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innkeeping
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Thursday,
July 5, 2007
While PAII is here to help you operate a successful business, the people behind the inns are what motivate me. Thousands of you put your hard-earned money, heart, soul, sweat and tears into providing a unique and wonderful experience for your guests. I think of you when I think about the direction in which this organization must go. For most of you, the inn is everything to you—a place to raise your family, a full-time job, and/or your life savings. For others, it might be a second career. Regardless of what brought you to this place, the success of your inns impacts your lives and personal happiness in a significant way, and that means a great deal to me. Each and every experience at a country inn or bed and breakfast, and every innkeeper, is unique. By no means do I represent a commodity business, and that is why I love innkeeping. When your board of directors interviewed me for this position, they asked why I wanted the job at PAII, because, as an association executive, I could work in just about any industry imaginable. I said I wanted to work with people who are in hospitality and who love what they do. I want to be around people who get the most out of life (and from the innkeepers I've met so far, that is true), and who help others do the same through their livelihoods. Proprietors of small businesses typically need their national associations more than large businesses. It's a matter of economy of scale—big businesses usually already have the benefits of large scale. Innkeeping is no different. PAII bears a solemn responsibility to do things for you that you could not do alone. How can we spread the word about the bed and breakfast experience? What kind of cost savings on vital business services and products can we negotiate on your behalf to give your bottom line a boost? How vast, meaningful, and accessible can we make networking and friendship-building opportunities for innkeepers all over the country and beyond? Which tools can PAII deliver that will help you compete most effectively? On which topics should PAII advocate at the national level for you? These are questions that keep me up at night in my profession and as your CEO. As we move through the summer season, the PAII staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Council are preparing for a vision and strategic planning session to take place in September. It is our responsibility to make sure we are working on the most important issues our resources will allow. Be on the lookout soon for the all-important needs assessment, which will help guide our discussion. Thank you in advance for filling it out—your input matters. When it comes to innkeeping, what keeps you up at night? Please
let me know. Drop me a line sometime. Jay is the new President and CEO of PAII, after having been
with the National Golf Course Owners Association for ten years.
He can be reached at jay@paii.org
or 856.310.1102.
The advent of Food TV and plethora of cooking shows on both the
Food Network and local and national public television have created
the celebrity chef; and America is in love with the cachet of chefs,
their restaurant life, and their food-centric world. And although
there is a vast difference between culinary education and culinary
entertainment (the latter falling into the category of the fun stuff
above), we think this is a good thing because all this interest
has seeded the market for culinary classes and culinary destination
travel. Works for us! And it can work for the innkeeper who is interested
in attracting guests, identifying their enterprise in an out-of-the-ordinary
way, and attracting a loyal following and repeat business. Specific areas of expertise are a great consideration when deciding who will teach a program—the expert in Asian cuisine will likely not be your best candidate to teach artisanal breads; the great baker isn't going to be your go-to gal for an all-day pit-cooking class. You get the drift. Local restaurant chefs can be a great resource. It's a win-win—they are usually willing to work for very little (or even without) compensation because their interaction with a food-interested group drives guests to their restaurant and begins the word-of-mouth ripple effect of impressed or satisfied guests who will recommend their restaurant to other like-minded foodies. Added benefits to your bottom line include the ability for a restaurant chef to bring their own staff, (read: clean-up, prep, etc.) and often ingredients, either gratis or at cost, or even having classes take place at their facility. The downside, in addition to the "yeah, but can they teach" factor is that most restaurant chefs are disconnected with the limitations and choreography of a home cook in a home kitchen—there is a great divide between home cooking and professional cooking—just ask anyone who has struggled their way through one or more of those gorgeous chef's cookbooks that make your mouth water but are replete with recipes that don't actually work. But that's OK, it's not their venue and there are many chefs (as well as students) that make this scenario work well anyway. It's the Big Things That Count… ...But Sweat the Small Stuff, Too Be sure your facility has enough measuring cups and spoons, workbowls and the like—an insufficient supply of these can bottleneck operations and slow things down to the point where the class loses its momentum. Stocking plenty of inexpensive flexible cutting boards can turn just about any flat surface into a work station. If stocking your kitchen is an expense you'd prefer to avoid at
the beginning, consider the option of having guests bring their
own "kits" with knives, peelers, and a set of dry and
liquid measures. Some home-based schools offer small kitchen utensils,
flexible cutting boards or aprons and side towels for sale, some
of which can be imprinted with your logo. This won't be an enormous
income producer, but it's an appreciated convenience and a nice
reminder of the experience when students return home. One of our most popular classes is outdoor cooking where the entire menu, including our famous Grilled Caesar Salad, is done entirely on a grill. We've also done outdoor deep-frying classes where the star of the show might be a deep-fried turkey but we follow that with a few chickens, a lobster or two, shrimp, potato chips, French fries, pickles, and deep-fried Twinkies. Is your area known for a particular natural resource such as New York apples or wines; Vermont or Wisconsin cheeses; Massachusetts, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic or Gulf ocean treasures; Great Lakes fishing; dairy farms? Is there an ethnic area that can be turned into a market experience and cooking class? Couples experiences are yet another genre that works really well for inns. Here in New Jersey where the beautiful "painted ladies" of Cape May attract thousands of summer guests, there are day boat trips for blue-fishing in season—the catch is almost always abundant (line up a backup source, though, just in case!) and the fish is usually cleaned on board by the crew. The men enjoy the outing, bring back the fish, and the women learn various methods for cooking it. Hunting seasons (bow, deer, etc.) in areas like the Adirondacks
offer great possibilities for interesting classes. Hunters bring
their kill to a local butcher or fabricator to be broken down and
packaged while a chef instructor educates couples on ways to prepare
various cuts of venison. Vicki J. Caparulo and Steve Caparulo of Beauty
and the Feast are Certified Culinary Professionals through the International
Association of Culinary Professionals. They are based in Morristown,
NJ, and have traveled and taught throughout the US for the past
15 years. For their Grilled Caesar Salad, visit their website at
http://www.beautyandthefeast.com.
