Bleisure travel - new niche market for hotelier

Bleisure travel is a trip mixing business with leisure that purposes in improving job satisfaction and loyalty.

For example, a business trip that may include family or a significant other, which then leads to a short vacation and extended hotel stay.

According to a 2014 Google Travel Study, 57% of US business travelers plan to extend their trips for leisure. With this growing trend in the hospitality industry, it is important for hoteliers to start developing a better understanding of this market in order to effectively accommodate bleisure travelers during their stay.

The latest survey from BridgeStreet Global Hospitality polled 640 international travelers and found that most bleisure travelers tack on an average of two vacation days to their business trips.
More than half of respondents also said they’ve brought family members or their other half with them on such trips and most (78 percent) agreed that adding vacation days adds value to their work assignments.

The most popular bleisure activities are sightseeing, dining, arts and culture.

The survey also found that an overwhelming majority of younger travelers (aged 35 to 44) are more likely to take advantage of a business trip to soak in the sights: 94 percent of travelers in this age group said they’re likely or more than likely to take a bleisure trip in the next five years.
That compares to the worldwide average of 60 percent.

Meanwhile, a similar survey of 2,020 American travelers released earlier this month found that about half (49 percent) of American adults used their business trips to discover a new destination.
The Hotwire.com survey also found that younger travelers -- defined as 18-34 -- were more likely to mix business with pleasure compared to their older counterparts (aged 35 to 44) at 56 percent and 37 percent respectively.

The bleisure travel experience is one that involves multiple influences from business, leisure, travel companions and personal goals, which makes this segment of travelers often difficult to understand.

By taking the time to understand the desires and behaviors of the growing bleisure segment which includes their desire for all-inclusive hotel accommodations, being aware of the need to be constantly connected and their attraction towards hotel packages; hoteliers gain a huge advantage to the future of travel in hospitality.
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Cleaning Tips You Haven't Heard Before

No.1. The best way to dust blinds: Close them, then wipe up and down with an old dryer sheet. It'll create an antistatic barrier that helps prevent dust from building up again.

No.2. To eliminate that ring in your toilet, drop in a bubbling denture tablet, and leave it for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The stain will come off with just a few swishes of the brush.

No.3. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is your friend. It will cut your cleaning time in half for bathtubs, sinks, countertops, and dirty walls.

No.4. Shine your bathroom tiles with lemon oil. It also helps prevent mold and mildew.

No.5. To clean glass and mirrors, use coffee filters, not paper towels. They leave no streaks or lint - and they're cheap.

No.6. Clean cobwebs with a yardstick covered by a tube sock. That also works for cleaning under stoves and refrigerators.

No.7. Vinegar and water is a great deodorizer for a musty bathroom. Spray your shower down as you're getting out. It really absorbs the odors, and the smell of vinegar goes away in an hour.

No.8. To clean your microwave oven, microwave a cup of water with some baking soda in it until it's boiling. That eliminates odors and makes it super easy to wipe away all that stuck-on stuff.

No.9. A wet pumice stone will clean a dirty oven faster than any spray-on product.

No.10. Our biggest secret weapon? A powdered product called Bar Keepers Friend (amazon.com). We use it on everything. Its active ingredient is rhubarb powder, which really cuts through grit and grime. It cleans glass-top stoves, counters, toilets, porcelain and more. Your sink will never be shinier.

No.11. Vacuuming bathroom mats is a nightmare. Toss them in the wash every week or two instead.

No.12. Seventh Generation dish liquid diluted with water is a great nontoxic all-purpose cleanser. Just put two squirts in a spray bottle and fill it with water.

No.13. To damp-mop wood floors, use plain water or a water-based floor cleaner like Bona. Don't use vinegar. The acid in it will pit your polyurethane finish, can void your warranty, and may reduce shine over time.

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What housecleaners never tell you?

No.1. If you don't have a lot of cash, ask me to come for just one hour. I can do just the bathrooms and the kitchen or only the areas guests will see.

No.2. My best clients are people who work for their money, like teachers, bartenders and cops. Rich people think they're doing you a favor by allowing you to scrub their toilets. Working people understand you are doing them a service by making their lives easier.

No.3. Recommend us to your friends. We may give you $25 to $50 off a cleaning for each referral - if you ask.

No.4. I wish you wouldn't insist on bleach and other harsh cleaners. For almost every situation, there's an eco-friendly option that's just as effective.

No.5. If you leave your personal life out for us to see, we most definitely will talk about you. We may even send pictures to our friends and relatives.

No.6. After I leave, check the base of the toilet and the top of the fridge. If they're clean, you know I'm thorough.

No.7. Pick your clothes up off the floor, get your dishes out of the sink, and clean up your kids' toys. Your house will end up a lot cleaner.

No.8. Many cleaning companies do not run any sort of background check or even check references. I answered an ad, I was on time and presentable, and I was willing to take the job. That is all most companies care about.

