‘Guest profiling’ way to bring customers back

These days when you register at a five-star hotel, you’ll likely be asked a lot of personal questions. Will you be bringing a child? How old? What kind of car do you drive? Do you have a pet? Can you send us your pet’s picture?
It’s all part of an effort to impress customers, a technique known as “guest profiling,” according to Paul Bagdan, a professor in the hospitality department at Johnson & Wales University. When the guests arrive, the valet will recognize their car and greet them by name. In the room, the staff will have a crib ready for the baby, and most likely they’ll leave a small toy, too. And on the nightstand by the bed, guests might find a framed portrait of Fido.
“It began with casino hotels,” Bagdan explained during a June 18 lecture to hotel professionals from Eurasian countries who spent a day on JWU’s Providence campus. “They wanted the high rollers to keep coming back.”
The group of 20 hotel pros hailed from eight countries – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – that became independent when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. All those nations are located near the Black Sea or the Caspian Sea.
They came to Rhode Island as guests of the U.S. Department of Commerce, through a program known as Special American Business Internship Training. The goal: to help those Central Asian nations build a thriving hospitality industry in their part of the world – this explains their stop at Johnson & Wales, one of the country’s top hospitality schools.
Several of those countries were known as tourist destinations during the Soviet era. Azerbaijan has mountains and ski resorts; Ukraine, beaches; and Georgia, vineyards and mineral spas. But in the first years after the Soviet breakup, some parts of the region were rocked by civil wars and ethnic conflicts, which caused travelers to steer clear. Today Azerbaijan and Georgia are striving to bring tourists back to the mountains and lakes. Other countries in that area are making their first pitch to visitors; Tajikistan, for example, hopes to draw vacationers seeking outdoor adventure.
The region is full of history. The Silk Road, a network of trade routes that once connected Europe and Asia, crosses through the region. Several of the countries are also blessed with abundant resources – oil, natural gas, minerals – and are looking to upgrade their hotel industries to accommodate business travelers who can help industries grow.
“We have mountain resorts, ski resorts, wineries – everything,” said Shalva Alaverdashvili, general manager of the Hotel Chain Geotel in Georgia. “At one time, we were a top tourism destination, but we had troubles and unrest, and the industry declined. Now we’re seeing it come back.”
Anar Agayev, general manager of the Safran Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan, said oil brings travelers there, “but we have more to offer than that. “We have a lot of history. Baku is a 15th-century city. It’s got the Maiden Tower, an example of ancient architecture that’s inspired a hundred legends.”
The nation’s tourism ministry has made it a four-year priority to grow the industry, said Dinara Aghaliyeva, sales and marketing manager for Atropat Hotel Baku, another establishment in Azerbaijan’s capital city. “We’ve opened a five-star hotel, and we’re putting together special packages to promote recreational tourism.”
At Johnson & Wales, the visiting executives heard faculty talk about customer services, Western business etiquette and food and beverage trends.
JWU associate professor Jennifer Galipeau taught a class on protocol for business meetings. “There’s a degree of ceremony in running a meeting well,” she told the group. “Everyone who participates should feel honored and respected.” Galipeau offered a number of tips:
• Chivalry withered when women pushed for equality in the business world. That means the person nearest the door opens it, and lets others pass first. And a host offers special attention because of a person’s position, not their gender.
• There are seating rules for formal business meetings; the chairperson sits at the head of the table, with those highest in rank nearby. Latecomers should never interrupt a presentation by taking a seat at the table; sit at the edge of the room, and wait until the presenter has finished before you move.
Galipeau also offered some advice for business meals. “A lunch or dinner is a place where a lot of the real business gets done,” she said. “But it’s a place for building relationships, not inking the deal. At the end of the meal, it’s fine to exchange business cards, but don’t pull out any documents at the table.”
Bagdan, who teaches customer service, told the group that making guests feel special is a winning strategy. “Most managers think that has to cost a lot,” he said, “but there are some things you can do that don’t.”
As an example, the professor told how the staff at the Ritz Carlton in New York makes a point of asking guests why they are visiting the city. On one occasion, a young man said he planned to propose to his girlfriend during their stay at the hotel. The staff arranged to have a telescope in their room, and stationed an employee in nearby Central Park with a sign reading “Will you marry me?”
“The Ritz Carlton tries to meet and exceed guest expectations,” Bagdan said. “Their goal is building customers for life.” •

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