People & Culture Update

INTERNAL PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCEMENT!!  Q2 has been a busy P&C quarter for recruiting our top talent!

Congratulations to Mocha Black for her spring 2024 promotion as the GM in Utica, NY!  Mocha has been with us, in Utica, for almost 15 years, secretly helping run the property as our "Resident Night Owl" in a Full-Time Auditor position.  When the GM position became available, she was the first to raise her hand and want to take a chance at proving her skills!  When she's not overseeing the property on the night shift, or catching up on her zzzzz's, Mocha was also building her customer service and data entry skills with a second job at Tractor Supply.    She instinctively knew the needs of the GM position and what time, effort and resources it would require, and the RRI West team excitedly benefited from her accepting our offer and bidding farewell to her retail family.  We are so thrilled and lucky that Mocha has chosen RRI West to be her new, full time focus and continue her hospitality journey.  We know great things are coming to the Utica location under Mocha's new leadership!

Congratulations also goes out to Haley Kaiser at Columbus Downtown.  Haley has been our front desk expert on Gina's team since 2008 and has recently been given additional responsibilities in our Sales Department.  While the downtown property has historically had a specific property-based DOS, we knew that with Haley's knowledge of the property, the team and the Columbus area... she was a perfect fit to begin to pick up some additional responsibilities with the sales team.  She will get great guidance from Lynette Savidge and the rest of the RDSM team... and will now be splitting her time between the desk and honing her sales skills for the Columbus market.  We are so excited to see Haley grow in this new way! 

And finally, a new promote just this week… so Congratulations goes out to Sarah Loredo in San Antonio who will be moving up from Front Desk to the Assistant General Manager.  Sarah has been at this property since November of 2022… but has been a loyal Red Roofer, previously working at two other Red Roofs in the area… but ended up staying with the San Antonion downtown team!  Sarah goes above and beyond in customer service while staying within the company standards.  She has been the lead front desk person since her arrival… but has shown that it takes a team to make the property successful by helping covers housekeeping two days a week.  She is detail oriented and always the first one to pick up any shifts needed.  Sarah enjoys her job, and it shines through in her presence.  Moving into the AGM role will allow Sarah to master her managerial skills while creating a true team focused culture, alongside her GM, Samantha!

Reminder Human Trafficking Awareness-Training

While January is normally National Human Trafficking month, the summer months bring an increase in guests staying at our properties. As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and well-being of our community, we want to remind everyone about the importance of human trafficking awareness. It is a grave violation of human rights and as members of the hotel industry, it is especially crucial that we stay informed and vigilant. RRI West Management partners with and follows training guidelines as established by Red Roof and ecpat.org.

Quick Reminder of what Human Trafficking is…

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit people for labor or commercial sex. It is a crime that can affect individuals of any age, gender, or nationality.

How Can You Help?

1. Know The Signs: Educate yourself about the signs human trafficking so you are able to recognize it! Traffickers often take advantage of the privacy accessible through the hospitality industry.
   

• Front Desk GSRs – Look for…
  

• Individuals may be constantly monitored, rarely allowed to interact with staff or others

• Individuals have little to no control over possession of money or ID

• Individuals dress inappropriately for their age or have lower quality clothing compared to others in their party

• Houskeeping & Maintenance GSRs – Look for…
  

• Requests additional housekeeping services but denies hotel staff entry to room

• Presence of multiple computers, cell phones, credit card swipers, etc

• Extended stay with few or no personal possessions

1. Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, report it immediately to your manager!!! If you see something – SAY SOMETHING!

***REMINDER*** NEW HIRES MUST COMPLETE THE ECPAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING AS PART OF THEIR NEW HIRE ONBOARDING TRAINING

The Training Department sends out monthly reports on the status of your employee trainings. The last one sent out was from Cathy Wingler on Monday, July 1st.  If you need it resent to you, please reach out to Cathy or Michelle Ward. It is IMPERATIVE that all employees have completed the required new hire training.

RRI West Management partners with and follows training guidelines as established by Red Roof and ecpat.org. By working together, we can help prevent human trafficking and support those who have been affected by it.

Looking for Ways to Generate Sales Leads?

Use GOOGLE to Your Advantage!

Did you know that you could find a new lead by simply entering your competitor’s phone number?

When you Google a hotel’s phone number, a list of all sites where the hotel’s information is relevant will show up.  You may see many advertisements and OTA’s.  You may also find more valuable information such as companies who are referring their employees to stay at a competitor’s hotel, and/or annual events that are referring their guests to stay at a competitor.  You could uncover one of your competitors’ key accounts!

Tips:

• Don’t limit your searches to only the hotels within your competitive set, Google other hotels in your area as well.

• Be sure to Google the hotel’s direct phone number and not their central reservation number.

Below are the results from a Google search for the Super 8, a competitor of our Red Roof Inn Rockford, IL.

When you find companies or events, like the ones highlighted above, click on their webpage to find out more information.  What information would you look for?

Rockford Systems, LLC:

Who is Rockford Systems? Are we also listed as an option for lodging with them?  Does the Super 8 mention what rate they offer for the employees of Rockford Systems?  Is there contact information listed within their webpage for the travel manager, hotel coordinator, or person in charge, with Rockford Systems?

Dog Agility Trials:

When are the trials?  Is our hotel listed as an option for lodging?  How can we become a lodging option if not?  Is there a direct booking link/landing page within the webpage that takes guests directly to the Super 8’s website?  If so, are you able to view the rates that they offer?

Don’t forget…..  Searching a phone number on Google will also work for your inn!  What webpages do you see for your inn?

Qualify your findings, do the research and make that phone call!  Share this information with your RDSM.  You just might find a great lead that could turn into a new account for your inn!