Trent Freeman had a challenge. His hotels had topped the charts of guest satisfaction. “That’s a very difficult place to sustain,” he told us. In this case study, we’re going to dive into how he got there, the challenges of maintaining consistent excellence, and how he overcame them through listening to guests through technology and motivating his team. First, a bit of context. Trent is the Corporate Director of Operations Development and Quality Assurance, Valencia Hotel Group. Based in Houston, Texas, Valencia Hotel Group is a hotel management company specializing in the development and operation of full-service luxury hotels. Named a leading hotel developer, owner, and operator by Smith Travel Research, they consistently deliver profit generation rankings in the top tier of all U.S. full-service hotels. Valencia Hotel Group is also a preferred resource for development and property management services for upscale hotels owned by third parties. A unique aspect of Valencia’s properties is a focus on creating a local, outdoor experience with large courtyards, frequent live music, and fire pits in the evening. “We’re taking that experience and making it a luxury experience at the same time,” Trent told us. “Our aim is to give people a reason to travel because staying in our hotels is an experience in itself. It��s very unlike the thousands of other options out there, where you wake up in the morning and may forget what city you're in. It's pretty hard to do that in our hotels!” Valencia Hotels have won Traveler’s Choice Awards and consistently achieves customer satisfaction ratings above the 90th percentile. But therein was the challenge.
El reto de mantener la excelencia
"Es difícil mantenerse como número uno", reflexionó Trent. Según su experiencia, reunir al personal en torno a un objetivo común de alcanzar una alta puntuación de satisfacción de los huéspedes o una posición en un sitio de reseñas es difícil, pero une a los equipos. Es aún más difícil mantener ese nivel de excelencia día tras día.
Para ello es necesario idear formas de revitalizar al equipo. "Con el tiempo, a menos que las personas encuentren nuevos motivadores, pierden la concentración".
Framing is important here. "I always say it’s not my team, it's not the general manager's team, it's not anybody's team. It's everybody's team, and everybody is just as important as each other." This encourages each individual, regardless of their position, to dig deep down and find that energy day after day to deliver the experience to the guests and to their fellow associates. “It can be challenging sometimes, but at the end of the day we always have a way of figuring it out and moving forward.”
¿La clave para lograrlo? "Tuvimos que dar un paso atrás, respirar hondo y luego pensar realmente en cómo mejorar continuamente. No podemos descansar ni levantar el pie del acelerador".
Parte del proceso de mejora continua consistía en escuchar las opiniones de los huéspedes y actuar en consecuencia. Y hacerlo a tiempo.
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