Believe it or not, Sunday, April 30 is National Honesty Day. On first reading, it probably sounds crazy, as in, “there is a day for everything!” However, on further reading of the original intent of the day, it’s actually quite significant, and something to consider incorporating as a core value. Honesty Day was created in the early 1990s to counterbalance starting the month with April Fools’ Day, which celebrates foolishness and trickery. It was deemed as a day for politicians to be truthful in what they say, for commercial enterprises to not manipulate consumers, and for organizations to be honest with their employees.
Too bad it falls on a Sunday this year! Too bad it isn’t every day of the year! Too bad that it’s necessary at all!
Based on feedback from customer focus groups, hotel sales managers are generally honest in their dealings with clients, however, where salespeople sometimes fall short is follow up: doing what they said they were going to do and within the timeframe discussed. Follow-up can make or break a sale. On the marketing side, consumers are often frustrated at hotel photography being outdated and passing off ten-year-old photos as an accurate likeness even when the hotel is overdue for a renovation. Vocabulary used on marketing material is sometimes too flowery and generic. While it is important for hotels to show their product in the best light, including hiring professional photographers and copywriters, keeping photography updated (including shots of even the smallest rooms) and writing relevant information gives credibility to the hotel.
When it comes to honesty with staff, secrets about decisions or what is really happening creates a feeling of dishonesty and often leads to gossip filling in the gaps of what management isn’t saying. Concepts such as ‘need to know’ as a metric of what and when information is revealed are outdated and increase fear in organizations. Embracing an attitude and behavior of transparency and even admitting “I don’t know” when appropriate limits the unnecessary chatter and increases productivity and trust.
Why not make honesty, truthfulness, and integrity core values for your organization and commit to having each encounter with your team and customers be honest and transparent?
How would you rate the honesty metric in your organization with clients and team members?
Brief Bio of Jo-Anne Hill
Founded by industry expert Jo-Anne Hill, JH Hospitality leads hotels to dramatically improve revenue and profitability in creative ways. Her strategic thinking, skill, and practical approach to problem-solving come from hands-on experience at companies such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin-Oriental Hotel Group, Dorchester Collection and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.