Value Added for your Clients, Cost Effective and Easy to Achieve

While the economy is on standby, here are some recommendations to add value to your business and Clients, as to attract them and keep them, a need of “getting for what they paid” is becoming your day to day activity, it doesn’t cost much; however, you will have a greater impact.

1.-A personalized welcome letter (no matter that is a VIP, regular Guests will highly appreciate it).
2.-If the Client had an inconvenience, it’s common that the Concierge or Guest Services sends them a note or a phone call, have someone out of the executive committee to respond to a complaint.
3.-While Guest is checking out, send a thank note trough e-mail, it will be a nice surprise (make sure to write something about their safe trip back home).
4.-Learn in advance of your Customer’s preferences, that way you can set things as they like.
5.-Be present, by having the executive committee walking around your property, they will have the chance to meet and know your Client on a personal level, always make them feel they are among family.
6.-Know your Hotel, how to get anywhere, daily activities, private events, restaurant openings, menus and specials, spa services. This will increase credibility, promptness and hands on management on your executives.
7.-Courtesy call from the GM on the second day of stay, it has a huge impact by asking your Guests if everything is ok with their rooms, services, comfort, amenities and overall experience. This particular action, will allow the management in first hand to take corrective actions while the Client is still staying at your Hotel and not when is too late and you read it at Trip Advisor or Expedia or even your Corporate Office.
8.-Greet Guests while checking in, and even walk them to their rooms. Put yourself into your Clients shoes, how great is to be accompanied by the person or persons in charge of the whole property.
9.-Know what your Guest needs are in advance, as a Hotelier, you can anticipate on what the Client may need based on their overall experience and actions.
10.-Welcome cocktail and fresh towels (for warm climate), many of your Guests are thirsty by traveling hundreds or thousand of miles, greet them with a non alcoholic cold infusion or cocktail and a fresh wet scented facial towel, or a nice hot chocolate and a warm scented facial towel (for cold climate).

Running out of ideas on how to bring your menus back to life?

If you got to the point of taking three aspirins with espresso while your hands are shaking and you still have no clue on how to bring dishes variety for your Clientele, take a soothing green tea, breath normally, count to ten and relax, then I invite you to read some recommendations on how to bring some life back to your menus, remember that menus are your recommendation letters, your sales tools and your marketing pitch, so my tip for you is to make it right, not in a good way, but in a professional way (there’s thousands of miles that separate this two visions). So here are many things that you CAN do in order to make it profitable:

===To aim for a specific target market, first you need to figure out what your competitors are doing, and after that, you have two options left, create something new or make the existing much better than your competition (the professional way).

===It’s not a biblical damnation if you ask for help; there are many professionals out there that would help you building successful menus, trust on what you see, not of what you’ve heard.

===Search the internet, browse through old magazines, look up for cookbooks, but not just for copying recipes, but for getting fresher ideas, new trends, dishes presentation, but try to make it cost-effective.

===Mile long menus are difficult to read, to understand, to interpret and most likely you have your kitchen full with expired or close to expire food. Your menus should be concise, explained (otherwise you will end up with an “explanation waiter” instead of a seller), easy reading (fonts) and lead you to mouthwatering just for reading it.

===Get the most out of seasonal products, as you will end up buying cheaper, fresher and tastier. Ask your suppliers for seasonal ingredients, that way you can bring your menus a very special twist.

===Build up a solid ingredients chart; include minimums, maximums, and point of reorder, cost and three supplier’s options, this will take your headaches away, and you can get a very standard way of purchasing.

===Make daily specials, this can bring menu variety for your Customer, especially if they are regular Clients. Also prepare a cocktail of the day, this will light up your bar just a notch.

If you are a Vendor or Supplier, I cordially ask you to please abstain yourself of promoting your services and products.

Please feel free to leave a note or share your professional experience.

Are You Penny Pinching with your Suppliers?

This is one of the most important tasks in many industries, as the final product and its profitability is directly proportional for making the right decisions while choosing a Supplier or Vendor, so I want to start with some facts that will assist you to make the right choice:

-Bargains do not always translate in cost effectiveness or product performance.
-Consistency in products and prices are probably the main characteristics of a good Vendor.

-Globalization is always around; so many Vendors will have the exact same product you are looking for.

-Don’t ever get “married” with one Supplier, as “honeymoon” can turn into “bittermoon”.

