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The Bildeston Crown in Suffolk: “A very professional operation”


Flexible, focused and friendly Delivering real guest satisfaction during a difficult season – The Bildeston Crown, Suffolk


in appalling weather answered any lingering doubts. It was a last minute booking for two. The rate offered was terrific value. We were shown to exactly the fireside table required for our meeting and precisely the spot in the dining room


I


ing the opportunity and taking the action all in one go, we tend to pick it up, put it down and pick it up again. If you resolve to ‘do it once and do it


the first time’ it’s amazing how much time you free up. It may sound like ‘shrink-speak’ but I recommend you give it a try. It works for me.


Management by walking about Remember business meetings – once the main driver of many hotel busi- nesses? A combination of terrorism problems, airline difficulties, improved electronic communication and cost pressures have more or less removed them entirely from our calendar. It hasn’t damaged business. Business executives still travel to deal with research, sales and relationship mat- ters but the ‘talking shop’ meetings business has significantly reduced. In your own business it may be that issues once resolved by meetings can actually be resolved by direct conver- sation. Talking to people on the job, walking through and getting involved in the processes as the action happens can be much quicker and more efficient. If everything stops for meetings,


ISSUE 2 2012 © cybertrek 2012


haven’t always been the greatest fan of The Bildeston Crown. On occasions it has seemed a little bit ‘fash- ionable’ – although fundamentally good. A recent visit


we wanted to continue our discussion over dinner. It was quiet (the village was suffering from a power cut) but the service couldn’t have been more attentive and the quality of cooking was as good as ever. Particularly memorable was breakfast; everything was presented exactly as asked for and with complete atten- tion to detail. It is a very professional operation and we appreciated the relaxed, friendly and attentive way in which they dealt with two ‘old crusties’ in the deep mid- winter. It is a mark of a well run establishment to deliver top-notch service when things are quiet.


Focus on the market, forget the problems and you will solve the problems


everything stops. If the communication and decision making that took place in meetings is handled ‘on the hoof’, it can be more practical and efficient. This ethic works in just the same


way when it comes to the communica- tion that follows meetings or decisions. Keep it simple and keep it practical – fewer words – clearer message.


Communicate effectively Use e-communication in a way that works. E-communication etiquette is much simpler and more direct than that of print. It’s also a great deal quicker. Communicating with the team through text and email can mean mes- sages are read instantly and acted on. To get the message across, make sure everybody understands what’s going on and takes action; it is the best way


to work. It also provides instant record- ing of information and communication in real time without any extra effort. Reorganising your communication


structures so that you don’t waste time distributing paper, engaging in redundant meetings or filing and recording means that everybody knows what’s going on more quickly.


What’s it all about? Quite simply, it’s about cutting the amount of time taken up by back office and internal procedures and free- ing up more time to focus on what really matters – guest satisfaction. Recessionary times create a climate of fear. It is very easy for a business to fall into the trap of focusing on its own concerns and affairs. By concentrating on the problems we


move further away from the solutions. There is a market out there, it wants to enjoy its leisure experiences at good value and with good human contact. Focus on the market, forget the prob- lems and you will solve the problems. The more time leisure businesses spend looking after their customers, the more they will prosper. l


Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 71


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