No.9. Make sure we're bonded and have liability insurance. Otherwise, you're on the hook if we break something or get hurt on the job.

No.10. Even though I smile and act interested, don't use me as your therapist, gossip buddy or friend. Frankly, most of us have a lot less than you, and we can't fathom why you're complaining. Plus, you slow me down.

No.11. When using a new maid service, leave a few dollars hanging out of a pants pocket or lying on the counter. If we take a dollar or two, you'll know we're probably going to take other things.

No.12. Want to save money on high-priced maid services? Instead of booking a regular appointment, ask to be on our on-call list to fill last-minute slots at a discount. Or see if you can be a "training home" for new cleaners.

No.13. If you use a service instead of an individual, ask for the same people every time. Your cleanings will be more consistent, with fewer strangers in your home.
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Build employee loyalty or build customer loyalty?

The business world there is always a lot of talk about the importance of customer loyalty. But employee loyalty is every bit as important. Many people overlook the importance of employee, but to do so can be detrimental to your business. If you have not considered the issue before, there is no better time than now.

There are many reasons why having loyal employees is a must in your business. They are the backbone of the company, and the ones that will ultimately make or break your product or service. They represent your company and will either put your business goals into action or snuff them out before you can even figure out the root of the problem.
Employee loyalty should be at the top of every entrepreneur's list, and it should be integrated into your business strategy. It’s that important!
Here are a few secrets that I have learned about gaining employee loyalty:

Putting it into action
To put this in action, take some time to focus on your employee loyalty. Work at building a loyal team and doing what it takes to make that happen. It may take you coming to terms with the fact that you need to replace a few people, or that you need to work on your own actions toward your employees. When you evaluate what needs to be done and get it done, everything else will fall into place.

Lines of communication
Often times, as business leaders, we tend to focus all of our attention on the consumers and our bottom line. But what we must realize is that when we turn some of that attention and focus to our employee loyalty, it will automatically help us reach those other goals. Employees who are loyal will provide better customer service and will be more apt to helping your business grow.
Another important issue when it comes to having loyal employees is keeping communication flowing. The businesses that focus on keeping their employees informed and in the know help to make them feel more a part of a team. When you take the time to clearly communicate with your employees, letting them know your expectations, their job duties, and provide feedback, they will be more loyal.

Evaluate
The first thing you need to do is recognize that some people are naturally loyal, while others are not. So, fire those people who are not loyal. Replace them with people who have a history of being loyal in their prior positions. If they were loyal in the past, they will most likely be loyal in the future. Being loyal is a work ethic that people either have or they don’t, so it’s not really something you can teach or train them.

Simplify
Those leaders who gain loyalty do it by removing barriers for everyone else. Their primary job is to continuously make everyone else’s job easier. If your employees see you trying to help make their job easier, they will be much more loyal.

Reciprocate
The biggest secret is to give loyalty first. If you want employees to go above and beyond for you, you must go above and beyond for them. The best leaders get this. They fight for the team, and in return, the team fights for them. This doesn’t mean that you have to give them more financially. There are many non-financial rewards you can give that will help build loyalty, such as giving respect and praise, having an employee of the month, being flexible when they need time off, and listening to their suggestions and feedback.
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How to provide customer services outshines competiors

Some days ago, we talked about how to build customer loyalty. In the last step, we all understand how importance customer services is.

• See more How to build employee loyalty

Excellent customer service that makes your customer feel special, Service that makes him or her want to come back and do more business with your company and recommend your business to his or her friends.

So how can you provide an excellent customer service that will dazzle customers and competitors alike?
Let’s see some suggestions below:

1. Determine what makes what you offer special.
Study the competition.
Think about your competitors' customer service and the customer service you provide. What can you offer your customers that is "better" than the competition? There are sure to be aspects of your customer service that you can promote as special or unique.

2. Study the customer service ideas on your list and examine their feasibility.
Excellent customer service carries that same kind of guarantee; it's not a "sometimes" proposition. So only choose what you can definitely do one hundred percent of the time.

3. Practice customer services ideas.
Put customer services on your business cards and in your email signature.
Make it part of your greeting spiel when you answer the phone.
You need to make your customer service a prominent feature of every ad too, so people automatically associate it with your business. Remember when you're redesigning or creating ads never to describe your customer service as "new and improved"; this implies there was something wrong with your previous customer service.

While one of the big payoffs of your excellent customer service will be the great word-of-mouth advertising it generates, this takes time, and you need to help it along by getting the word out. Don't be shy! Solicit customer service testimonials from satisfied customers, that you can use in print ads, such as in newspapers, ezines, and on your website, if you have one, or can at least use as references for new potential customers.

4. Stay proactive and listen to your customers.
Listen to your customers and find out what kind of special customer service they want. You can do this formally, by creating a customer service feedback form, such as this Customer Service Survey, that you enclose with every promotion or post on your website, or informally, by asking them for their customer service ideas when they're in your company.
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