Last week I received a press release from a tech company touting the latest and greatest innovations for hoteliers in a post-COVID world. While hotels will certainly need to make significant changes, these new “tools” got me thinking.

These tools are lauded as “guest engagement solutions” and I am not so sure Up first was a new messaging platform that integrates with the messaging a guest may already have—What’s App, Messenger, Messages, etc. and integrates with the hotel systems. In theory, if I needed an extra pillow, all I need to do is pull up my Messenger app and text “need pillow” and the hotel will now know my needs, room, and location (presumably so it can be delivered in a contactless manner -- either left…

I am spending some portion of my Covid-enforced time-out to think through ways of improving how I do business. When we all come out of the standstill, I want to make sure my companies  are capable of moving forward easily and with a fresh set of tools. I have discovered this is easier than I expected because the source of many of the problems that arise at TRO have their origin in my own methodologies. I'm glad, because that is one of the easiest things for me to fix. I can't fix Covid-19, but I can fix the way my company operates in the current environment.

Let me explain.

Things go wrong.  In any given week, there are problems aplenty with clients, suppliers and associates.  There seems…

You don’t need theatrics to impress me. What grabs my attention are small courtesies that clearly indicate that I am important to you.

I am not suggesting that you need to come up with some grandiose scheme. Perform small courtesies daily. That is all it takes. Let me know that you…