The Innkeeper's Resource

NASA Turns 50

Many of us grew up as ‘space age boomers’ along with NASA.  From making our own space helmets out of tin foil to watching men walk on the moon from our black and white TVs, we have witnessed history! Then there are those that grew up to experience the celestial highs and emotional lows of the Space Shuttle program from a more up close, personal and professional point of view. Chuck and Martha Nighswonger, Innkeepers of the Night Swan Intracoastal Bed and Breakfast in New Smyrna Beach  worked at the Kennedy Space Center for many years prior to their careers as Innkeepers.

Chuck and Martha related to me that one of the high points was having the opportunity to have viewed every Space Shuttle launch since 1984. Also they are very proud of having been part of a team of very dedicated men and women that were and still are true believers in the NASA mission. Chuck states that the lowest point of his career was the loss of the Challenger on that very sad January morning in 1986.  He was part of the recovery team that went to sea for over three months.  Their goal to recover the rocket motor was successful and from that retrieval they were able to find the cause of the disaster. 

As Innkeepers, Chuck and Martha share these experiences with their guests especially when their stories are accompanied by the viewing of a launch from their two story dock on the Intracoastal Waterway.  The next launch is scheduled for Monday, April 5, 2010 at 6:27AM followed with a sunrise at 7:00.  So just imagine, the sky turns into daylight and birds awaken and start to sing as if it were morning, after two minutes dogs start to bark and the inn’s windows rattle, a contrail in the sky and the day turns to night again, soon to be followed by the sunrise.  Boy do Chuck and Martha know how to give their guests a spectacular bed and breakfast experience!

Getting back to ground level, the Night Swan’s hospitality, great breakfasts and comfortable and clean rooms help create another kind of ‘close encounter’ that any visitor to Florida’s east central coast would find unforgettable. Picture yourself, watching baby dolphins frolic in the waterway viewed from your guest room’s private balcony or the inn’s classic wrap around porch, taking a stroll through the historic town of New Smyrna Beach and stopping for a great meal at Mahony’s Oyster Bar with the best and freshest seafood stew available this side of the moon! 

The B&B Team had the pleasure of experiencing Chuck and Martha’s hospitality when we hosted one of our Seminars for Aspiring Innkeepers at the Night Swan this past January.  Chuck and Martha insist that our next trip should be planned during a launch but we must accelerate our visit because there are only five more Space Shuttle launches scheduled.  Maybe Martha can provide us with some cardboard and tin foil and we can all sit on the deck in our space helmets and watch the end of an era.  But, as one ‘space age boomers’, I am hopeful.  The NASA Mission Statement ends with the declaration that America’s adventures in space have…’empowered all of us with the sense that anything is possible and that as interconnected as the modern world is, there are still goals to strive for and new places to explore.’  Let’s hope so…and a Happy Birthday to all at NASA!

Janet

Why not make Lemonade out of Lemons?

The enormously successful Innkeeping Conference finished last Thursday evening, but for The B&B Team, it finished Saturday evening after an extra day of meetings and a great night on the town in Austin. Sunday morning rose beautifully in the Hill Country of Texas and all seemed right for our trip home.  Well, not so fast....the East Coast was being pummeled by storms of incredible proportion and we discovered that flights had been canceled Saturday and delays were expected Sunday.

To make a long story short (and avoid a rant!) that's where the problems began.  I can't find fault with the airlines over weather, but when they do not act in a proactive and informational manner and then put hundreds of stranded passengers in the hands of un-empowered and insufficiently trained employees, customer service and hospitality get a black eye ...and then I do find fault with them.

On Sunday evening, after 8 hours of delays and finally a canceled flight, I was told the first JetBlue flight available to us was Thursday and that we would be on our own in terms of lodging, food, local transportation, etc.  If we decided to make our own plans, we were still on our own.  When asking about any question pertaining to what JetBlue would do to assist us......the answer was always, "NO", we don't do that....but we'll see you Thursday!

No, we can't book you on another airline.  No, we do not have any food vouchers. No, we do not have any hotel vouchers...the last 2 'No's' at 8:30 PM!  In short, NO, NO, NO, thanks, you're on your own and have a nice day!  Sadly, Peter Greenberg may have been right when he commented the airlines mantra has become, "We're not happy until you're not happy".

Deep breath and an observation or two. If our owner operated industry mistreated our guests like thousands of air travelers were mistreated last weekend, we would be raked across the coals in every manner possible!  This little mishap, cost us over $2000 extra so we could get home late Monday/early Tuesday morning instead of late Thursday/early Friday morning.  If as Innkeepers, we were so cavalier in our treatment of the public when problems occur, even those problems beyond our control, we would find ourselves spiraling out of business.

