Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day

February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi

The month of February is notorious for Valentine’s Day and celebrating love. What better way to spread the love than by committing a random act of kindness? February 17th is the day people all around the globe celebrate the unofficial holiday called Random Acts of Kindness Day, also known as RAK Day.
No one knows for sure where RAK Day began but the roots can be traced back to New Zealand in 2005. The RAK Foundation promotes the mission to do something extra special for another person without expecting any payment in return. It makes sense that this little-known holiday would be celebrated in February when our hearts are already focused on love. The concept starts with practicing altruism and taking the focus off ourselves. As we start to think of other’s needs more readily, we become more aware of neighbors, friends or total strangers as you go about your day. RAK can be as simple as complimenting someone or volunteering to mentor a child. Random acts of kindness are something both the giver and the receiver feel good about. I took the opportunity to pay for someone’s coffee and donut order at Dunkin Donuts this week. 
Remember the movie Pay It Forward starring Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment? The premise of the movie was based on a homework assignment to change the world for the better. Osment devises a plan to set up a network of good deeds. Each person must do a favor for someone and in turn, that person is expected to do a favor for three other people.
If you believe in the philosophy of “what comes around goes around”, practicing altruism brings about positive energy and sets an example for others that the world is full of kindness and generosity. Here is my challenge to you; make it your mission to surprise and delight someone this month with a random act of kindness! I would love to hear what creative gestures you come up with. Try to impact as many people as possible. You may be just one person but your gestures can impact many.

Jodi Cross is a marketing consultant, speaker, and writer and can be reached at jcross@crossnm.com.


Legacy Band Tour – Rock & Roll Never Forgets

 

Legacy Band Tour – Rock & Roll Never Forgets


About a year and half ago my husband and I caught a special on Showtime on the History of the Eagles.  I had no idea they sang with the likes of Jackson Brown and Linda Ronstadt back in the day. The show was captivating and walked you through the evolution of the band. The documentary resonated with us and ignited a passion we both shared for music and concerts. That night at 1 AM an idea was spawned.  We should do a legacy band tour. We grabbed a pad and pen and started writing down the legacy bands we wanted to see in concert. 


Our first challenge was our age difference, I am considerably younger than my husband so my legacy bands were not his legacy bands. Lucky for him, I like all concerts and growing up with older siblings who were 12+ years my senior had exposed me to a great deal of iconic sixties music. My first concert was The Police in Toronto, I don’t remember the year, but I do remember how much fun I had that night. Over the years, I have seen a great many artist perform live. There is nothing more exciting than when your favorite tune comes alive on stage in front of your eyes as your heart beats to the sound of the thumping drums to make an auditorium come alive.


As we began listing our musical influencers, the Eagles naturally topped the list.   The list went something like this; Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, The Police/Sting, AC/DC, Journey, Aerosmith, John Fogerty, Phil Collins, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Styx, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Charlie Daniels Band, VanHalen, Bob Seger and so on.

Over the last year we have been diligently looking for opportunities to put a check mark next to the bands we deemed legacy worthy on our list. Needless to say, we had to get busy. Since our legacy band project began, we have seen five awesome shows including;   Fleetwood Mac, John Fogerty, Bob Seger, Tom Petty and most recently, the Eagles. They were all great with 35+ years of tunes in their song books to choose from. These bands have history, ignite memories and there is no one better at getting you to your feet than Joel Walsh or Lindsey Buckingham on a guitar riff. 


As the song goes, Rock and Roll Never Forgets, it is part of the history and fabric of America. These bands drop you into a place and time with lyrics and rich musical talent and bring back many great memories. The 60’s & 70’s were fertile for conditions to germinate the perfect mix of lyrics, message and music. As the Eagles closed out their show with two encores and Hotel California came on, I couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow and wondering what band is the next generation’s iconic band? What modern artist of this era has staying power to last four decades like a Bob Seger or a Fleetwood Mac? Will Madonna or Lady Gaga be prancing around in a pointy cupped leotard singing Like a Virgin or Born This Way twenty years from now? Will they fill a stadium to the brim? Dave Matthews comes to mind as a band with staying power but I would love to hear what you think. Our list is long so we will continue to Rock On! 

Jodi Cross is a marketing consultant, speaker and freelance writer and may be reached at jcross@crossnm.com or www.www.crossnm.com. 


Kudos to the Biltmore Hotel

Congratulations to our client, The Biltmore Hotel

Named one of Golf Digests Best Courses!

In Addition…Top Ratings for Palme d’Or -#9 in Zagat’s 2015


Generation Y has buying power in the millions and represent up to 24% of the population. How can your business attract more?

Generation Y has buying power in the millions and represent up to 24% of the population. How can your business attract more?  

