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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RED LION HOTELS & INNS SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH HSA INTERNATIONAL AND STATABILITY TO IMPROVE PROPERTY RESERVATION PERFORMANCE
AUGUST 29, 2001 - VANCOUVER, WASH. - Red Lion Hotels & Inns recently introduced customized reservations eTraining through an agreement with HSA International and Statability™ (HSA Alliance Partner). HSA and Statability develop innovative online training programs, services and products - specific to the hospitality industry - to improve hotel reservation performance when guests call participating Red Lion® properties.
"Taking advantage of Internet-based training technology and timely electronic information delivery to improve our brand management and our customer service fits in very well with Red Lion's other online initiatives," said Lisa Healea, corporate director of revenue management. "Red Lion continues to establish new benchmarks to better serve our customers and to offer hotels an opportunity to improve revenue performance. This relationship with HSA and Statability is designed to increase our ability to capture the customers who call our hotels directly for reservations, and it allows us to stay on top of this critical distribution channel." By offering innovative training tools designed to increase the hotels' ability to confirm reservation sales, Red Lion, in conjunction with HSA, created a variety of interactive components to educate hotel employees on these tools.
- On-Line Training: Employees work through self-paced, web based learning modules on the standards that have been created to enhance property reservation performance. Hotel management can access information on individual progress through the material and final test scores to help insure that key reservation personnel have a strong understanding of the standards. Easy to use videos and CD's are also provided at the property to help educate staff members.
- Mystery Calling: HSA places mystery calls to hotels in order to determine the property's reservation agent's individual performance against the pre-set criteria developed for Red Lion.
- Instant Web Access: Immediately after a mystery call is placed to the property reservation agent, the information about the individual's score is posted to a secure web site and an e-mail feature notifies management when an employee is performing exceptionally well, or advises when a score is below what is acceptable to the property. Overall hotel reports, generated by Statability, are posted on a web site to allow hotels to measure their results against other Red Lion properties, industry averages, and world-class results.
- Online Coaching and Continuous Training: Employees receive immediate guidance on how to improve their performances to meet the pre-set criteria. Individuals may select from a variety of online training options as they review their scores, which will assist them in improving the selected areas so that productivity may be increased without delay.
The NetConferences began in June with a training overview with all participating Red Lion hotels. Individuals responsible for handling reservation calls at each of the hotels then immediately began the process of moving through the on-line training modules, and using the property videos and CD's to become educated on the Red Lion reservation standards. With two months of performance evaluations completed, and results distributed, managers can compare their hotel's performance against other Red Lion properties, industry averages and world-class results.
Red Lion/HSA International Release 3-3-3-3
General managers throughout participating Red Lion Hotels & Inns are very impressed with the standards, training, and availability of performance information.
"The immediate feedback the property receives on the shop call, is a great tool in assisting us with training our property reservation agents," said Todd Thoreson, general manager of Red Lion Hotel Medford and regional director of operations. "If we can learn how to be more responsive to our customers needs, then we are better positioned to capture more business, and improve our revenue growth. Hotel leadership's ability to instantly recognize strong performance or initiate individual coaching of sub-standard results, is critical to the success of this initiative." Red Lion Hotels & Inns is owned by Hilton Hotels Corporation, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 1,900 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton®, Conrad™, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Harrison Conference Centers®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Company®, Homewood Suites® by Hilton and Red Lion Hotels & Inns®. For more information on Red Lion Hotels & Inns, visit our brand Web site at www.redlion.com, contact your professional travel agent or call 1-800-RED-LIONÔ in the U.S. and Canada.
HSA International provides mystery call services to monitor and provide feedback on the performance of reservations agents, front desk personnel, PBX, group sales and marketing, catering and other responsible for handling inquiries and sales-related calls. HSA International can be reached at 954-432-7301 or www.hsa.com.
Statability provides custom reporting packages that are delivered via the Web. These reporting tools enable all levels of management to quickly and easily tap into the company's business results. Statability can be reached at 952-322-5865 or www.statability.com.
Contact:
Constance Southwick
R/H/A/S
(503) 227-5547
csouthwick@rhas.com
Brad Smith
HSA International
(954) 432-7301
www.hsa.com
Mike Wohl
Statability
(952) 322-5865
www.statability.com