The solution?  Be empowered and make the right decisions.  Relegate the word 'No' to the trash heap with those other objectionable/nasty words in our language.  Even when the answer may have to be 'no', find a way to incorporate a touch of humanity and care in the response.  Recognize that without guests, we don't have a business...and perhaps most of all, recognize that the absence of 'No' is at the core of Hospitality and Customer Service! JetBlue had the opportunity to be a hero in the eyes of thousands of stranded passengers through any of the most basic of acts, but they chose not to and as a result sat with a bag of lemons just waiting to be made into lemonade.

Let's not allow ourselves to sink to the level of the airline industry in terms of customer service and hospitality...just another reminder of how important it is that we need to strive to be the best we can be everyday!

An Inn Tune-up for Your Bed and Breakfast

Innkeepers are the best when it comes to delivering a great experience for their guests. Smiles come easily, breakfast is delicious, and the world just looks, well, rosy. Or does it? On the best of days even the best inns, as we well know, aren’t perfect. But if perfection is what you strive for, and if that perfection includes a healthy bottom line, it’s a good idea to tune up your inn just as you would your automobile.

So what’s an Inn Tune-up™? Just as a mechanic goes over your car from end to end, checking fluids and connections, looking for wear, and ensuring that the electronics are functioning at their peak, an Inn Tune-up™ looks at your inn from top to bottom looking for the things that will make your inn run as smoothly as it can, helping you garner rave guest reviews, making you money, and increasing your satisfaction with your Innkeeping lifestyle.

We are all guilty of not seeing the forest for the trees sometimes. It’s human nature. When you live in an environment day after day, it becomes like a second skin. But your guests see it for the first time when they walk across your threshold. And they will often see what you no longer do. Take some time to look for details that, if improved, will improve your guest’s experience and, in turn, increase your revenues and improve your reputation.

Rooms become tired and need to be touched up regularly, annually at the least. How is your style and décor? Is it looking a bit frumpy and old fashioned, or are you updating to stay current with trends? Even Victorian ladies like to look their modern best! Look at all your rooms to see if you have adequate lighting wherever a person might sit or lie to read. Is there adequate space for guests to lay down their “stuff” without moving yours? And is there a place for them to plug in all their “stuff” without moving furniture or unplugging lamps and clocks? Power strips are a simple answer to a big annoyance. Do you still have clock radios or clock/radio/CD players in your rooms? Try changing them out for clock/radio/iPod docking units that look and sound great and meet the contemporary traveler’s expectations. In short, are your rooms thoughtful?

How are your bathrooms? Are they behind the times and worn out? How’s that caulking around the tub? If it isn’t in perfect condition and perfectly white and clean, you should change it. Make sure that grout is free of mildew.  It sounds elementary, but we at The B&B Team® see too many tubs that are simply neglected and are less than inviting. Your guests, as you know, form really strong impressions and opinions, and they tell others about it. In fact, cleanliness (or lack thereof) everywhere is the number one complaint of travelers. Look around your B&B with fresh eyes, run your finger along the tops of picture frames, get down on your knees and look under beds, under the cushions, in the drawers, inside lampshades, and be sure that everywhere is spotless and that you have systems in place to ensure they stay that way.

Beyond your rooms, how’s your website? Is it working for you, or are you losing potential guests because of the “three second rule?” Do you know what this rule is? Is your site homemade or more than three or four years old? If so, you probably need a new one. How are the photos? Do you know what your visitor counts and bounce rate are? You should. And if you don’t know how to find that out, ask someone who does.

Your business’s financial health is also essential to its running well. Do you know exactly where you stand week to week, month to month, relative to last year and the year before? How do your occupancy and ADR stand up against industry norms? How are your advance bookings running? Do you track your business using simple accounting tools like QuickBooks Pro, or are you putting all those receipts in a box and just hoping there’s enough money in the bank to pay the bills? You simply must do this the right way!

Innkeepers who really pay attention to their inn, from the physical plant to policies and procedures, from marketing and social media to the latest style trends are those who are doing well. If your B&B business is running a little sluggish, maybe you should give yourself a tune-up. Block out a day or two without guests, take a note pad, and go through your rooms looking for the things that could make them better. Then fix them! Not everything costs a lot: some attention to details, a fresh coat of paint, swapping out a piece or two of furniture can sometimes make a big difference for your guests even as it inspires you to be more enthusiastic.

Tax time is a good time to take stock of the health of your business. Look at your expenses and find out where you could save money and where you might want to increase your budget. Spend some time looking at what others are doing; those “others” should be inns that you admire, maybe even feel a little jealous of. When was the last time you stayed at another inn that wasn’t owned by a friend of yours and that’s really different from your own? How was the style? How were the details? How was the service? Did you learn something new or get a new idea to take home? Get out of your comfort zone and explore. Be a stealer of great ideas!

At The B&B Team® we encourage you to get inspired! Don’t let your inn’s engine run rough; it won’t perform as well, last as long, deliver as much satisfaction, or preserve its value. And if you feel you could benefit from a professional Inn Tune-up™ rather than an oil change in the driveway, we’d love to help you out! We have many clients who have grown their business simply by reaching out for professional assistance. Can we help you?

Peter