are able to take advantage of direct flights, maximizing their travel time - time away from their office and family.

Meetings without an air travel component also demand accessibility for attendees. Accessibility to major freeways and sites where downtown traffic can be avoided are ideal.  Offering parking spaces associated directly with the site and parking vouchers for the guests is enticing to planners.

Depending on the agenda for the program, planners may be looking for how many activities and meals they can offer guests onsite. Locations with golf courses, restaurants and spas onsite tend to offer the most appeal when organizing group logistics.

3. Amazing Amenties

• Free WiFi in overnight rooms and meeting rooms
• Full service business center
• Transportation service to and from airport
• Full service fitness facility

 

This is my list of must-haves for the perfect event venue - what's on your list?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Sara Tester is the corporate event planning leader in Westfield Insurance’s Corporate Hospitality Operations department. She facilitates the planning and execution of events at Westfield Insurance for its agents, customers and employees. Sara has worked in the hospitality industry and specifically in event planning for 10 years.

An Appetite for Risk at the National Restaurant Show

The hospitality and insurance teams from Westfield are excited to head to Chicago once again for the National Restaurant Association - Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.  We just love the opportunity to "talk turkey" with fellow members of the hospitality industry (since we manage our own hotel, championship golf courses and restaurants). And, with our insurance "hats" on, we can also talk with restaurateurs and hoteliers about their operations and the risks they face daily. 

The NRA Show is a chance to meet face-to-face with our customers so we can continuously increase our understanding of their needs and concerns.  Our first-hand hospitality experience, along with our insurance knowledge, are what enabled us to design insurance products that specifically address the unique needs of restaurants, hotels, golf courses and country clubs. (Learn more at westfieldinsurance.com/nrashow.) 

Please stop by booth #3061 - we'd love to meet you! Look for Monica Mamer, our hospitality sector leader, Autumn Keller, who manages our dining operations, golf courses and hotel, and Kris Hawk, our hospitality operations business development leader. We all want to learn more about what's "eating you up" from a risk standpoint.  

In addition to the "official business" - we're also really looking forward to sampling all the delicious food and checking out all the shiny new products and equipment on display!  

Are you going to the NRA Show? What is your favorite part of the show? Share your thoughts below!

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn. 

What are secret shoppers revealing at your club?

In the following article, "Undercover Boss - How Secret Shopper Programs Can Tell You What Your Members Won't", Westfield's Steve Numbers, corporate services leader at Westfield Insurance, contributed advice and a sample survey to the article. It includes great tips on starting your own secret shopping program and what you can expect to gain from it. Steve manages the customer service training and customer surveys for corporate hospitality operations at Westfield Insurance.

Article: http://www.nxtbook.com/ygsreprints/CMAA/g17524_cmaa_janfeb2011/#/0

Tips from the article include:

• Be specific about what you want to know in your shop or questionnaire so that the feedback is meaningful and can be operationalized.
• Provide the shopper with a questionnaire for one specific area of the club.
• Questions asked in a yes/no format prompt the shopper to provide more specific answers.
• Multiple visits provide more credible results.
• When reporting, start with the positive findings to recognize the areas the team is doing well in and then look at the opportunities to improve.

Kris Hawk is the business development leader for corporate hospitality at Westfield Insurance. She develops and implements marketing plans for Westfield Country Club, Blair Conference Center, corporate dining and Westfield Inn.