By: Jodi Cross 

The hotel industry continues to show steady improvement in customer service scores according to the 2014 J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM released in July. Gen Y guests (Millennials) played a major role in this year’s study as the survey looked at their travel habits, likes and dislikes. For detailed information click the link below.

http://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/2014110-North_American_Hotel_Guest_Sat_Index_Study.pdf

 

 “By improving the brand experience for first-time Gen Y guests, there is a substantial opportunity for hotels to gain a pool of satisfied, committed guests who will be loyal for years to come,” said Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. “We also find that satisfaction is more than 300 points lower among Gen Y guests who have a low opinion of staff than among Gen Y guests who have a high opinion of the hotel staff, while that difference is much smaller among those in other generation groups. Hoteliers have the opportunity to improve both satisfaction and loyalty rates by simply focusing on improving their staff interactions with Gen Y guests.”

Who are the Industry Leaders in each category?

 The following hotel brands ranked highest in guest satisfaction in their respective segments:

Luxury: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Upper Upscale: Kimpton Hotels

Upscale: Hilton Garden Inn

Midscale Full Service: Holiday Inn

Midscale: Drury Hotels  

Economy/Budget: Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham

Upper Extended Stay: Homewood Suites by Hilton

Extended Stay: Candlewood Suites

Key Findings:

  • Hotel brands that are perceived as being exciting and trendsetters receive the highest number of positive recommendations, while those perceived as environmentally careless receive the highest number of negative comments. 
  • The proportion of Price Buyers—hotel guests who select their hotel brand primarily based on price—has fallen by a significant 7 percentage points from 2013 (19% vs. 12%, respectively). Price Buyers are among the least satisfied of the guest groups.
  • The proportion of Scrutinizers—those who thoroughly research their hotel choices through online travel review sites and other sources—has increased to 10 percent in 2014 from 7 percent last year. Notably, the Scrutinizer group has the largest number of highly committed guests to a hotel brand.
  • Among all the problems experienced by guests, rooms that are not clean has the greatest negative impact on satisfaction.
  • Challenges with Internet connectivity remain twice as prevalent as any other guest problem. The negative impact of these problems is relatively consistent regardless of whether Internet access is complimentary or guests have to pay an additional fee for it.

Who are these Gen Y’s and how can hotels attract more of them?

With nearly 80 million people in the U.S. alone, Generation Y is the fastest-growing demographic in both the workplace and the marketplace. Also referred to as “Millennials,” the group covers those with birth years ranging from 1977 to 1995 and presents a dynamic opportunity for hotels to attract and retain a booming market that already represents one third of all hotel guests. Gen Y’s are extremely mobile, energetic and place an emphasis on work-life balance and personal fulfillment.

According to a recent article from Trip Advisor Insights and the go-to expert on Millennials and Gen Y, Jason Dorsey, author of the book Y-Size Your Business, if you want to attract more Gen Y customers to your hotel focus engagement through non-traditional marketing channels.

When it comes to marketing strategies, Millenials or Gen Y’s are far more likely to take hotel advice from their peers than from traditional marketing channels. Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are essential to capturing this demographic. When Gen Y guests log-on to the hotel Wi-Fi, your splash screen should prominently feature your social media channels. Set up your splash screen to have them “like” your page or follow you. This will instantly help you to develop new fans and allows them to become your brand ambassadors. Expect Gen Y’s to be tweeting on multiple devices during their stay.

Here are some key strategies to attacting more Gen Y customers:

  • Provide Free Internet-they want to engage and depend on it to be available in every nook and corner of your hotel.
  • Give them an exceptional experience for a great value-they want more for less with value perceived in many different ways such as; guest room design, property layout, personal attention and pet and environmental friendly policies.
  • Access to Casual food available 24/7, no more jackets required or room service that stops at 11 PM
  • Don’t make them wait, provide self-service options -think portable iPads for check in and coffee on demand.
  • Hotels with individual personalities and a distinctive ‘sense of place’, are appealing to Gen Y’s. They consider themselves to be adventurous and are seeking “Wow” experiences.
  • Multi-use lobbies that encourage guests to socialize with places to chill-out indoors and out appeal to this demographic.

Hotel’s that have the ability to change with the times and remain authentic and transparent to their branding and image will have the best opportunity to attract this growing market segment.

Sources: J.D. Power 2014 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM ; Trip Advisor Insights on How to attract the Gen Y Guest ; Y-Size Your Business by Jason Dorsey

PDF Format: Gen Y Customers ShopTalk August 2014


What Happened to Customer Service?

What Happened to Customer Service?

By Jodi Cross


Now-a-days when you call a service company like AT&T or USAIR you are lucky to get a real human being on the phone. When you do, they barely know how to help you!