-Vendors have a sales quota, make sure to buy what you need, do not overstock your warehouse.

-If you don’t know what products you are looking for, it’s impossible to source the right Supplier, plan in advance.

-Your Purchasing Manager is a real price hunter, no matter quality, if you make the right product specifications, you will end up exactly with what you need.

-Having several Vendors for the same product will only increase your operational costs or expenses, make the right choice only once, but be sure to always have a backup just in case.


And now some things to consider:

+Get prices lists on a regular basis, as nothing that you can’t measure, can’t be improved.

+The best way to source Vendors are through recommendations or referrals.

+Always negotiate, as this will bring a positive effect in your costs.

+Best Suppliers are punctual, formal and deliver consistency.

+Know your Supplier Company Manager; it is the person that will help you in any problem, and make sure you get an open line of communication.

+Performance tests on samples are essential, as unfortunately, almost 80% of the purchased product is different from the one you tested.

+Constantly changing your Vendors will increase your costs, expenses and for sure will give you a major headache. If you made your decision, stick to it.

+Once in a while, pick up the phone for a courtesy call to your Vendor; this will keep them motivated to get the best products at the best prices.

+30% of the products Vendors handle, are not in a price list, ask for them.

+Make sure Vendors have the proper stock to fulfill your needs, otherwise you will end up buying more expensive, remember that Vendors do not overstock or have unlimited supply.

+Delivery conditions, prices negotiation, credit openings and your Vendors follow up is 60% of the process, you might give it some attention.

+Do not receive anything that you didn’t ask for, and if you don’t get what you asked for, send it back and make sure for it respective credit note.

+People represent companies, the best negotiations are always held among people, not companies.

+Source for local Vendors, remember that shipping costs, and it is reflected in the prices.
If you are buying equipment, make sure that you get your Vendor’s point of view, as they can assist you in taking the wisest decision.


If you are a Vendor or Supplier, I ask you cordially not to promote your services or products in this posting, I recommend you to start a new discussion.

To choose a Vendor, do not hesitate, make the right decisions, your business depends on it. Please share your experience.

Employees Heaven in Latin America, Panama is THE CHOICE

After experiencing Panama for only 20 days, I’ve confirmed that this small paradise is not just for visiting, it’s about getting a job at all costs, as all man dreams is working less, earning more and have more time to spend with the family, well, Panama is the “festive” place for you to be if you think that the obligation of work is a biblical damnation. So here’s the deal especially planned and designed for you who wishes to be in; 30 days paid vacation for every 11 months of “hard work”, 11 days paid holiday, 8 hours shifts during day, no more than 3 extra hours per day with a maximum of 9 hours per week, any sales commissions become a part of your salary, 13 sick days, and don’t forget about the 16% raise on the minimum wage, so yes, Panama is THE place.

But I’m just a regular guy, who succeeded and keeps on doing so through hard work and for sure very long hours, sleepless nights, time away from home, but probably I’m just a fool who wanted to build a successful career and a lifestyle for my family, and I find ridiculous the way the employee, through the Panamanian Labor Board have blackmailed the entire system and is now prostituted by the highest bidder. I want to be clear that I am apolitical, pro success and profitability engaged, but is known by every single Panamanian business owner or manager that this kind of “deal” slows the Country down, so you have three general scenarios, the business owner point of view, the managerial point of view and THE PANAMANIAN WAY!!!, hell, I choose the third one no questions asked…

I’m a Mexican native, and for some reference, the paid vacation period is 6 days for the first year, and increases in 2 days every year, and when you become institutionalized for 20 to 24 years, you’ll get 20 days paid vacations period, and for every year, you get 8 holidays, if you are a capitalist, you will most certain work your ass off to grow in the “food chain”, but in Panama is a different story, the boss is always between the sword and the rock, trying to make a successful business for a brighter future, but having to deal with hundreds of strategies that lead nowhere when talking about Labor in this beautiful Country.

When I first met my current Client through the internet, I began to browse page after page of exciting information about Panama, culture, leisure, and overall the great background, people fully bilingual all over the place (which is not true), warm and helpful, and when I just got here, it was as a lightning stroke, and I realized that has so many and so enormous areas of opportunity, and for sure the employees issue is one of them.

Do me a great favor, invite me to work the Panamanian way, what the heck!!!