WALKED GUESTS

VISION: All properties will follow an established procedure when it becomes necessary to relocate or "walk" a guest due to an oversold condition.

SCOPE:

To avoid losing the "good will" of our guests when the property is unable to honor a guaranteed reservation.

PHILOSOPHY:

In our highly competitive markets, it is the goal of every Front Office to have zero room vacancies in order to maximize rooms’ revenue and occupancy. In many instances, this requires very aggressive selling tactics to compensate for no-shows and cancellations. Specifically, it means that we must accept more reservations than we can accommodate, based on historical no-show/cancellation statistics. When an unanticipated number of stayovers occur or our historical data does not extend to current trends, the result is a walk situation.

PROCEDURE:

When a walk situation occurs, the following procedure is to be followed:

1. The Front Office Manager, Reservation Manager, Rooms Director/Director of Operations, and Director of Hotel Sales should review all arrivals and decide which individuals should be protected from a potential walk situation (i.e., Frequent Guests, VIPs advance deposits, meeting planners, and Secretaries' Club reservations).

2. These individuals should be pre-registered.

3. Group arrivals should be reviewed. Many groups guarantee payment. In addition, individuals attending group meetings being held at the hotel, as well as those transient guests representing major corporate producers and guests who have called to confirm their reservation, should also be given preferential treatment.

4. Review room availability at competitors where "walk rates" have been established. Consider reserving a block of rooms depending on the severity of the situation.  

5. Ensure that a senior member of the Front Office management team and Manager on Duty are aware of the situation and readily available to personally handle relations with all guests to be walked.

6. When the guest arrives, the situation and our procedures should be carefully explained. As the situation is explained, the guest should receive a sincere apology on behalf of the hotel.

7. Once the guest understands the situation, they should be asked if they have a preference in alternate hotels. If so, make arrangements for the guest at that hotel, if available. As stated above, local room availability should be determined before the "walked guest" arrives.

8. If the guest has no preference, secure a reservation at the nearest hotel of similar quality.

9. The property will pay for room and tax at the alternate hotel, one long distance phone call, and local phone calls if it is necessary for the guest to notify home and/or business associates of his new location.

10. If the guest does not have transportation, we should arrange transportation to and from the alternate hotel, using our hotel vehicle, or taxi, if necessary. We will pay for these transportation costs.

11. The "walked guest" must be registered at our PBX, clearly showing the name of the hotel to which the guest was relocated. This will enable us to refer any calls received for the guest.

12. The Front Office Manager or Night Manager must complete a relocation list and distribute to the General Manager and Rooms Director/Director of Operations by 8:00 AM the following morning.

13. If the guest had planned to stay for more than one night, we should offer to bring the guest back the next day regardless of our sell status. If the guest elects to stay at the alternate hotel, it must be understood that we are responsible only for the first night's room and tax.

14. Upon the return of the guest, they should be pre-registered and upgraded to the best accommodations available. A gift or VIP package should be sent to the guest with a note of apology from the General Manager. The decision to "comp" the first night back at our property is at the discretion of the property.

15. The Rooms Director/Director of Operations or Front Office Manager must contact the guest and extend every possible courtesy.

16. A guest who has been walked must have a notation made in his/her guest history in order to prevent a second occurrence.

17. If the guest was booked for only one night or elects not to return to our hotel after the first night, the General Manager is to send a letter of apology the next day.

18. NEVER bill a guaranteed no-show if you have not honored the guaranteed reservation!

19. When walking a guest whose reservation is commissionable to a travel agent, full payment of the commission must be made as if the guest had stayed at our hotel.

20. A "Walked Guest Log" should be maintained, including the guest's name, where they were walked to, and the guest's attitude. See Exhibit 1.

21. All walked guests should be entered in the PMS "VIP Guest File" to ensure acknowledgment and apology for the previous walk situation and also to ensure VIP treatment on the next stay. Properties should decide individually if they wish to present some type of additional amenity to the guest who returns after being walked previously