Recently, I was trying to get my phone service moved to a new location and literally spent 5-hours on the phone with AT&T. I started on a Tuesday with the promise that by the next day it would be turned on. By Saturday, four days later, I still had no service.


Everyday I would call back, to speak to a different representative, who would promise that by mid-night that day, my service would be on. On the fourth day, after my original order was lost due to a computer malfunction, I was again on my cell phone in the cue waiting for someone to help me. Finally Ms. Preston, figured out the problem and my home phone rang! I spoke with six different agents during my frustrating four-days including supervisors. None of them figured out that my DSL was connected to my regular account and until they separated the two accounts my main phone was inactive.


I was at the end of my rope by this time, feeling helpless and hopeless with no alternatives. It was shocking how little they cared or were trained until Ms. Preston came along.


Armed with my new phone, I decided to call USAIR for a ticket quote for an upcoming trip. I had spent about an hour on the web but it was a complicated ticket with multi-cities involved so I decided to speak to a representative. I called the USAIR 800 Number. I was shocked when a person named Lynn answered. I could barely understand her, I asked where she was from, and she responded “Hong Kong”! 


Two calls and an hour later and I couldn’t even get quoted a fare. Lynn asked me where Palm Beach was, when I said Florida, she asked me where that was. It was painful. Even after I had done my research and had airport codes and flight numbers and times, she still couldn’t find the flights. I finally asked her for a supervisor, she would not connect me and asked me why I wanted to speak to one. Either there was no supervisor or she was too scared for her job to actually connect me to one. She kept saying, “I think I understand, I’ll catch up now, what city are you traveling from again?”


I finally ended the painful call with her and called back again thinking it was a fluke. Not so, this time, I got Maui from Hong Kong. She was able to follow the flight numbers and cities. By the end of the call and after I had given her my cities and flight numbers, I asked for a quote. She said “$189” that sounded good considering I was pulling a fare of $800 on the Internet.. I never did book a ticket; she actually hung up on me when I asked to speak with a supervisor. The irony is, you can’t book a ticket with USAIR over the phone. They may have saved money by going offshore for their reservation call center but having and untrained person who doesn’t even know where Florida is can’t be good for business.


Has our automated society and computers taken the place and jobs of a trained human being? Is there anyone left who really cares? It is a basic fundamental to business growth to be able to connect your phone or book a plane ticket.  I am sure not having a trained human being is cheaper in the short run but it can’t be good for a company’s long-term growth strategy. 


What’s Up With All The Bullying-Are People Getting Meaner?

          A great deal of information has been in the news lately about bullying. In fact last week on the news they proclaimed a national anti-bullying day. So what is really going on, are kids getting meaner? Is this truly something new? Bullying has become the scourge of our society. A tragic testament to how cruel people can be. Where do they learn this behavior?

            I was a victim of bullying in school. Here are a few things that happened to me in those formative high school years. My tires were slashed on my car. I had glue put on my lock so I couldn’t open my locker. I was nearly pushed out a fourth floor window and my friend Wendy had to save me. A gang of girls harassed me and banged on my bathroom door every time I used the facilities. The minute I stepped on the school bus I was taunted and teased until I stopped riding and made my mother drive me to school.

            This went on for years, I asked to be transferred to another school but my father wouldn’t let me and said  I needed to learn to fight back and that it would build character. We went to the office and complained but nothing was really ever done about it. All of this was before the internet era which now compounds the harassment and brings bullying into your home where you should feel safe. What I finally realized about people who are bullies are,  if you push back they shrink and they are always more powerful in numbers but not so tough when they are alone. Just like the witch on the Wizard of Oz, if you pour a little proverbial water on them they start to melt. That was what I had to do to survive, stand up for myself and push back.

            Unfortunately, bullying doesn’t end when you leave school. I used that same technique in business when I was faced with a bully at work. I took a job in Miami and the CFO liked to flex his power by embarrassing you in a meeting and making late comers stand the entire time. By my second week, I was fed up, and decided to confront him. After our heated conversation he was fine, he actually was respectful and we got along fine.   

            Has Bullying just been in the news more or is it on the rise? It seems like technology has given bullies another platform to harass their victims? When I was in school Facebook did not exist. I was subjected to face to face harassment but now it seems to go even deeper. After they harass your at school, they post all sorts of lies about you on social media sites meant for socializing not bullying.

             I feel sorry for kids today. No one needs to be subjected to such cruelty. Teenagers have a whole different set of pressures today then they did in my day. I do think it resides with the parents and teaching your kids to be kind, tolerant and accepting of others while exhibiting those behaviors in your home. My mother always said “if you don’t have anything nice to say…don’t say anything at all.” The funny thing is, the girl who harassed me all through high school now has her own kids. One of my friends is their teacher and said her kids are now bully’s too. Unfortunately, the cycle seems to repeat itself. Why can’t we all just get along?