So I never did learn to be a competent housekeeper, and spent the next 40 years of pre-innkeeper life amid happy chaos and clutter. Doing my own (minimal) cleaning, I imagined I was saving money twice—first, by not paying for the service, and second, getting free exercise without joining a gym. That attitude had to change when we purchased a nine-room B&B. You cannot say to an arriving guest, "Please excuse the mess!" They were not expecting a train wreck. Yet the logical solution, hiring housekeepers, was a challenge. How do you find someone competent? How could I ask, even pay, someone to do something I so dislike doing myself? I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads, but such is the faulty reasoning of people who can't, or won't, delegate. If I have an issue, PAII has the answer. When a session called
"Building a Super Staff" appeared on the 2006 convention
program, I was there with notebook and pen. The panelists, all experienced
innkeepers, pointed out that there are people who thrive on work
that many of us view as drudgery. They take pleasure in making sinks
sparkle and beds that look crisp, yet sumptuous. Where do you find
such employees, and how do you keep them engaged and motivated?
I've collected answers from that workshop, the PAII Forum, and personal
experience. In the end, I think we draw on the same instincts in managing staff as we do interacting with guests. We set out to provide a pleasurable working environment, treat them with respect and generosity, and bombard them with appreciation. Help Wanted Some innkeepers report good results hiring through agencies, while others favor word of mouth. Each of our staff members has been recruited by one of our current employees, so they arrive with realistic expectations about what the work entails, along with a future colleague's endorsement. Consider the advantages of employing two or more part-time staff rather than a single helper, so that you're not left in the lurch when one calls in sick or schedules a two-week vacation. "On the days that we have two housekeepers, they clean the rooms together," says Joyce Schulte, who owns Chambered Nautilus Bed and Breakfast Inn in Seattle, WA. "Working together improves morale greatly because if the room is a total mess, they can attack it together rather than face it alone. Also, both are equally responsible so they can check each other's work. Two sets of eyes are better than one." Throughout the hiring and training process, it's the innkeeper's responsibility to set the standards and lay out clear expectations about what has to be done. Cathy Russell, owner of White Swan Inn in Whitehall, MI, values thoroughness rather than speed. "I would rather that a new employee takes longer to do things right so that I don't have to come back later and do things over," she notes. Once you've specified the results that you're looking for, let the employee decide how to go about it. "We've found it best to demonstrate exactly how we'd like a room to look. A checklist and/or photos for each room can be a good guideline. But our housekeeper has free reign to clean as she pleases," says Heather Tyreman, innkeeper at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast in Joseph, OR. "We bring her into the decision-making loop as often as appropriate." An easy example is cleaning supplies. Give staff a say in what
products to buy and let them organize and keep track of them. Naturally,
we innkeepers share the responsibility for keeping up inventory,
but the housekeepers are the first to notice when the detergent
is running low. Joyce even has one employee who alerts her when
towels need to be replaced, and what brand to buy when they go on
sale in March. "She knew it was her responsibility and if she
got it wrong, she'd be the one washing towels all the time because
we didn't have enough extras. It worked! Some cannot work at this
level, but when they can, I believe in giving them ownership so
they will care more about the job." Both Heather and Joyce are sensitive to the fact that housework is boring. Many of our assistants are bright and overqualified, so if there is an opportunity to add to their responsibilities, go for it. Train your housekeepers to help prepare breakfast, answer phones, check in guests—wherever they show an interest. The most valued employees are those who can multi-task. And raise their salaries accordingly. Just Rewards Food. Every morning after the guests leave, Joyce and her staff plan the day as they finish off breakfast. "Coffee and tea are always available to staff, and if guests leave food behind, they get first dibs on what they want to take home," Joyce says, noting that four of her rooms have kitchens that tend to yield ample leftovers. "I feed them a lot that I'd otherwise throw away," she says. "It is a good perk that costs me nothing!" An interim innkeeper told me that she sets a date with the housekeeping staff at each inn where she work and prepares a special lunch. It's an opportunity to share conversation that does not revolve around the inn and gives all of them a chance to know one another better. Jan Brosseau hosts an annual wine festival at the Inn at the Pinnacles B&B in Soledad, CA. "This year I purchased two tickets for my housekeeper and her husband," Jan reports. "She really enjoyed coming to the event