Advertising Won't Help Your Hotel If Your Service is Fawlty

It baffles me sometimes that hotel chains will spend vast amounts on TV advertising campaigns without management ensuring that the hotels they hope will benefit are ready to receive visitors. 

As a case in point, this morning I visited a local South Wales hotel in a chain currently running such a campaign for a meeting.

Advertising Won't Help If Your Service Is Fawlty.

The hotel, three star, rather large and not unattractive, architecturally speaking, was a deserted wasteland of several reception areas. 

There was little signage to welcome visitors, no marketing literature and, even more irritatingly, hardly any staff.

One of the toilets in the ladies was already out of order. 

There were no menus to be had and it was not clear whether non-residents could order food. 

There were a couple of menus marked "Room Service" on the tables. 

There was no information about WIFI, even though there was a free, open network to be connected to. 

I eventually tracked down a menu behind reception where I was asked to return it because it was the only one they had.

My companion and I ordered coffee, produced with maximum froth and minimum coffee from a machine. 

The diet coke was clearly made up from a diluted syrup. 

The tuna sandwich I ordered was, however, tasty and nicely presented, but I could only pay cash at the bar. 

Had I wanted to use a card, I would have had to go to reception.

Around midday the place became packed but there was no increase in staffing. 

The one lone lad behind the bar kept vanishing so visitors were milling around unsure what to do. 

What a wasted sales opportunity!

My point is, had I been considering actually staying at this particular hotel, I would have rapidly changed my mind. 

The frustrating thing is that the whole experience could have been so much better with just a little thought. 

We had chosen this particular hotel as it seemed to be the only one suitable in that area for a relaxed meeting and some coffee. 

The irony is that the hotel advertises 7 meeting rooms and conference facilities.

In my previous, pre-marketing career, I did my fair share of pub work and retail jobs. 

I am well aware that working with the public is not always particularly enjoyable, but surely getting the right systems in place will help the staff to do their jobs and make their work-life more enjoyable? 

This is not a matter of cost, but it is a matter of involving the staff and using customer feedback.

I also think (heresy though it might be to say it) that many of these places would benefit from maturer staff at management level who have had more experience of life's challenges and can relate a little better to older guests and customers.

I am sure there are many in the 50+ age group who would be only too willing to step up to the plate.