and enjoying the inn in a way other than her normal routine of working here." Gifts. It seems like a given to remember staff members on their birthdays and holidays. But surprise them at other times. "Whenever we leave for a work-related trip like a food show or the PAII conference, we try to bring back a memento or something that will make our housekeeper's life easier," Heather says. "A new set of 420-count sheets the next time you order them isn't a bad appreciation gift either!" Many innkeepers offer staff first chance at any cookware or linens they are replacing, not to mention big-ticket items like furniture and appliances. The good will this creates tops any cash that could be garnered on Ebay. Praise. "I thank them each and every day, at the very least when they are leaving to go home," Joyce says, voicing the practice of many. Heather repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the job. "Our housekeeper reads all of the comment cards the guests send to our state association. We know and she knows that her work is crucial to our B&B's success." Innkeepers not only thank their staff directly but praise them to the guests. When visitors compliment how nice the rooms look, let them know who is responsible. I am so grateful when one of our guests acknowledges the contributions of our housekeeping staff. Recently, a young couple celebrating an anniversary ducked back into their room after check-out as our housekeeper Martha was stripping the beds. Discreetly passing her a $20 bill, they said warmly, "Thank you for your hospitality." The tip was generous, but the gracious choice of words underscored what an indispensable role Martha plays in the B&B experience. It made her day. Pat and her husband, Bob Materka, are the Innkeepers/Owners
of the Ann Arbor Bed & Breakfast.
Food Safety Basics Clean Staff = Clean Kitchen Hot Foods Hot, Cold Foods Cold Clean, Clean, Clean Dan Brown and his wife, Michelle, are the Innkeepers/Owners
of the Swift House Inn.
Question: Answer: Post what you would do in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your response will be included in next month's issue of innkeeping. Also, do you have a nut-picker, a loud-snorer, or another scenario you'd like to ask other innkeepers "What do you do?" If so, please post your scenario in the "Question of the Month" thread on the Member Forum and your question will be included in a future issue of innkeeping!
Answer:
The study includes the following great information from over 500 B&Bs nationwide and is not available through any other source: *Marketing Budgets
*Public Relations as Marketing PAII dues are only $199-$275 for inns—the cost of 1-2 room
nights per year! Tell your friends and neighbors about PAII and
our wonderful benefits, discounts and educational programs. They
won't want to miss this summer special that expires on Labor Day.
Vendors are welcome to participate. Call 1.800.468.7244 or email
membership@paii.org
and ask for the Summer Membership Special! IQ Hits Mailboxes
John and Margot Blackburn Joe Radigan Diane Thomas Congratulations to The Inn at Stockbridge (MA) which was selected by Kraft Foods' Post Selects Cereal as the host location for its recently launched national sweepstakes: The Post Selects Bed and Breakfast Getaway. The sweepstakes features a 3-day/2-night Bed and Breakfast Getaway along with the opportunity to meet celebrity chef Sara Moulton and participate in an exclusive cooking demonstration. Moulton is known for Sara's Secrets on the Food Network and is Executive Chef of Gourmet Magazine. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to promote
the bed and breakfast industry across the country and highlight
all the hospitality the Berkshires have to offer," said Leonard
Schiller, innkeeper at the inn for more than 13 years.
Canterbury Cottage Chateau Toots Coalfields Bed and Breakfast Inc. Crowell House Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast Frisco Street Bed & Breakfast The Gathering Place Inn at 657 (The) Inn at Pleasant Lake Island Inns LLC Laurel Grove Inn on the South River Lions Gate Manor International Excellence The Lowry House Inn McKitrick House Inn The Purple Sage Inn Rocking Chair Inn Bed and Breakfast Savage River Lodge Turtle Rocks Oceanfront Inn Vacation in Asheville, Oakland Cottage B&B Christine Monroe Westbrook, Ct www.westbrookinn.com New Aspiring Innkeeper Members Diane Devnney Inn Consulting Partners visit the inn and provide a critique of
operations as they impact value, business and future transition.
We also review financial statements, compare to standard costs and
provide advice, direction and suggestions for enhancing profitability,
assess market value and consult in the transfer process. Save your towels! Give your guests La Fresh make-up remover wipes. To pamper them completely, ask about our full line of wipes! Mention code BNB0707 to receive 10% off. Online Inns W L Gore
innkeeping is published monthly. Annual subscription is included in the price of membership. Publisher Editor-in-Chief Production Coordinator Editorial Staff Editorial Suggestions and Contributions Advertising Rates & Information Title Image Courtesy of Jumping Rocks ©2007 innkeeping, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the editor.(back to top) |
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